Please give me 10 reasons why NOT to move to the Austin area. (Houston: city hall, job market)

[TXperson]

Cons
1. It's hot -I personally don't mind the heat and enjoy sunny days, but this humidity can be extremely unpleasant at times.
2. Job market bias - unless you're tech savvy, a lawyer, a doctor, or run your own business get ready to earn slightly above minimum wage with a job in the service industry. There's a buttload of service jobs here, so it's not like the economy here is suffering.
3. Diversity dwindling - the majority of the people moving here happen to be white, which is drying up the diversity the city once had a decade ago.
4. Terrible drivers - I know that every city claims that they got bad drivers, but I'm willing to place money that we've got the worst.
5. Walking around only applies if you plan on living downtown - but you're gonna have to drive everywhere else.
6. Californians - Seriously, I think people would have a different perspective if the transplants here weren't so overly skewed.
7. Too many "big box" stores, SUVs, lack of culture - unless that's your type of thing, you'll hate the suburban sprawl.
8. Not much to do - unless you come from the Midwest such as myself, you're probably not going to be impressed with the activities this city offers.

Pros
1. Virtually no violent crime - ...like ever. Most of the "bad crimes involve prostitution, drug (marijuana) possession and people breaking into cars.
2. Clean city - take a trip down to San Antonio and come back here. You'll appreciate how fresh and clean this city is.
3. Close proximity to three larger cities - San Antonio (1 hour drive) , Houston (2.5 hours), DFW (3.5 hours), everything you ever need will be in these three cities plus Austin.
4. Downtown vibe - it's by no means anywhere near the "chicness" of Seattle, San Fransisco, Denver or Boston but they really put an effort in keeping downtown Austin alive. 6th Street (while no Bourbon St. or Sunset Strip) is awesome if you enjoy going out to bars/clubbing.
5. On par bus service- that's assuming that you use the Express Metro buses. Certain places also have bike paths if you're into cycling.
6. People are still somewhat friendly here - Some people are still genuine and aren't "fake nice".
7. Traffic isn't as bad as people make it out to be - Those who complain about the traffic here obviously have never been to the west coast. After rush hour, the major highways die down and you can commute from one part of the city to another in less than 30 minutes.
8. Keep Austin Weird - if you're into videogames, reading, or just being a plain hippie, Austin's got a decent "geek" community... so long as you're not living in the secluded suburbs up north.

Edit: In terms of the scenery here, you'll love the rolling hills and bluffs near loop 360, but aside from that everything here is like the rest of Texas - dead grass and trees as far as the eyes can see.

[coog78]

Originally Posted by david4455

We live up in the Pacific NW and are seriously considering relocating to the Hill Country or southern 'burbs of Austin.

Everything I have heard and read says "go for it".

Please share with me some reasons why NOT to move to Austin. What did you discover after you moved that you wish you had known before.....

Thanks.

1. City life is dominated by college kids and college culture

2. Limited selections for good food

3. Lack of urban culture

4. Outdated infrastructure/traffic congestion

5. No oceans nearby

6. Small airport/limited nonstop flights

7. Lack of lush greenery as in the NW

8. Limited opportunities for career advancement

9. Heat

10. Many residents literally think the world revolves around Austin

[TXperson]

Oh, yeah singles trying to hook up in Austin will find that other singles are extremely awkward to talk to. I think it's a combination of them having high standards, but also trying to be polite. I find that both sexes in the Dallas area come off as stuck up and are hard to talk to as well. Seemed like nobody was available in San Antonio. I was shocked to see how more open and friendly people of the opposite sex were in Houston.

With that said, if you plan on raising a family and dig the suburban lifestyle, then go for Austin. But in all honestly from my experience Houston (despite the lack of scenery and a few crime ridden areas) by far has the best cuisine, the most activities, the most diversity, the most friendly and laid back people, and is probably the best city overall to live in Texas.

[Mike78613]

We have a water shortage

[texastea]

Nice shot, Mike. Where was that taken?

[Mike78613]

Originally Posted by texastea

Nice shot, Mike. Where was that taken?

Barton Creek Greenbelt, but towards the end over by Hill of Life

[AK123]

Originally Posted by TXperson

Oh, yeah singles trying to hook up in Austin will find that other singles are extremely awkward to talk to.

Which is weird, considering Austin was recently ranked as the "drunkest city" in the nation! I usually don't even take those lists seriously (case in point - the Men's Fitness Magazine unscientific "fattest cities" list) but this one was done by the CDC using scientific standards... so there's probably a lot of truth in it.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by TXperson

Oh, yeah singles trying to hook up in Austin will find that other singles are extremely awkward to talk to. I think it's a combination of them having high standards, but also trying to be polite. I find that both sexes in the Dallas area come off as stuck up and are hard to talk to as well. Seemed like nobody was available in San Antonio. I was shocked to see how more open and friendly people of the opposite sex were in Houston.

With that said, if you plan on raising a family and dig the suburban lifestyle, then go for Austin. But in all honestly from my experience Houston (despite the lack of scenery and a few crime ridden areas) by far has the best cuisine, the most activities, the most diversity, the most friendly and laid back people, and is probably the best city overall to live in Texas.

Except for some exceptions to the last 2 points (the friendliest people and best city overall to live) I have to agree with most of this. I think Texas generally has very friendly people, and yes, Houstonians are very friendly. When I lived downtown it wasn't hard at all to make lasting friendships, people are very talkative there. Best City is more subjective, I think it just depends on the person.

[TXperson]

I suppose you're right about "best" being subjective, but it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who thinks of this:

Best Cities to Live, Work and Play - Kiplinger.com

As I mentioned, for someone who is young, single, wants to be out and about, and is not in college, Houston's got a lot more going on than Austin. Austin is a great place to raise a family, but Houston delivers the fun, and has a lot more culture.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by Mike78613

Barton Creek Greenbelt, but towards the end over by Hill of Life

That's one of the _few_ areas where there is still any water at all along the greenbelt! Have you seen twin falls lately?