Anyone moved from Portland? (Dallas, Austin: apartment complexes, rent, new home)

[flealeap]

Hi all,

I am delighted to have discovered this forum and have already learned so much! I am hoping for some help deciding whether Austin would be for me.

A little background: I am single woman in my mid-thirties, no children. I work in the arts (for not much money!)

I have been living overseas for many years, but will be moving back to the US soon. My life has sort of suddenly come apart at the seams and I need a place to rebuild my world, almost from scratch. This is a really scary proposition, and I would love your help trying to find a good place to make my new home.

I have heard so many wonderful things about Austin, and read a lot of great stuff on these wonderful forums. However, I have some concerns.

I worry that Texas will be like North Carolina, where I once lived and felt very out of place. In NC, church was such an intregal part of community life that as a non-believer I felt like an outsider. Also, I often felt tht any analysis of current political events was construed to be almost unpatriotic. Don't get me wrong, there were many things I loved about NC, but I am looking for a place I truly belong.

I once lived in Portland, Oregon and loved it there. I liked the fact that it is progressive, filled with parks, and has bike lanes! I liked the fact that it was walkable, with an interesting variety of neighborhoods, and very little deep urban blight. Most importantly, I loved its artsy "coffee house" vibe. I am definitely a bookstore, cafe, foreign-movie type gal. However, the rain really got to me. I much prefer a snowy winter.

So, I guess I am looking for a place like Portland but without the rain!

Has anyone our there moved from PDX to Austin and found happiness (or not!). Please share your impressions of Austin! I am interested in everything from safety and cost of living, recommendations for great urban neighborhoods, to the intangible spirit of the place.

I would be grateful for any thoughts! Thanks!

[cdelena]

Austin is NOT Portland without the rain... it is a totally different world. It may be your place but it will probably mix in more of the vibe you found in NC than the PNW does.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by flealeap

Hi all,

I am delighted to have discovered this forum and have already learned so much! I am hoping for some help deciding whether Austin would be for me.

A little background: I am single woman in my mid-thirties, no children. I work in the arts (for not much money!)

I have been living overseas for many years, but will be moving back to the US soon. My life has sort of suddenly come apart at the seams and I need a place to rebuild my world, almost from scratch. This is a really scary proposition, and I would love your help trying to find a good place to make my new home.

I have heard so many wonderful things about Austin, and read a lot of great stuff on these wonderful forums. However, I have some concerns.

I worry that Texas will be like North Carolina, where I once lived and felt very out of place. In NC, church was such an intregal part of community life that as a non-believer I felt like an outsider. Also, I often felt tht any analysis of current political events was construed to be almost unpatriotic. Don't get me wrong, there were many things I loved about NC, but I am looking for a place I truly belong.

I once lived in Portland, Oregon and loved it there. I liked the fact that it is progressive, filled with parks, and has bike lanes! I liked the fact that it was walkable, with an interesting variety of neighborhoods, and very little deep urban blight. Most importantly, I loved its artsy "coffee house" vibe. I am definitely a bookstore, cafe, foreign-movie type gal. However, the rain really got to me. I much prefer a snowy winter.

So, I guess I am looking for a place like Portland but without the rain!

Has anyone our there moved from PDX to Austin and found happiness (or not!). Please share your impressions of Austin! I am interested in everything from safety and cost of living, recommendations for great urban neighborhoods, to the intangible spirit of the place.

I would be grateful for any thoughts! Thanks!

Austin has multiple cultures. At its heart it is a college town, relatively liberal with a coffeehouse slacker vibe (see the movie slackers).

Up north it is yuppie high tech

Out west it is laid back lake living

Out east it is ethnic (hispanic)

Down south is ethnic and slacker

Downtown is still trying to figure out what it is going to be, but it is leaning towards trendy and pretentious.

[AustinTraveler]

Originally Posted by cdelena

It may be your place but it will probably mix in more of the vibe you found in NC than the PNW does.

I completely disagree with cdelena. I live in Central Austin so I can only speak to that, not the suburbs, but I have NEVER been asked about church and I have yet to meet one person in my neighborhood who does not question current politics. Analyzing current political events is most certainly not deemed unpatriotic.

flealeap, there are definitely neighborhoods like you describe. Some to check out would be Clarksville, Hyde Park, Travis Heights, S. Congress area, Barton Springs area, Rosedale, and others. Cost of living, at least housing, is definitely more in these urban areas though. Will you be renting? If so, do you have a housing budget yet?

I think you would love Austin, but of course you'll have to visit and decide for yourself. One thing you won't get though...snowy winters!!

Oh, and I've never been to Portland so I can't make any contrasts there.

[flealeap]

Thanks for the great replies.

cdelena -- what experiences have you had that make you feel that Austin has more of a NC feel than a Portland feel?

AustinTraveler -- Thank you for the neighborhood suggestions. From what you write, it sounds like Austin may be a good match for me, particularly if I lived more centrally, in the city, which appeals to me anyway. I would be renting, at least initially. I would like to find a one bedroom apartment for less than $950. Would that be possible in the more urban, central areas?

Actually, this brings up another question for me. I have been looking at apartments on Craigslist. I have been surprised to find nearly all newer apartment complexes. Are there older, smaller buildings with a bit more character in the neighborhoods AustinTraveler mentions? Is there a source other than craigslist I should be turning to?

The bit about snowy winters was a mistake! I was using something I had posted about Madison and Minneapolis (the other two cities I am considering) as a template, and left that in accidentally! Oops. From what I hear, Austin has the best winters of all -- no rain AND no snow!

Thanks so much again, everyone. I would still love to hear from any former Portland/ Seattle residents, if you are out there!

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by flealeap

particularly if I lived more centrally, in the city, which appeals to me anyway. I would be renting, at least initially. I would like to find a one bedroom apartment for less than $950. Would that be possible in the more urban, central areas?

From your criteria, you need to stick with central Austin or close in South Austin (78704) to find what you are looking for. Craig's List can be ok for finding places, but since you don't know the area, it'll be difficult. Your best bet is to come out here for a week or two and find the neighborhoods you like so that you can get a better idea of what is good for you on Craig's List. A couple of people have mentioned apartment locators that specialize in Central Austin (I think AustinCool is one), so you might want to contact them as well.

$950 for a one bedroom in an older central property is most definitely doable.

[TexasNativeinNW]

Hello. I just submitted a post asking about corpus. I'm considering a move to texas from Portland. I will share my experience with Austin as a visitor this past spring. I spent a week there...and I'll tell you the things I loved and hated!

Loved:
1. the people
2. vibrant music/arts
3. lots of parks for walking/biking
4. lots of places to swim
5. progressive
6. More sun than NW

Hated:
1. Traffic congestion
2. No one walks anywhere (that I could see). Didn't have that "walk to coffeeshop" vibe like Portland.
3. People drove incredibly fast and tailgated me a lot (something I had forgotten about from living in Dallas years ago. This might be a texas thing!)
4. I found rent and home prices to be surprisingly high. I can get a very nice place in Portland for $800 per month, but something comparable in Austin would be $1100, at least.
5. Brutal summer heat.

So...thought I'd add my two cents!!

Good luck!

[gigi927]

I don't think you'll have to worry about the church thing here, and we live in the west "suburban" areas, although still in Austin proper. I've never been asked what church we go to (we don't), what religion I am, what my politics are. So don't worry about that aspect.

Good luck with your search for a new city that's right for you. If you find Austin is not for you, I have heard Madison is a GREAT little town!

[jwb123]

We just moved here from Seattle - Austin is ABSOLUTELY Seattle, without the rain.

BTW - I am atheist, and have not had a single issue with feeling uncomfortable regarding my beliefs (or disbeliefs, I guess you could say).

[tanyagail]

Hello again flealeap!!! Welcome to the Austin board!

So many people compare Madison to Austin and it is similar in many respects (university town, liberal etc) but we found Austin to be SO much more. Better parks---we LOVE Zilker/Barton Creek area, better restaurants, more music scene, lively downtown. As I mentioned in my other post to you in "Wisconsin" we found Austin to be a mix of Madison and Mpls---the funky-fun side of Madison and the size and possibilities of Mpls both rolled up into one---but warm.

Everyone here (in WI) keeps warning me about "the summers" in TX but during those hot months I could imagine still going for a walk/jog/bike ride at the cooler hours of 6am or 11pm. Now let me tell you something about WI/MN winter---no matter what time of day it is, most people do not like to go walk the dog or go for a jog in 10 degree (or colder) frigid weather with icy sidewalks. Winter in WI/MN can get really long (mentally and physically)--and can go from November through March. Unless you enjoy the cold (I admit, I'm a winter wimp and detest it) and love skiing, snowshoeing, skating, sledding etc, I'd seriously consider Austin.

I don't know if you are a dog person, but Madison is NOT the most dog friendly. Best places to bring your dog, Farmer's Market on the capital square and the Arboretum for a walk, do not allow dogs. Most bike/hiking paths say "no dogs allowed" although it is not really enforced. Austin seems to have tons of dog parks/hiking paths and outdoor cafes that allow dogs.

Something else Madison and Austin share that IS really great---no smoking in restaurants. Mpls still has non-smoking and smoking sections. Austin has a leg up on Madison though b/c Austin does not allow smoking in the outdoor dining sections of the restaurant and Madison does.

Again, good luck on your decision!!! As others have mentioned, your best bet is to visit them all if you can. You'll know which one is right for you. If you need tips on what to visit in Madison and Mpls, feel free to PM me anytime.

Tanya