Please change my mind about moving to Austin (San Diego, Wimberley: apartments, condos)

[austinnewby]

Jenni,

I moved here a few months ago from Florida and want to reassure you that Austin is terrific! I grew up in Texas but not in Austin ( I did go to college here, though) and just moved back after years in South Florida. Here's what I have seen and not seen.

Scorpions--I have never seen a scorpion in Texas and I was born and raised in Houston. I did see one a few weeks ago in Arizona during a short visit. I understand from friends here that if you move into a new neighborhood or on the far west side of town where there is construction, you may find them but not so much in established neighborhoods.

Rattlesnakes--I've seen them only in the zoos. I have seen garden snakes but nothing big.

The Heat--It's terrible in the summer--it gets to 100 but it is much dryer than in South Florida but still worse. I can go jog in the middle of a summer day in South Florida but I can't do that here unless I do it where there is lots of shade, like at Town Lake. However, the heat doesn't last as long as it does in Florida. It's already starting to cool down here and has been around 92-95 degrees here this week with a breeze. In Florida, August and September were the hottest months and temps in the 90s went from June -Sept.. Not so here. It didn't get into the 100 range until mid June and now it's almost over.

Seasons--yes, the leaves turn but not the brilliant colors that you have up there. You'll see some orange and yellow leaves but not all clustered together. It's a more subtle change. In winter the cold fronts come down from the north and it freezes but that lasts one or two days and then it warms up into the high 60s and 70s until the next cold front comes through. Don't usually get snow here but you get ice storms. Don't try to drive when those arrive. It's pointless.

Crime--can't get over how little of that I see here compared to South Florida. I haven't heard a single gunshot in Austin but I used to hear them in the distance all the time in Florida. I sleep much better here because I feel safer here, however, I am not letting down my guard. Crime can happen anywhere. However, it seems like it is not so random here like in South Florida. I hear the east side is more prone to it than the west side but I am not sure if that's true.

Scenery--Austin is full of hills and lots of trees. Areas called greenbelt are protected from development so you can have beautiful scenery to look at from your window if your house backs up to greenbelt. You can see deer grazing on front lawns all the time. This area is very environmentally friendly and beautiful. No alligators in lakes here. I used to swim in them when I was a student at UT and never heard of anyone even seeing one. It's too cold here.

Family stuff--schools are great here and lots of family activities. There's always some festival going and lots of parks. There is a running trail on Town Lake that goes for miles--it's beautiful and full of moms and dads pushing baby joggers, families biking and lots of dogs. Barton Springs and Deep Eddy are both public spring fed pools. In the summer you can catch the bats flying out from the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset. I hear it's quite a sight. Then there are all those lakes and plenty of museums. It's a very family friendly city. It's better than I remember it when I spent four years as a college student loving this place. I am delighted to be back and I hope that if you move here, you will feel the same. If I were you I'd come visit to see for yourself. Good luck!

[LindaGrace]

Austin isn't as humid as the east coast (or even the midwest) BUT it is NOT "dry" like in Tucson or Phoenix or other desert southwest cities.

I hate when people say Texas isn't humid - it leans WAY WAY more toward humid than it does toward dry.

[jread]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

Austin isn't as humid as the east coast (or even the midwest) BUT it is NOT "dry" like in Tucson or Phoenix or other desert southwest cities.

I hate when people say Texas isn't humid - it leans WAY WAY more toward humid than it does toward dry.

For most of the summer, there was 20% humidity at my house in SW Austin almost daily (with a 60-63 degree dew point). That's NOT humid.

[jwb123]

It only feels humid to me when it's going to rain.

[LindaGrace]

Originally Posted by jread

For most of the summer, there was 20% humidity at my house in SW Austin almost daily (with a 60-63 degree dew point). That's NOT humid.

Then Austin must be much drier than San Antonio.

You're right - 20% humidity isn't humid at all. I think it hangs around 55-60% in San Antonio in the summer.

[jread]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

Then Austin must be much drier than San Antonio.

You're right - 20% humidity isn't humid at all. I think it hangs around 55-60% in San Antonio in the summer.

It usually is drier than San Antonio (even though they aren't that far apart). If you watch the radar during the summer, SA gets hit by most thunderstorms blowing through the area while they miss Austin for the most part. We do get humidity when rain is near.

[Weatherguy]

I haven't read all the posts but will put my two cents worth in. You wouldn't really be moving "out west" if you moved to Austin. Texas is the transition from East to West. East Texas is piney woods (looks just like the Carolinas) and is very wet and humid. Houston is one of the wettest, greenest cities in the country due to its location in the eastern part of the state. West TX is high mountains and desert (the mountains get snow in the winter, but not at all like Colorado). Austin is in central TX, the transition zone between east and west. The landscape varies from rolling grasslands in the eastern part of the Austin area to very steep, rugged hills and canyons on the west side of the city, with spectacular views. Trees and greenery are abundant. The hill country continues west for about 150 miles, and then the landscape gradually transitions to true desert terrain (much of it ruggedly beautiful, but in the Permian Basin near Midland, it's flat and barren, as is most of the Panhandle). Far south Texas is brush country. Nearly every first time visitor to the state is surprised at the varieties of landscapes.

Regarding the humidity, we've been fortunate this summer but the downside is that we've been in extreme drought for months. This brings somewhat lower humidity than normal. In a "normal" summer, there are many uncomfortably humid days, but also some that are not bad. It's an artifact of being in a transition zone...we get all sorts of weather characteristic of different regions. The long term average number of 100 degree days is only 9, but this summer we have had 50, which is the third most 100 degree days in the city's history. Last year I don't think we had a single day over 100 and it rained on the majority of days during the summer. It varies from year to year. Some winters are extremely nice (if the La Nina is present in the Pacific) and other years can be gray, cold, and wet off and on (if the El Nino is present). One ice storm is the norm, and just a few flurries now and then. A good snow may occur once every 10-15 years.

In contrast to what first time visitors expect, the only large Texas city located in a desert area is El Paso. Here's a description:

Houston - wet, humid, pine/oak/palms. Lots of lush greenery, somewhat tropical looking, lots of piney woods on north side.
Austin - inconsistent between wet and dry, beautiful hills and trees, and lakes/rivers
Dallas/Fort Worth - intermittent rolling grasslands and woodlands (mostly grasslands), very midwestern looking landscape (like Kansas, Nebraska, Illinios). More humid than Austin. Plenty of trees in the neighborhoods.
San Antonio - similar landscape to Austin, a little less humid
El Paso - desert and mountains (the city is in a high basin).

Sorry about the rambling!
Dave the Weatherguy

[Weatherguy]

Originally Posted by jread

For most of the summer, there was 20% humidity at my house in SW Austin almost daily (with a 60-63 degree dew point). That's NOT humid.

A 60-63 degree dew point is fairly low for Austin in the summer, but this summer we've had more of those kinds of dew points than any I've ever experienced in my 35 years here. It's been relatively pleasant due to the drought, but I'd trade the drought any old day for the humidity. In a normal summer, we have many days with dew points in the low 70s, which is not much different than the East. Fortunately, it's not every day.

Dew points of 60-63 are not as dry as out west, where summer dew points are frequently in the 40s and 50s. It's not bad, but not as comfortable as in places like Albuquerque and Tucson.

Now if we could just get rid of the mosquitos. You'd think they wouldn't be so bad this summer, but at my house they're all over.

[jread]

Originally Posted by Weatherguy

Now if we could just get rid of the mosquitos. You'd think they wouldn't be so bad this summer, but at my house they're all over.

You know, I've never really noticed many mosquitoes here. I was in Austin for years before I was even convinced that they live here, lol. I've seen a few of them but they're these small, sickly little things. Even the worst areas of Austin could never compare to the mosquito swarms of Southeast Texas (where I grew up). Down there we literally had swarms of them that would cover you as soon as you went outside. They weren't small, either... more like pterodactyls.

[dollycool]

[quote=pbnj07;4736538]I love the heat. Coming from NJ, I appreciate it.

And I don't care what anyone else says, Austin is not humid! I still visit NJ frequently and my last trip was just a few weeks ago. It was only 93 degrees, but you couldn't stand outside for more than 5 minutes because of the humidity.

COULDNT agree more!! Cleveland is unbearable with that dark dank humidity and haze all over the city it is brown and ugly haze.. none of that in TX .. and I will take the furnace heat before the terrible wet AND hot air of the North! (Cleveland, New york, etc.).