Austin vs. Riverside, CA (Houston, Spring: smog, salary, work)

[CSchuman]

Hello All:

I am new to these forums so please excuse me for my ignorance in not searching for previous posts.

Anyhow, I currently live in Riverside, CA. I am looking to move to Austin, Texas, and I want to know if there is anyone out there who has done the same thing. Quite frankly, I don't enjoy California at all. It is way too crowded. It takes me a half an hour to drive 10 miles here... and I don't live in a big city, like Los Angeles for example. California is also very fast-paced. Everyone is pissed off, in a hurry, and surely not polite.

I have already looked into the salary change. I plan on working for the Austin Fire Dept., as opposed to Riverside City Fire. Granted I could have been making 80K a year in Riverside, the quality of life just is not the same. Austin FD pays about 60K a year, but I can manage that.

So I guess the real question is... Is the quality of life better in Southern California or is it better in Austin, Texas?

Thanks!

[love roses]

My sister in law left So. California for quality of life issues. She tells me the quality of life in Texas (she moved to Katy, outside of Houston) is waay better. There are some things she misses about California, like her fruit trees, and maybe milder weather, but other than that she's pretty happy out here.

[Mike78613]

The best fruit is Fredericksburg peaches I don't want anything else

[another_hot-day]

I moved here from N.Cali and yes the quality of life is way better here.
All the things you mentioned being sick and tired of will be gone when you get here.

You will miss some things.

Oh and the people are actually nice, the're not up to something.

[mimimomx3]

I guess it just depends on if you'll like the things you find here (smaller, nice and laid back atmosphere...which will hopefully stay that way, heat) more than the things you'll leave behind (beach? cooler weather? big city amenitites? proximity to mountains? movie stars? )

[libbykt]

For the smog factor alone I would take Austin over Riverside any day.

[tashina]

I don't care for Riverside as far as the city itself, though I didn't hate Temecula. I'd say for me Temecula and Austin are about even as to which I'd rather live in. Temecula has more stuff within an hour to do (San Diego, La Jolla, Orange County, Palm Springs) and much better weather most of the year (dry!). Austin has lots to do if you like lakes and/or film and live music and otherwise I haven't seen much. But compared to Riverside and Temecula, there will be more to do, I'm sure.

If you are looking for better traffic, I'd say Austin isn't the place. It's not always as bumper to bumper as SoCal, but the freeway system is the most poorly designed that I've seen anywhere and it takes a looooong time to get from SW to NE Austin. There aren't any good East-West freeways, and the access roads on all freeways can drive one a little nutty. I prefer driving in Southern California overall - except on the very busiest freeways at rush hour.

Quality of life overall...about even, except for that darn smog. So Austin wins.

[Phisch]

Originally Posted by Mike78613

The best fruit is Fredericksburg peaches I don't want anything else

Where in Austin can these be bought? We never got a chance to drive out to Fredricksburg for peaches. The HEBs and the Costcos all sell peaches from California.

[Phisch]

Originally Posted by Mike78613

The best fruit is Fredericksburg peaches I don't want anything else

Where in Austin can these be bought? We never got a chance to drive out to Fredricksburg for peaches. The HEBs and the Costcos all sell peaches from California.

[love roses]

H.E.B does sell them. All it says in the produce section is "small texas peaches". I think that they don't have them now. All they have right now is California ones. It's not a really long season for the Fredricksburg ones. When we used to camp at Paleface Park, we would buy them from street vendors.