Austin for a mid-30s single professional gal? (San Marcos: real estate, how much)

[lbny34]

Hi y'all

I am looking to relocate from nyc in a year and a half and Austin is one of the cities on my list to investigate. I have been there once in October and enjoyed the weather and did not have any allergy attacks (although my friend did - bigtime!). We went out at night in the downtown area and while we found the atmosphere fun for a vacation, I don't think it would be for me in terms of living there. I'm wondering if maybe we just didn't hit all "the spots" while there that are more suited for a mid-thirties crowd. What we saw was more college age/loud beer drinking bars/people drunk in the streets New Orleans style.

Austin seems great if you are going to the University and it seems great if you are a young couple relocating with kids. My concern and question for those who live there is, how would you rate Austin for a mid-thirties single professional gal?

Thanks!

[centralaustinite]

For a mid-thirties single woman, I do not think that Austin would be at the top of the list for relocation.

It sounds to me like you went to 6th Street when you were here and not the 4th Street/Warehouse district. That is where you will find the post-college crowd.

You are exactly right! Austin is flush with college kids and young families. If you had to relocate here, I am sure that you could carve out a niche and enjoy the city. But that is not the same as saying that you should pick Austin, if you could go anywhere.

good luck!

[truckin54321]

Originally Posted by lbny34

Hi y'all

I am looking to relocate from nyc in a year and a half and Austin is one of the cities on my list to investigate. I have been there once in October and enjoyed the weather and did not have any allergy attacks (although my friend did - bigtime!). We went out at night in the downtown area and while we found the atmosphere fun for a vacation, I don't think it would be for me in terms of living there. I'm wondering if maybe we just didn't hit all "the spots" while there that are more suited for a mid-thirties crowd. What we saw was more college age/loud beer drinking bars/people drunk in the streets New Orleans style.

Austin seems great if you are going to the University and it seems great if you are a young couple relocating with kids. My concern and question for those who live there is, how would you rate Austin for a mid-thirties single professional gal?

Thanks!

Well, first, I think you are presuming that bars/clubs are the default way to meet up in Austin....while Austin indeed has a vibrant bar/club/outdoor
cafe scene, its not by any stretch the way people connect there.....they
"hang out" in those places, eat outside AT those places, but meet everywhere BUT those places.......

Think internet hook-ups, organizations, functions, just running into someone at an outdoor concert, of which there are zillions...thats pretty much how people meet in Austin...also, if you are a 30-something gal, you are prized in Austin, as there is a male skewing, particularly in that age group..........

Think of those clubs you mentioned as a de facto college drag for the kids, with a few places here and there amenable for older adults, like Speakeasy and such........yeah, sometimes it IS hard to get away from the college kid demo in Austin, but they do add a great vibrancy to the area, and there are plenty of 25-40 year olds as well to put them in their
place......

Yes, there are other cities with more quiet clubs where you can meet 30-40ish people, but, lets admit it, most guys are just looking to fool around at those places anyway, along with the women.....married folks, jerks, you name it.....clubs period are a bad place to meet people, at any age, young OR old.....

[lbny34]

Thanks for the replies.

I think I need to clarify a little bit. I'm not looking to pick someone up in a bar, ha! I'm trying to ascertain whether Austin's night life caters to a mid-thirties crowd. When I was there what I saw was much, much younger. Perhaps I didn't go to the correct spots downtown, but I saw very few thirty-somethings hanging out. This is the only aspect of Austin that is still a question in my mind.

What I like about Austin:

The weather. I have heard some horror stories about the humidity, but when I was there in early October I loved the weather. Just to be sure, I do plan on making another visit in July or August.

The activity level. I run, bike, swim... and I was really drawn to how many people were out and about. I even checked out a local gym - which was completely empty - probably because everyone was *outside* getting exercise!

The people. Very friendly and laid back.

The prices. Now, I know Austin's real estate is expensive from a local's perspective, but coming from nyc I'm continuously amazed at how much further my money will go.

The music. I thoroughly enjoy going out and seeing live music - especially singer-songwriter types.


So, back to my original question --- since I am coming from nyc which is filled with mid-thirties single gals (and guys), I don't want to move to Austin to find that people in their mid-thirties are home with the kids on a Saturday night. (No offense to married folk intended, btw!)

[readymade]

I'm in my mid 30s, too, and I see lots of people (of all ages) when I go out. I don't usually go out to 6th street, and it sounds like that's where you were.

[coleslaw]

I'm a single, mid-30s professional gal and just moved to Austin. I love, love, love it. I highly recommend you take a look at meetup.com. It is a great way to see some what people around town are up to. There are several groups for 30-something women, and just about any activity you can imagine. What to get in a kickball league, go hiking, play cards, or see a film? I think there are more than 500 groups on this site -- something for everyone. I've been to a few of the groups and have consistently met cool, laid-back friendly people (it's not a dating site, FYI). One of the best things about these groups (esp. when they are activity-specific, as opposed to age-specific) is that you can meet a diverse group of people (age, gender, nationality, etc.) with similar interests. Your network of friends grows from there.

IMO, this is the perfect spot for girls our age. Can't say enough times how nice everyone is here.

[atxcio]

As mentioned before, stay away from 6th street east of Congress ave. That's the drunk college kid playground (although there is the occasionally cool thing going on there, like the Pecan Street Festival). Everywhere else downtown and south of the river (central part) is very much "all ages" -- many single people, couples of all ages, with kids and without, etc. The hike and bike trails, the river and lakes, the mountain biking areas are also full of all different ages of people who really like to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Festivals too. All sorts of ages. The only common factor is young at heart!

Coming from NYC and being single, definitely stay central at first! It will be worth the extra money. You will have so much more to do.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by lbny34

The activity level. I run, bike, swim... and I was really drawn to how many people were out and about. I even checked out a local gym - which was completely empty - probably because everyone was *outside* getting exercise!

Austin is a much better place for people that like to run, bike, and swim as their main hobbies. I've found that I've quickly adjusted to the heat in the summer while running. Now I actually prefer to run with the level of humidity that Austin has during the summer as my muscles don't tighten up as much. On the other hand, some people hate it, so it depends on the person.

After living in NYC, you'll almost certainly be underwhelmed by any night life in Austin, however there is still stuff to do for those of us in our 30's. Just a note, October is one of the very best months weather wise in my opinion. Definitely come back in August to check it out again.

[AustinGuy]

In my opinion, Austin could use as many single, 30-something professional gals as we can get.

[Alatex]

In my opinion, Austin could use as many single, 30-something professional gals as we can get.

San Marcos could certainly use some, too

I've spent a lot of time in San Marcos in the last year (and a little visiting Austin, by extension), and as a mid-30s single guy, I've had zero luck meeting any single women out there. It's like every attractive woman over the age of 20 is already married and/or has kids.