Getting excited about Austin (Houston, Dallas: theater, university, quality of life)

[micmac99]

I have posted on here in the past few weeks seeking information related to a possible move to Austin. Well, now, I have pretty much decided that this will be my final year in Phoenix, AZ and I will be relocating to Austin by the spring of 2010 at the latest.

1. I have a 13-year-old son in Hutto, and as he is getting to be a teenager I need to be more closely involved with his life.

2. I am a graphic designer approaching 40, and want to start my own design business. Austin seems to have a stronger market for such activity than Phoenix.

2a. Austin has a higher percentage of college-degreed people than Phoenix, which is one huge gigantic blue-collar wasteland with pockets of wanna-be McMansion and Hummer-driving yuppies and retired right-wing wackos thrown in for good measure. The local university (Arizona State) is basically a joke compared to UT-Austin.

2b. There is a serious lack of venture capital, business incubators, etc., in Phoenix for technology related firms and that is nationally known. The prevailing wisdom is "oh the weather's nice so people will always move here". No real commitment to grow and diversify the Phoenix area's economy, and this area was absolutely floored by the housing collapse.

2c. "According to a recently released report by Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, there are more than 6,300 501(c)(3) public charities in the Austin area, which includes Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties. Of those, 73 percent have budgets of less than $100,000. That number does not include nonprofits such as lobbying groups or trade associations." That was from a recent Statesman article. If I can get at least a little bit of business - even regular pro bono work - from just a fraction of that number my design business will be permanently set. And that does not include technology startups, government agencies, or other small and mid-sized businesses.

So I have begun posting to LinkedIn and a Yahoo! group of Austin alumni of my alma mater the University of Arizona, making connections and getting serious and excellent advice.

Here's my question(s):

- In your opinion, is the local economy in Austin/Central Texas improving, or never was really that bad to begin with?

- Do you feel Austin is getting too big? Why or why not?

- I like big cities, but after my Phoenix experience (and Dallas before that, 2002-2004, and Atlanta before that), big does not always translate into good quality of life or better career opportunities. Do you agree?

Thanks again for your time and I will keep you posted on my plans.

[hoffdano]

- In your opinion, is the local economy in Austin/Central Texas improving, or never was really that bad to begin with?

I think the economy is clearly "soft" but it is not horrible. In my industry (software) hiring is stagnant, but it NOT nonexistant. Companies continue to trim their workforce but the trims seem small. Surgient just let 11 go.

GSD&M (advertising) just let go an unspecified number of people.

- Do you feel Austin is getting too big? Why or why not?

Tough for me to answer. I don't like the traffic problems. I don't like the weekend crowds on Lake Travis. I don't give a rats ass about shopping. So some of the changes due to growth are not good. But overall my quality of life is very high. I do not believe life is any better anywhere in the USA for cities of similar size or larger.

- I like big cities, but after my Phoenix experience (and Dallas before that, 2002-2004, and Atlanta before that), big does not always translate into good quality of life or better career opportunities. Do you agree?

For certain occupations cities like Houston and Dallas have many more job opportunities. I believe San Antonio is worse for jobs that typically require a college degree. But for some occupations, especially technology, government, or education Austin is superior. I do not believe quality of life is better in "big cities." But I don't value theater arts, professional sports, or great shopping. If I want great art or museums I will travel. I watch pro sports on TV. And I shop online or local for non-commodity items. Austin has better live music than almost all cities except NY and LA. It only lacks a jazz scene.

Big cities have bigger problems. More density. More pollution. More noise. Greater risk (of almost everything).

[rpowell]

I think the Austin economy is one of the strongest in the nation.

The only negative to Austin's size is the traffic. Other than that, it still feels like a smaller city. But if you are a graphic artist you may have better control of your work hours.

I agree that "big" does not always translate into better quality of life. But I think anyone would definitely enjoy the Austin atmosphere. It's unique and is laid back.

[ILikeSmartHippies]

Originally Posted by micmac99

2. I am a graphic designer approaching 40, and want to start my own design business. Austin seems to have a stronger market for such activity than Phoenix.

Austin has also ranked as #1 in amount of blog content. Maybe also ridiculously high in tweets.

Random factoids..