Researching moving to Texas from Scotland (Houston, Dallas: real estate, apartment, to rent)

[essbee]

Hello all,

I am currently researching moving from Glasgow, Scotland to Texas to do my postgrad. I will be in Scotland for two and a half more years before I move but I want to start to research now so I dont make a mistake. Currently I am looking between the cities of Austin, Houston and San Antonio. I am also planning on spending a while as a tourist this summer so I get a first hand experience of the three cities. I am incredibly fortunate as I am employed by a company with a presence in Texas although when I finish my postgrad I would be looking to change career to work in the psychology area which is what my postgrad will be.

I would be really, really grateful if anyone could take time to help my research by answering the following questions. I have cross posted this (which I hope is allowed!) so apologies if you see it more than once.

1. I know that Texas is hope (trust me after living in Scotland this is a good thing!) but all i've read so far says Austin has horrible frozen rain showers in the Winter so I was wondering what the difference in the winter weather between the 3 cities really is?

2. I am a mature student. I'll be 32 when I move and i'm single. Which city has the biggest single demography and do all 3 cities offer a good social atmosphere? I've been told Austin offers the best but i'd be interested in personal opinions on this. I'm vegan, liberal and really love the cinema, live music and occasional ballet and theatre.

3. Which city is the most reasonable price wise to live in? Although I work I will be paying for my studies so would prefer not to be paying a fortune on a tiny apartment if another city has a better cost of living.

4. Which city is best for non meat eaters? I'm totally used to being in a city which offers very limited choice but i'd much prefer to move somewhere where vegans exist. I have spent a lot of time in Nebraska so I am used to there being lots of meat and not much of anything else though.

5. Which city is best for public transport? I will be planning on buying a car when I move but it will take a while to arrange this and a permit to drive abroad so i'd need to use public transport for a while

6. Do any of the cities have a Scottish culuture as it would be great to visit a Scottish club or group to keep my roots?

Thank you again for your time! I hope some of you can answer as it'd really help me a lot!

Essbee

[firstclassflyer]

Originally Posted by essbee

Hello all,

I am currently researching moving from Glasgow, Scotland to Texas to do my postgrad. I will be in Scotland for two and a half more years before I move but I want to start to research now so I dont make a mistake. Currently I am looking between the cities of Austin, Houston and San Antonio. I am also planning on spending a while as a tourist this summer so I get a first hand experience of the three cities. I am incredibly fortunate as I am employed by a company with a presence in Texas although when I finish my postgrad I would be looking to change career to work in the psychology area which is what my postgrad will be.

I would be really, really grateful if anyone could take time to help my research by answering the following questions. I have cross posted this (which I hope is allowed!) so apologies if you see it more than once.

1. I know that Texas is hope (trust me after living in Scotland this is a good thing!) but all i've read so far says Austin has horrible frozen rain showers in the Winter so I was wondering what the difference in the winter weather between the 3 cities really is?


2. I am a mature student. I'll be 32 when I move and i'm single. Which city has the biggest single demography and do all 3 cities offer a good social atmosphere? I've been told Austin offers the best but i'd be interested in personal opinions on this. I'm vegan, liberal and really love the cinema, live music and occasional ballet and theatre.

3. Which city is the most reasonable price wise to live in? Although I work I will be paying for my studies so would prefer not to be paying a fortune on a tiny apartment if another city has a better cost of living.

4. Which city is best for non meat eaters? I'm totally used to being in a city which offers very limited choice but i'd much prefer to move somewhere where vegans exist. I have spent a lot of time in Nebraska so I am used to there being lots of meat and not much of anything else though.

5. Which city is best for public transport? I will be planning on buying a car when I move but it will take a while to arrange this and a permit to drive abroad so i'd need to use public transport for a while

6. Do any of the cities have a Scottish culuture as it would be great to visit a Scottish club or group to keep my roots?

Thank you again for your time! I hope some of you can answer as it'd really help me a lot!

Essbee

Here is a link that'll hopefully be of some help. Any other questions after perusing, just ask. Good luck.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...index-san.html

Do you speak Spanish?

[ShaneSA]

Austin sounds like the place for you. There's a probability of snow in Austin on Tuesday, but it is a rarety. Ice and rain happen, but not to the degree that it is a total washout for the day (as a rule).
None of the cities are great on public transport, but getting better. Again, reading all your questions, Austin keeps coming to mind as the city with the best of each in your categories.

[majormadmax]

OK, I'll take a stab at this...

1. I know that Texas is hope (trust me after living in Scotland this is a good thing!) but all i've read so far says Austin has horrible frozen rain showers in the Winter so I was wondering what the difference in the winter weather between the 3 cities really is? I think you meant 'hot,' and compared to the UK (I was stationed there for a few years, and go back on occasion), it will take some getting used to. But Austin is only a little more than an hour north of San Antonio, and Houston a few hours to the east, so the differences in weather are not that great. That said, Houston is much more humid, which to me makes it feel hotter; but Austin and SA have pretty much the same climate. I would say the only difference is that Austin has more water in it, so it tends to be greener.

2. I am a mature student. I'll be 32 when I move and i'm single. Which city has the biggest single demography and do all 3 cities offer a good social atmosphere? I've been told Austin offers the best but i'd be interested in personal opinions on this. I'm vegan, liberal and really love the cinema, live music and occasional ballet and theatre. Although you are bit on the "older" side, I am thinking Austin will be more to your liking. With the University of Texas there, it is more "liberal" and "hip." SA is more of a family town, and the singles scene/nightlife here is OK but not great. I think Houston is probably a little better than SA, but I am not a fan of that city.

3. Which city is the most reasonable price wise to live in? Although I work I will be paying for my studies so would prefer not to be paying a fortune on a tiny apartment if another city has a better cost of living. Out of the three, San Antonio will easily be the cheapest to live in. It has a strong economy with the tourism and military.

4. Which city is best for non meat eaters? I'm totally used to being in a city which offers very limited choice but i'd much prefer to move somewhere where vegans exist. I have spent a lot of time in Nebraska so I am used to there being lots of meat and not much of anything else though. I would have to give the nod to Austin again, due to its younger demographic. You can be a veggie/vegan in SA and Houston, but there are more meat eaters in those cities

5. Which city is best for public transport? I will be planning on buying a car when I move but it will take a while to arrange this and a permit to drive abroad so i'd need to use public transport for a while Again, I think that would have to be Austin, due to the large student population and the fact that it is the most bike-friendly of the three.

6. Do any of the cities have a Scottish culture as it would be great to visit a Scottish club or group to keep my roots? Dunno on this one, I knew a Scot who lived here (RAF liaison officer) a while back and he never mentioned anything. I suspect you can find Scottish clubs in all three, but I don't know how robust they are. However, just yesterday we ate at the Lion & Rose pub here in SA, and we found it is very authentic (well, as close as you're gonna find in southcentral Texas!)

Based on the above, I would recommend Austin first, SA second and Houston third. However, I should add that SA and Houston have large medical communities so with your focus on psychology that might be a consideration.

Lastly, you won't need to know Spanish in any of those cities or anywhere else to be honest, that is FCF's running joke that no one seems to think is funny anymore...

Good luck with your decision!

Cheers! M2

[essbee]

Thanks guys, very helpful! I am sorta thinking Austin right now but the cost of living is putting me off slightly but lots of time still to research and decide. Going to read the link now

[Lissa B]

There's quite a bit of Scottish throughout Texas! All three cities have a Scottish society and strong, fun groups for Scottish Country Dancing.

I grew up in Austin, but we chose to move to San Antonio (after spending 6 years outside of Texas) because the cost of living is so inexpensive. Plus we are within an hour and a half of Austin, so it's not impossible to drive up for an evening concert, or another event.

When we moved here, I did learn Spanish. It comes in VERY handy. But I enjoy languages so learning it was not a task or bore. It's one of the native languages of Texas, and certainly of San Antonio.

I like all the major cities in Texas. You didn't mention Dallas, which also has a strong medical presence. I lived there for 5 years and their city infrastructure is superb. The drawback is there is no Hill Country close by. There is natural beauty within 30 minutes of San Antonio and Austin, and within an hour of Houston.

You'll have a great time, wherever you choose.
--Lissa

[essbee]

Is San Antonio much less expensive than Austin in that case?

[majormadmax]

Originally Posted by essbee

Is San Antonio much less expensive than Austin in that case?

Oh yeah! It is amazing at the differences between the two cities, considering their close proximity!

[Lissa B]

We find San Antonio much more comfortable. When we were ready to move "home" the real estate prices, and rent prices, in Austin were sky-high, thanks to all the computer companies bringing in folks from more expensive areas. In San Antonio we found a two-bedroom house to rent for $550 per month, and the cheapest we found in Austin was $950. Eventually we bought a home, near downtown S.A., and we can cover the mortgage with just one of our paychecks (which has come in very handy, since I've been laid off about 4 times--typical of the hotel industry, which I was in for 25 years...a whole different blog!)

Groceries seem to be less expensive here, there is lots of free recreational fun in San Antonio (I never tire of visiting the Spanish missions, or walking along the Riverwalk, or going to the dog park...) We have two taquerias within walking distance of our house, and my husband and I can have a delicious, filling meal for less than $15. There's a good grocery store within 5 blocks, and we can get almost anywhere in the city in 20 minutes by car. Our needs are simple, though, and we're easy to please, so right now we're rather happy. Could always use more money, but...oh well.

One big negative for Austin is the traffic, if your main transportation is by car. It can take an hour to get from one side of town to the other during rush hour, and we're only talking about 15 miles or so. I don't know about the bus system in Austin--here in S.A. it has gotten much better because all the buses have bicycle racks now (which I'm sure Austin also has.)

If money were no object, and we could move anywhere we wanted, we would stay right here.

--Lissa

[Herbrocks]

I have a friend who is with a bagpipe group and the perform very often. We also have some Scottish festivals and Highland Games during the year. I'm sure there are more SA groups/orginizations/events, try a Google search to turn some up.

I've never rode the bus in Austin, but SA is supposed to have one of the better USA bus systems. I'm not overly impressed with it myself, but I have nothing to compare it to.

See you this summer!