Should I move to Austin? Locals advice needed ...

[MickeySonder]

i seem to have everything i need to know. im hoping to find a house when i fly down there next week! i dont think i can live in a dirty city. Anchorage is very clean, good air, clear skies, little trash. I expect Austin will be just as good in those terms, which, I hear it is. Yayy!
And I actually have an excuse to wear sunglasses.. cool kid

[CptnRn]

I forgot to mention allergies. A lot of people develop allergies to cedar pollen and mold after living here a while. I could do without that but have learned to control it so its tolerable.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by MickeySonder

i seem to have everything i need to know. im hoping to find a house when i fly down there next week! i dont think i can live in a dirty city. Anchorage is very clean, good air, clear skies, little trash. I expect Austin will be just as good in those terms, which, I hear it is. Yayy!
And I actually have an excuse to wear sunglasses.. cool kid

Well, our weather is pretty good for the next couple of days, but after a week or so it should be back to really hot, humid and possibly hazy. Nice in the evenings, though. Should give you an accurate idea of how the weather is from May-Oct. Probably good swimming hole weather, you might want to check out Barton Springs or Hamilton Pool.

Be sure to get a hotel downtown or off South Congress for the max # of neat things to do close by. Some people have had good success using priceline and selecting "4 stars" and "downtown austin". You can do a forum search to find out which hotels that will likely get you.

[MickeySonder]

Thanks a bunch to everyone! Two thumbs way up. I cannot wait to visit. I'm pretty convinced I'll love it.

[eepstein]

[quote=hoffdano;8869276]I can't answer all of your questions but will give you an opinion on many. FWIW I have lived in the Austin area since 1984.

Is job demand in Austin declining because of the economy?
The job market is so so in the Austin Area, but it has done better than much of the country. You should be able to find something in the area, but better times are likely ahead for the job market.

How affected is Austin because of the economy?
It has been affected, but not as bad as some other parts of the country.

Are people truly as nice down there as what I've heard?
Depends who you ask. I find Austin to be one of the most arrogant cities in the nation. You actually have two things going against you here. Austin is VERY proud of itself and so is Texas as a State. So you have people who are actually arrogant twice over again. Although there are exceptions, Austin people are very full of themselves and can't come to grips with the fact they will always rank 4th in everything in this state.

Will finding a roommate be easy?
Im sure you won't have a problem. There are many people of all types looking for roomates--probably a bunch in central Austin UT area.

Where are there good water spots (lakes, rivers, beaches- not in Austin of course)?
Austin is pretty limited for outdoor activities when you compare it to Alaska. There are no mountains here, no beach. People make a big deal about Lake Travis which is a large lake to the west of Austin. There are many lake activities along this lake which many people partake in most of the year. There are also some other lakes within a 1-2 hour drive like Buchanan, but they are equally as unimpressive as Travis. Again, when you don't have much natural features to begin with, you get all excited about basic things like a lake.


Is it densely populated, overrated, etc?
Austin isn't overly dense unless you are talking about central austin. The traffic is horrible and it would seem more dense than it actually is. Most of the metro Austin area has parks and some wide open spaces. Yes, Austin is horrendously overrated by the media sources. Although its not a bad city, its really no different than any other city in the nation of similar size. Austin has many problems that the media and convention bureau doesnt want you to hear.


What are the general problems there (things you don't like) ?
Austin has horrendous traffic problems that rival much larger cities such as Houston and Dallas. The road system in Austin is simply arcaic and could barely handle HALF of the current population. Although tollroads are being built, its simply too little, too late. Many of the central austin roads you would swear were used back in the "horse and buggy" days! Cost of living is very high and continues to get higher..crime is increasing as well.



Is it humid? How often does it rain?
Austin is almost always dry as a bone and sunny. It rains only a few times a year here and feels more like a desert than anything else. The days where there is any perceivable humidity could be counted on your hand.

What is the most liberal residential part of town (good liberal neighborhoods?)
Most "liberal" neighbors are in the central part of austin and downtown areas. The vast majority of Metro austin (especially north and northwest) is DEEP RED, and conservative.

The cheapest? (bargain housing... hard to find but anything is possible)
Cheapest housing is going to be in the suburbs like Cedar Park, Round Rock, Leander, Kyle. But, keep in mind that you get what you pay for.

I also hear it's generally pretty easy to ride your bike to get around,
is this true?
Austin is wihtout a doubt one of the worst cities in the nation for bike riders. With the exception of the zilker park trail, the city is virtually devoid of any bike routes, or paths. The problem is so bad that die hard bike riders have to get out of the large shoulder of Highway 360 and risk their lives to ride. There have been many fatalities over the past decade due this citys inability to accomodate bike riders.


I am 20, female.
Also, all the talk about Anchorage has made me irritated. Alaska suck
Is Austin what you would call, "unsafe like NYC"? just a quote from a
friend ...

Austin is overall a safe city, but crime rates have been rising lately. But overall I think you can feel sale.

[hoffdano]

As usual - I can't fathom some of the things eepstein writes here.

Austin is dry and desert like? Compared to what? New Orleans? Others have posted weather data here but Austin is humid in the mornings and dries out in the afternoon. But not like Phoenix.

I think Texans are proud, not arrogant. People in Boston or San Francisco are arrogant.

I pass dozens of cyclists every day on 360 and Bee Caves Rd. Yes there are occasional fatalities and more could be done to help. But one of the worst cities in the nation? I don't think so. Keep in my most cities in Texas are not dense - so cycling is often not practical for commuting.

eepstein posts EVERY TIME that crime is rising. But he never looks at the data. Violent crime rates have held steady for many years. The murder rate is very low. Property crimes seem to be a factor - but as the FBI says - data cannot reliably be compared between cities due to reporting differences.

Not sure why eepstein things Lake Travis is unimpressive. It is 18000 acres, winds for 67 miles, has some of the clearest water in Texas, and has many beautiful cliffs and lakeside homes. It is part of a fine chain of lakes called the Highland lakes. What kind of a lake does eepstein like? A huge ocean-like Great Lake? A muddy shallow lake like you find near Houston? Massively over crowded like Lake of the Ozarks?

Austin cannot compete with the beauty of Alaska. I hope to visit someday. But day in and day out - Austin (and Texas) is a great place for many to live.

[girlcitizen]

Hello from a fellow Alaskan! I grew up in Anchorage and lived there until I was 21 before moving to Texas. Texas is seriously like it's own country (which can be good or bad). I've lived in both the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and in Austin. Austin seriously holds a special place in my heart - this city is fantastic. The citizens are progressive when it comes to improving the community. There are plenty of walking trails, hiking areas, dog parks, and other outdoors activities to choose from. The weather is great and downtown is safe. I've literally hiked the whole of downtown multiple times by myself as a young female and never felt unsafe (except for over by the homeless shelter or whatever it is near I-35 and the police dept.).

My only con for Austin is that housing seems steep and jobs are competitive due to the huge college population. Everyone wants to move to Austin and no one ever leaves...so job hunting can be frustrating for some.

Oh, and I had to edit to add...the traffic is completely horrible. I remember thinking that Northern Lights, Tudor, Spenard or the New Seward Highway were bad but those have nothing on Austin (obviously...Austin is bigger LOL) . This is definitely my biggest con about Austin. It's as if the city grew faster than they anticipated or something. Avoid I-35 at all costs! My mother lives out in Round Rock and they finally finished the toll road which is so much faster.

[MadMarty]

Yep, stay where you are, Austin is a dead town, nothing really here unless you want to develope a brain tumor trying to figure out what is wrong with this place. And no jobs just CS and some Tech and Sales positions. Austin is trying to boost it's image but hasn't realized that most people from out of town are not accustom to dealing with alcholics as employers.
There is no job security and the economy stinks. So if your looking to make a good living head the other direction.

Honest Texan in Austin