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Okay, I'm going to write this quick because writing on forums is really not that high on my list of priorities, so excuse my lack of proper English etiquette. I'm currently shopping around to find a new place to call home. I'm originally from the Northern Virginia/D.C. area, which was absolutely beautiful for the first 15 years that I lived there, but for the past 10 years it changed in a way that I wasn't happy with. One of the main problems I had was all the people that moved there looking for opportunity. I'm not mad at them because everyone wants to take advantage of opportunity, but it can get a little depressing when you see people invading your home town with no respect for the people or the environment. With that being said, another reason I am wanting to move is that I can't stand cold weather. The cold makes me want to crawl in a warm little hole, and not come out until spring or summer.......
Okay, now to the point. I just wanted to make it clear that I am writing this post for a reason. I am looking at about 5 different places to move to: San Diego, Austin, Tampa, Charleston, and Oklahoma City. I'm looking at Oklahoma City because I have family there, but I'm looking at the other cities because of their propensity for warm weather, and younger crowds.
So, now to Austin and why I titled my post the way that I did. Austin has been at the top of my list because when asking friends where they thought I would be the happiest, a lot of them said Austin. I immediately googled Austin and saw that it is one of the most desired places to live due to it's nightlife, college education system, warm (obviously hot now that I have read more), and because of the opportunity that it brings. I've been reading and rereading posts on what people feel Austin has to offer, and what it does not, and I feel that most of the more factual posts tend to be true, and the more opinionated ones are just that; opinions. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I flew down to Dallas to meet up with a friend last week, and then we subsequently drove down to Austin for a 3 night stay in Austin. So, I do have a first hand account of what downtown Austin is like.
With all that being said, I'm still very unsure if Austin is the place for me. I've been weighing statistics on the various places I would like to move, and they all seem to offer great things, and they all seem to offer some not so great things. The weather is beautiful in one place, but the economy isn't so great in another. I'm sure you get my point. It's very difficult to find a place that offers EVERYTHING one is looking for.
Being a single guy, I keep thinking back to Austin as my first choice because of one reason, and one reason only; girls. The girls that I saw on 6th street were hot, and they were in abundance. In my opinion, I would have to say that the reason that Austin gets so much attention is because it sells youth, and it sells sex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot. I'm not saying that Austin had sex shops on every corner, and that I saw prostitutes everywhere (I didn't see a single one in Austin, even though there were bums on every corner, and I did see a prostitute in Dallas), but what I am saying is that people are flocking there because they are either: a. lonely, b. wanting to live the best single life they can possibly live, c. because they are misconceived that Austin provides an awesome environment for people that want to live a utopia type lifestyle. Downtown Austin was far from luxurious, but the nightlife was the best I have ever seen (it definitely beats out D.C. in my opinion, and I've never been to N.Y. because I think that that many people in one city is kind of ridiculous.).
So, to make a long story kinda short, I want to move there because of all the hot chicks, and because I can't stand the cold weather. After visiting, I'm skeptical because it was RIDICULOUSLY HOT!!!! but no place is perfect. Case in point- I am a member of an online dating site, and when I search different cities to see what they have to offer in regards to single girls, Austin's girls are by far the hottest.
So there you have it. My opinion is that there are so many people moving to Austin despite all the downsides that it has simply because people want to have a better sex life, and because they think that Austin is something that it is not..... By the way, if the economy ever gets better in Austin, I will be the first one there. The nightlife was insane (awesome).
Please feel free to tell me your thoughts, and how I may go about improving my search for a warmer/friendly/single friendly city.
Well, the heat is relative. When I was single and fancy free, I spent a lot of time in bars, watching bands, drinking with friends. But I was a bartender. I worked at night, lived at night and slept during the day. So the heat never bothered me.
Skip to now. I have two kids under 5 and need to spend a lot of time outside playing and getting some activities done. I don't work (at a "real" job), so most of my living is during the day. And it is HOT. Miserable hot. So hot that we go out at 8 am to the park and have to leave because it's so hot. It would be ok if it were only a few weeks a year, but it's months.
So, I guess you have to think about your lifestyle. If you can get away with not going outside or work during the day......it might not be so bad.
I'm not mad at them because everyone wants to take advantage of opportunity, but it can get a little depressing when you see people invading your home town with no respect for the people or the environment.
To be honest, you sound like those who you blame are invading DC (and changing the character). And we don't want that here!
Personally, I don't think that people move to Austin because of: 'girls' [it reminds be of SNL's ''The Jerky Boys" or some frat nightmare]. We're a bit of a central Texas alterna-town, with Southern manners and still a dash of hippie. Perhaps, Blacksburg should be your thing because of Virginia Tech, or better yet, Gainesville, FL, home of the University of Florida: sun, warm weather, and babes, just 1.5+ hours drive to the beach!
One of the main problems I had was all the people that moved there looking for opportunity. I'm not mad at them because everyone wants to take advantage of opportunity, but it can get a little depressing when you see people invading your home town with no respect for the people or the environment.
I find this first part of your post very ironic and a little hypocritical since I hear Austinites saying this very same thing Austin all the time.
To leave an area because of the influx of people to move and become part of the influx down here is just funny to me I guess.
To be honest, you sound like those who you blame are invading DC (and changing the character). And we don't want that here!
Personally, I don't think that people move to Austin because of: 'girls' [it reminds be of SNL's ''The Jerky Boys" or some frat nightmare]. We're a bit of a central Texas alterna-town, with Southern manners and still a dash of hippie. Perhaps, Blacksburg should be your thing because of Virginia Tech, or better yet, Gainesville, FL, home of the University of Florida: sun, warm weather, and babes, just 1.5+ hours drive to the beach!
Good luck!
Yeah Yeah, I lived in Blacksburg for 3 years, and it is a beautiful place. 10x's more beautiful than Austin, but it has no opportunities outside of the college life.
And, hold on one second. Let me look up how many people live in the D.C. metro area, and then I will be right back. Alright, there are close to 5.5 million people living in the D.C. metro area, and you are complaining about people overrunning your city.... LOL. Moderator cut: inappropriate commentsbut I do understand where you are coming from. You feel like Austin is "your city", and that noone but you should enjoy it. I'm not selfish at all, but my city back home was overrun by illegal aliens. We're not in the same boat, partner.
One more thing; you don't think that guys move to certain areas/places because of girls? Moderator cut: inappropriate comments Guys think about girls more than anything else on this planet. Sorry, but you are wrong. I definitely agree that other factors definitely come into play, but the lists and the things that I hear Austin being most well known for are their bars, girls, and hot weather. Everything else falls secondary to that. Please correct me if I am wrong. That is why I am here.
And just to edit this for a little enlightenment. I'm under 30 years old. I'm not looking for a slow lifestyle. I want to mingle with other young adults, and have my life be fun. I'm not saying that older people aren't fun, but older people tend to slow down with old age. It's a fact. Don't get all upset about it (older folks). Career is the most important thing to a business minded individual, but I'm not business minded. I don't care who has the most money, or who makes the most. I just want to live my life, and be free of money grubbing people....
Last edited by RaleighLass; 09-02-2010 at 04:53 PM..
Reason: inappropriate comments. Discuss topic, not other member's preference or traits
Not sure what you're really asking for. You say you are attracted to Austin due to everything being "hot". Unless you think we saw you coming and put our phony hot chicks out on 6th st that weekend I think you already have a sense for what Austin is about. And without know more about what other types of things you might be interested in, it's really hard to nail down what else can be said.
If you're young, single, and have a reasonable shot at employment, what would it hurt to move here for a few years and see what it's like. Really, that's the only way to truly know if a place is "right for you".
That said, consider that since Austin has such a large university, there will _always_ be a large constituency of young single females and since the local economy is fairing relatively well, there will be a constituency of slightly older workplace aged females as well.
I find this first part of your post very ironic and a little hypocritical since I hear Austinites saying this very same thing Austin all the time.
To leave an area because of the influx of people to move and become part of the influx down here is just funny to me I guess.
Like I told the last guy. You are wrong. Austin is tiny compared to most metropolises. The Eastern seaboard must have 20x's the people that Texas has in it. You're comparing apple's to orange's. A grapefruit to a walnut. It's not the same. Trust me.
I'm not selfish at all, but my city back home was overrun by illegal aliens. We're not in the same boat, partner.
This sounds like ethnic politics, what does have to do with your question?
Quote:
Originally Posted by tagraham
One more thing; you don't think that guys move to certain areas/places because of girls? Moderator cut: inappropriate. Guys think about girls more than anything else on this planet. Sorry, but you are wrong. I definitely agree that other factors definitely come into play, but the lists and the things that I hear Austin being most well known for are their bars, girls, and hot weather. Everything else falls secondary to that. Please correct me if I am wrong. That is why I am here.
Moderator cut: orphaned comments, responded to comments edited out by mod
If you are here (hunting for 'girls') you can't too successful because how you're going to rope a girl talking like that ? Austin is a liberal town that won't tolerate that b-z..
C'mon, boy..
Last edited by RaleighLass; 09-02-2010 at 04:57 PM..
Reason: removed orphaned comments
Not sure what you're really asking for. You say you are attracted to Austin due to everything being "hot". Unless you think we saw you coming and put our phony hot chicks out on 6th st that weekend I think you already have a sense for what Austin is about. And without know more about what other types of things you might be interested in, it's really hard to nail down what else can be said.
If you're young, single, and have a reasonable shot at employment, what would it hurt to move here for a few years and see what it's like. Really, that's the only way to truly know if a place is "right for you".
That said, consider that since Austin has such a large university, there will _always_ be a large constituency of young single females and since the local economy is fairing relatively well, there will be a constituency of slightly older workplace aged females as well.
Okay, so maybe everyone wasn't clear on the point I was trying to make. Everyone got all riled up over the fact that I said something about "hot" girls. I was more or less trying to point out that Austin puts up a huge facade when it comes to the reality of the place. It's become a tourist attraction. People want to go there because they think that they are going to find a lover, and career, and everything else that comes with marketing a city for everything superficial. Am I wrong. Tell me what's so awesome about Austin that doesn't have to do with: a. UT, b. 6th St, c. some water hole, d. the music scene.... Are there tons of jobs flooding the gates? Are there good libraries? Fill me in. I would like to know why Austin is always listed as better than other places to live.
And don't get me wrong. I'm doing some serious considering over here. I just want to get the facts straight. And sorry to all the people that think Austin is being overrun by people moving to "your" city. lol. I'm American. You're American. We all have to choice to go wherever we please within our Country's boundaries. The only problem I ever have with population growth is when it's due to illegals. Point blank.
Last edited by tagraham; 09-02-2010 at 04:33 PM..
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