How would you compare Chicago to Austin? (Houston, Dallas: appointed, transplants)

[chicagoresident]

Hi,

I'm looking to move out of Chicago soon ( have been here for almost a decade and don't want to deal with the awful winters anymore) and am looking at various warm cities. I've heard from a couple of people that Austin is an awesome city with a great vibe.. so am wondering how you would compare it with Chicago... is it a fun city to live in? cultural? nightlife? I'm thinking of taking a trip down there soon but would appreciate any info for now.. also, would you recommend Austin to asthmatics? Or would another city in Texas be better.. basically I need a city with warm / dry air most of the year. Thanks a lot!

[Jennibc]

Have only been to Chicago once for a vacation and they are NOTHING alike. No public transportation here, no real ethnic enclaves, much less crime here, but also less culture. The architecture in Chicago is much more interesting as well. I like Austin a lot but if I had more money and could tolerate the winters, I'd probably prefer to live in Chicago. But I'm a big city person at heart. Austin is about as small as I can stand.

[chris4t4]

We are originally from Chicago but been here for quite some time. The only thing we miss is a big change of seasons. Watching snow fall is very pretty so we miss that but don't miss the snow plows and getting plowed in to a parking spot or finding a parking spot where people have "marked their territory" there is a change of seasons but subtle compared to up North. Allergies are an issue here but they were an issue for us up North. The biggest thing that hits us is the cedar. I have a child with asthma, but the cold actually makes it worse for him so this climate is better. It seems the weather is mostly dry year round only can I remember a few times it being humid feeling outside. Dallas, San Antonio and Houston see more humidity.
We love the topography here, as you know, Chicago is pretty flat. We like Austin because its culturally diverse, friendly, and just a comfortable fit for us. Its not uppity at all.
Where in Chicago are you coming from?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by chicagoresident

Hi,

I'm looking to move out of Chicago soon ( have been here for almost a decade and don't want to deal with the awful winters anymore) and am looking at various warm cities. I've heard from a couple of people that Austin is an awesome city with a great vibe.. so am wondering how you would compare it with Chicago... is it a fun city to live in? cultural? nightlife? I'm thinking of taking a trip down there soon but would appreciate any info for now.. also, would you recommend Austin to asthmatics? Or would another city in Texas be better.. basically I need a city with warm / dry air most of the year. Thanks a lot!

Warm, dry air, look at Tuscan, Phoenix, Abq and places like that, certainly nowhere in Texas will give you warm, dry, air. Austin is a little less humid than much of Texas but certainly not dry.

As for comparing it with Chicago, you can not. Austin is a city, but nothing like a huge metropolis like Chicago. It is rather small as a matter of fact.

If you want nightlife, yes, you will find it and the city is more liberal than much of Texas. it is somewhat culturally diverse, not like Chicago though.

I would suggest you do take a trip and investigate for yourself.

Nita

[hoffdano]

Chicago is one of my favorite cities to visit. I like the food, the city feel, and the friendly people. Austin has good food and friendly people. It has a very different feel because the size is so different. If you wont' miss public transportation Austin might be a good fit. It is easy to be outdoors all year - though the heat (especially this year!) can take some to get used to.

[inthecut]

Austin would be most similar to a larger Madison, Wisc....a regional, capitol city, centered on a major university and public center jobs, though with a better music and tech scene......

[AustinAaron]

I wouldn't.

[AK123]

Some of the transplants from Chicago have been those I've heard the most complaints about Austin not living up to expectations.

They are nothing alike. And generally, Austin tends to be overhyped.

There is nothing like Chicago in Texas. The only that might come close (from a culture/amenities/diversity/big-city standpoint) is Houston. With Dallas as a second.

Also, as I'm sure you already know, the weather is vastly different from IL.

[homeinatx]

I think inthecut called it. I lived in Chicago for 4 years before moving to Austin. For the things I care about in a city, Austin has better natural environs though I miss the lakefront of Chicago and despite the brutal heat of the summer, better year-round outdoor activities and better BBQ and Tex-Mex food. Otherwise, it is not even comparing apples and oranges, more like watermelons and grapes - both sweet but HUGE differences in scale and all that means. Much more and better restaurants, music, theater, museums, street-life, density in Chicago as you would expect from a city that has been MUCH bigger for MUCH longer. Most of Austin is like a hilly Schaumberg - if you can imagine such a thing, though there is more density and cultural and entertainment amenities in the central core. For me, escaping Chicago winters has been worth the sacrifice of many of the pleasures of urbanity. Austin, on the whole is also safer in terms of crime, and generally across the board somewhat cheaper.

[JuneOf48]

It really depends on what appeals to you. I'm a Chicago native, and I move back and forth from San Antonio to Austin on a regular basis. If you like warm weather and the neighborhoods in Chicago with a young, single, "alternative" vibe--especially indie-heavy Chicago hoods like Wicker Park, Logan Square, Ukrainian Village, etc.--you'll love central Austin. It's like those areas but even more so. If you're looking for huge museums, a thriving business district, European immigrant strongholds, the Gold Coast, or Michigan Avenue, you'll be disappointed.

I'm in my mid-30s and I love indie/punk shows, chill people, and vegetarian food, and Austin is at least on par with Chicago in those areas. In terms of proporition, it has Chicago beat, hands down.