African-American, Young, Professional, Single-mom pondering the move to Texas...looking to find the right fit

[prtybrwnis]

Originally Posted by southernbellw

I'm a AA single mother, 37 years old with a 4 y/o daughter. I'm originally from Austin but only recently moved back four years ago after my daughter was born. Before my move I lived in Houston, Boston and Miami. Although I have a fondness for Austin I realize now the importance of diversity and I am looking to make a move to Houston within the next year. Bizzilady I too have a MSW with over 15 years experience and I am struggling to make a decent living here. When I left Miami I took a $15K pay cut that I have not been able to recoup. Your MSW will be appreciated more in a larger Texas city (ie. Houston, DAllas) or somewhere else. Although the school system is decent you will be socially isolated here. I am not sure what you mean by affordable housing...yes it exists but you will find yourself not in Austin but in the suburbs if you want to purchase a house on your new Austin salary. Also if you are looking to date an AA man...forget it!!! You will need to be open to dating outside of your race or remain single. And yes there is plenty of night life here but it really caters to a young white college age demographic. And although there is plenty of live music, family-oriented events and artsy things to do you will find that the city is so lacking in diversity that it takes away from the total experience. After 4 years of being home I am so tired of always being 1 of 2 blacks at an event. I also find the "black" events lacking in creativity and poorly coordinated. There is 1 1/2 black clubs in Austin, a community-sponsored black radio station with poor reception,and a handful of black-owned business. Concerts and other cultural events often skip Austin thus you will have to drive to San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston to see the Color Purple when it goes on tour (just an example) The two main reasons I am living my beloved hometown is to get my career back on track and build my daughters damaged self-esteem - she believes her kinky hair is "yucky." I haven't mentioned all of the great things about Austin - you can read those on the city's website...I just wanted you to hear from the perspective of someone who loves this city but simply can't "afford" to live here anymore.

Wow sis! Sorry that Austin has not been good to or for you. Different strokes for different folks however I had a totally different experience. I have found and continue to find several events catered towards AA. I went to www.gametimeaustin.com the other night at 300 and was blown away. I usually keep to myself alot but was thoroughly impressed with AA turnout. It was a mature crowd that had a very good time. I didn't get attitude from any of the other sistas. Everyone was warm and accommodating. There were plenty of AA men there. I didn't know Ausitn had an AA community like that. It made me anxious to attend the next session in August. Granted Austin isn't a Black mecca, but if you seek then you shall find. That has worked for me.

I also took a pay cut, but what I gained otherwise was so much more beneficial. I love my job, co-workers and the quality of life I am able to have in Austin. I made good money in California and still couldn't afford the best area for my son. In Austin, that was viable for me. I attended different multi-cultural events such as book fairs, music festivals, art events and more that were geared toward AA's. So, it is there. I like the option that if I wanted more then I could travel to Dallas, Houston, or the likes and not have to deal with that atmosphere on a daily basis. Austin is so laid back and that's a vibe that can't be beat.

You are right on with the concerts, but I think that will improve in due time. But there were plenty of supper club and live music events that were for AA's. There is a natural hair scene out of this world that I found through my own research. If you PM me then I can turn you on to what I know and see if that is of some help. I know you're a native and I am a newbie, but I just want you to share in the joy that I found in Austin.

[nicnac08]

Originally Posted by prtybrwnis

Wow sis! Sorry that Austin has not been good to or for you. Different strokes for different folks however I had a totally different experience. I have found and continue to find several events catered towards AA. I went to www.gametimeaustin.com the other night at 300 and was blown away. I usually keep to myself alot but was thoroughly impressed with AA turnout. It was a mature crowd that had a very good time. I didn't get attitude from any of the other sistas. Everyone was warm and accommodating. There were plenty of AA men there. I didn't know Ausitn had an AA community like that. It made me anxious to attend the next session in August. Granted Austin isn't a Black mecca, but if you seek then you shall find. That has worked for me.

I'm glad to hear that Game Time is legit. We had something similar in Atlanta that was fantastic and I wasn't sure if this would compare. I will definitely have to check that out next month! I grew up in the Austin area but left for college and stayed away 12 years. After spending the last 7.5 in Atlanta, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to adjust to Austin but so far the benefit of being close to family again has outweighed the negatives. Activities like Game Time will really help. Now if we could just get a smooth jazz radio station...

[prtybrwnis]

Originally Posted by nicnac08

I'm glad to hear that Game Time is legit. We had something similar in Atlanta that was fantastic and I wasn't sure if this would compare. I will definitely have to check that out next month! I grew up in the Austin area but left for college and stayed away 12 years. After spending the last 7.5 in Atlanta, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to adjust to Austin but so far the benefit of being close to family again has outweighed the negatives. Activities like Game Time will really help. Now if we could just get a smooth jazz radio station...

I agree on the smooth jazz station. I catch some here and there on KAZI but it's not their focus so you don't hear it all the time. Yes, you have got to check out gametime. If you don't like it then come on here and read me my rights but I'm sure you will

[Nomadic9460678748]

Austin is not nearly as diverse as it would have the rest of the world believe it to be. True, there are hipsters and yuppies (both white), professionals and hobos (also white), but as has been written in so many places, there is a very obvious dividing line when it comes to Austin. Those to the West of IH 35 tend to be more affluent and white; while those to the East are more often than not less well-off, and well, not white. Even so, the powers of gentrification are quickly making their way across the freeway and into East Austin. And this is not exactly a good thing. People who have lived their entire lives in East Austin awake to rising property values, wine bars, and bistros. It's a very sore point with a lot of long standing East Austinites.

[nubianmoma]

I have been living in the Austin area 4 years. I relocated here in 2004 from the DC metro area. I am a single parent, my son is now 13 years old. The people are very friendly, however, it has been a bit of a culture shock. In comparison to DC, there are not that many black people here and AA cultural/social events are limited. Most neighborhoods are ethnicly diverse (white, hispanic and afro-american). Oh and let's not forget the reptilian population i.e., gekcos and snakes. I think the public school system in my area (pflugerville) is excellent. Housing is reasonable--if you are looking to buy you can get a nice sf home in the 130-160k range. But know that the utilities (electric and water) are very high. The electric bill can be as high as $400 in the summer and the water bill is about $100 a month! And you absolutely must have a car. The public transportation system seems to be limited to the city of Austin. Since I have been here, I have seen a lot of growth.