Thinking of Moving to Austin (Atlanta, Howe: affordable apartments, living, bars)

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by where_am_i

Yeah mainly price, though Cali. is ideal in every other aspect, probably why its so darned expensive. Though I do have friends and family there, whereas in Austin i really have no one...

My problem too. I have tons of family in and around LA and they constantly beg me to move there all the time. I guess it could be done, but with some big sacrifices. Everytime I researched it, I found for what I wanted/needed that the rents were outrageous and the home prices even more so!

For me it's kind of tough going it alone, but as you mentioned in a previous post about the awful weather Chicago has, well, it's effecting me too (I've had enough already)!

[socrates1234]

Originally Posted by ITChick

Someone who I just met who told me they visited Austin briefly said that compared to Chicago, he felt Austin could be considered (with the exception of the Capitol/Downtown area) a "bedroom community". What is your opinion on that?


I spent some time in Indy and nearby areas. My memories of there are not too good.


I love the Lincoln Park/Lakeview and Roscoe Village areas. My favorite places to "hang out". Is this lacking in Austin?

I'm not big on drinking, so if that is the major "thing to do", I might be disapointed.

Everytime I go downtown (Chicago) I end up paying $13.00-$25.00 for parking. It sucks, but what are you gonna do? I've never lived in Chicago without a car, and for years I abandoned it and tried to use the public transportation more, but as a woman, there were times I didn't feel safe.



Interesting link. I guess a lot of places are trying to "reestablish" themselves as cool. Good for business I guess.

I think at this point you should just come out to Austin and see for yourself. You can only ask so many questions...it will be different than what your mind's eye image is of it anyway....it is really nice, in many ways...yet the mega-apartment complex aspect of it ruined it for me....I'm used to old complexes with courtyards and character,with neighborhood pubs and such. By my complex, no pubs or parks, and just a strip mall with a video store and HEB grocery...the older part of the city that was the city when it was 300,000 population is older and more citylike, with a more neighborhood feel. some areas are really nice, like south congress and hyde park(yes they have a hyde park too). Only prob is the happening part of the city you would want to live in is the same place everyone else wants to live, so it can be expensive, but no more so than Lincoln Park. I just made a mistake and moved to the wrong place,and got stuck with a years lease....make sure you move either to hyde park or south congress when you transfer here. Anyplace else and you may as well move to Schaumburg.......if you are into strip malls and big box stores, that is

Heres a link to a cool street in Hyde Park that really gets into X-mas lights...
http://www.io.com/~maddog/photo_x3.htm

[twange]

Originally Posted by socrates1234

Heres a link to a cool street in Hyde Park that really gets into X-mas lights...
http://www.io.com/~maddog/photo_x3.htm

The wife and I just got back from seeing all the lights...what fun! I'll post pics tomorrow. I'm tired now...

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by socrates1234

I think at this point you should just come out to Austin and see for yourself. You can only ask so many questions...it will be different than what your mind's eye image is of it anyway....it is really nice, in many ways...yet the mega-apartment complex aspect of it ruined it for me....I'm used to old complexes with courtyards and character,with neighborhood pubs and such. By my complex, no pubs or parks, and just a strip mall with a video store and HEB grocery...the older part of the city that was the city when it was 300,000 population is older and more citylike, with a more neighborhood feel. some areas are really nice, like south congress and hyde park(yes they have a hyde park too). Only prob is the happening part of the city you would want to live in is the same place everyone else wants to live, so it can be expensive, but no more so than Lincoln Park. I just made a mistake and moved to the wrong place,and got stuck with a years lease....make sure you move either to hyde park or south congress when you transfer here. Anyplace else and you may as well move to Schaumburg.......if you are into strip malls and big box stores, that is

Heres a link to a cool street in Hyde Park that really gets into X-mas lights...
http://www.io.com/~maddog/photo_x3.htm

Thanks for that link. I have heard about that light show. Too bad I won't be there in time to see it.

Schaumburg is borrrrrring! Lived out there for a while and felt so out of place!
I'm going to make a note to check out Hyde Park and South Congress when I get there (I'm still going!!), as you are right that I need to see it with my own eyes.

Thank you socrates1234 for helping me figure this out.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by socrates1234

Heres a link to a cool street in Hyde Park that really gets into X-mas lights...
http://www.io.com/~maddog/photo_x3.htm

Interesting side note to our incredible drought here in ATL...some folks are actually calculating the amount of water used to generate the electricity needed to power our huge local light displays. It's not enough to let your lawn go dry or your car stay dirty...time to stop wasting electricity, as well. Who knew?!?

Of course, even a nuclear power plant uses a tremendous amount of water in order to generate energy. Maybe there is something to this solar thing after all!

[edge_gordon]

Originally Posted by where_am_i

wow i never even heard of that place.

No comparison. None whatsoever.
The Monon Trail is no Greenbelt. The Broadripple Brewpub is no Unka Billy's. No Antone's, no Hole in the Wall. No Salt Lick (ruined by publicity) no Artz, no Ruby's. No Cooper's. No Meyer's. Barely any decent Vietnamese or Mexican food. Forget Indian. Just.. forget it. Cheap rents though.

I grew up in Austin (born there 1968) and finally left before cedar fever knocked me down one more time in 2001.

Lived in Indianapolis about a year and a half, had an office near Broadripple.

Indy has no clue about cool. The naivete' is charming, and the Slippery Noodle ain't got bad blues, but one blues club does not overcome midwestern culinary and cultural cluelessness. Mayonnaise is not a flava.

I rate it a nice try.
Needs some years to develop character.

Sorry if my post offends - please spend 30 years in the Austin before 2000 before rebutting.

1.5 years in Indy was enough. I was lucky enough to spend the next 6 in Europe. Now I am in Maryland.

Haven't been here long enough to have an opinion yet.

If you are lucky enough to be in Austin, take public trans, bike, and subvert the dominant paradigm. Keep it alive.

Edge
perennially homesick, but sicker when I go home.

[texastrigirl]

I grew up in Iowa and lived in Texas (mostly Austin) for 12 years. Based on typical summer temps, I don't think the hot days in Texas with 100 degrees and 50-60% humidity feel as bad as 85 degrees in the Midwest with 90% humidity. I think all of my family that followed us to Texas would agree with that statement. However, it is the number of hot days in a row that bothered my husband and made us move...it didn't bother me. Go for a visit and check it out. You will get a good feel for Austin in just a few days.

[clockwise5]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

I grew up in Iowa and lived in Texas (mostly Austin) for 12 years. Based on typical summer temps, I don't think the hot days in Texas with 100 degrees and 50-60% humidity feel as bad as 85 degrees in the Midwest with 90% humidity. I think all of my family that followed us to Texas would agree with that statement. However, it is the number of hot days in a row that bothered my husband and made us move...it didn't bother me. Go for a visit and check it out. You will get a good feel for Austin in just a few days.

Hot is hot, no matter how you slice it.....I have my air off for just a tad here, and it feels like a sauna at 11:00 PM....with windows wide open!

[TexasHorseLady]

We only have window units (and ceiling fans -1930's house built before AC so it doesn't need it as much). We didn't even turn them on until a few weeks ago. Yes, it's hot now, but I don't tend to turn the one in the living room (where my computer is) on until well into the day, sometimes well into the afternoon.

So it entirely depends on your own constitution and how well you handle heat. (And how well your house handles heat, of course.)

[ATXIronHorse]

Austin isn't as liberal as you think. And as soon as you're away from the more liberal pockets (immediate downtown, UT area, etc), its 100% Texas. The other poster was right, you're better off in California.