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Old 11-09-2009, 11:06 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
22 posts, read 60,743 times
Reputation: 25

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So I've been lurking for a while, answering the odd post, but I wanted to pose a question and ask for help.

I moved to Austin 4 years ago from Los Angeles. My real estate agent dropped me into a little NW AUstin neighborhood between the Arboretum and the Domain. Since day one, I feel like I've been getting the cold shoulder from co-workers and from neighbors.

No one at work likes to socialize - lunch, drinks after work - nope, they all race up to Round Rock or Cedar Park to get back to their families. I keep inviting my co-workers and their families to come over for a weekend brunch or lunch, but no one has ever accepted my invite.

My neighbors say nothing to me either. I can be walking my dogs and waving and saying hi, and they just look the other way.

One of my neighbor lost her house - it burned down. I was home that day, called 911, and rescued her dog - but she's never said, thanks. Doesn't even know my name.

As a single divorced man, I fill my non-work times with volunteer work. I've volunteered with the SPCA, Literary Austin, the local school. And again, no one at these groups wants to socialize.

I'm not a sports fan, but then again, no one has ever invited me to go to a game.

For some reason, before I moved here, I just thought there'd be some big friendly southern hospitality.

So, that's my Austin experience to date. Suggestions? How do you make friends in this city?
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Old 11-09-2009, 11:19 PM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,012,370 times
Reputation: 707
Quote:
Originally Posted by harrison512 View Post
So I've been lurking for a while, answering the odd post, but I wanted to pose a question and ask for help.

I moved to Austin 4 years ago from Los Angeles. My real estate agent dropped me into a little NW AUstin neighborhood between the Arboretum and the Domain. Since day one, I feel like I've been getting the cold shoulder from co-workers and from neighbors.

No one at work likes to socialize - lunch, drinks after work - nope, they all race up to Round Rock or Cedar Park to get back to their families. I keep inviting my co-workers and their families to come over for a weekend brunch or lunch, but no one has ever accepted my invite.

My neighbors say nothing to me either. I can be walking my dogs and waving and saying hi, and they just look the other way.

One of my neighbor lost her house - it burned down. I was home that day, called 911, and rescued her dog - but she's never said, thanks. Doesn't even know my name.

As a single divorced man, I fill my non-work times with volunteer work. I've volunteered with the SPCA, Literary Austin, the local school. And again, no one at these groups wants to socialize.

I'm not a sports fan, but then again, no one has ever invited me to go to a game.

For some reason, before I moved here, I just thought there'd be some big friendly southern hospitality.

So, that's my Austin experience to date. Suggestions? How do you make friends in this city?


Hand out 100 dollar bills everywhere you go.....trust me, you will have people CHASING after you....

Kidding...but, you need to get the hell out of NW Austin....very unfriendly place....bail out and move to the south/SW.....those people you mention are all in the family way. That bodes awful for friends, and you can't date their wives(at least you SHOULD not).....I have a married buddy Scott from georgetown I go to Longhorn FB games with on Saturdays, but that's a fluke(ran into him at a RR express game, with his two kids. My names Scott, his names Scott, and his kids name is Scott, so that strangely
got me to hanging with him and watching longhorn BB games, and we've been good friends for three years now.....

Seriously, bro, get the hell out of that area, and move south/SW.....
and don't look back...I rented a place off Mcneil and Parmer for a year and felt I was in social siberia....even the asian indians wouldn't say hi(but their curry sure smelled good when they cooked it right below me)...

Good luck!
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Old 11-10-2009, 12:00 AM
 
Location: St. Augustine, FL. & Austin, TX.
440 posts, read 1,677,264 times
Reputation: 331
I don't think its fair to say NW/North Austin is unfriendly or a "social serbia". Yes, it's more couples/families up here, but I've had no problem making friends. Might be different among age groups, etc. I moved up this way because the majority of my friends live up here.

Meetup.com has quite a few groups (singles, hang-outs, discover austin, etc). join enough and you'll definitely have something to do weekly.

I'm a bit surprised you haven't met anyone through your volunteering...
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Old 11-10-2009, 12:10 AM
 
1,961 posts, read 6,097,748 times
Reputation: 571
Do you have any hobbies? If you are interested in riding a bike? Come out to some ACA rides on Saturday or Sundays and we will welcome you! If you are interested in Volleyball go to the YMCA they have adult volleyball leagues.

The NW is just as friendly as the SW, don't let that fool ya.
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Old 11-10-2009, 12:20 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,012,370 times
Reputation: 707
The NW is a bunch of shopping strips, big box, mega-apartment complexes, and heavy traffic....and a popular place for new arrivals renting, who still haven't decided where to buy a house yet...It has the social ambience of Mesa az, or the outskirts of orlando, fla.....just a bunch of junk developers have thrown together without rhyme or reason.....

The OP is obviously going through hell dealing with this transient, ugly part of our metro, and I felt 100% the same thing the year I lived there....the most exciting thing I did was cross the street to go to H-E-B....honestly....
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Old 11-10-2009, 01:17 AM
 
31 posts, read 61,730 times
Reputation: 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by harrison512 View Post
So I've been lurking for a while, answering the odd post, but I wanted to pose a question and ask for help.

I moved to Austin 4 years ago from Los Angeles. My real estate agent dropped me into a little NW AUstin neighborhood between the Arboretum and the Domain. Since day one, I feel like I've been getting the cold shoulder from co-workers and from neighbors.

No one at work likes to socialize - lunch, drinks after work - nope, they all race up to Round Rock or Cedar Park to get back to their families. I keep inviting my co-workers and their families to come over for a weekend brunch or lunch, but no one has ever accepted my invite.

My neighbors say nothing to me either. I can be walking my dogs and waving and saying hi, and they just look the other way.

One of my neighbor lost her house - it burned down. I was home that day, called 911, and rescued her dog - but she's never said, thanks. Doesn't even know my name.


As a single divorced man, I fill my non-work times with volunteer work. I've volunteered with the SPCA, Literary Austin, the local school. And again, no one at these groups wants to socialize.

I'm not a sports fan, but then again, no one has ever invited me to go to a game.

For some reason, before I moved here, I just thought there'd be some big friendly southern hospitality.

So, that's my Austin experience to date. Suggestions? How do you make friends in this city?

My family and I are experiencing the exact same thing and we are southwest. You say hello and they don't speak, you wave and they just look at you, I watched women in the grocery store look at my beautful well dressed daughter and just throw up there nose, jealous got the same thing at work (northwest area) dry and boring unless someone is trying to convince you that they are better then you. It seems like they don't like you but they don't know anything about you. I am going to give it six months and then were out next stop Dallas.
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Old 11-10-2009, 02:02 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,012,370 times
Reputation: 707
Quote:
Originally Posted by austinhome View Post
My family and I are experiencing the exact same thing and we are southwest. You say hello and they don't speak, you wave and they just look at you, I watched women in the grocery store look at my beautful well dressed daughter and just throw up there nose, jealous got the same thing at work (northwest area) dry and boring unless someone is trying to convince you that they are better then you. It seems like they don't like you but they don't know anything about you. I am going to give it six months and then were out next stop Dallas.
Well, I think Austin is no different than any other metro per friendliness, and I honestly think even many northern cities are friendlier....many newcomers that rave about friendliness here are from the west coast, hands down the coldest and most status conscious place in the US....Per the south, many southern cities are friendlier than Austin....nashville, little rock, New Orleans, the deep south.....per the midwest, Chicago, Milwaukee, and the twin cities are far friendlier, amongst others....
Per the east coast, Philly and Boston are friendlier......NYC is as rude as california in general......

And the reason? Overcrowding, too rapid growth, and transiency all over.......same reason that florida's metros were/are traditionally insular......people that are new tend to keep to themselves till they get familiar with the area, and an area has to get established before a friendly nature takes over....if you dump a sh*tload of new people on top of each other, per traffic, shopping, and housing, friendliness isn't going to happen for awhile........also, I'm talking genuine friendliness, the kind that not only smiles and speaks, but also invites you to join them....you can't hang out with a smile.....and even those are rare....

They do a yeoman's job in selling Austin as a "friendly" city.......hats off to the PR people....

Last edited by inthecut; 11-10-2009 at 02:11 AM..
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Old 11-10-2009, 04:18 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
22 posts, read 60,743 times
Reputation: 25
Most of the volunteer work I do is in SW and Central Austin. It's my way of checking out other 'hoods. My conclusion is that these organizations are thrilled to have free labor, but that's it.

Agree with Inthecut - I was told by real estate agents that Austin was friendly, the most liberal city in Texas, the most California-like place outside of California..... Compared to what? I've lived in a lot of cities, and Austin just seems to believe its own hype.
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Old 11-10-2009, 07:42 AM
 
1,555 posts, read 2,381,520 times
Reputation: 2591
I am sorry you are having this experience but it does not surprise me. It certainly is not what I have known living in the central area or growing up in Texas period. It was that way however when we lived out in the boonies of Oak Hill and Brushy Creek in Round Rock a decade or so ago. People who had moved here from all parts would come home from work and disappear into their houses. Could it be that some people have no sense of community other than what goes on in their own homes? I have thought (this is a generalization of course) that many people these days do not seem to have any sort of social skills period.
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Old 11-10-2009, 08:49 AM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,579,993 times
Reputation: 2851
I've run into plenty of friendly people, but I think the above 3 or so posters are correct. I think there are so many new people here that it's just diluted down the "friendly" that used to exist. Lots of people here now are from places that aren't so "openly" or "in your face" friendly and they hang on to that after they are here.
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