Let’s be honest. What’s your take on Austin and newcomers? (Houston: fit in, transplants)

[bohovita]

Hello there!

I am a Washingtonian but my husband is from a small town by Houston. He’s been a trooper, putting up with living in the D.C. area for years now but my husband HATES it here. Too busy, too loud (he calls it noise warfare haha) and too career-focused. If you’re not all about upward mobility, power-grabbing, and politics it’s tough to fit in. We don’t fit in. At all. Lol

My husband is in tech and works remotely so we can literally go anywhere. Cost of living isn’t a big concern for us, though lower is always better. He’s stipulated a state with no income tax and I’ve stipulated warm weather but not Florida.

Back to his home state of Texas we go!

I’m not sure I could handle super small town living, and he doesn’t want to go anywhere near Houston. We have family in San Antonio and in Austin who both rave about their cities so we were comparing the two for our move. We’ve enjoyed our limited time in both places and the friendly people in Texas as a whole during our few brief visits.

Between the two cities, though, Austin sounded like the perfect fit for us (I can hear the “not another one!” groaning already but please bare with me. Lol) for several reasons, all based off of secondhand knowledge. Those reasons are:

1) A bit more left-leaning. A general live-and-let-live mentality for the area in which we raise our children is a must and heard Austin is just such a place.
2) Quirky culture (or really any kind of uniqueness to lend a sense of pride of place)
3) Laid-back (It would be great to be able to invite someone over for a weekend dinner or game night without 3+ weeks of advanced notice)
4) Outdoorsy outings nearby (lake, river, hiking)
5) The opportunity for having a community our family can be an active part of and build lasting relationships within. We’ve been told Austin still has a small(ish) town, community-nurturing feel even though it had grown so much. This one is huge for us. We want to belong when we move, not feel like outsiders.
6) Access to good schools and parks for our four kids. It’s my understanding that Austin parks are abundant and schools range from decent to outstanding.

Given these ideas, I was quite excited over the prospect of relocating to Austin this summer (June/July 2018) and digging in some roots! It sounded so perfect for us!

After coming here to begin researching neighborhoods, however, I find myself growing concerned....

First and worst, I‘m feeling like an intruder just for having considered moving to Austin. I’m also concerned that maybe the Austin I’ve had in my head is not really a place? Or is, at best, a dying place? Are transplants smiled at on the street but grumbled about being the cause of crowding and inflated COL in private? Can we find a sense of community in Austin if we’re willing to invest the time? Or are most people in Austin now just drifting through, as I’ve read here?

I apologize for the post length. Brevity isn’t my forte. I further apologize if my post comes across at all whiny or city-bashing. No disrespect is meant. I’m just curious.

I’d truly like to understand what Austin really is today and if it might be a welcoming place for my family to lay down roots. We don’t want to be an imposition on a place or to change a culture, we just want to find a place to call home.

My primary ask for current Austinites is this: Are some areas better than others for fitting in and building lasting community (I.e. less transient but not anti-transplant)? If so, what are they? Also, is the Austin I described above representative of the Austin you know, or just a delusion?

Thank you to any who take the time to read and respond!

[kjkw]

I think SA has a lower cost of living and maybe a smaller town feel. As for Austin I think you must first post a budget to get neighborhood recs. Also schools do vary so I think that will be really important. As long as you are friendly I think most people will be friendly back. Austin is changing mainly the traffic is horrible. I am a native Texan but have only been in Austin 18 yrs. We are really happy here. We travel a fair bit and have yet to find anywhere else we like better to live.

It's really worth noting the summers are miseably hot and humid.

[ashbeeigh]

I'd ask the same question in the SA forum to get both perspectives. What is your budget? Do you want to be "in" town or do suburbs do? I think both cities have what you want. SA is close enough to Austin to come up very easily if needed, too.

[cBach]

You need to read a lot of the threads. There's a common theme that people from the Northeast and Mid Atlantic in general have the most issues adapting here. You husband will like it because he grew up here but you may have some adjustment.

For your needs, I agree San Antonio may give you what you need. It's like a cheaper version of Austin without the hipsters and reputation.

[C24L]

i would pick Austin if i were u.

[Jame22]

Originally Posted by bohovita

1) A bit more left-leaning. A general live-and-let-live mentality for the area in which we raise our children is a must and heard Austin is just such a place.

What gives you the belief that left-leaning is associated with a live-and-let live mentality? In general, leftism leads to a more powerful state and less individual rights.

[A-Tex]

You seem to have a lot of outdated ideas about Austin.

[mrsb9494]

Originally Posted by Jame22

What gives you the belief that left-leaning is associated with a live-and-let live mentality? In general, leftism leads to a more powerful state and less individual rights.

Very true. I've actually found a more live and let live attitude in the smaller right leaning town I lived in 7 years than in more left leaning areas.

[bohovita]

Originally Posted by mrsb9494

Very true. I've actually found a more live and let live attitude in the smaller right leaning town I lived in 7 years than in more left leaning areas.

Fair enough, fair enough! I'm happy to concede that live-and-let-live is NOT a left-leaning sentiment. I'd argue it's not right either. Maybe it's neither by nature? In any case, that line was not meant to be a politically-charged statement and no offense was intended.

I suppose what I was getting at with that one was this:

I am extremely tired of angry politics from all sides and their related politically-given stances being thrust into view at every turn. I AM looking to ditch D.C., after all....

[bohovita]

Originally Posted by A-Tex

You seem to have a lot of outdated ideas about Austin.

Probably. That's my purpose for posting.