Looking to Relocate to Austin or San Antonio (Mission, Combine: transplants, apartments)

[moore.brittany]

I am looking to move to San Antonio or Austin within the next couple of months to start a brand new adventure! I have been aggressively looking for jobs down there but it has been kind of hard still having a Chicago address on my resume. My plan in the meantime is to save up every dollar that I can, look for a survival job and an apartment (in downtown Austin or SA), and just up and go!

There is a great market in TX for young professionals, and I want to get a brand new start in life and in my career. I'm looking for people that can provide some help or more information to assist in my move! This is something I am very sincere about, so if you have any valid information for me, that would be greatly appreciated!

[TXEX06]

What's your budget, education, job experience, and what kinds of jobs are you searching for?

It will be cheaper to live in the downtown area of San Antonio then Austin. The Museum and Mission Reach Riverwalk extension has blown up with a lot of development. I have a loft in the Southtown area of SA and three new projects will be opening up this year along the river. Many more already built, under construction, or planned for the Museum Reach.
Southtown Flats BREAKING GROUND: Southtown Flats | Bexar WitnessBexar Witness
Agave Home - Agave Apartments
Big Tex Downtown Projects: Big Tex » Urbantonio
San Pedro Creek Improvement Project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhdr2Rv3CjA

Both cities have a ton of things going on, Austin especially. Move to the city that offers you a job and you can afford to live downtown in.

[vlan1]

If you don't have a job I would make sure to have enough money saved up for 3-5 months rent and expenses before jumping ship.

[A-Tex]

Living in downtown Austin will be very expensive. You'll be looking at $1200 - $1500 for a studio to one bedroom in a decent building/complex. A "survival" job isn't going to hack it. You'll need to have a substantial nestegg saved up and also be ready to put a lot of money towards the apartment in advance. The rental market is very tight and expensive here. Landlords can pick and chose from the best applicants. Unemployed/underpaid survival job worker without evidence of ability to paid the rent is among that pile labeled 'not the best applicants.'

There may be a 'great market for young professionals' in Austin, but many of those jobs outside a few key industries and skills pay less than in other places because people are willing to take lower pay to move here. Combine that with inflated rental prices in a tight market, and it doesn't always make the kind of financial sense people dream of from afar.

Have you even been to Austin and San Antonio? Or are you simply relying on Internet hype?

[Casper27]

Originally Posted by vlan1

If you don't have a job I would make sure to have enough money saved up for 3-5 months rent and expenses before jumping ship.

This right here!

OP, I moved from Chicago to Austin last September and would NOT have made it without the $9500 nest egg that I had built up over two years. I'm not sure what industry you think is "great for young professionals" down here but the competition for jobs all around is very right right now due to the high population of students graduating from UT and wanting to stay in town plus the influx of transplants moving to Austin every day. Perhaps I'm wrong and you are a virtual shoe-in for your industry in Austin, but please be cautious and have a couple backup plans in case your job search doesn't yield results right away (it took me five months to find a job down here and that wasn't even in my previous field). This is definitely a who-you-know kind of place for finding jobs but it can be done without any connections if you're flexible and act quickly. Good luck!

[Hollywood55]

Originally Posted by A-Tex

Living in downtown Austin will be very expensive. You'll be looking at $1200 - $1500 for a studio to one bedroom in a decent building/complex. A "survival" job isn't going to hack it. You'll need to have a substantial nestegg saved up and also be ready to put a lot of money towards the apartment in advance. The rental market is very tight and expensive here. Landlords can pick and chose from the best applicants. Unemployed/underpaid survival job worker without evidence of ability to paid the rent is among that pile labeled 'not the best applicants.'

There may be a 'great market for young professionals' in Austin, but many of those jobs outside a few key industries and skills pay less than in other places because people are willing to take lower pay to move here. Combine that with inflated rental prices in a tight market, and it doesn't always make the kind of financial sense people dream of from afar.

Have you even been to Austin and San Antonio? Or are you simply relying on Internet hype?

San Antonio is a nice place is you want to raise some kids in a very "Texas," kind of way. What you see, is what you get. Austin is very California. It is a good place to be single or have a wife and kids. Austin feels more upmarket. UT is there. The capital is there. Austin is where it happens. Austin just feels more polished.

Don't get me wrong, San Antonio is not bad. You could do a lot worse. Best advice, go and check it out for yourself. My grandparents love San Antonio. So check it out for yourself. Good luck!

[theone33]

How is Austin very California? I would feel offended if i was an Austinite and heard that lol

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Hollywood55

San Antonio is a nice place is you want to raise some kids in a very "Texas," kind of way. What you see, is what you get. Austin is very California. It is a good place to be single or have a wife and kids. Austin feels more upmarket. UT is there. The capital is there. Austin is where it happens. Austin just feels more polished.

Don't get me wrong, San Antonio is not bad. You could do a lot worse. Best advice, go and check it out for yourself. My grandparents love San Antonio. So check it out for yourself. Good luck!

Oh boy, we have the requisite Austin homer post. If I were a native Austinite, I'd barf in my mouth with that "Austin is California" comment. It is not California at all, despite the colonization by Californians. Austin residents still predominately come from Texas.

You couldn't be more wrong in your San Antonio description. You must be talking about the suburbs, because single people can and do live in the city limits. Downtown San Antonio IMO is pretty awesome. The King William District is beautiful. The Riverwalk, while touristy, is IMO a stroke of engineering genius. And the Texas history and Mexican flavor make S.A. very interesting. Personally, I much prefer downtown SA.

[A-Tex]

Originally Posted by Hollywood55

San Antonio is a nice place is you want to raise some kids in a very "Texas," kind of way. What you see, is what you get. Austin is very California. It is a good place to be single or have a wife and kids. Austin feels more upmarket. UT is there. The capital is there. Austin is where it happens. Austin just feels more polished.

Don't get me wrong, San Antonio is not bad. You could do a lot worse. Best advice, go and check it out for yourself. My grandparents love San Antonio. So check it out for yourself. Good luck!

I'm confused. You do not appear to live here and you seem to be telling me -- someone who has lived here most of their life -- what Austin is "like?"

[palaverer]

Originally Posted by theone33

How is Austin very California?

I blame the sushi and fish tacos.