Is Austin as great as the top 10 lists say? (Waco: home, income)

[texastrigirl]

Jennibc, I would claim Austin and Seattle have a similar vibe and I have lived both places. But again, what constitutes "similar"? My definition might be different than someone else's. I probably claim similar because they both have a cool factor and lots of great things to experience. But they are radically different weather-wise so maybe they are not similar? Again, depends on your definition. But I have to ask the question, why is the Seattle vs. Austin thing so hotly debated on this board? Maybe that's a new thread. It's crazy. Both cities have good qualities. People seem to be really passionate about their love/hate for either one. I loved Austin for the 10 years I lived there and was sad to leave but am enjoying my time in Seattle too. It's possible to like both places but for different reasons. Lots of people on this board really dislike Seattle and that scared me when I visited this forum before moving here. Fortunately, the people I encounter here face to face don't share the general dislike of Seattle. Most of the people I know who live here like it for the most part and aren't leaving anytime soon. Why the big, strong opinions on it?

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

Jennibc, I would claim Austin and Seattle have a similar vibe and I have lived both places. But again, what constitutes "similar"? My definition might be different than someone else's. I probably claim similar because they both have a cool factor and lots of great things to experience. But they are radically different weather-wise so maybe they are not similar? Again, depends on your definition. But I have to ask the question, why is the Seattle vs. Austin thing so hotly debated on this board? Maybe that's a new thread. It's crazy. Both cities have good qualities. People seem to be really passionate about their love/hate for either one. I loved Austin for the 10 years I lived there and was sad to leave but am enjoying my time in Seattle too. It's possible to like both places but for different reasons. Lots of people on this board really dislike Seattle and that scared me when I visited this forum before moving here. Fortunately, the people I encounter here face to face don't share the general dislike of Seattle. Most of the people I know who live here like it for the most part and aren't leaving anytime soon. Why the big, strong opinions on it?

I don't want to hijack this thread so I am going to start a new one....

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

Jennibc, I would claim Austin and Seattle have a similar vibe and I have lived both places. But again, what constitutes "similar"? My definition might be different than someone else's. I probably claim similar because they both have a cool factor and lots of great things to experience. But they are radically different weather-wise so maybe they are not similar? Again, depends on your definition. But I have to ask the question, why is the Seattle vs. Austin thing so hotly debated on this board? Maybe that's a new thread. It's crazy. Both cities have good qualities. People seem to be really passionate about their love/hate for either one. I loved Austin for the 10 years I lived there and was sad to leave but am enjoying my time in Seattle too. It's possible to like both places but for different reasons. Lots of people on this board really dislike Seattle and that scared me when I visited this forum before moving here. Fortunately, the people I encounter here face to face don't share the general dislike of Seattle. Most of the people I know who live here like it for the most part and aren't leaving anytime soon. Why the big, strong opinions on it?

Who knows? All I know is that the people seemed extremely nice to me in Seattle......and I know it when I see it.....i still remember dropping my wallet, and this guy running after me with it...so cool of him....great coffeehouses, microbrews, music scene better than austin in many ways
(grunge started there.....what trends came out of Austin? Just drugged
out Riders of the purple sage stuff, and SRV is all).....

[Mckellyb]

Originally Posted by scongress1234

...great coffeehouses, microbrews, music scene better than austin in many ways
(grunge started there.....what trends came out of Austin? Just drugged
out Riders of the purple sage stuff, and SRV is all).....

Ack, 'grunge'.

Austin also fostered The Fabulous Thunderbirds, nearby is Shiner (which is better than any Pac NW brew I can recall), and there is sun for more than three months of the year!

Wrap it up, I'll take it....

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by Mckellyb

Ack, 'grunge'.

Austin also fostered The Fabulous Thunderbirds, nearby is Shiner (which is better than any Pac NW brew I can recall), and there is sun for more than three months of the year!

Wrap it up, I'll take it....

Bahhhh, just a rip off of sam and dave....I'll take the Stax version anyday.......Kim Wilson can't write an original riff to save his life.....!

[amanda-bliss]

Originally Posted by scongress1234

I think the name, Texas wannabe, gives it all away. Only someone looking and yearning from afar can lust after a city ala top 10 lists. Reality check....I am currently looking out my window at a strip-mall across the street, with a H-E-B, wendys, and non-stop traffic, in a complex on Mcneil and Parmer. I see nothing special here, and 87% of Austin looks the same. The other 13% is in a very small central part of the city. In other words, the VAST majority of Austinites do not live in "cool" neighborhoods, the kind people who read top ten lists in Pittsburgh wax about, imagining how incredible their soon to be residency will be. Again, they live the same as people in other cities, full of big box stores and strip malls. Austin is simply just another city, albeit a fast growing one. Keep in mind that it almost invariably sucks to live in a fast growing city, as the roads never catch up, which leads to nasty road rage.
Talk to anyone from Vegas, Phoenix, or even LA, for that matter!

Growth is only good for developers and real estate agents. Everyone else suffers and as to bear with antiquated road infrastructure and road rage.


Again, reality never lives up to top ten list hype!

I love austin - but try not to go north of 183, since that is basically round rock (strip malls, angry drivers, no 'soul' - generic anywhere america). I live in an affordable part of town, pretty far south - but never notice grumpy angry people, and only 10 min drive to zilker park where we enjoy free shows, take our dog to offleash parks, go to the farmers market & cant imagine seeing a movie w/out food & drinks at the alamo (pregnant right now, so digging on their peanutbutter chocolate milkshake made w/ local amy's chocolate ice cream & all natural peanutbutter, topped w/ peanutbutter cup - even the junk food in austin is made w/ love). Love everything about it - but if you have any doubts - it won't bother us if you wanna just find another place you dig.

[ATXIronHorse]

Originally Posted by scongress1234

Is Austin as great as the top 10 lists say?

No. It sucks. Don't move here.

[tps2008]

Originally Posted by traceyr13

We first contemplated moving to Austin after my sister said to consider it - we were looking to get out of Rhode Island and contemplating several cities, and she went to Texas A&M and now lives in Sugar Land, and said that Austin was the "only place in Texas she could see me in". At first we totally dismissed her, since, well, it was Texas, (the typical New Englander reaction), but then we started researching and talking to people and grew interested...and then we discovered all the "top ten" lists. Was it an additional affirmation that helped boost our confidence? Sure...but it certainly wasn't in the top ten reasons we relocated!

I guess if you were moving here looking for the "hip and cool" vibe, then perhaps you could be disappointed, a la scongress, but we moved here for a lower cost of living, more laid back lifestyle, friendlier people, and more family friendly activities. All the great Mexican food and swimming for the majority of the year hasn't hurt either! (just try to find decent Mexican food in Rhode Island!) Austin (or rather, Round Rock I guess, since that's where I am) has not disappointed.

I am also a Rhode Island native who's looking elsewhere. How's the ITALIAN food down there...lol?

[twange]

Originally Posted by tps2008

I am also a Rhode Island native who's looking elsewhere. How's the ITALIAN food down there...lol?

Jeez...not this thread again. It's like a bad TV rerun.

Italian food down here is pretty sparse, since not too many Italians emigrated to this area. The ubiquity of Mexican-influenced cuisine logically takes its place.

So if you know what you are doing, there are good business opportunities here for Italian restaurants. In my opinion, what's missing here is the wealth of yummy, cheap mom & pop joints.

But again, there are plenty of mom & pop Tex-Mex places instead. Can you make the adjustment?

[sliverbox]

As someone who's lived in Boston and San Francisco, the bottom line is that a lot of the big cities in the US are utterly overpriced for the majority of the middle class and young married couple populations. Thus they look for the "next best thing", and therefor you get people moving to cities like Houston, Atlanta, and of course- the two current most popular and aptly named " holy grail" or relocatee/refugee cities: Austin TX and Raleigh NC.

But I can't exactly blame them. Living somewhere that you can actually afford is a grand thing especially if you've come from somewhere that has given you no chance of having a decent living situation. I imagine Austin will eventually also become unaffordable and who knows? Little Rock Arkansas will be the next "in" city.