"Big city" kid unsure of move to "country living" in Austin. (Round Rock: condo, houses)

[texasboundmom]

I would like to know if anyone that was born and bred in a big city has moved to Austin (suburbs) and enjoyed themselves. My husband grew up in Queens, NY and than moved to Phoenix, AZ and has always lived right in the city. He is not a country person and doesn't have much use for the outdoors. I am a born and bred country person and grew up in rural Ohio and love the country!! I have always wanted to have my children grow up in a little more relaxed atmosphere. My husband recently came out to Austin and looked in some of the suburbs at houses and said he does not think he will like living in the "country". He thinks there is nothing to do there and wanted to know if anyone else from the big city has adjusted and likes it. I told him I don't consider Brushy Creek to be the "country". Where I grew up we did not see our neighbors from our house, we had a river on one side of our house with a covered bridge at the end of our drive way (which you couldn't see our house from the bottom of our driveway either) now that is "country living". Please any input from any "city folks".

[gigi927]

Well, I think the definition of "country" depends a lot on where you're coming from. If hubby is a city dweller - I can see how he might view Brushy Creek as out there and a bit country.

I lived for 5 years in downtown Chicago and 3 years in downtown San Francisco and consider myself a huge city person. We previously lived in the far northern reaches of Scottsdale (Scottsdale/Carefree border ) and frankly, it was WAY too remote for me. Even though we were in a gated subdivision, it just felt so removed from everything. The fact that you can't go anywhere in Phoenix without a car doesn't help. Phoenix was like the anti-city to me; I would never want to go back.

My preference would be to live in a condo in downtown Austin or a small renovated home centrally located and in a walkable neighborhood, but right now we had to give up some things while we have little kids. Here we live 20 minutes out of downtown and I think at this point in our lives, we have a perfect balance. Not too far out, and not too close in to have to tradeoff lot size and a bit of suburban feel/good schools for our kids. I really like it here; we head into downtown a lot.

I think even the far suburbs of Austin are better than any place - downtown, suburb or otherwise - in Phoenix. What part do you guys live in now? I think Brushy Creek would be an adjustment for a Manhattanite, but I just don't think of Phoenix as a real city, so to me going to Brushy Creek would be an improvement!

[plaidmom]

Originally Posted by texasboundmom

I would like to know if anyone that was born and bred in a big city has moved to Austin (suburbs) and enjoyed themselves. My husband grew up in Queens, NY and than moved to Phoenix, AZ and has always lived right in the city. He is not a country person and doesn't have much use for the outdoors. I am a born and bred country person and grew up in rural Ohio and love the country!! I have always wanted to have my children grow up in a little more relaxed atmosphere. My husband recently came out to Austin and looked in some of the suburbs at houses and said he does not think he will like living in the "country". He thinks there is nothing to do there and wanted to know if anyone else from the big city has adjusted and likes it. I told him I don't consider Brushy Creek to be the "country". Where I grew up we did not see our neighbors from our house, we had a river on one side of our house with a covered bridge at the end of our drive way (which you couldn't see our house from the bottom of our driveway either) now that is "country living". Please any input from any "city folks".

The problem, as I see it (if I may play "devil's advocate" here) is that in the suburbs, you will both be compromising.

You have fond memories of your bucolic county upbringing. Farms are great for kids. Fresh air, no neighbors, freedom.

Your hubby enjoys the vibrancy of a city. Walking to cafes, coffee shops, book stores and galleries. Public transportation. Nightlife. (just guessing here?).

In the suburbs you'll have neither.

If you can both live with the idea of "hey, we'll both give up something and we'll both be equally miserable".....then this plan may work.

(I hope this doesn't sound too bitter or mean...but you guys need to talk about this stuff! )

[texasboundmom]

What part do you guys live in now? I think Brushy Creek would be an adjustment for a Manhattanite, but I just don't think of Phoenix as a real city, so to me going to Brushy Creek would be an improvement

Right now we live in Chandler, my husband lived in Scottsdale but we did live in Anthem for 5 years (which I absolutely loved)

The problem, as I see it (if I may play "devil's advocate" here) is that in the suburbs, you will both be compromising.

You have fond memories of your bucolic county upbringing. Farms are great for kids. Fresh air, no neighbors, freedom.

Your hubby enjoys the vibrancy of a city. Walking to cafes, coffee shops, book stores and galleries. Public transportation. Nightlife. (just guessing here?).

In the suburbs you'll have neither.

If you can both live with the idea of "hey, we'll both give up something and we'll both be equally miserable".....then this plan may work.

(I hope this doesn't sound too bitter or mean...but you guys need to talk about this stuff! )

Not to sound too bitter or mean either, but I never said I wanted my children to live on a farm, I was simply giving my example of what I thought real country was. We live and have lived in the city centrally located to stores and restaurants. For the past 4 years we have neither walked to cafes, or gone out for much nightlife since we have 4 yr old twins and a 2 month old son and to say that we are both going to be miserable and not talking this over is ridiculous. I was just trying to get an unbiased opinion on someone that has lived in a big city and likes to have a Circle K (convenience store) on every corner to possibly going to an area that doesn't have that but is within distance by driving.
If I did not get my point across correctly, than I will correct myself. I just wanted to know if someone thought that Austin was a little different from what they were used to, to finding that they really loved it in the end. My husband and I will be happy anywhere as long as we are together and with our children, plus we are in a safe neighborhood, good school districts and have food on the table.

[plaidmom]

If I did not get my point across correctly, than I will correct myself

Ahhhh. Yes, thanks for coming back and clarifying. Sounds like you are in a similar position to gigi then:

but right now we had to give up some things while we have little kids

Many families find the 'burbs to be the perfect fit.

One last thing:

he does not think he will like living in the "country". He thinks there is nothing to do there

In the suburbs (as you pointed out, it's really not "country" ), his life will be pretty full with "kid stuff". IME life with pre/school-age children revolves around school, sports and activities, going to the park, birthday parties and holidays etc etc etc. He's gonna be busy busy busy mowing the lawn, teaching the kids how to ride a bike,backyard BBQs, you know, standard family-stuff.

It goes by really really quickly! Enjoy them while they are little.


{Aside note: interestingly enough, while my post was not helpful to the original poster, I got a handful o' rep points...so it must have been useful to ~someone~ out there LOL. Gotta love C-D! }

[gigi927]

well, if your husband lived in Chandler, Scottsdale, and Anthem - none of those are really city places that are walkable (unless he was in downtown Scottsdale, and that's even not really "city"). How did he fare in each of those locations? If he was okay with those places, he'll be fine in places like Brushy Creek. You've got the mall and tons of shopping less than 10-15 minutes away, which is what you get in all of the Phoenix suburbs (heck, we were 30 minutes from everything in our part of Scottsdale, and for the longest time Anthem didn't have much to offer outside the Safeway, McDonald's and those outlet malls).

Having lived in both locations personally, I think the difference your husband might be keying off of here in Austin v. similar locations in Phoenix is that here, they don't clear off every tree, shrub, piece of grass and rock when they build out neighborhoods. They keep a lot of the natural greenery around even the largest subdivisions (something I find awesome) and so if FEELS like more of a country feel than the mile after mile of tract subdivisions in Phoenix that all kind of look the same, have a bit of barren landscape when new with tiny little stick trees, and a strip mall on every corner.

I'll bet if he clocks the distance from whatever areas you're looking at to the closest grocery or mall, he'll be really surprised that it's much closer than he estimated. He just will get distracted by the beautiful landscape in doing so

Hope this helps somewhat!!!

[jread]

HAHAH!!! If your husband thinks that Phoenix is a "city", then Austin should feel like freakin' Hong Kong to him.

Austin is definitely a city in every sense. There is also a lot of country around it. As mentioned above, though, the suburbs are the worst of both worlds. I will never understand why ANYONE wants to live in suburbia hell.

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by jread

HAHAH!!! If your husband thinks that Phoenix is a "city", then Austin should feel like freakin' Hong Kong to him.

Austin is definitely a city in every sense. There is also a lot of country around it. As mentioned above, though, the suburbs are the worst of both worlds. I will never understand why ANYONE wants to live in suburbia hell.

Not everyone wants to, or can, live in a city, and as far as suburbs go, Austin has some of the most scenic and family friendly that I've seen.

[love roses]

A lot of the "suburbs" out here were already existing towns. So a lot of them already come with some character. Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock, Salado, Buda,.. (Hutto, Taylor, Pflugerville, Granger although not as exciting, also were previously existing). So I'm with gigi on that.

[jread]

Originally Posted by gigi927

Not everyone wants to, or can, live in a city

Agreed. So why live outside of one and commute in for work, making traffic even worse and perpetuating suburban sprawl? There use to be a distinct difference between Urban and Rural and I I think there still should be. Suburbia tries to take advantage of both lifestyles but fails to replicate either.