Is Austin a good fit for my family? (Houston, Round Rock: home, job market)

[fastfingers33]

I'm looking for a city to settle down and thinking about moving to Austin, TX. I was wondering if you could maybe help me figure out if this is a good fit for me and my wife. Here's some things about us:

-We are both Chinese American. Due to that, good chinese food, good chinese grocery and an area with a sense of Chinese community is a huge bonus
-Looking for a good job market. I currently work in the financial area though I'm looking to switch to tech (preferably gaming) and she works in fashion/home decoration. Would like a city with lots of job opportunity so we can find that dream job. We currently live in a place with a COL similar to Austin and our combine income is around 140k.
-My wife loves arts, culture and the hipster vibe. She loves crafts, but also modern fashion.
-She loves the green outdoor (think Seattle), so more green the better
-Great education is a MUST. I heard Roundrock is great though, so comments on that would be good.
-Prefer low commute if possible
-For me, I just like going outside for some pickup basketball game. So less rain/less intense heat = better.

Would Austin be good for us? For us, priority is 1. Great job opportunities in tech/fashion or home decor. 2. Good chinese food available in the city. 3. Nice, laid-back people

Thoughts?

[Trainwreck20]

Your list of items at the beginning of your post does not match (very well, anyway) your numbered items at the end. In any case: good Chinese food/grocery are probably doable, if not great. I have no real basis to say what may be 'great', though, I just know what tastes good to me. As far as community - there is no 'Chinatown', unless one has sprung up recently that I don't know about. There may be more virtual communities within town, though, as there is a fairly sizable Asian population in Austin.

Green is a seasonal thing, nothing like Seattle most of the time. Wet springs can be very green and carry well into the summer (or not); alternatively, years of drought can be pretty brown.

See other threads about commute time, but, ofc, it depends on where you work as well as where you live.

I played outside basketball for years (decades?) in all seasons, but I grew up here and didn't really know better . Rain will rarely be a problem. Intense heat, that is another thing.

Allergies should probably be mentioned.

[Rynldsbr]

Originally Posted by fastfingers33

I'm looking for a city to settle down and thinking about moving to Austin, TX. I was wondering if you could maybe help me figure out if this is a good fit for me and my wife. Here's some things about us:

-We are both Chinese American. Due to that, good chinese food, good chinese grocery and an area with a sense of Chinese community is a huge bonus Ethnic diversity is mixed into the culture here fairly well compared to some areas I have been, but in the year I have been here there doesn't seem to be much specific to the Chinese commnity
-Looking for a good job market. I currently work in the financial area though I'm looking to switch to tech (preferably gaming) and she works in fashion/home decoration. Would like a city with lots of job opportunity so we can find that dream job. We currently live in a place with a COL similar to Austin and our combine income is around 140k. Austin has jobs but the market is competitive and I would not encourage anyone to come here without something secure lined up ahead of time.
-My wife loves arts, culture and the hipster vibe. She loves crafts, but also modern fashion. Should be a fit.
-She loves the green outdoor (think Seattle), so more green the better Ummm, how to say this nicely. This is not your place if this is important to you.
-Great education is a MUST. I heard Roundrock is great though, so comments on that would be good. Schools in general here are decent but not necessarily cutting edge. Our kids are finding the curricula in the public schools to be a year behind where we came from in elementary, middle, and high school levels. The emphasis on sports here (primarily football) is surreal.
-Prefer low commute if possible This topic is covered to the point of nausea in threads all over CD. The Austin metro area continues to grow at a pace that infrastructure cannot support. Plan on a typical metro area commute to the suburbs. Avoid I-35 in most cases as it is subject to becoming a parking lot every time there is a flat tire or a fender bender.
-For me, I just like going outside for some pickup basketball game. So less rain/less intense heat = better. It's hot here. No rain in July at all and 100 degrees for weeks.

Would Austin be good for us? For us, priority is 1. Great job opportunities in tech/fashion or home decor. 2. Good chinese food available in the city. 3. Nice, laid-back people 1=maybe but competitive. 2= subjective, you should come check it out. 3=yes, people here are pretty laid back in attitude.

Thoughts?

Come visit and spend a few days in the summer heat to see what you think. There are huge variances in areas, not to mention between the various suburbs, you really should spend some time with feet on the ground checking out what appeals to you before making a move.

Where would you be moving from?

[fastfingers33]

Thanks so much for the information. This is a lot. I'm coming from Virginia where I've been in both Richmond and Northern Virginia. I'm definitely looking to secure jobs before moving, but I'd like to be positioned in a way where I could find other jobs fairly easily even if I was to get laid off. I'm definitely thinking of coming to visit a few days at least, but I'm hoping to get a good sense before I head out.

I DO have really bad allergies though. Coming from the PNW, when roses bloom, thats when I get really bad allergies. Is it really bad in Austin?

[Trainwreck20]

Resource Center

Mountain Cedar (or more often just 'Cedar') is the killer for most people with allergies.

[centralaustinite]

Yes, allergies in Austin are "really bad." There are allergens in the air all year! We never get a break. Fall elm, grasses, and ragweed in the fall, followed by Nov-February with cedar -- and even if you don't have specific allergy to cedar, the particulate load is very high during that time and it can irritate anyone's upper respiratory system. Then oak and spring tress and grasses again, mold is present all year but can peak in summer. Add in smoke from agricultural fires in Central America during the spring and dust from Africa in the summer plus days with high ozone, people with known allergy issues or asthma should not make the move to Austin lightly.

DM Idlewilde for more info, family just left Austin largely due to allergies.

[JT-3]

To your last point, you would really be sweating playing basketball today. It's 92 right now, 100 earlier.

Why leave where you are today, just curious.

[theone33]

Have you considered Houston?

[scm53]

1. Yesterday was the first 100 degree day this summer. There will be a few more between now and September, when historically, the temps start falling back. Last year was around the average - 21 100 degree days - two in July, 17 in August, two in September.

2. School quality depends upon where you live. Some schools here are among the best in the country - including two that are traditionally very successful in football. The two are not incompatible, and sports excellence doesn't distract from academic excellence. You heard correctly about the Round Rock school district - just be sure to be in the western part of the district, as that's where the schools are that earned its reputation.

3. The biggest concentrations of Asians are in the northern sections of the metro. Also where many of the Asian markets are.

4. Allergies can be bad, but you may not have sensitivity to what's in the air here.

5. Everything depends on where your jobs are. Land the jobs, then decide where to live.

Good luck!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by fastfingers33

I'm looking for a city to settle down and thinking about moving to Austin, TX. I was wondering if you could maybe help me figure out if this is a good fit for me and my wife. Here's some things about us:

-We are both Chinese American. Due to that, good chinese food, good chinese grocery and an area with a sense of Chinese community is a huge bonus
-Looking for a good job market. I currently work in the financial area though I'm looking to switch to tech (preferably gaming) and she works in fashion/home decoration. Would like a city with lots of job opportunity so we can find that dream job. We currently live in a place with a COL similar to Austin and our combine income is around 140k.
-My wife loves arts, culture and the hipster vibe. She loves crafts, but also modern fashion.
-She loves the green outdoor (think Seattle), so more green the better
-Great education is a MUST. I heard Roundrock is great though, so comments on that would be good.
-Prefer low commute if possible
-For me, I just like going outside for some pickup basketball game. So less rain/less intense heat = better.

Would Austin be good for us? For us, priority is 1. Great job opportunities in tech/fashion or home decor. 2. Good chinese food available in the city. 3. Nice, laid-back people

Thoughts?

austin is bad on just about every one of your priorities

1) very few good chinese restaurants although there is a great giant grocery (mt supermarket). My daughter's elementary (laurel mountain) is about 60%asian, about 50% are non-indian asians (chinese, vietnamese, korean etc)
2) no fashion no financial ( very little). There is some gaming. that income is probably doable with one inome
3) none, opposite of austin. Austin is more flip flops and shorts
4) austin is mostly brown
5) there are a few excellent areas, but on your income it would be a stretch to afford them
6) probably not going to happen with your income, but low isrelative. 30-45 minutes is typical
7) very hot here

Austin is not a fit.