Austin looks amazing....is it possible to start over here? (Houston: low income, condos)

[Tralfaz]

Originally Posted by riaelise

It's all relative..coming from places like Los Angeles and New York City, where one borough contains more people than the entire austin msa, to some people austin is thought of as a tiny city

Austin passed San Francisco in population in 2011 or 2012 IIRC, and the MSA is over 1 million.

[TXEX06]

Austin is the land of milk and honey. Please arrive asap!

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Tralfaz

Austin passed San Francisco in population in 2011 or 2012 IIRC, and the MSA is over 1 million.

Like I said, compared to places like L.A. (where the OP is from) and NYC (where my home borough alone exceeded 1.5 million people fifteen years ago), some people will indeed think that Austin is "tiny". That's not a knock against Austin, it's just how it is.

I happen to like Austin because it is NOT a big city.

The thing about Austin is that it's still trying to figure things out. It has the population all right, but things like infrastructure, etc. and related big-city "growing pains" are still issues (at least judging by the threads we see on this forum).

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by sxrckr

No offense but I remember some of your past posts about the Austin attitude, AKA Austitude?
I'm guessing things are all kosher now, with your "amazing" reference? I'm just a little confused...

Yeah I remember austin from my college days as a largely hipster haven where slackerdom reigned. I'm sure it's still there but when I visited I saw it more as a young professional hub full of interesting ppl. I didn't think there was anything to the city outside of college and I was wrong. I at least admit it.

I'm moving back to Texas but I don't want to end up in Houston. I want to live in either San Antonio or Austin.

[MedicalPartisan]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

*snip*

If you don't win the forum contest, someone deserves to be smacked.

[lighthouse2000]

This is a great article:

Austin named best city for starting your life over

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Took a trip to Austin two weeks ago and I fell in love with the new Austin. It looks amazing. I had not been to Austin in over six years and it has really changed. It looks less like the Boho college town I remembered and more like a Texas version of San Jose/San Francisco. Some of the hillside homes and restaurants near the lakes are just as or more breathtaking sites than what I've seen here in California (minus Big Sur, Monterrey and Carmel).

I moved out to Los Angeles from my hometown of Houston two years ago for a change not knowing that Austin itself was a nice little bustling city. I had always seen it as a place to go to college and then jet out to work in Dallas or Houston but now I see it as a big deal all on it's own.

I hope I am not just looking at it through rose colored shades but I really enjoyed my time there. It was freezing but I enjoyed every minute of it. LA is nice and gorgeous but it's too expensive and too crowded and way too big for me.

Is it possible to start over in Austin. My significant other can easily transfer jobs and keep her CA pay at 43,000. Is that good enough salary to start off until I find a job somewhere? By the end of the year I will have a degree in architecture tech; auto-cad, revitt, drawing and rendering, etc. Hopefully there are engineering, tech or construction firms that are hiring.

Now give it to me straight. Can we find some affordable apartments near the city starting at 800-850? They don't have to be smack dab in downtown but the outskirts are fine and I wouldn't mind even living a bit up north too. Just close enough to a freeway to hit the town.

What are the cons of living in Austin? Is there a lot to do?

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by lighthouse2000

This is a great article:

Austin named best city for starting your life over

That article is over two years old.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Yeah I remember austin from my college days as a largely hipster haven where slackerdom reigned. I'm sure it's still there but when I visited I saw it more as a young professional hub full of interesting ppl. I didn't think there was anything to the city outside of college and I was wrong. I at least admit it.

I'm moving back to Texas but I don't want to end up in Houston. I want to live in either San Antonio or Austin.

It sounds like you need to familiarize yourself with these cities much better first, before deciding where to move. None are the same as 5-10 years ago.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by sxrckr

It sounds like you need to familiarize yourself with these cities much better first, before deciding where to move. None are the same as 5-10 years ago.

Well I'm here to get info on them. Can u at least provide some pros and cons, advice on his to get started?

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Well I'm here to get info on them. Can u at least provide some pros and cons, advice on his to get started?

I'm not sure you'd like San Antonio. It has some nice suburbs, for families, but to me doesn't cater to DINKs (I assume you and your significant other are) as much; central is still very tourist-oriented. It's gained a lot in population, though.
It may be hard with your apartment budget in that range.
If you want to move back to Texas, I'd look for jobs in your field in Austin to get an idea, but don't discount central areas of Houston that have seen revitalization in recent years. Maybe even Dallas.