Your "I moved to Austin because..." stories (Houston: apartment complex, rent)

[Country-n-Sunshine]

Hello everyone,

In case you missed my other thread, I just vacationed in Austin for the first time and really fell in love with the area. The visit was purely for vacation (a friend of mine has a son who went to college there and decided to stay) but I went with a thought in the back of my mind to look at it as a potential future place to live.

I would love to hear from others in what brought you to Austin, what hurdles you had to overcome (if any), any regrets, how much you've come to love the area, etc..

I'm struggling in a big way even considering moving. I have lived all my life in the state I currently live but realize there is so much more to experience. I have gone back and forth for years wanting to move elsewhere and every time I come close, I chicken out. So many people just up and move I don't know why I'm making such a big deal about it but I admit, it scares the heck out of me.

Without any big ties to the area, I have no excuse not to move. The one major thing that's holding me back is my job. I have a great job that I absolutely love and look forward to. I make decent money and am fortunate enough to work with and for some wonderful people. That's rare to find all those ingredients so - would I be foolish to consider leaving a job that's (at least right now) a near perfect fit?

The only other thing that I love about living here is being so close to the ocean. That I would truly miss. Yet...the "other half" of me feels like I should've been born in the Midwest somewhere and think I could make an easy transition to living in Texas.

Anyway, I welcome any insight, comments, experiences anyone would be willing to share.

Thanks!

[centralaustinite]

I came to Austin in 1990 to attend grad school at UT. I had repeated near-panic attacks for at least the first two years when I would suddenly realize that even if I got in my car and drove as fast and as far as I could . . . it would be hours before I was out of Texas!! And even then, where would I be? Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mexico, New Mexico. The statues of Confederate heroes on the south mall of UT didn't help much either.

But I softened after a trip to a state park, and I adjusted to the heat and the different seasons. First year, I was shocked and horrified by how hot it was in October. It took many years and learning a lot of local and Texas history before I felt comfortable here. But I did.

And now, we have been here 25 years and have turned down job opportunities that would take us out of Texas. For us 2000-2010 was probably the high point. Now, we are feeling more uncertain in Austin again. As late as 2012, I would have said that I would live here forever, now we are slowly starting to reconsider that.

Glad you had a great visit and we met your expectations!

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by Country-n-Sunshine

Hello everyone,

In case you missed my other thread, I just vacationed in Austin for the first time and really fell in love with the area. The visit was purely for vacation (a friend of mine has a son who went to college there and decided to stay) but I went with a thought in the back of my mind to look at it as a potential future place to live.

I would love to hear from others in what brought you to Austin, what hurdles you had to overcome (if any), any regrets, how much you've come to love the area, etc..

I'm struggling in a big way even considering moving. I have lived all my life in the state I currently live but realize there is so much more to experience. I have gone back and forth for years wanting to move elsewhere and every time I come close, I chicken out. So many people just up and move I don't know why I'm making such a big deal about it but I admit, it scares the heck out of me.

Without any big ties to the area, I have no excuse not to move. The one major thing that's holding me back is my job. I have a great job that I absolutely love and look forward to. I make decent money and am fortunate enough to work with and for some wonderful people. That's rare to find all those ingredients so - would I be foolish to consider leaving a job that's (at least right now) a near perfect fit?

The only other thing that I love about living here is being so close to the ocean. That I would truly miss. Yet...the "other half" of me feels like I should've been born in the Midwest somewhere and think I could make an easy transition to living in Texas.

Anyway, I welcome any insight, comments, experiences anyone would be willing to share.

Thanks!

The key is your job. Any way you could keep the same work in Austin? I wouldn't just up and move there w/o work, the job market is competitive. But, then again, I would have when I was younger!

It's a tough decision; but leaving a job you love and that you make decent money at? That's probably not a wise decision.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I moved to Austin from Houston in 1978. My wife and I split but before we split I had secretly saved up almost 3,000 $$$. Then we split I was ready to leave Houston and I had always thought about moving to Austin since I was in high school, so I had that money and I was a free young adult, it seemed like a good time to move to Austin and that's what I did. I used part of that savings to pay for 6 months rent in an apartment complex. I think it was 185$ a month including electric. Then I went job hunting and I found one after about a month of looking. Then I bought a brand new 1979 Chevy Malibu. Been in Austin ever since and never had a reason to ever think about leaving. I'm lucky because Austin was still a cheap place to live and I was able to buy my property at a reasonable price and have it all paid for before the 1990's were over with. Im now able to live rent free except for my property taxes which run about 1200$ a year in 78745. With only a high school diploma, I wouldn't be able to afford to move to Austin today as a single person with these high rents in even the worst parts of town. So, I'm glad I got here when I did. And I am glad to see Austin grow like it has. Austin is a wonderful place and it keeps getting better.

[Country-n-Sunshine]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I came to Austin in 1990 to attend grad school at UT. I had repeated near-panic attacks for at least the first two years when I would suddenly realize that even if I got in my car and drove as fast and as far as I could . . . it would be hours before I was out of Texas!! And even then, where would I be? Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mexico, New Mexico. The statues of Confederate heroes on the south mall of UT didn't help much either.

But I softened after a trip to a state park, and I adjusted to the heat and the different seasons. First year, I was shocked and horrified by how hot it was in October. It took many years and learning a lot of local and Texas history before I felt comfortable here. But I did.

And now, we have been here 25 years and have turned down job opportunities that would take us out of Texas. For us 2000-2010 was probably the high point. Now, we are feeling more uncertain in Austin again. As late as 2012, I would have said that I would live here forever, now we are slowly starting to reconsider that.

Glad you had a great visit and we met your expectations!

Thank you for sharing your experience. If you don't mind my asking, where did you move from?

Originally Posted by Campeador

The key is your job. Any way you could keep the same work in Austin? I wouldn't just up and move there w/o work, the job market is competitive. But, then again, I would have when I was younger!

It's a tough decision; but leaving a job you love and that you make decent money at? That's probably not a wise decision.

I appreciate your feedback. That's what I keep thinking - to leave something solid for the unknown. It would be different if I were married or had family to fall back on which would allow me some flexibility.

It's something I wrestle with constantly for the last 15 years (been in my current job almost 9) - stay in an area I'm miserable in (I honestly think I have SAD because I fall into a temporary deep depression for 5 to 6 months out of the year when it's cold and dark) but have a great job or move to an area I can thrive all year long but risk never getting a job which I love again.

Argh! lol

[AuburnAL]

A headhunter found a job here. I had a better offer, but I had worked win the guy several times before and felt I owed it to him to take this. The city has been better than I expected, and it is not nearly as weird as I feared. It is pretty centrally located which is good for when I hopefully start my own business.

[Austin97]

I originally came to texas for medical school (A&M) dropped out during the dot com boom in 97 and moved to austin to take a high tech job.

Austin keeps getting better in my opinion. Definitely much better than when I first moved here.

[A-Tex]

Come back and spend a week living here in July or August. It's very easy to think Austin is the perfect place in the spring.

Also, understand that Austin's population skews very young and the job market reflects that. Unless you're in a high demand/low supply field, age will be a factor in the job search process, although no one will tell you that. Over 100 people are moving here every day and are willing make things like salary accommodations to do so. Add that to a younger than usual workforce and competition from tons of newly minted college grads, it creates an environment where salaries are repressed while rents remain high. Austin is no longer an easy town to relocate to --- especially without an existing support network.

[Sam.adams33]

[mod cut]

For the OP:

I was actually born in Austin, but only spent the first 6 months of my life here, before bouncing all over this nation. Eventually, I landed at school in CA and graduated at the same time I came into a relatively modest 5 figure inheritance. While job searching, I visited the family that we had lived with when I was born and kind of fell for Austin. Being just after the S&L bust, I was able to put that inheritance into a smallish house in central Austin, and work underpaying jobs. Not many were that lucky, but it was a good time to be here.

I love what Austin is becoming, despite the flaws and growing pains, certain things just don't change.

I do wish that the people moving here were moving for Austin, not for a job or something else - those moving "against their will" so to speak are constantly bitching about some difference or another.

[UKWildcat1981]

I visited Austin a few years back and loved it as well and now I have made it back a few times now for visits, its not that the city has anything really better than any other cities its the people that make Austin great. The vast majority of people in Austin have a can do spirit, party nature/happy go lucky/ sense of pride in community and welcoming friendly upbeat personalities that not many other cities have. I was shocked that many people loved their life. I grew up in the Northeast and Midwest and lot of people are grumpy and uptight most of the year. I really like the women in Austin, lot of them were gorgeous and friendly and outgoing. Most of the gorgeous women I grew up in High School and College with had a bad attitude like the world owned them something just because they were attractive. I really liked the Austin area, my gf's family is from Austin originally but moved to Nashville. I would def moved to Austin if I could get a job in the area but for now I have to stay closer to family.