What is the "carrying capacity" of Austin? (Houston: crime, find a job)

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

My opinion is we're humans, we live, we have waste. Please expound on the "livable, eclectic ville". Are you talking about Austin? Please talk about "how it was". On a personal note I grow weary of yet another "it was better then" thread.

When they didn't have sewers they had waste seeping up from the ground and flowing into the waterways, driveways, and walkways. I suppose those who built up on the hills were ok because, like always,"caca" rolls downhill where some poor ******* has to deal with it.

The other thing is which part of the population has control over what kind of housing they live in? Seriously. Again, not to be redundant, but money talks. I'm fairly certain if we ALL had a choice of how to live, where to live, and what kind of structure provided us shelter, we would choose wisely. But alas, I suppose the majority of us are lazy bums or we would be choosing.

Lastly, when looking for a home I would have loved to purchase one of those "obsolescent" homes but they were waaay overpriced.

I'm sure most of us are aware of the problems. Let's talk about jobs that provide a living wage, affordable housing, affordable health care. Let's get the food, clothing, shelter thing down first. But when that happens it turns to the same "caca" that runs downhill where once again that same poor ******* is having to deal with it.

Good points, because ALL fast growing American metros experience the self-same coagulation of growth(traffic, garbage, pollution, crime, overcrowding)......its just that Austin puts itself ABOVE such things, in the selling of the metro......it is sold as a special place, where things are different.....

Question is, how "different" is it when 85% of the metro is antiseptic generica, the road structure is burdened beyond belief, and crime increases in lockstep with growth and transiency?

Frankly, Austin is NOT different or "special", and a huge number of folks have been sold a bill of goods by a very efficient PR machine.....

Like a Kevin Trudeau book full of garbage that shoots to the top of the best seller list hyped by infomercials, anything can be sold with a top notch PR department......and Austin has the best around...

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

I'll agree that growth by itself is not necessarily good. It is a sign of vitality but of course it creates challenges.

But one thing the OP has completely wrong is the crime issue. Austin has more than doubled in size in the last twenty years. Crime by and large has remained low, especially violent crime. Unless a socioeconomic disaster occurs - it is highly improbable that crime in Austin will ever deteriorate to what happens in New Orleans or Detroit.

The whole issue is the selling of Austin as "special".....not comparing it to a bottom dwelling metro such as NO or Detroit......that would not be saying much to boast about "better than Detroit" numbers.....the issue is that people are LEAVING metros with problems you mention LOOKING for a far more livable environment....the open question is how close Austin comes to that, and how far away it will get from the same if growth continues at the same pace......that would include ALL Q of L issues, from traffic, overcrowding, generic buildout/paving over, as well as crime....

Again, the question is, at what POINT of growth would Austin begin to lose, if they ever did have it, the hypothesized Q of L of the metro?....
My opinion is that Austin did have a larger than average Q of L at one point, but that was back in the late 80's, and there is actually LESS Q of L than the average metro in Austin now, just for the traffic and nondescript buildout....and the metro will be far worse as growth accrues....i'm simply amazed at how many people continue to stream in per the hype.

[hoffdano]

Lower quality of life in Austin than the "average metro?"

No - I don't think so. Of course that depends on what the "average metro" is.

Even if Austin isn't as good as the hype, there is a reason it shows up on so many best of lists.

I think most people who live here are happy.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Lower quality of life in Austin than the "average metro?"

No - I don't think so. Of course that depends on what the "average metro" is.

Even if Austin isn't as good as the hype, there is a reason it shows up on so many best of lists.

I think most people who live here are happy.

Question...why were they NOT happy where they came from? Does moving to Austin mysteriously MAKE one happy? Sorry, but I think you bring your baggage/problems with you wherever you go, regardless of whether a city is sited on lots of "top 10" lists...

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Question...why were they NOT happy where they came from? Does moving to Austin mysteriously MAKE one happy? Sorry, but I think you bring your baggage/problems with you wherever you go, regardless of whether a city is sited on lots of "top 10" lists...

Well, I was unhappy in Seattle because I had no energy because of nine months of gray. So yes, moving back to Austin did make me happy. Austin's lower cost of living has led to less financial stress AND less financial stress also makes me happy. No mystery there!

You know what else makes me happy? Servers that aren't surly! Costco employees that smile! Courtesy clerks at HEB that offer to help me with my groceries! Knowing my neighbors! Walking around Town Lake! Happy Hour at Chuy's! Driving to the Salt Lick!

We are happy in Austin, it doesn't matter whether it is on or off any top 10 lists. We also have more of a social life since we moved back. Everyone our age in the PNW seems to cocoon for nine months out of the year.

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Question...why were they NOT happy where they came from? Does moving to Austin mysteriously MAKE one happy? Sorry, but I think you bring your baggage/problems with you wherever you go, regardless of whether a city is sited on lots of "top 10" lists...

Let me help you in your quest for an answer.


YouTube - Pilot - Oh Ho Ho It's Magic

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Question...why were they NOT happy where they came from? Does moving to Austin mysteriously MAKE one happy? Sorry, but I think you bring your baggage/problems with you wherever you go, regardless of whether a city is sited on lots of "top 10" lists...

I think you are constantly searching for niches or areas to somehow discredit or indict Austin. We all know Austin has traffic and suffers from many growth related problems. But you seem unable to see that even with more boats Lake Travis is still wonderful. The hills on 360 still look great even with big houses built on them. Chuys is still good even if there are more of them. And some things have clearly gotten better over the years. Restaurants. Shopping (unimportant to me). The airport.

Most of here agree many in Austin weren't here ten years ago. Do you think everyone has "baggage?" Maybe they came here because Austin had more of what they were missing (warm sunny weather for instance, or jobs), and less of what they didn't want (crime, high costs, etc.).

[jobert]

my "baggage" was that I was tired of running into ppl I went high school with. No serious skeletons, life just felt like "Groundhog Day" and the city was getting too big for my liking, plus it was flat and boring. The noise issue: why don't they just put all the clubs next to the deaf school on S. first? and oh yeah, the OP.. I think the carrying capacity is unlimited. this place will sprawl like LA to the west/south and Dallas to the north/east. in 20 years, towns like Giddings, Belton, Wimberley and La Grange will be considered exurbs.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by jobert

my "baggage" was that I was tired of running into ppl I went high school with. No serious skeletons, life just felt like "Groundhog Day" and the city was getting too big for my liking, plus it was flat and boring. The noise issue: why don't they just put all the clubs next to the deaf school on S. first? and oh yeah, the OP.. I think the carrying capacity is unlimited. this place will sprawl like LA to the west/south and Dallas to the north/east. in 20 years, towns like Giddings, Belton, Wimberley and La Grange will be considered exurbs.

That is the impression I get, sprawl-central.

I don't see what is to prevent that, I mean, they are supposedly putting measures in place to try to prevent that, but people got to go somewhere.

It seems like the areas around Austin are the true attraction, so as long as that is the case, things will just sprawl all over the place.

The downtown itself, from what I saw on a visit, seems relatively small and not that interesting. So there isn't any particular reason people would want to cluster around it, I don't think.

I would like if someone were to tell me otherwise though, as I'm not an Austinite or know the true reality of where things are headed there.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by jobert

my "baggage" was that I was tired of running into ppl I went high school with. No serious skeletons, life just felt like "Groundhog Day" and the city was getting too big for my liking, plus it was flat and boring. The noise issue: why don't they just put all the clubs next to the deaf school on S. first? and oh yeah, the OP.. I think the carrying capacity is unlimited. this place will sprawl like LA to the west/south and Dallas to the north/east. in 20 years, towns like Giddings, Belton, Wimberley and La Grange will be considered exurbs.

If you want to get away from the "born and raised-ville", wouldn't anyplace fit the bill....that is, anyplace that is different?....Is it a matter of getting away/running from place of origin, and starting over? Surely most places with job opportunities in your respective field can "make" you happy as well....

And how about all those people mentioning that they needed some sun, and tired of the cloudy days/cold in their place of origin?

Per Sunshine, you have the entire sunbelt....the sunbelt spreads 2,400 miles from west to east. I get the impression that those running from cold/cloudy weather only feel comfortable in Austin. Let's go over the other opportunities....Las Vegas(at least when it had jobs) is too gaudy/blue-collar to those looking for amenities......Phoenix is too sprawling and hot, and has too large of a retiree component, along with high crime.....New Mexico has little to offer besides Albuquerque and a few D of Energy related burgs like Los Alamos....Dallas and Houston are too sprawling, and San Antonio is too sleepy and off the grid.....Louisiana is too southern and high crime, ditto for the rest of the deep south, ala 'Bama, Miss, and Georgia, and, speaking of Georgia, Atlanta was the murder cap of the USA for several years, so thats off the grid.....that leaves only Florida, which is WAY too touristy and senior orientated, not to mention horrid per low paying service work(paid in sunshine).......

So, after considering the entire sunbelt, those looking to escape the cold and maintain a sense of eclectica/liberality, in a place they can feel confortable in, are relegated to a tiny little metro known as Austin, Texas..........

Strange but true.....the entire southern sunbelt has only one metro that intelligent folks looking for a liberal, eclectic atmosphere can feel confortable in.....Austin......

Doesn't say much for the sunbelt or south as a whole, does it?