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Old 02-19-2015, 07:14 PM
 
Location: Knoxville, TN
176 posts, read 217,383 times
Reputation: 265

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Quote:
Have you looked at Louisville and Cincinnati? How about St. Louis & Kansas City?
Ok, sure, but the job markets are not as robust as other cities. I've looked at Louisville a fair amount because my husband's family is from KY, and there just are no jobs for us there.
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Old 02-20-2015, 06:19 AM
 
116 posts, read 212,100 times
Reputation: 64
My husband and I have lived in Austin twice, this time for 15 years so far. We enjoy Austin and love our neighborhood but after our son graduates from high school or college we plan to move to the SW coast of Florida. I never thought I would be one to "retire" and move to Florida but we love salt water sports and the beach. He's a California guy but the water there is cold, the prices higher and the beaches less accessible. We hope to live somewhere we can walk or bike to the beach and are looking from the Tampa area to as far down as Naples. Researching large employers, housing, flood insurance, etc. We may keep a small home/condo in the Central Texas area but lately I find myself asking why. Probably because I've lived in Texas my whole life and it's hard to imagine leaving completely. Interesting thread.
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Old 02-20-2015, 07:00 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
12,059 posts, read 13,806,634 times
Reputation: 7256
I hear Lafayette, LA, has a lot of good things going for it. Even though I'm from Louisiana, I never lived in Lafayette, although my sister did and I visited her frequently. It is supposedly the most progressive city in Louisiana, and it has a very strong Cajun culture. Lake Charles is kind of Lafayette "lite" with a more TX influence. Baton Rouge is LSU surrounded by ghetto. New Orleans is a great city but not very good for raising a family. Lafayette has really good jobs, very low cost of living including ridiculously low property taxes, is on higher ground than other SWLA cities, and seems to be managing its growth well. It's the fastest growing city in Louisiana, yet it's still a small city.
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Old 02-20-2015, 07:32 AM
 
Location: Austin
1,774 posts, read 3,780,199 times
Reputation: 800
Wish I had a couple of lifetimes to try out several places, including those with the Louisiana culture. But I don't, so my move would be to Lexington, Ky. It's where I'm from and where I'd like to be again. It has just about everything I want and need. Great restaurants, shopping, family, housing prices. It even has Whole Foods and Chuy's if I want a taste of Austin, where I've lived for decades. Rest of the time, I can walk to my favorite restaurants for Southern cuisine, go to Keeneland for spring and fall thoroughbred horse racing meets, catch a UK basketball game at Rupp, and enjoy the four seasons.
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Old 02-20-2015, 08:00 AM
 
2,174 posts, read 4,382,201 times
Reputation: 3547
Quote:
Originally Posted by cBach View Post
I hear Lafayette, LA, has a lot of good things going for it. Even though I'm from Louisiana, I never lived in Lafayette, although my sister did and I visited her frequently. It is supposedly the most progressive city in Louisiana, and it has a very strong Cajun culture. Lake Charles is kind of Lafayette "lite" with a more TX influence. Baton Rouge is LSU surrounded by ghetto. New Orleans is a great city but not very good for raising a family. Lafayette has really good jobs, very low cost of living including ridiculously low property taxes, is on higher ground than other SWLA cities, and seems to be managing its growth well. It's the fastest growing city in Louisiana, yet it's still a small city.
I think Louisiana has the lowest property taxes in the country. I think less than 1/4th of Austins. You combine that with very low house prices and your housing payment there would be a joke, probably less than a lot of people's car payments
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Old 02-20-2015, 08:06 AM
 
Location: SW Austin & Wimberley
6,330 posts, read 17,999,279 times
Reputation: 5531
Quote:
Originally Posted by shmatbert View Post
......I've lived in Texas my whole life and it's hard to imagine leaving completely. Interesting thread.
I feel that too. I was born in Texas, grew up in CA, but been back since 1981. I love Texas. I can't imagine disconnecting forever.

I think this thread splits two ways - those of us thinking about a empty-nester, semi-retirement exist strategy, and those thinking about a an alternative place to live/work while still raising family.

I turned down a prospect yesterday with a house at Hudson Bend. I said simply "it's too far, I don't want to drive way out there multiple times".

To which the owner responded "Tell me about it. That's why we are giving up and just moving closer in, right into the middle of everything. I don't know if that's a good idea or not either but I do know I'm fed up with the traffic out here".

Then we had a nice long mutual rant, similar to some of the stuff in this thread.

So it's not just CD people, this "breaking point" is starting to creep into the psyche of everyone who suffers regularly from the consequences (traffic and/or cost) of Austin's growth and prosperity.

Steve
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Old 02-20-2015, 09:07 AM
 
375 posts, read 316,689 times
Reputation: 631
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScoPro View Post
Well, we moved up to the Brushy Creek/Round Rock area 20 years ago. Worked pretty good until 100,000 more Austinites did the same thing. lol
I was thinking the other day how much that whole area has changed. I had a side job out in Hutto (Jonah, actually) 14 years ago where I drove old 620 all the way from Lakeline area to 79 and on out. Funny I can still remember the 26 traffic lights I counted and dreaded on that trek.
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Old 02-20-2015, 09:21 AM
 
Location: 57
1,427 posts, read 1,178,420 times
Reputation: 1262
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadking2003 View Post
Since I almost never go downtown, the traffic is a minor inconvenience. The worst part of Austin for me is the cold weather. So if I moved, I would go south.
Hmm. Since I live close to downtown, the traffic is a minor inconvenience. The (increasingly) hot weather (and hotheads in the legislature) worry me, though. In short, despite the surrounding stupidity, Austin keeps getting better and better.
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Old 02-20-2015, 09:41 AM
 
29 posts, read 43,580 times
Reputation: 100
Quote:
Originally Posted by JT-3 View Post
Haven't been there, but Waco looks somewhat attractive and on the upswing.
You've been watching HGTV haven't you! We know a long time Waco resident and you have to be very careful. She says it has a lot of sketchy pockets throughout the city. Only time my vehicle has been broken into was in Waco at quick restaurant stop for dinner.

My wife says we need to check it out, she watches the Waco show...Fixer Upper, I think.
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Old 02-20-2015, 09:51 AM
 
1,588 posts, read 2,305,136 times
Reputation: 3371
Interesting thread!

We have a couple younger kids so i could see us staying put in Austin for another 12-13 years (yikes!) at which time the whole national landscape of jobs, taxes, urban centers will look somewhat different. Then of course Austin and Texas will be the place we raised up our family so will we really be interested in leaving?

Of course the vagaries of employment, family, health and contentment will always play havoc with well laid plans.

If I was asked to prognosticate about retirement age Mr and Mrs Eastcoasting I could see us doing the snowbird thing for a while keeping a small place in NYC and a more rural home within 2 hours drive of Austin...of course if grandkids came along...
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