Considering Austin with reservation (Roma: living in, centers, move to)

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Mack wild

So heres the deal, I live in a small town in New England. So I am a "yankee". Now Texas has a massive reputation that I am sure your all sick of hearing about, regarding being hardcore rednecks and HATING yankee's. I have also heard that Austin is more liberal so I don't know -- do you guys feel that the yankee stereotype lives in Austin?

Also I am a single male in his upper 20's, given that demographic and the previous one do you think i will find it hard to make friends around Austin if I move there? I wouldn't stay if there weren't ways to get involved in the community and find enough to do so that I meet people.

Regarding jobs, how are the jobs for things like general business, call centers, servers, managers, or bar related jobs? In other words can I get a quick job down there?

Finally I hear you have a very big problem down there with illegal immigrants. I don't speak spanish well and I'm not use to "drive by shootings". How is this city doing with this and is this a common and weekly problem or what?

Thanks for taking the time to answer all my stereotypical and ignorant questions.

If you do end up moving here, you need to work with us to maintain our reputation as yankee hating rednecks with your friends back home.

My neighbors tailgate everyday after work in their driveway and let their kids run around nekkid.

[Mack wild]

Ok so what do you guys do to make sure there are no poisenous spiders, scorpions and snakes in your house, in your sheets, lurking under your feet outside ectect??? Are you just use to always being on guard or what?

[love roses]

I step on the spiders if they are in my house, I pick the crickets up if they get in and throw them outside. We don't have Scorpions in the area I live in and not a huge problem with snakes. I know there are poison snakes around, but I mostly just see corn, rat and other non poisonous varieties. They don't get inside and usually they just slither away. I do use caution around the wood pile and in the garden under plants, but have had no problems so far. We put amdro on the ant beds or spread something around the yard for other types of bugs.

Just so things don't get in the house, don't leave your doors open for too long, especially at dusk and just check your sheets before you climb in bed. Look in your shoes before you put them on. But like I said, I don't have that problem here (I live East). You find that stuff more West.

[MJinAustin]

Originally Posted by Mack wild

Ok so what do you guys do to make sure there are no poisenous spiders, scorpions and snakes in your house, in your sheets, lurking under your feet outside ectect??? Are you just use to always being on guard or what?

There are thousands of spiders and scorpions and snakes....everywhere...but they only bite Yankees.

[Mack wild]

Originally Posted by MJinAustin

There are thousands of spiders and scorpions and snakes....everywhere...but they only bite Yankees.

The only thing worse than a poisenous snake that hides in your bed, is a poisenous snake that hides bed, launches a sneak attack on you and bites you -- injects it's deady poisen fangs into your body -- and then devours you whole for it's supper simply because your a Yankee. That's just not cool.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Mack wild

The only thing worse than a poisenous snake that hides in your bed, is a poisenous snake that hides bed, launches a sneak attack on you and bites you -- injects it's deady poisen fangs into your body -- and then devours you whole for it's supper simply because your a Yankee. That's just not cool.

seriously though the critters are overstated. unless you re in a new development you wont see them. you will need a pest service

[kellenvh]

OK, I'm sure I'll get flamed off this board by the Texans, but somebody needs to tell you...

I've lived in Austin since 1991. It is a very hip and trendy city. But I can't believe some of the things people are posting here.

Firstly, they will notice you are not "from here", as they put it. I'm working with a client now from Boston who is being given a hard time about her accent, with some people claiming they can't understand her. Southerners (and Texans) also seem to have this unwritten rule that you have to smile and greet everyone you meet. And I mean everyone. If you don't, they seem to consider you rude or "stuck up". This won't keep you making plenty of friends or finding a job. Most people in Austin are pretty accepting, but that Texas element does exist.

Secondly, no rednecks? Are they kidding? Austin is not in a vacuum, but it is a tiny island of blue in a very large, red state. You are surrounded by rednecks and many seep into Austin, since everything is seeping into Austin with the boom. They wear suits and ties, but still drive extended cab trucks with duelie wheels and listen to country music. And personally, I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere in Texas outside of Austin. Dallas and Houston are extremely conservative, extremely Baptist and elitist. Typical nouveau riche. Sadly, in the last few years, Austin is losing some of its quirky weirdness and becoming more and more like Dallas.

Thirdly, you will have to cultivate some interesting and disturbing driving habits to survive here. I've driven in most states in the lower 48 and some foreign countries, but I have never seen driving like this. Texas drivers are aggressive, stupid and rude. They pass on the right, even on the interstates. They will not allow you to merge, they insist on driving 45 mph in the passing lane and refuse to move, they do not stop for red lights (seriously), and they have this curious habit of waving pedestrians to walk in front of them, then releasing the brake and rolling the car toward you when you step into the crosswalk. Unfortunately, you have to learn to "do like the Romans do" in order to survive here, which means picking up some very bad driving habits.

Fourthly, illegal immigrant problem? What problem? Who do you think is doing all the construction for the boom? *lol* Illegal immigrants do very well here too and Austin is very tolerant and overlooks them for the most part. You don't need to learn Spanish to survive here, but it is fun to pick up another language and immerse yourself in the culture if you wish. Shootings on highways? I have no idea what you are talking about there. I've not seen that. That is California. Texans love their guns, but on the highway their pickups are the bigger danger to your life.

Lastly, if you have any tendency toward allergies you might want to think twice before moving to Austin for a long stay. It is famous for causing allergy problems in people who previously had none.

I don't mean to be a downer. Austin is a great city. The culture is amazing, the food is amazing, the music is amazing, and the tolerance for many things is quite progressive - for Texas. However, it is very conservative and provincial compared to the eastern United States.

OK, there you have it. Flame away Texans.

[kellenvh]

Spiders, scorpions and snakes? I just saw that bit. The spiders are typical of anywhere else. I've never seen a scorpion or a snake in the cities here.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by kellenvh

And personally, I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere in Texas outside of Austin. Dallas and Houston are extremely conservative, extremely Baptist and elitist. Typical nouveau riche. Sadly, in the last few years, Austin is losing some of its quirky weirdness and becoming more and more like Dallas.

Huh? Houston is not extremely conservative. Just look at the voting patterns for Harris County. I don't think Baptists predominate in Houston, either. Houston is more diverse than that.

[houstoner]

Originally Posted by Topaz

Huh? Houston is not extremely conservative. Just look at the voting patterns for Harris County. I don't think Baptists predominate in Houston, either. Houston is more diverse than that.

Nor is it elitist. Quite the opposite, in fact. But you know, some comments just don't merit a response, especially ones that end with, "Flame away, Texans."

Edited to add:
But okay. I'll play. I have family in Boston. That you and your client think the Northeast doesn't have its own brand of provincialism and elitism is laughable, when, for example, there are entire towns in Massachusetts based along race and class lines. I guess it's easy to be "liberal" when your state is overwhelmingly white and those other-colored folks live somewhere over there.

Okay, I thought I could play, but that's all I've got energy for at the moment. Thanks, and please don't come again.