Thinking of Moving to Austin (Houston, Cleveland: appointed, apartment, buying)

[where_am_i]

Ok so, here is my story. I live in Chicago (have been for 10 years) and thought Austin sounded perfect for what I am looking for, except now I am having some reservations. Chicago is way too cold in the winter so I want to move somewhere warm(er), because the cold and lack of sun are immoblizing here (getting tired more quickly, staying inside instead of going out because its too cold, and forget about it if you dont have a car, when youre tired and its freezing out the last thing you want to do is wait for the el to take you halfway across town to see your friends/a band play/anywhere basically). oh its also getting really expensive to live here if you want a decent place (ie not old and run down or in a far corner of the city that makes the commute to work about 1 hour).

so, i am defintely ready to move somewhere smaller, warmer, and more affordable, but I also want somewhere that has culture, diversity, some edge/creativity but is laid-back, liberal (i'm an atheist vegetarian liberal and minority) and where people are friendly... So as I said Austin seemed perfect... and then I found out that it gets really hot and humid there for a long time. so, i guess my question is, how bad are the heat and humidity? i definitely do prefer dry heat to humid heat but anywhere that seems to fit that criteria doesnt appeal to me in any other important respect, ho hum... so should i really be concerned about the summer? is it that much worse than summer in chicago? (for anyone that has experienced both). this really seems like the only drawback so i don't know if i should really let it hold me back from moving there. thanks.

[sanmiguel]

Given all the above information, especially climate and political considerations, I think you should look into a move to California. The SF Bay Area, although perhaps as expensive as Chicago, would be a good match, I think.

[gigi927]

Some people disagree with me but I find the summers here to be very much like the summers in Chicago as far as humidity levels ( I am a Chicago native). I track this based on the number of bad hair days I experience per summer But it's generally hotter here MORE days per summer just because we're farther south. In Chicago you can still get a 40 degree day in June or September - here the weather is consistently nice/warm/hot (depends on how you look at it) for a much longer period of time. If you talk to others from Chicago they say it's less humid here than there - but I came here directly from AZ where there is dry heat so my perspective may be slightly skewed.

I would say if you can cope with being at a Chicago downtown music fest in early August with high humidity, you'd be fine here. I'd agree with sanmiguel that the Bay Area would probably be a much better match for you but housing is actually more expensive in the Bay Area than Chicago.

I also noticed in your post that you talked about riding the el to go hear a band...if you don't have a car, you will have a tough time in Austin unless you live right in one of the more central downtown areas. You may want to do some research about public transit options if that's something you use frequently. It's lacking here vs. Chicago! Best of luck in your search, I hope you are able to escape that nasty Chicago cold!

[garreth]

I agree with gigi927 that it's hard to get around without a car. There are some new developments with aims to reduce reliance on personal transportation - we're moving to Mueller. This is a new development on the old airport - 5 minutes to downtown, with plans to bring new public transport routes in.

As for the summers, I'm from England, and it took me about 3 years to get used to the heat, but for the quality of life, diversity and the arts, it's definitely worth it.

[where_am_i]

Originally Posted by sanmiguel

Given all the above information, especially climate and political considerations, I think you should look into a move to California. The SF Bay Area, although perhaps as expensive as Chicago, would be a good match, I think.

That would def. be my first choice if money were no object. I also would have to wait a year just to test for my license there in my field. But mainly its just too expensive for me right now, California is, and SF bay area is way more expensive than Chicago.

[where_am_i]

Originally Posted by gigi927

Some people disagree with me but I find the summers here to be very much like the summers in Chicago as far as humidity levels ( I am a Chicago native). I track this based on the number of bad hair days I experience per summer But it's generally hotter here MORE days per summer just because we're farther south. In Chicago you can still get a 40 degree day in June or September - here the weather is consistently nice/warm/hot (depends on how you look at it) for a much longer period of time. If you talk to others from Chicago they say it's less humid here than there - but I came here directly from AZ where there is dry heat so my perspective may be slightly skewed.

I would say if you can cope with being at a Chicago downtown music fest in early August with high humidity, you'd be fine here. I'd agree with sanmiguel that the Bay Area would probably be a much better match for you but housing is actually more expensive in the Bay Area than Chicago.

I also noticed in your post that you talked about riding the el to go hear a band...if you don't have a car, you will have a tough time in Austin unless you live right in one of the more central downtown areas. You may want to do some research about public transit options if that's something you use frequently. It's lacking here vs. Chicago! Best of luck in your search, I hope you are able to escape that nasty Chicago cold!

I'll have to get a car either way probably, so I can deal with that so long as traffic isn't a nightmare (is it?). The difference would be that in Austin finding a place to park your car would probably be less of a hassle, and you wouldnt have to worry about having it towed or ticketed for every non-existent infraction like you would here in Chicago? Thats just my guess, one big reason I don't keep a car here is that its just more bother than its worth sometimes, but its really hard not to have one for buying groceries when its 20 degrees outside with an arctic wind blowing at you, or just getting around in general when its late and youre tired.

I can deal with Chicago's hotter days, I went one summer without having a/c in my car (when i had a car) or in the apartment save for one room, and granted it was not fun but i survived. So if Austin really isnt much worse than here as far as humidity/heat then I can deal with it, its definitely a fair trade-off for the harsh Chicago winters...

Well if anyone else has some input i welcome it, the more perspective the better. thanks...

[gigi927]

I don't live in downtown proper here in Austin so I can't speak in detail to the parking situation. It doesn't *appear* to be anything like Chicago, though, as far as the myriad of rules and regulations that have to be followed, when a car can and cannot be parked on what side of the street, yada yada. I, too, got rid of my car when living in downtown Chicago because to park it was horrendous. I don't know what's worse - having to clean your car off after getting 2 feet of snow dumped on it in 20 below wind chills, or having to walk and wait at the bus stop in 2 feet of snow with 20 below wind chills I remember the days of tromping about in a full length parka and snow boots to walk the 2 blocks from the grocery store with as many groceries as I could possibly lug. I felt like a sherpa

[austifornian]

You will probably do fine with the heat and Austin has a good balance with between aridity and humidity. The sun is a different matter entirely. From Chicago to Austin you are dropping around 12 degrees in latitude so the sun here is a lot more intense than what you will be accustomed to when the skies are clear.

[twange]

I just moved here from Cleveland in early September. It was in the low-mid 90s for the first six weeks! But you'll live Once the summer temps recede, the weather's great. It's humid but the sun is so hot, it seems to keep things a bit drier. Not like Arizona but not wet like New Orleans either. You just need to learn how to move in and out of the heat so it doesn't break you down! I don't care for extreme heat myself, but I just try to be smart and plan properly. If you look at the vegetation here, it will suggest the mixed climate: a bit of prairie, a bit of tropical, a bit of desert, some woodlands. Pretty interesting actually

The arts/music scene is pretty robust. Not in the "Big City Amenities" kind of way that everyone always pines for but real, live ground level stuff. Lots of galleries(with living artists work), film showings, and obviously music of all kinds. I often wonder how many people could tell the difference between Austin's Symphony Orchestra and Chicago's anyway? And how often do people go to large scale art museums in their own town? They're great and you might miss them occasionally, but you can always drive to Houston and see their museums/theater if there's an exhibit you really want to see. Austin's strength is not in museums and such, but in it's creative spirit, local parks and greenbelts and a genuine love for the place by its inhabitants. That kind of vibe attracts a lot of creative types. Some of it's hype, some of it's not. Either way, people still want to come here!

There will be things about Chicago you will miss(not the snow, wind and ice), but there will be other things here that might fill that void. Try not to make too many "apples to oranges" comparisons or you may feel disappointed.

As far as public transportation is concerned, Austin is severely lacking in my opinion and pedestrian infrastructure is downright crummy in places. The bus system is adequate in the central area, but has some real holes. My wife and I share a car and it seems to be working alright, but we live pretty close to the center of things, like to walk and bike and that makes all of the difference. But I'm not sure sitting at a bus stop in August sounds all that appealing. There are a good many folks here that are trying to get the infrastructure in place for a quality system but theses things take a long time.

You need to come down and check things out for yourself. It's a pretty interesting place but is very different from the North/Midwest in a lot of ways.

[where_am_i]

Originally Posted by gigi927

I don't know what's worse - having to clean your car off after getting 2 feet of snow dumped on it in 20 below wind chills, or having to walk and wait at the bus stop in 2 feet of snow with 20 below wind chills

yeah i can't figure out either. i think having ones own chauffeur who will heat the car then drive it to the front of the building (so you dont have to walk the 2 blocks that feel like 10 because its 20 below out) and pick one up is the answer