22, Single, moving in 2010, where to Austin or Phoenix? (Round Rock, Rochester: real estate, apartments) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

kor3anchris · 12-11-2009, 10:00 PM

Hi My name is Chris and i have been looking all over this forum for the last few weeks. A little about me, graduated from high school and have not yet started college, although where i do move i would like to start after getting residency. I work at a restaraunt and make great money. Im young, single and have no children or attatchments.

Where i live now is Rochester, New York. Things i dont like about where i live right now is the poverty is high, for a city we have high crime(but that doesnt affect me much i can take care of myself) much of rochesters wealth came from kodak and when that fell so did the economy here. We are getting better but it isnt someplace i would wanna be for ever. Besides from skiing i dont like the winters here at all and can do with out them.

Things i like about rochester. you can basically get anywhere in rochester with in 20 minutes or so. we have lake ontario and a beach(although it really isnt the cleanest and i would never swim in it "kodak"). We have good schools but im past highschool and the only thing for me is college, and we have a good community college.

Basically i am looking for a few things some more important than the others im pretty adaptive. I like living in a suburb or a town outside of the city, i dont like being stuck downtown living and the big traffic associated with it. I like an area that has nice homes in the area, clean streets, with in good distance to grociery stores, gas stations. I would like warm weather that i can even enjoy the winter months. I dont mind having to drive 15-25 minutes for a night out at a restaraunt, or to a bar/club. Theres a phrase, dont "poop where u sleep" well i dont like to live a block away from clubs and stuff associated with a "friday night out". I like the feel of wealthier communities but at the same time would like to keep rent for a 1bd/1br under 600, idealy close to 450 if possible but dont wanna sacrifice a nice area.

Both Austin and Phoenix has its ups and downs and doing alot of searching here on the forums im getting a feel for them both and would like some more personal advice. I wont be buying a home anytime soon so the property taxes of texas dont greatly affect me. I wouldnt mind the hot summers of phoenix either.

Would Austin, Texas be a better decision for a guy that is early 20's, single, no attatchments?? Taking into consideration i love the nightlife, clubs, bars, comedy clubs etc. but its not all i like to do, im over the party hard scene. I also like to do stuff during the day, shopping with friends, walking around on the beach, playing sports outside, etc. What would you have to say that Austin greatly offers me that would be a better place to live than phoenix.

inthecut · 12-12-2009, 04:54 AM

we go through this about 100 times a month with people....and I say the same thing...come out and see for yourself, and look at all the hundreds of posts per people asking the same thing.......

kor3anchris · 12-12-2009, 08:45 AM

I have found this to be a forum to ask questions, and have them answered. In my searches say out of 10, 8 of those have the same response, "come check it out for yourself, do a search" and with the other 2 they seem to say closely the same. More feedback one way or the other in a helpful way, not jus arogant that maybe your city is better than the other, but in personal experiences or from general things you have heard.

G Grasshopper · 12-12-2009, 09:11 AM

Austin has a huge student population, meaning people about your age. That's good and bad, because while that may be good from a social standpoint, there is also huge competition for jobs. I would not advise moving anywhere without a securing job, especially with the current economy. Unemployment is up virtually everywhere. And I would not advise a permanent move without going to see the place.

CptnRn · 12-12-2009, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kor3anchris

Hi My name is Chris and i have been looking all over this forum for the last few weeks. A little about me, graduated from high school and have not yet started college, although where i do move i would like to start after getting residency. I work at a restaraunt and make great money. Im young, single and have no children or attatchments.

You would be foolish to leave that at this time. Pheonix is at the center of the Real Estate crash and will be struggling for a really long time to recover. And Pheonix sucks for a young man who doesn't know anyone and there wasn't much you can do to meet people. I know, I lived there when I was your age. It was really hard to meet people. I hate the City, it is an endless maze of freeways with terrible traffic, far worse then Austin.

The large number of young people in Austin result in a lot of competition for the low paying jobs you are qualified for. The pay her is much lower. Austin would be better for you later when the economy improves, but don't give up a good job to come here at this time. Keep working and saving your money so you have a nest egg to help you get established and go to school before you move.

kor3anchris · 12-12-2009, 09:47 AM

Ya, im finding that in both places i can find similar things, the way of life changes a bit in comparison. It boils down to if i want desert life, or more of a mild area. Austins proximity to lakes and the ocean is a plus, but the dry heat of arizona and winter months of beauty is appealing too.

Whats the feeling of round rock, idealy that is the type of area id like to live. or is there another area outside of downtown that i should look at thats more burb feel. although my job would be centered around where 183 and 1 meet, so im thinking thats not a bad commute.

kor3anchris · 12-12-2009, 10:04 AM

A little about where i am from. Rochester was a major industrial city, with Kodak being the heart of it that supplied thousands with jobs. A while back Kodak crashed and laid of a huge amount of workers. I know many that were with in years of retirement and had to be let go. This crashed our economy badly and since then has been coming back around, slowly. Im use to a rough economy, only good thing is i have a job that lets me relocate anywhere even hawaii every 6 months. If i could be in a place with a great economy great, mostly im looking for better weather, a change of pace. Ive also considered Raleigh, NC where they have a great economy. But it has more of a winter than Austin, and the snow is what i wish to leave behind the most. Basically i would love to live someplace warm where i can have fun, and still be able to set up who i am in my 30's

CptnRn · 12-12-2009, 10:10 AM

If you already have a job lined up then maybe moving isn't such a bad idea. As long as you have a nest egg to fall back on if you get laid off.

Round Rock tends to be very family oriented, family values, organized religion, etc. I can't see it as the kind of place most single people would be looking for.

The area Northwest of 183/loop 1 intersection has lots of good apartments and is suburban, it has relatively good access to Lake Travis and downtown, short drives either way. It is also on the commuter rail route to downtown Austin, if they ever get that running.

kor3anchris · 12-12-2009, 10:28 AM

In the last 5 years of my life i have lived in 6 different areas of rochester. I have found i felt most comfortable in family areas that are not too far from a young crowd oddly as it sounds. That would be the arboretum area correct? from other posts ive read other relocates have lived there before moving to a more specific part of austin.

Whats lake travis like, here we have lake ontario that the beach is a 1/4 of a mile long. has a couple of bars, ice cream places, burger joints, car shows. does lake travis have a spot that is similar to that?

HappyinAustin · 12-12-2009, 11:27 AM

Chris,

What everyone is saying about the economy is true, of course--and the competition for service work.

Yet, personally, I would say Austin over Phoenix, hands-down. The economy is actually much better here, the city isn't nearly such a sprawl, it has a nice mix of government/university/high tech/entertainment; you can be an artist or a hipster or a cowboy or darn near anything else and find friends here. Especially at 22! It's well-known as a progressive or liberal city--one of my favorite descriptions of this town is "a little bit of California surrounded by Alabama"!

If you haven't travelled much, you might be shocked at how different places in our vast country can be. For example, the trees here are a lot shorter! The weather here is a lot different!

Lake Travis is a big party lake, with skiers and stereos and speed boats and a nude beach (Hippie Hollow). That's not ALL it is, of course--there's plenty of family stuff. You should go to Google Maps Street View to take a peak.

The Arboretum area does fit your bill. (Have you seen the movie Office Space? It was filmed in Austin. The exterior shot of the Chili's-type restaurant shows the Arboretum area.)

Hope this helps--

Good luck to you!