Austin or Atlanta?

[lemonlime22]

I hadn't noticed that this was 3 years old! Wonder why DIS revived it?

[sajae90]

Originally Posted by rdhbs93

I'm a 38 yr old active white female considering two job offers in either Austin or Atlanta. I'm originally from New Orleans and have been living and working in Manhattan for eight years and find I've become a cynical New Yorker. It's dirty, cramped, way too expensive, over rated, shallow dating scene. I need to spread out and be able to afford a better quality of life and meet quality people who are not so flaky and always trying to compete with you. Real people. I love New York in many regards, but I had my fill and I can always come back and visit New York as a tourist someday.
I visited Austin last year and fell in love with so many aspects and will be spending next weekend in Atlanta to check it out. Can anyone share their pros and cons of living in both cities?
I'm looking for a city that has both a cosmopolitan flare (professional) singles, great outdoor activities, arts (music, film), good shopping, real estate value, good continuing education and a smart casual lifestyle. (Gee, does that sound too yuppie?!)

Hi...I too have been thinking about relocating to the ATL. But as a 38 year old caucasion woman, you might fair better in in Austin, however the dating scene for people over 30 is not that great. Its fairly a college town, and I would only recommend Austin to those who already have a network here, like family and friends and if they are over 30, I recommend they come down here with a mate/partner to make things easier. Breaking into Austin's way of life is really hard, especially if you are originally from the North. I myself, who is 24 years old and bi-racial think I would benefit from Atlanta a WHOLE lot better than Austin. If you are looking for a city with real culture and stuff to do, move to the ATL, if you are looking for a peaceful and safe town that is a little dull if your not a college student and lacks in the dating department, then choose Austin.

[DeadInSuburbia]

Originally Posted by lemonlime22

I am so NOT getting the Austin/New Orleans similarity thing...I can't think of anything that's similar about them, other than "live" music, I guess.

Most obvious to me is the importance of local businesses -- restaurants, t-shirt shops, coffee shops, all the way to local tech firms helping each other and partnering with each other, and local biz incubators. It's an ecosystem, whereas in ATL it's ALL about corporate employees and strip malls with all the same stores. Moderator cut: arguing with others posters is against the terms of service

Originally Posted by lemonlime22

Considering all your variables, I'd pick ATL. Why? It's cosmopolitan (Austin is not), more diverse, better restaurants, bigger airport with easier travel, more direct (and cheaper!) flights, FAR better shopping, closer to your parents, closer to ocean & mountains, closer to make jaunts to other cities, say NYC for a weekend.

Cosmopolitan doesn't outweigh "people aren't proud to be from Atlanta," as a general rule, to me anyway. Bigger airport is a cluster Moderator cut: let the software catch offensive words and requires hours to walk through, whereas in Austin it's relaxed pace and you can get right to the gate quite quickly. Austin has SA, Houston and Dallas within 3 hours, so there's no lack of big cities nearby.
[/quote]

[fil]

@DeadInSuburbia
Moderator cut: argumentative comments

Companies support each other there.
You cannot buy Pepsi in most places in Atlanta.
People from Atlanta cherish and fly Delta and Airtran everywhere.
Each business does business with each other there, it's frighteningly incestuous.

Don't forget about Georgia Peaches and Peanuts (thanks Jimmy Carter).

As for airports, you cannot beat DIRECT flights to the world. We almost always had a lay over in Dallas or Houston airport and wasted half the day there. One can fly straight to Paris in 9 hours from Atlanta, NYC in 2.5 hours, and Honolulu in 9 hours, and not lose your bags because it was a direct flight (no worries on plane changes and baggage transfers).

Austin is also a great city and we each have our preferences. I chose to go back to the bigger city and all that it offers for myself and my family.

[DeadInSuburbia]

Originally Posted by fil

@DeadInSuburbia
Moderator cut: argumentative comments are unnecessary

Lived here 20 years

Originally Posted by fil

Companies support each other there.
You cannot buy Pepsi in most places in Atlanta.
People from Atlanta cherish and fly Delta and Airtran everywhere.
Each business does business with each other there, it's frighteningly incestuous.
...
Austin is also a great city and we each have our preferences. I chose to go back to the bigger city and all that it offers for myself and my family.

Direct flights are nice, but getting out to the concourses is ridiculous. Much prefer the T gates, that's the only part of the airport that works for me.

I've not experienced the loyalty to local companies Moderator cut: argumentative comments are unhelpful and unnecessary

[fil]

Moderator cut: orphaned comments

I'm in high tech and consistently notice the relationships around town. For example, go to a Braves, Falcons, Thrashers, and Hawks game. Do you see all of the Atlanta business signs for all of the Atlanta companies like Coca Cola, Southern Company, GA Pacific, Delta, Home Depot, Arby's, Equifax, Haverty's, First Data, Cox, Chick-Fil-A, AutoTrader, Weather Channel, etc.?

Most restaurants around town only sell Coke products (for a reason).

In high tech, it's also a small world around town. Each of the small start-ups seem to support and leverage each other. It's nice to see actually.

I've seen this also in Austin to a smaller extent. Heck Keep Austin Weird is all about Austin supporting Austin businesses.

We miss Austin actually, but I'm also very glad to be back home in Atlanta.

Safe travels.

[Nudony]

The original post did not reflect the current economic situation. The job market, unemployment rates and growth rates all suggest a very simple reality: Austin is at the top of the list, Atlanta somewhere near the bottom. Atlanta may be the "cooler" place to live...if you're willing to settle for low wages and crappy jobs. I'm moving to Austin this fall.