Where would you move if you were to leave Austin? (Dallas: big house, college)

[Marq]

Hate to say this, but I agree. Austin of today is NOT the Austin I knew 30 years ago -— and that's a real shame.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by mm57553

I am from the Philly 'burbs and would move back in a heartbeat. THe countryside is beautiful, you have just enough of all 4 seasons that you don't really get sick and tired of any of them, natural disasters are extremely rare, a short drive to the beach or to the mountains (shorter drive than from here to San Antonio), etc.

And my small suburb of 3000 people was only 15 miles from Center City Philadelphia (closer than I am now to Downtown Austin, and I technically live in Austin). It has nearly 400 years of history, and the beautiful colonial buildings that go with it. It also has more live music per capita than Austin, and more festivals, despite it's small size. THe main street is beautiful, clean, quaint and easily walkable.

I also wish Austin were more lush - green, thick grass everywhere, huge, towering, abundant trees (not just cedar shrubs and occasional pines 45 minutes away in Bastrop

You may find, if you move back, that all is not as you imagine it. You may find the "mild" four seasons that you grew up with might seem quite harsh when you get to the wintertime and you're used to 70 degrees like Austin has and now you have to be in 15 degree weather and shovel snow. You may find you miss the more rugged landscape. You may miss all the sunshine that we get here daily. You may even miss the barbeque and Mexican food.

The reason I'm saying this is I knew some people that moved to Austin from PA then moved back, and within 2 years they were back here again. They said when they returned they remembered the reasons why they left in the first place.

Also, we tend to romanticize and idolize things from the past. They never were as good as we picture them to have been.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by Marq

Hate to say this, but I agree. Austin of today is NOT the Austin I knew 30 years ago -— and that's a real shame.

Yes. I agree.....I've never lived in Austin, but went there on business and as a visitor from time to time...and have quite a bit of family in the area.

It's hard to believe that the traffic has gotten so horrible over that time...

Mopac....{{{{{shudder}}}}}

[intmd8r]

Originally Posted by Marq

Hate to say this, but I agree. Austin of today is NOT the Austin I knew 30 years ago -— and that's a real shame.

I have no doubt that this is true, but is ANYPLACE the same as it was 30 years ago? I mean, the Twin Cities is not the Twin Cities that I knew 30 years ago - so can't the same be said about basically any metropolitan area in the country?

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by intmd8r

I have no doubt that this is true, but is ANYPLACE the same as it was 30 years ago? I mean, the Twin Cities is not the Twin Cities that I knew 30 years ago - so can't the same be said about basically any metropolitan area in the country?

This is so right. The US has had a population explosion over those years, and no city or large town is the same as it was. All the people have to live somewhere. In addition, there have been many changes in that time in the political/business/corporate scenes in the US that will change everything about how cities work. It is good to take history into account, but citizens have to be active in shaping the future if they want to influence the way their city grows.

[doctorjef]

I first lived in Austin in 1973 and last lived there in 2004. To me, the city really improved over that span of time. The only thing that I regretted was having the hill scenery clotted up with houses. Yes, the traffic was becoming crappy, but I had strategies for avoiding the worst of it.

Where would you move if you left Austin? Well, in my case my partner and I moved first to Vilnius, Lithuania (on a whim, essentially) and then to London. Now we're resettled in upstate Delaware, which totally lacks the dynamism of Austin, but also lacks the grotesque, reactionary theatre of the absurd that Texas state politics have become in recent years.

Ah, I'd love to move back to Austin, if only it weren't in Texas!

[christarocks]

(to OP) Well I just came down to Austin about a month ago, but I can see where some of your points are coming from. I'm having a rough time with the job search/meeting people and I'm thinking of leaving at the end of summer. I'll be headed for Memphis.
I think Austin is a lovely place, and would come back to visit any time, but it's just not what I'm looking for. I'd prefer somewhere a bit off the beaten path than all the currently trendy cities like Austin, Seattle etc, and am looking for someplace where I could afford to live downtown. I also think this is a good way to get away from that material culture that you're trying to avoid...
I've also gotten a general impression that older Austinites are fed up with the influx of people from everywhere, lots of job postings saying LOCAL only and such (which I can't say I blame them for).
I'm originally from Philadelphia, you might try that out but it's expensive. It is a 2 hour drive to the ocean though, which I miss.
Upstate NY is where I lived last and it is really beautiful if you can hack the winters (I couldn't, or would have stayed there).

[cBach]

Originally Posted by G Grasshopper

and no city or large town is the same as it was.

You apparently haven't been to Lake Charles before, lol I laugh everytime I go back because that is the only city that never changes.

[80SC]

christarocks:

Do you really find Austin "trendy"?

Personally, I find it bland, one-dimensional, severely lacking in culture/diversity, and very boring. I have determined that it's just not conductive long-term as a place for me to build a solid career or establish a life for myself.

I'll be heading back to Dallas as soon as reasonably possible.

[intmd8r]

Originally Posted by cBach

You apparently haven't been to Lake Charles before, lol I laugh everytime I go back because that is the only city that never changes.

I don't know where Lake Charles is, but it doesn't really sound like a large city or metropolitan area, which is what (at least I) was referring to and G Grasshopper was replying to.

I'm quite certain there are lots of small/smaller towns that are still stuck in the past.