Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I disagree. Austin's real estate sector might suffer bigger blows than California in the coming years, simply because it hasn't declined as much as that in California. People who sell their houses in Ca and move here might get whipsawed twice.
Same for unemployment in Austin.
We would have to do really really badly to wind up like California. Just look at what things are like now:
--Unemployment rate in Austin metro as of July 2009: 7.3%
--Unemployment rate in Los Angeles metro as of July 2009: 11.7%
--Unemployment rate in San Francisco metro as of July 2009: 10.5%
--Unemployment rate in San Diego metro as of July 2009: 10.3%
--Austin metro (2nd quarter 2009): $190,000
--Los Angeles metro (2nd quarter 2009): $311,000
--San Francisco metro (2nd quarter 2009): $473,000
--San Diego metro (2nd quarter 2009): $347,000
It's no wonder Californians are moving here in droves.
Obviously, you must decide what is best. I can certaninly understand your desire to leave the Golden State with all of it's problems and issues at this time. But quite honestly, there are simply too many nicer, better all around cities out there to settle for Austin. The media and the city of austin have done a great job of painting itself as something that it really is not. Large issues you may find difficult to deal with once you arrive.
1.) The summers are horribly long and hot. Granted there is no humidity here, 100 degrees is STILL 100+ degrees! Winters aren't great either with constant up and down temps and horribly dry air almost continuously. It will dry out your skin something fierce. Think it doesn't freeze here?? We had over 20 days last year with subfreezing nighttime lows. Plan on some ice and snow at least once each winter as well.
2.) The City of Austin doesn't give a damn about it's citizens. It's politics are totally corrupt and will eventually cause Austin to loose people. (eventually) Granted the quality of life here IS better than many parts of Calfornia, it is far worse than many other similar sized cities.
3.) The public transportation system is a cruel joke. Among the worst in the nation. There are no decent bike trails and few if any people carpool.
4.) Coming from an environmentally green state like California, you'll be happy to know that Austin is the capital of the most polluting state in the nation. Texas couldn't get a damn less about pollution and the motto in Austin and Texas is, the more pollution the better!! I always get a laugh when a see a Prius with TX plates on it. It's like an oxymoron!!!
5.) And of course, there is the nationwide famous road system. Austin has not updated it's road system since the 1960's. It has the worst traffic in the nation for similar size cities (approaching some cities twice the size). There are no traffic message signs, no HOV lanes, and many of the lights in austin are not timed correctly for efficiency. I refer to the austin road system as the horse and buggy system!
6.) The cost of living in Austin is the highest in the state and keeps getting worse sending people out to faceless suburbia. Austin is also becomming more dangerous by the year with more and more crime appearing in places like downtown that used to be considered safe.
7.) You must leave Austin and drive at least 100 miles for just about any form of entertainment. Amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and decent shopping.
I could go on and on, but the truth is, do your research before deciding to move here. Unfortunately, Austin will always trail San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston in nearly every way shape and form. Austin isn't wierd, it's just basically a severely overcrowded college town with suburbs. I suspect that Austin and Madison, WI were very similar towns back in the 1960's. However, Madison never grew like Austin and is actually still a nice town.
YOU decide!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImOuttaHere
Hello, this is a discussion that my husband and I have had for a while. We are in California, which I think is a mess right now and I just don't see it getting better any time soon. I have school age children and a 18 year old that I put through the public school system that didnt work out so well for him, so now I have my younger kids in private which they love and is working great! Without having to name all the obvious reasons why we talk about leaving California. What are your thoughts on it? Am I escaping problems here to other problems there.. I am just looking for some discussion here on California vs Austin, TX. Do You think its a better environment for my children? that is my main goal in looking for a place to live, Whats better for my kids? anyone that can list pros and cons for me would really help me in deciding. Thanks!!
Obviously, you must decide what is best. I can certaninly understand your desire to leave the Golden State with all of it's problems and issues at this time. But quite honestly, there are simply too many nicer, better all around cities out there to settle for Austin. The media and the city of austin have done a great job of painting itself as something that it really is not. Large issues you may find difficult to deal with once you arrive.
1.) The summers are horribly long and hot. Granted there is no humidity here, 100 degrees is STILL 100+ degrees! Winters aren't great either with constant up and down temps and horribly dry air almost continuously. It will dry out your skin something fierce. Think it doesn't freeze here?? We had over 20 days last year with subfreezing nighttime lows. Plan on some ice and snow at least once each winter as well.
Austin is relatively humid to most of California - not as humid as Houston but close, a little more humid than Dallas and very similar humidity to San Antonio. Summers are hot and long. Everywhere is air-conditioned.
2.) The City of Austin doesn't give a damn about it's citizens. It's politics are totally corrupt and will eventually cause Austin to loose people. (eventually) Granted the quality of life here IS better than many parts of Calfornia, it is far worse than many other similar sized cities.
No evidence provided for a set of unsubstantiated assertions.
3.) The public transportation system is a cruel joke. Among the worst in the nation. There are no decent bike trails and few if any people carpool.
B.S. Generally Texas is not public transportation heaven, but I lived in central Austin for two years without a car and Cap Metro got me around just fine. If you choose to live in an exurb, you obviously are attached to car culture. The bus system within the city is cheap and reliable. We will see how the new commuter rail works or does not. The Lady Bird Lake Hike and bike trail is the envy of most cities and the Lance Armstrong bike trail in East Austin is due to open soon. There are many great mountain biking trails in the greenbelts scattered around the city. Of course it could be better - worst in nation, not so much.
4.) Coming from an environmentally green state like California, you'll be happy to know that Austin is the capital of the most polluting state in the nation. Texas couldn't get a damn less about pollution and the motto in Austin and Texas is, the more pollution the better!! I always get a laugh when a see a Prius with TX plates on it. It's like an oxymoron!!!
Agreed on Texas as a state but Austin is by far the greenest large city in the state, and the city often fights the state to protect environmentally sensitive areas like the Edwards aquifer. There is very little industrial development in the region, and so Austin has considerably lower levels of pollution than Houston, DFW or San Antonio.
5.) And of course, there is the nationwide famous road system. Austin has not updated it's road system since the 1960's. It has the worst traffic in the nation for similar size cities (approaching some cities twice the size). There are no traffic message signs, no HOV lanes, and many of the lights in austin are not timed correctly for efficiency. I refer to the austin road system as the horse and buggy system!
If you have ever lived in a truly large city, there is no traffic in Austin. Locals moan because there is more traffic than there used to be. But the worst stretch of road in Austin - I35 through downtown was recently ranked the 26th most congested highway in the state - 26th - not even top ten. The next worst section of road on MOPAC is ranked 48th!! http://www.statesman.com/blogs/conte...i35_worst.html (broken link)
The infrastructure needs updating, but if you avoid the major highways at rush hour, getting around is fairly easy!
6.) The cost of living in Austin is the highest in the state and keeps getting worse sending people out to faceless suburbia. Austin is also becomming more dangerous by the year with more and more crime appearing in places like downtown that used to be considered safe.
Austin is the most expensive city in Texas because it is considered the most desirable place to live. You get what you pay for, and it has one of the lowest rates of violent crime for cities of comparable size in the nation. Rates of petty theft are around the national average and crime is actually going down: austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/05/.../daily28.html
7.) You must leave Austin and drive at least 100 miles for just about any form of entertainment. Amusement parks, zoos, aquariums, and decent shopping.
If your entertainment horizons are bound by such inanities as amusement parks, zoos and aquariums- you will have to drive but not 100 miles. But Austin has a world renowned live music scene. South by Southwest can make the claim of being one of the most important and vibrant music and film festivals in the country. Ditto for ACL. High culture amenities are better in Dallas and Houston, but for a city its size Austin has a lot going on. Ballet Austin is the fourth largest ballet company in the U.S. There is a lot of independent retail in Austin, more so than in any other Texas city, excellent outlet malls in Round Rock and San Marcos, and high end shopping at the Domain that competes well with anything in DFW and Houston.
I could go on and on, but the truth is, do your research before deciding to move here. Unfortunately, Austin will always trail San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston in nearly every way shape and form. Austin isn't wierd, it's just basically a severely overcrowded college town with suburbs. I suspect that Austin and Madison, WI were very similar towns back in the 1960's. However, Madison never grew like Austin and is actually still a nice town.
Subjective opinion and you are entitled to it, but not to the spewing of misinformation in the rest of your post. My subjective opinion is: Austin is a fast growing city that is trying to hang on to its distinctive character. It has many of the amenities of a much bigger city without the attendant problems of crime, traffic (YES!!) and hugely expensive real estate. It has a sprawl problem, like every other sunbelt city. It has the best and most varied outdoor activities for any city in the state, progressive politics for TEXAS, friendly people, great music and great weather for 8 months of the year. The OP should come and check it out, and if eepstein hates it so much that he has to fabricate lies why does he/she not just leave.
P.S. i would also be miserable if I lived in Avery Ranch
well, either way, we are not staying in the city we are living in. We are not happy here, i wish i could take the school with us, because its great, but i am thinking about the influences that are really bad in this city when they are teenagers. So we are leaving regardless, but worry that we may find the same problems in others parts of california. So that is why we are considering moving out of state, and from what i read, austin is one of the safest in the us
Quote:
Originally Posted by wehotex
why not? Everybody else from california has. Why should you do any differently? It's about as crowded as lost angeles.
nimby
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
