Moving From Chicago To Austin (Houston, Dallas: best cities, transplants, apartment)

[DennyCrane]

Hello. I'm a Chicago area resident who's thinking of moving to Austin and was hoping to get more information from people who live there.

Job Market - I work in the Information Technology (IT) field and Austin shows up high on the list of cities with good IT job markets. I was wondering how true that is and what the IT market there is really like. In Chicago, IT is strong but most of the jobs are in the city. Because it's so expensive here, you can't afford to live close to where the jobs are.

Cost of Living - How is the cost of living in Austin, particularly the northern suburbs? One reason I'm looking to leave Chicago is because it's just too expensive to live here. When you have to live out in the middle of nowhere just to find something affordable, that's when you know it's too expensive.

Traffic - I've heard differing views on Austin traffic and I guess a lot of that depends on what your idea of bad traffic is. Chicago has horrible traffic. If you have a commute less than 1 hour, you're considered lucky. It's so bad here that no one knows how far apart things are. They no longer measure things in miles. Now, it's all about how long it takes to get somewhere. The traffic here has not only limited my job options, it's hurt my social life as well since driving even 15 miles takes forever. I know that every city has its traffic problems, but clearly some are far worse than others. What are average commute times for someone living in the northern suburbs of Austin?

Suburbia - If I move there, I'd like to stay in the suburbs. I know a lot of people hate the suburbs and think they're too cookie-cutter, conservative, etc. But I'm used to it. I like having the space, peace and quiet, having a yard for my dog to run around in, and being able to get more for my money. What are the good and bad suburbs? I've heard a little about Round Rock. I'd like to be in a suburb that's close enough to the city in case I work there or want to go downtown on the weekends. Also, which suburbs are more diverse as far as population. The last place I want to live is where it's all white. I would rather be someplace where the people don't stare at every non-white person who walks by. Which suburbs have a good amount of single people? I don't want to live in a suburb where everyone is married or where it's all families. What is the culture like? It would be great to live somewhere where there's lots to do and things don't close early. Which suburbs actually have sidewalks in case you want to walk your dog?

Weather - The awful weather in Chicago is why I want to move south. How is it really there? Are the summers as bad as some people say? What about the winters?

People - How are the people there? Is it easy to make friends? Are people friendly or are they stuck-up?

Any info you can provide would be great, especially in how it compares to Chicago. Please don't tell me why some other city would be better. I didn't just pull Austin out of a hat. I arrived at it by coming up with a list of requirements and eliminating the ones that didn't pass. My ideal city has to have a good IT market, has to be reasonably affordable, can't have lots of snow or rain, and can't be overly congested with awful traffic. After that, it was easy to rule out a lot of places.

[schoenfraun]

My husband and I moved from Illinois to Austin one year ago.

We had lived in Urbana-Champaign while I was in grad school, but I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and watched my father commute all of my life, and my husband and I lived in the city of Chicago--Lincoln Square--for two years before heading to Urbana...so I feel that I can provide my opinion on some of the questions you raise.

I cannot address the IT job market although as an outsider (an ignorant user!) it seems to me as though the job market here is very strong. The tech industry here ebbs and flows--Dell releases people and then snatches up more--but it always seems to provide jobs for qualified folks.

Cost: depends on your perspective. You don't need to pay $400,000 for a house in the Austin area, or even $200,000, but you can. In the city, especially in historic neighborhoods like Travis Heights or Hyde Park, the cost for a house is, to me, astronomical. I can't even afford to spit there--not that I do that! When we moved here a year ago, we got a 6-mo lease from a friend and paid $950 for a 2BR, 2BA apartment about 4 miles from the capitol. My commute was easy! But we wanted to purchase, and we decided we wanted to live in a quiet area with architecturally-interesting neighborhoods...and we couldn't afford Austin anymore! We ended up buying a house we loooove in Taylor. Taylor is a small town, but I don't think it will be that way in 10 years. You might consider Taylor, or Hutto, or Georgetown, or places like that. Older parts of Round Rock. You could look at Bastrop, Smithville.... We could NEVER have afforded a house like ours in the city of Austin: we would have paid 2 or 3 times the price. And as for our $950 apartment...our friend/landlord is leasing it now for $1250!

Gasoline is much cheaper here than in Chicago. When I was there two weeks ago, gas in the northern burbs was $4.19. Here it was around $3.83. The Cook Co. taxes will get you in Chicagoland! Food costs seem to be about the same, not all that different.

Public transportation here is sorely lacking. They are working on it, but it's slow-coming. It will be years before they have it together! There is nothing here like the L, and nothing here like the Metra commuter train system of Chicagoland. They hope to have something going soon...but I'll believe it when I am actually riding in a train car, people!

People here complain about the commute. I think they're crybabies, mostly. Yes, I-35 is the only major artery here, and it carries everything and everybody. Lots of fast-moving trucks! But it's nothing compared to Chicago, the construction currently there on the Edens and the Ryan and the toll road system. There is a new toll road here and it is much more expensive to use it than in Chicago; no $.40 toll plazas here! My commute from Taylor to downtown each day takes me 40 minutes, sometimes less, sometimes a little more. I don't use the toll road. Same to get to the airport.

I think the small towns-soon-to-be-suburbs here are pretty cool. Another thread on Round Rock to which I replied today features some negative attitudes about these places, and Williamson County more generally...they get into the "cookie-cutter" namecalling. I say, give these places a chance! I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and feel I am a reasonably independent, or at least critical, thinker, and I think any place is what you make it.

We love Austin and don't miss Chicago much at all--except for friends and family. The weather here, even this heat and drought, beats Chicago winters, which last into April! And we have no regrets about moving to Taylor, even though my coworkers in Austin thought I was crazy! They cannot imagine that there is life outside of the city. They need to see it for themselves.

I wish you luck with your decision!

[TexasHorseLady]

You might also want to check out some areas of Cedar Park/Leander.

[clockwise5]

Originally Posted by DennyCrane

Hello. I'm a Chicago area resident who's thinking of moving to Austin and was hoping to get more information from people who live there.

Job Market - I work in the Information Technology (IT) field and Austin shows up high on the list of cities with good IT job markets. I was wondering how true that is and what the IT market there is really like. In Chicago, IT is strong but most of the jobs are in the city. Because it's so expensive here, you can't afford to live close to where the jobs are.

Cost of Living - How is the cost of living in Austin, particularly the northern suburbs? One reason I'm looking to leave Chicago is because it's just too expensive to live here. When you have to live out in the middle of nowhere just to find something affordable, that's when you know it's too expensive.

Traffic - I've heard differing views on Austin traffic and I guess a lot of that depends on what your idea of bad traffic is. Chicago has horrible traffic. If you have a commute less than 1 hour, you're considered lucky. It's so bad here that no one knows how far apart things are. They no longer measure things in miles. Now, it's all about how long it takes to get somewhere. The traffic here has not only limited my job options, it's hurt my social life as well since driving even 15 miles takes forever. I know that every city has its traffic problems, but clearly some are far worse than others. What are average commute times for someone living in the northern suburbs of Austin?

Suburbia - If I move there, I'd like to stay in the suburbs. I know a lot of people hate the suburbs and think they're too cookie-cutter, conservative, etc. But I'm used to it. I like having the space, peace and quiet, having a yard for my dog to run around in, and being able to get more for my money. What are the good and bad suburbs? I've heard a little about Round Rock. I'd like to be in a suburb that's close enough to the city in case I work there or want to go downtown on the weekends. Also, which suburbs are more diverse as far as population. The last place I want to live is where it's all white. I would rather be someplace where the people don't stare at every non-white person who walks by. Which suburbs have a good amount of single people? I don't want to live in a suburb where everyone is married or where it's all families. What is the culture like? It would be great to live somewhere where there's lots to do and things don't close early. Which suburbs actually have sidewalks in case you want to walk your dog?

Weather - The awful weather in Chicago is why I want to move south. How is it really there? Are the summers as bad as some people say? What about the winters?

People - How are the people there? Is it easy to make friends? Are people friendly or are they stuck-up?

Any info you can provide would be great, especially in how it compares to Chicago. Please don't tell me why some other city would be better. I didn't just pull Austin out of a hat. I arrived at it by coming up with a list of requirements and eliminating the ones that didn't pass. My ideal city has to have a good IT market, has to be reasonably affordable, can't have lots of snow or rain, and can't be overly congested with awful traffic. After that, it was easy to rule out a lot of places.

I lived 40 years in Chicago, and moved to Austin 2 years ago......

Best advice......first come here....doing research is important, but you can surf the web pulling up data till the cows come home.....sooner or later you have to see the metro for yourself.....very simple...just come out here and see what its all about.......it may cost 500 bucks or so, but come out for 2-3 days, drive around, and see it....then do more web research, and make your decision...

Whatever you do, don't move out to Austin sight useen...really bad move......my recommendations.....the job is most important...Austin isn't as huge in IT as its rep would give on....actually, Dallas and Houston have more openings, and, in Dallas case, far more.....Austin is a IT market where it could take a while to land something, as in 2-3 months.....there is no specific node where the IT jobs are in Austin, for one thing.....could be in RR, could be DT, could be near the Arboretum, or anyplace off the main interstates.......and most of all, techies from all over the usa, including the pacific northwest, that are coming from very heavy hitting firms, are coming to Austin looking for work....this is not to mention all the IT graduates, and other Texans moving to Austin looking for IT work....Just keep in mind that you will score an IT job, but you will have to hustle, it may not happen right away, and it might not be for as much money as you think .........

Per Austin itself, very nice place......far smaller than Chicago..about the same size as Milwaukee, so easy to navigate....you might miss the pro sports teams in Chi, as Austin has none, but you find yourself able to live without it......not many established cultural institutions like museums and high-end permanent cultural institutions, like a local symphony orchestra, dance companies, and such, but, again, you learn to live without them..per bike trails.....not so hot......to be honest, chicago has some of the best, from the Lincoln Park Trails on and on.....so, its like going from feast to famine, but, again, you learn to live without, and the one trail they do have that parallels ladybird lake is okay,,,,,,really hard biking in Austin's heavy traffic though, not to mention dangerous......

Best things about Austin?
It's reasonable, compared to Chicago....not dirt cheap, as the average housing price is almost 200K, and a decent apt. rental for a one bedroom
is 700-800K, but a heck of a lot cheaper than the city of Chicago itself...the music is great in Austin......most of it is in a small area, focused on the central city and DT/6th street, and there are often times masses of college kids prowling the streets raising hell on week-ends, but its still great(don't let the locals BS you on here that they aren't..college kids are all over the place in central Austin 24/7)....food is really good, and a decent variety......the weather is much better than chicago except for the summer.......people are on the friendly side, but not anything like they say it is.....lots of transplants, and very few places have a neighbohood feel per the transiency.......friendly enough, I'll leave it at that.......

All in all, Austin does not compare to Chicago at all on most counts, to be honest........that being said, Austin is a very nice place, and a decent change of pace if you are getting tired of Chicago......it seems to be getting mentioned on the top ten lists often, but, then again, so is Houston now, so you can see what those lists are worth........Austin is simply a very pleasant college-orientated mid-sized city, enjoyed best if you take it on its own terms, and don't come out there with a ream of stats to corroborate......cities are simply cities.....top 10 lists are top 10 lists......hope that makes sense.

[Cardiff Giant]

Originally Posted by clockwise5

Just keep in mind that you will score an IT job, but you will have to hustle, it may not happen right away, and it might not be for as much money as you think .........
Austin is simply a very pleasant college-orientated mid-sized city, enjoyed best if you take it on its own terms, and don't come out there with a ream of stats to corroborate......cities are simply cities.....top 10 lists are top 10 lists......hope that makes sense.

Great points; it took me 8 months to find an IT job here (at the Home Depot Tech Center..don't work there) and the salary was a bit low. When I mentioned my concerns to the recruiter she said "welcome to Texas.." Not very professional! Anyway, I was there for 15 months and finally found a job I love. There's a lot of competition for jobs and so many qualified people are moving here, not to mention the ones that are already here.

The summers aren't that bad; you'll get used to it. Eventually.

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by clockwise5

Whatever you do, don't move out to Austin sight useen...really bad move......my recommendations.....the job is most important...Austin isn't as huge in IT as its rep would give on....actually, Dallas and Houston have more openings, and, in Dallas case, far more.....Austin is a IT market where it could take a while to land something, as in 2-3 months........Just keep in mind that you will score an IT job, but you will have to hustle, it may not happen right away, and it might not be for as much money as you think...

It's reasonable, compared to Chicago....not dirt cheap, as the average housing price is almost 200K, and a decent apt. rental for a one bedroom
is 700-800K, but a heck of a lot cheaper than the city of Chicago itself......food is really good, and a decent variety......the weather is much better than chicago except for the summer.......people are on the friendly side, but not anything like they say it is.

Well, I've already visited Austin and loved what I saw. The weather was great, the people I met were friendly, the traffic was lighter, and things seemed a lot cheaper. But I was there on a weekend so maybe things are a lot different during the week. My allergies did act up and I've heard Austin can be bad for allergy sufferers. But I suffer from them up here as well. I'll learn to take more meds, get shots, whatever it takes. It beats freezing in Chicago winters and not being able to save because of the high cost of living. As for the IT market, any city with a good market will attract competition. I experience that here in Chicago. It's not like I'm expecting to land a job easily in Austin. I just want to be sure it's a city that will have plenty of options for the long-term. Before moving to Chicago, I lived in Kansas City where IT is almost nonexistent. That was one reason I left. I knew if I lost the job I had, I'd have a hard time finding something as good. But living in KC made me realize I prefer the medium-sized city. Chicago and cities like it are fun to visit, but living here is a pain.

[ivan_tx]

[SIZE=2]I moved from the Chicago suburbs to Austin a few years ago. Here are my thoughts:
Traffic: it's actually not too bad, expecially compared to Chicagoland. I commute from the southern part of Cedar Park to downtown and it takes me 35 to 40 minutes even during rush hour. You just need to know how to judiciously mix the access road and the highway instead of blindly taking only the highway.
IT jobs: there are lots of openings out there. The problem is they are typically a lot of smaller companies, the so called startups. Most of them are not well-managed and seem to change their business plans every month. I am on my third job and was appalled by the quality of management in my first 2 jobs. Also, whenever things go wrong they just layoff a bunch of people without any notice at all. I remember when my company in Chicago laid off people. It was a big deal. My manager even gave a headsup to those that were going to be axed. He called a meeting and apologized, explaining why it was a painful decision but had to be done. Here there is no discussion, nothing. You are here today, gone tomorrow. No questions asked. No explanations given to the remaining employees. There are not too many solid companies with corporate offices here compared to Dallas, Atlanta etc.

Weather: No contest here. It is great in Austin. I play soccer and got to play almost every week even during winter. Compare that to Chicago where I got to play only a few months a year! Summers can be quite warm, but I look at it this way. Even during peak summer you get to atleast enjoy early mornings and late evenings (after 8) when it gets relatively cooler. Compare that to the 6 month winter in Chicago where I used to be so miserable, and things just got worse in the evenings and early mornings.
Misc: The only thing you should worry about is allergies. If you suffer from allergies then think twice about places like Austin, Atlanta etc where there is so much greenery.
[/SIZE]

[jwb123]

Yeah, my husbands experience in finding a job was not at all like what clockwise says. He found a long term, high paying contract job before we even moved down and then a full time offer from Dell came a few months later... and he didn't know anyone down here to help him land a job, he just has a good resume with solid experience.

It's probably safe to say that if you live in RR you will be near the tech jobs... some of the biggest tech employers (Samsung, Dell, National Instruments, etc) are here in RR, or just slightly over the RR/Austin border.

Everyone says how hard it is to get a job here - but we haven't found that to be true at all. His job search was quick and painless. We took a slight paycut, but he also transitioned from contract to perm emplyee, and contract is always a higher rate... plus, with the lower cost of living here, compared to Seattle - we don't feel as if we took a cut, and actually feel more comfortable than we did in Seattle.

The weather is great, the people are great - there is lots to do... I'll respond to your PM

[clockwise5]

Originally Posted by DennyCrane

Well, I've already visited Austin and loved what I saw. The weather was great, the people I met were friendly, the traffic was lighter, and things seemed a lot cheaper. But I was there on a weekend so maybe things are a lot different during the week. My allergies did act up and I've heard Austin can be bad for allergy sufferers. But I suffer from them up here as well. I'll learn to take more meds, get shots, whatever it takes. It beats freezing in Chicago winters and not being able to save because of the high cost of living. As for the IT market, any city with a good market will attract competition. I experience that here in Chicago. It's not like I'm expecting to land a job easily in Austin. I just want to be sure it's a city that will have plenty of options for the long-term. Before moving to Chicago, I lived in Kansas City where IT is almost nonexistent. That was one reason I left. I knew if I lost the job I had, I'd have a hard time finding something as good. But living in KC made me realize I prefer the medium-sized city. Chicago and cities like it are fun to visit, but living here is a pain.

Well, if you liked it, try it.......I stll say never use weather as a main reason for moving, as that novelty wears off quickly, and you start comparing other, more important things.....per the weather, you could move anywhere in the sunbelt.....so you want a hell of a lot more reasons than the weather. I still think you don't realize that the tech market in Austin is not as big as people think, and there are MANY candidates there because of UT, and many people leaving the PNW...like Seattle and such.Have you done any research besides city-data on the web? I believe there are some major Austin tech forums that address these issues, and I'll find them for you.......best way I can put it, is Austin is a college-orientated, entertainment filled town.......anyone that says otherwise is lying.......and attracts far more IT people than the city can absorb for that reason, which is prob why you aren't interested in Dallas or Houston, both of which have far more opportunities.........simply can't have your cake and eat it in Austin, but the lifestyle is worth the sac for many, and who knows....maybe you WILL find a 60-70K tech job in a few weeks....
never can tell!

[clockwise5]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

Yeah, my husbands experience in finding a job was not at all like what clockwise says. He found a long term, high paying contract job before we even moved down and then a full time offer from Dell came a few months later... and he didn't know anyone down here to help him land a job, he just has a good resume with solid experience.

It's probably safe to say that if you live in RR you will be near the tech jobs... some of the biggest tech employers (Samsung, Dell, National Instruments, etc) are here in RR, or just slightly over the RR/Austin border.

Everyone says how hard it is to get a job here - but we haven't found that to be true at all. His job search was quick and painless. We took a slight paycut, but he also transitioned from contract to perm emplyee, and contract is always a higher rate... plus, with the lower cost of living here, compared to Seattle - we don't feel as if we took a cut, and actually feel more comfortable than we did in Seattle.

The weather is great, the people are great - there is lots to do... I'll respond to your PM

Jenbar....could you place this guy? That would be so incredible if you folks could find something for him in Austin....it IS hard to find IT in Austin, and many companies, including Dell, have been laying off and closing factories....but if you have an inside track on things, help this guy out and place him with someone.......I think this poster caught a very lucky break by posting on here, as I have a great hunch Jenbar will set you up with someplace out there.....good luck to both of you!

BTW, check out this link....Best cities for tech

- BusinessWeek