Ugly Austin and AirBnB in San Jose (corporate, place)

[verybadgnome]

Austin Hill Country was hilly, green in a dry and shrubby sort of way (it's so hot most of the year that the trees can't grow tall there), and pretty in its own right. However, very prone to wildfires...they've had some fires in the hot summer in Hill Country

The last major wildfires we had in Texas were in 2011 that burned 5,600 structures, but nothing close to what has happened in California in 2018 where 22,700 structures were destroyed. Compared to Atlanta Austin is more prone to wildfires, but we also don't get hurricanes and are just south of the tornado belt.

...and the rest of Austin was meh. Clear cutting of every tree in sight by developers. Not one tree remains.

Austin has a slew of regulations protecting trees including:
Residential Tree Review/Permitting Process is required for:

• Impacts within the full critical root zone
• Pruning that exceeds 25% of the canopy
• Removal of a regulated tree

Just concrete jungle - freeways, roads, buildings, more buildings. No zoning of concrete jungle. A bar next to a school next to a tattoo parlor next to a hospital. Such an ugly eyesore!

Austin and every incorporated city within its MSA has zoning. You may be thinking of Houston which doesn't have zoning, but still retains development rules and deed covenants. We have tattoo parlors in my neighborhood and they don't have any obvious impact to quality of life.

Our land use code dates to 1984 so hopefully we will get a new one that allows for more density, but you might like Austin even less if that happens. Currently less than 1% of the land area of Austin can truly be classified at dense, and even that has capitol view corridors to protect views of that building.

No smart development like the Atlanta area which has preserved its thick and dark green tree canopy all year around (many of them are evergreen pines, that's why even the winter is quite lush and green).

Tree Permitting Process | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

Now, Austin may be cool compared to the rest of Texas (most of Texas is flat as a pancake, dustier than dusty, and uglier than ugly!) and has historically had a more progressive population with a Catholic majority.

Texas has mountains in the west and forests in the east (once you leave Austin that is). Also I would not put "progressive" and "catholic" in the same sentence unless I was on Bill Maher's Real Time.

It may even be the coolest, safest, and most progressive city if you combine the neighboring states - Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana with Texas...however, compared to Atlanta or the beautiful parts of California...Austin is so ugly! And hot! It was eighty degrees in December!! Ugh! We don't get to eighty degrees in Atlanta until late April.

It does get hot here I will attest, but it is never oppressively muggy like New Orleans or Atlanta you feel disgusting after spending five minutes outdoors.

[dc_woman]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

Austin Hill Country was hilly, green in a dry and shrubby sort of way (it's so hot most of the year that the trees can't grow tall there), and pretty in its own right. However, very prone to wildfires...they've had some fires in the hot summer in Hill Country

The last major wildfires we had in Texas were in 2011 that burned 5,600 structures, but nothing close to what has happened in California in 2018 where 22,700 structures were destroyed. Compared to Atlanta Austin is more prone to wildfires, but we also don't get hurricanes and are just south of the tornado belt.

...and the rest of Austin was meh. Clear cutting of every tree in sight by developers. Not one tree remains.

Austin has a slew of regulations protecting trees including:
Residential Tree Review/Permitting Process is required for:
[LIST][*] Impacts within the full critical root zone[*] Pruning that exceeds 25% of the canopy[*] Removal of a regulated tree[/LIST] Just concrete jungle - freeways, roads, buildings, more buildings. No zoning of concrete jungle. A bar next to a school next to a tattoo parlor next to a hospital. Such an ugly eyesore!

Austin and every incorporated city within its MSA has zoning. You may be thinking of Houston which doesn't have zoning, but still retains development rules and deed covenants. We have tattoo parlors in my neighborhood and they don't have any obvious impact to quality of life.

Our land use code dates to 1984 so hopefully we will get a new one that allows for more density, but you might like Austin even less if that happens. Currently less than 1% of the land area of Austin can truly be classified at dense, and even that has capitol view corridors to protect views of that building.

No smart development like the Atlanta area which has preserved its thick and dark green tree canopy all year around (many of them are evergreen pines, that's why even the winter is quite lush and green).

[URL="http://austintexas.gov/page/residential-tree-permit-process"]Tree Permitting Process | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin[/URL]

Now, Austin may be cool compared to the rest of Texas (most of Texas is flat as a pancake, dustier than dusty, and uglier than ugly!) and has historically had a more progressive population with a Catholic majority.

Texas has mountains in the west and forests in the east (once you leave Austin that is). Also I would not put "progressive" and "catholic" in the same sentence unless I was on Bill Maher's Real Time.

It may even be the coolest, safest, and most progressive city if you combine the neighboring states - Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana with Texas...however, compared to Atlanta or the beautiful parts of California...Austin is so ugly! And hot! It was eighty degrees in December!! Ugh! We don't get to eighty degrees in Atlanta until late April.

It does get hot here I will attest, but it is never oppressively muggy like New Orleans or Atlanta you feel disgusting after spending five minutes outdoors.

Well, I'm just saying that this is what I saw on the street level in Austin. If there is a tree ordinance, then developers have found a way to circumvent it. Pure greed to maximize profits. I did not see much greenery driving around in Austin. Very aesthetically jarring coming from the Southeast (Atlanta and Chapel Hill areas).

If there is zoning, I didn't see much of that either. Everything just seemed kind of jumbled up in Austin. A Verizon store next to a house. Car dealerships in random places.

We have car dealerships in a certain area in Atlanta and then you don't see them popping up every few blocks anywhere else. We have housing in a certain area and retail such as phone stores in a separate area in the Atlanta suburbs. Austin and its suburbs just seemed very haphazard to me.

Atlanta does not feel horribly hot to me. Sure, the humidity is there but there's so much shade provided by the dense tree canopy. I've been to Houston and Austin in the summer...oh my goodness, no shade. Heat just heating up the pavement and concrete everywhere. Don't know about Dallas.

Atlanta doesn't have hurricanes. That's Florida and Houston. Whenever Florida gets a hurricane, Atlanta gets some overcast weather and some rain but no hurricane ever got to Atlanta.

Now, I must have totally offended the Texan in you. I know that Texans are very proud of their state. When I ask them where else they've been in the country or in the world, they'll say nowhere else because why would they want to leave Texas. So, yeah, provincial mindset. In person, I would probably just nod and say nothing to you. However, since we're online....

[dc_woman]

Also, I've never had to drive with one finger in Atlanta in the summer. In Houston and Austin in July - one finger driving! On the day that it was eighty degrees in December in Austin, it was fifty-five degrees in Atlanta.

[RocketDawg]

I'd like the Atlanta area better then either Austin or San Jose, but then I've lived in the southeast my entire life. The traffic there is ridiculous though. But - they have the world's busiest airport so you can literally go anywhere from there.

Just curious - you seem to like Atlanta a lot. If that's the case, then why move? You never said if a move was job-related or what.

[evening sun]

This is why we never stay at AirBnB

[dc_woman]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I'd like the Atlanta area better then either Austin or San Jose, but then I've lived in the southeast my entire life. The traffic there is ridiculous though. But - they have the world's busiest airport so you can literally go anywhere from there.

Just curious - you seem to like Atlanta a lot. If that's the case, then why move? You never said if a move was job-related or what.

Native Atlantan here. The area is part of my soul. Everything that I like having around - the trees, the red soil, the slower pace, the Southern accent - I can't erase it from my memory. Lately it's become more of Yankee city than a Southern city. Too much traffic and development.

Why leave? Not enough Asian diversity. Not enough progressive people. I bet both of our GA senators toed the party line and acquitted Trump today. Cyclical economy.

[dc_woman]

Originally Posted by RoadLessTraveled2015

I moved to Atlanta from the Bay Area. Man, I dunno.... Alpharetta reminds me of California (a little bit) but other than that... I can't decide whether or not it's my cup of tea here. I do want to be back on the west coast, though... but the salaries here in Atlanta are similar to those of the bay area when it comes to tech.

Alpharetta is a very yuppie and Republican suburb. I'm not sure why it reminds you of California. Maybe because of all the tech companies and tech jobs?

[Jane M]

Originally Posted by dc_woman

Why leave? Not enough Asian diversity.

says the person who complains about curry.

Bay area has more Asians than any area in the states except for Hawaii.

You could move to Hawaii. It's beautiful and mostly Asian Pacific Islanders.

[dc_woman]

Originally Posted by Jane M

says the person who complains about curry.

Bay area has more Asians than any area in the states except for Hawaii.

You could move to Hawaii. It's beautiful and mostly Asian Pacific Islanders.

I'm a huge fan of Thai food. I just don't like to smell it all day and all night. I can't afford California, so how am I supposed to afford Hawaii?

[dc_woman]

Originally Posted by evening sun

This is why we never stay at AirBnB

I have had outstanding experiences at AirBnB around in Maine and around the world (Europe, Asia). This room was a brand new listing and had no reviews. I did leave a review about the curry smell and TV addiction after I checked out. It didn't seem right to leave include anything about their deafness in the review.