If you're planning to move to Austin (especially from a bigger city)... (Houston: crime, theater)

[S6Sputnik]

Originally Posted by SpreadingTruth

Allow me to present: Exhibit A

Here then is exhibit B

http://dinesite.com/city/city-9711/

[dburatti]

To the original poster (and all others living here who aren't from here and don't like it

Don't let the cattle gate hit you on the way out!

Why are you here if you don't like it? I've lived in San Diego, Memphis, Atlanta, Idaho, and Madison, WI. The only city close to Austin in comparison is Madison, and WI is waaaayyy too cold for my skinny ass.

I don't really care what YOU think about my town. It's simply your opinion. Certainly and thankfully, Austin is no LA...or Chicago or NY. We're only the 16th largest city in the nation. Smal enough to enjoy but big enough for people lke you to consider living here. Something attracted you here.

And I find plenty to do around here like visiting all the parks to hike, bike, swim, take pictures, lay out in the sun, etc. I enjoy the festivals: Eeyore's birthday, Spamorama, the Armadillo Bazaar, the Watermelon Thump, Pioneer Days, hell, the list is loooong of things to do around here. Skiing, ski diving, museums (art & history,) scenic drives, cooking classes are Central Market & TCA, shows at the Long Center, Carnaval, SXSW, ACL Music Festival, college sports.....

And I'm one of the Texans who has the state shape in some form tatooed on my body. Yep, I'm DAMN proud to be a Texan. I think Californians are just envious of our great state. And before you go lumping me in with rednecks and cowboys, that I'm not. I don't listen to anything with twang and don't own cowcoy boots. I have a college education and made Mensa in 1992.

D

[nomore07]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

I do agree with you about the "sterile suburbs and shopping centers". However, that's a country-wide problem. And if you look at where the demand for them is coming from (even on this forum) - in many cases, it's people who are "not from here" who are demanding them so that they can feel comfortable in places that are just like where they came from.

Unless you're a relatively adventurous person, it takes a while to get used to any new place and to prefer the things that are there that are unique to it rather than the things that make you feel like you never left "home". That's part of where the problem comes from.

Oh that must be why Austin is being turned into Dallas, so all the Dallasites can feel right at home.

[Jennibc]

RE Texas as a tattoo: One must admit that as far as state shapes go, TX is one of the most aesthetically pleasing. When my sister came down here for a visit years ago, she bought earrings in the shape of TX, not because of TX pride (she lives in Washington state) but because she thought they looked "cool." It is very balanced looking.

[S6Sputnik]

Let me suggest geocaching as a way to get to know an area!!!

www.geocaching.com there are a bunch of CACHES hidden in parks and areas around the world and we here in Austin have a fair share. Grab your GPS load up coords and go hiking and SEE WHAT this area really is all about

my $0.02

[truckin54321]

Originally Posted by SpreadingTruth

I moved to Austin with my wife 8 months ago from Los Angeles. I lived in Los Angeles for 1 year and I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY.

Ok, so with out of the way, I signed up to this site to clear up some information for you city people. I'm a little pissed about the false information people are spewing so it's time to drop some knowledge

If you're moving to Austin, here's what you need to know:

WHAT SUCKS

1) The food sucks. Cheeseburgers here are no better than cheeseburgers anywhere. It's a CHEESEBURGER. If you're lucky enough to find some good Cajun food, the place will probably be closed by 10pm anyway. There is little diversity. There are a few gems here or there, but it's nothing close to what you can get in LA, Chicago, NY, Philly, or DC. My best experience with food here was a French restaurant that's $100 per person... and it wasn't as good as a tiny French restaurant in LA.

Often times you will find yourself having to do a lot of research to find a good place to eat... and given the state of the economy I'm guessing you can't spend a ***** ton of money on food. This is not like New York or Los Angeles where you can pick a popular street and find some ecsquisite restaurants. In Pasadena my restaraunt life was constrained to a single zip code... and I didn't even visit half of the places I wanted to.

90% of the stuff you'll find here is restaurant chains: Mexican, Steakhouse, Italian... that's about it. There are some nice places around downtown but nothing special.

Austinites tend to label things as special in Austin when those things aren't that special at all. Don't know why they do that...

2) Texans think that Texas is a country. Have you ever seen someone with the shape of the state they live in tattooed on their body? Have you ever seen someone from LA with a tattoo of the state of California on their body? Me neither, until I moved to Austin. And frankly I can't figure out why.

LA has hollywood, celebs and beautiful sunsets
NY has statue of liberty, the italian mob, the yankees and true diversity
TX has... cowboys, mexicans and...?

3) Drivers in Ausin, Texas are worse than drivers in LA
If you currently live in LA, you will understand how horrible this is I'm not even going to elaborate here because I'd end up writing a whole essay about this.

4) When they say Austin is liberal, they mean it has a bunch of college kids. In other words, most adults over the age of 35 that you see will not be liberal. There are a few social groups here like any city (goth.. really nice ppl btw, musicians, etc) but when you roll it up as a whole... it's Texas. It's the southern region. This is not a golden city in the middle of a swamp if you know what i mean.

Since I'm on the topic if people, I've seen a great deal of uptight people that act like that have a stick up their ass. In fact just last week I was lounging on the outside of a cafe I really enjoy in North Austin and some... person... came up to me, interrupted my conversation and reminded me that I shouldn't smoke with 50ft of the entrance. This cafe literally has 3 tables and people regularly go there to smoke, drink and have interesting conversation. I wish that sob was worth flattening but of course he wasn't. People like only cause you grief no matter how many times you punch them in the face.

I've had atleast 10 instances like the above in the past 8 months. Oh and I still haven't gotten used to everyone saying hi to me.

5) There is nothing else to do besides eating, shooting guns at the range and watching movies. We've exhausted every possible option of doing something interesting. We've headed North/South/East and found nooooooooooooooothing. West is the only option where you will find Fredericksburg. You can only really go there for the food because the quaint little town has been so commercialized that it's nothing but gift shops and restaurants. The food is WORTH IT though!!!

6) There are people here that were born in Texas, lived in Texas their whole lives and will probably die in Texas. They have never been out of the state. Just keep that in mind.

7) It's expensive city. If you're looking to move to *any* non-city environment, you should atleast consider a few others first. This city is damn expensive in comparison to other small cities.

8) ALLERGIES. Many people that move here suffer from Cedar Fever in their first year. It really depends on how well your body handles allergens. Once you get it... you'll know it... and you'll hate it. Google for "Austin allergies" or "Cedar fever" and enjoy the read. Also this page covers it simply:
AroundAustin.Com: Achoo! Austin Allergies

9) Public Schools Sucks. Basically my theory is that republicans run this state which is why they it's not bankrupt right now. They're good with business but they suck with social programs. The result is one of the largest high school dropout rates in the country, terrible conditions of the public schools, teachers that abuse their students, etc. If you have a kid between the ages of 8 and 16 and you're planning to move here... start looking for a private school or some sort of way to home school your child.

WHAT DOESN'T SUCK

1) If you live out in North Austin, it's very peaceful. The crime rate is very low, rent isn't expensive and it's pretty scenic. North Austin is like 90% white people. If you're wanting to relax a little and do your own thing, this is the place to do it provided you can find yourself a descent job (covered below).

2) If you're a people person and enjoy the energy of others around you I promise that you will find the people here socially retarted and they will bother the hell out of you. Most people that I've come across don't understand basic etiquette. Sorry

HOWEVER (the reason its in the positive section), this also means that you can easily detatch yourself from the general population and enjoy things that you wouldn't normally do on a regular basis, such as do some photography (there's plenty of nature/sites to go around here), have a picnic, read a book, focus on your personal work and ambition for a while, mellow out and don't do much of anything, go horseback riding, go shoot a gun at the range (tons of fun), etc.

3) THERE IS NO INCOME TAX!!! There are some things that are significantly cheaper than other cities. Car insurance will probably be cheaper. The big one is income tax. If you live in a state that enforces its own income tax (ie: california, new york, etc) -- this will be a real pleasure for you. You'll find that some products will be cheaper for you than before (can't remember which, but I do remember saying "oh that's much cheaper than LA or NY"). Ah, gas is one of them. Texas gas is very cheap!

4) If you're a single guy, you will find alooooooooooot of available tang here... but only if you're looking to get married. There are boatloads of single women here. I see them everyday... no rock on their finger... and they're all pretty trendy.

The market for good men in this town is horrible for them. I've been told this on more than one occasion and it doesn't surprise me in the least. Sof if you know what it's like to be a traditionally self respectful man, have a fair amount of money in your pocket and know how to treat a woman -- you could easily find "the one" here. If you just want to get laid, you won't have trouble with that either

5) The job market is still alive. It sucks, but it's better than NY and LA. You'd be able to find something here pretty easy if you are a "motivated self-starter" bla bla bla

6) Austin will make you appreciate the places you lived before.

Good luck.

What sucks...
1.) I agree that there are a plethora of chain restaurants, even local ones like Rudy's, but it decreases the closer you get to the city center.....surely you can't be serious when you consider the 20 or so eateries off riverside and south lamar/congress....Shady Grove, Hut's,
Green Mesquite, and the bunches of others....think regional food when you think Austin......it isn't coastal, and has no pretensions to be whatsoever.......

2.) Texas itself is a regionalism, with a peculiar, maybe even somewhat strange, but definitely unique history....add the sheer size to the same, and you get lots of people with the tattoos you mention, flags with a large star on the side, and a bit of boasting.....what's known in other parts as "character" and characters.....in our antiseptic, homogenized,
Disneyfied world, is that such a bad thing?

3.) Drivers suck EVERYWHERE now.......outside of small towns where things move slow, and most folks are on a first name basis, you have major anonymity and road rage in EVERY city....Austin, being not only a large city, but one with a huge influx of outsiders(and yes, even Californians), is only manifesting the obvious and expected...how could anyone presume otherwise? This is the real world, last time I checked..

4.) The only people who think Austin is a bastion of liberalism to compare with Portland. Seattle, the bay area, NYC, Chicago, Boston, and such are people FROM there that are relocating to Austin.....Texas locals KNOW that Austin very much is the heart of Texas, and manifests all the aforementioned traits....this is not Portland lite, SAN FRAN lite, NYC lite...
this is Texas......simply Texas is Texas......yes, there is a certain amount
of liberalism spread through from UT and such, but it IS grounded in the middle of the state, most folks in the metro ARE from Texas, and it manifests the state's traits above everything else.....in other words, Austin is NOT a bastion of liberalism, though you can live comfortably
enough if you ARE orientated towards the same.....

5.) Nothing to do? Only one answer....grab a copy of the Chronicle.....
or start drinking heavily....

6.) In every state in the union, the majority of the residents were born and raised, and will prob die, in the same...hard to believe, but California
is the very same. If not, they would be experiencing a net loss of residents. If the California economy continues to implode, that indeed may soon be the case. What address in Sacramento can I send donations to your state gov't so they don't close up shop next week(according to Arnold, anyway)?

7.) Who said Austin was cheap? And what city IS cheap, that isn't godforsaken? If you want cheap, you need to go to a VERY small city or small town, but then you would be complaining that there is nothing to
do.

8) Allergies? They have medications for that....Fire Ants? they have
antkiller for that....see? A solution for everything!

9.) Public schools suck just about everywhere.......our school system sucks as a nation.....we test as a nation near the very bottom vis a vis
any study........Texas indeed has more problems than most in that regard, but it hasn't stopped the massive influx yet...evidentally in/migrants don't see the education issue as a spoiler....we need to work hard on our education system as a NATION.....Texas as well as the rest....

Things you like..

1.) North Austin I feel is rather boring myself...just a bunch of mega-apartment complexes, with those franchise eateries you mentioned earlier......most of it has the same sprawl and nondescript character you can see anywhere, and all of it is NOT the reason people are moving there.......
2.)You make your own bed socially..if you find local folk "retarded", i imagine you won't find a terribly large social group WHEREEVER you relocate to, lincluding Nome, Alaska.......
3.)Yep, no state income tax is a good thing.
4.)Yes, there are plenty of single folks in Austin, women included.....
5.)Job market in Austin is starting to get pinched right now..lots of people, maybe more than ever, rushing in, and jobs are starting to get scarcer..
not a great combo.....lets cross our fingers and hope we ride it out..
6.)Yeah, I appreciate some things I don't see/get anymore per my old place, but, isn't the point of moving to get the hell away FROM your old place, and all that goes with it. Otherwise why come to Austin at all, or anywhere, for that matter?

Enjoyed typing this, and good luck to the original poster in Austin.....I have to admit that he has a good sense of humor as well!

[ATXIronHorse]

SpreadingTruth: Texas ROCKS!!! The whole state kicks ass!!! Why are you here if you don't like it?!?!

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Opening posts such as this one IS what gives Californians a bad name here in Austin!

Did you bother to do any research prior to moving to Austin or did you just up and move there based on what you read here at C-D.com or other web sites?

Did you ever visit Austin prior to moving there? Texans, not just Austinites, have what you call "pride"...pride in their state, pride in their town, city..., Texas is a way of life--you either get it or you don't. There's a reason why you see "Texas" tattoos! One word-- PRIDE! And as a few other posters mentioned...Texas was once it's own country-- Republic of Texas. I agree with them--do a bit of research on your next move and don't move blindly.

I've driven in both LA and Austin--Austin is far better than LA as far as traffic and bad drivers! I guess everyone's opinions will differ on that.

I'm sure LA is willing to take you back if you are that unhappy in Austin.

[corntortilla]

Ha ha! You believed us. Jokes on you, sucker.

[carolinajack]

ive been in many states including texas, and that list is just ridiculous. Ny has the mob, statue of liberty? the baptist, austin city limits, barton springs/ if you wanted NYC you should have moved back there.

its expensive? try NYC and buying a house for $150K

public schools are awful in Philadelphia, in Detroit, in chicago, in Boston, in DC with 50% drop out rates and run by Democrats and liberal in all of them, so dont know where that drivel came from

a guy from California talking about smoking rules in Texas? thats rich--the authoritarian state of CA that doesnt allow a person to smoke in their own house, or outside, not thats ridiculous.

philly is horrible, and comparatively speaking, Austin if far more interesting