Anyone want to vent about Austin? (Round Rock, Cedar Park: insurance, condo, mortgage) - Texas (TX) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

jwb123 · 01-31-2007, 01:50 PM

Isn't Phoenix land locked? I like that, here, there IS a beach within reasonable driving distance. 3 hours, isn't it?

Trainwreck20 · 01-31-2007, 01:51 PM

I would have to read the instructions again, but in Austin, it is something along the lines of "if it is glass, metallic, or tears, recycle it". We have about a 18"x18"x30" bin, but we put an additional little trash can out and fill it specifically with paper, and they take that as well. The city also has a free hazardous waste drop off station down of hwy 71 for paints and garden chemicals. Yard clippings/waste is picked up for free, but you have to buy special lawn bags to use (for a $1 or so apiece, so I guess that is not really free...).

jwb123 · 01-31-2007, 01:53 PM

I don't even know what we do with yard waste.... hmmm....

mrsengle · 01-31-2007, 05:48 PM

I'm one of the very few folks who is dying to get out of here. There are plenty of things that I don't like about Austin (Austin Guy hit most of those), but the biggest reason is, I don't like the people here. Please don't get me wrong, I have met some wonderful people here, and I have some close friends. What drives me crazy is the politics. I'm not liberal, and I'm not conservative. I'm extremely moderate, and I appreciate others' point of view, but I get so exasperated to hear it repeated over and over again. If you aren't the most liberal creature that God put on the good green Earth, and you don't go to the Church of Environmentalism, then you're uncaring and have no soul. I wouldn't want to live in a place with the other extreme, either - don't get me wrong. But people here have such a chip on their shoulder about their political opinions, and it gets really old, and you realize quickly that to enter any type of 'debate' or intelligent conversation about politics is a total waste of time. People here tend to pat themselves on the back about how forward-thinking and well educated they are, yet they lack the open-mindedness and tolerance they like to preach. Everything is wonderful - as long as you agree with them.

gigi927 · 01-31-2007, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenbar

Isn't Phoenix land locked? I like that, here, there IS a beach within reasonable driving distance. 3 hours, isn't it?

Phoenix is also about a 4 hours drive from Rocky Point, Mexico which is a big touristy/beach area. It's about the same from here to Port A.

plaidmom · 01-31-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Anyone who says we don't have seasons is high.

TX has seasons, just not the four traditional Norman Rockwellesque kind of seasons.

Four seasons to me means:

Winter= Enough snow for at least a week worth of XC skiing and at least a 60% chance of a White Christmas
Spring=Too cold to swim til June. Sweaters needed.
Summer=Hot and sticky, but T-storms cool things down.
Fall=Starts in September. Halloween costumes require long sleeves and thermal underwear. Pumpkins can be grown. Slight chance of snow for T-day.

Just a personal preference, as per usual.

I still find myself recommending Austin wholeheartedly to those who love the heat and like large towns!

deeptrance · 01-31-2007, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsengle

...If you aren't the most liberal creature that God put on the good green Earth, and you don't go to the Church of Environmentalism, then you're uncaring and have no soul. I wouldn't want to live in a place with the other extreme, either - don't get me wrong. But people here have such a chip on their shoulder about their political opinions, and it gets really old, and you realize quickly that to enter any type of 'debate' or intelligent conversation about politics is a total waste of time. People here tend to pat themselves on the back about how forward-thinking and well educated they are, yet they lack the open-mindedness and tolerance they like to preach. Everything is wonderful - as long as you agree with them.

Wow... I hope you're not planning to move to the Pacific Northwest! Everything from Santa Cruz northward is WAY more self-righteously left-wing than Austin. In fact, one of the reasons I like Austin so much is that I've always lived in hyper-leftist places and I got sick of the smugness of it all, I find that there is much more diversity and tolerance here for differing points of view!

So your perspective is fascinating to me. Stay the heck away from the Bay Area, Eugene, Portland and Seattle, and you'll want to avoid most of New England and major college towns like Madison and Boulder as well. Other than that, most of the country is much more conservative than Austin so you'll have plenty of choices.

p.s. --- I must confess that I want Austin to stay liberal so I like to discourage conservatives from moving here. So I'm just as bad as the smug lefties I claim not to like.

traceyr13 · 02-01-2007, 07:43 AM

ditto to both plaidmom and deeptrance

I don't consider Austin to have seasons, but my frame of reference is New England (home of Norman Rockwell and the most traditional of 4 seasons!) Granted, I have only been here since June, but it seems to me there is hot, hotter, hottest and then this chilly stretch we have had that you guys seem to consider winter.

Also, I really consider the Austin area "middle of the road with left leanings". But my frame of reference, again, is New England. I find it just left enough so that I feel like I belong here, but I really have not experienced that "in your face" smugness of political superiority. Seems like there is room here for those stereotypical good ole boy traditional conservatives as well as the vegetarian green party tree huggers!

mrsengle · 02-01-2007, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Wow... I hope you're not planning to move to the Pacific Northwest! Everything from Santa Cruz northward is WAY more self-righteously left-wing than Austin. In fact, one of the reasons I like Austin so much is that I've always lived in hyper-leftist places and I got sick of the smugness of it all, I find that there is much more diversity and tolerance here for differing points of view!

So your perspective is fascinating to me. Stay the heck away from the Bay Area, Eugene, Portland and Seattle, and you'll want to avoid most of New England and major college towns like Madison and Boulder as well. Other than that, most of the country is much more conservative than Austin so you'll have plenty of choices.

See, it's not about liberal/conservative. I had a sort of 'crisis of political identity' when I came here. I'm originally from Houston, and it really is a melting pot. You knew where people stood, but it wasn't in your face. It's more about having some manners about it, not the ideaology you stand behind. I've actually been ignored by coworkers because I have openly disagreed (politely) with their points of view. My husband and I have been ousted from one social circle because we're 'capitalists.' To be fair, I think that sort of thing is more the exception rather than the rule. Regardless, it's really turned me off. If there were a 'libertarian' city or part of the country, I would be very interested. I apologize if my posts here have been way negative - I know many here love this city, and that's great. I just wish I were one of them. I feel like I just don't fit.

deeptrance · 02-01-2007, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsengle

I've actually been ignored by coworkers because I have openly disagreed (politely) with their points of view. My husband and I have been ousted from one social circle because we're 'capitalists.' To be fair, I think that sort of thing is more the exception rather than the rule.

I've never experienced anything like that here. Not to be nosy but can you give us some sense of what type of work you do? I mean, if you're a cashier at Wheatsville Coop or you're a fund-raiser for the Austin Socialist Party then I can easily see why you'd get the cold shoulder, but most workplaces SHOULD be fairly neutral. I'm sorry you've been forced to deal with narrow-minded jerks.

As for a libertarian place, central and west Texas are about as libertarian as the USA gets. The only Congressional representative who is libertarian is Ron Paul, from a the district just south of Austin. New Hampshire has a fair amount of libertarian activism as well, and if you like a more conservative version of that type of thought then Idaho or Wyoming would fit well.