Victoria, TX vs. Austin plus mold, mosquitoes, allergens (Wichita Falls, Round Rock: real estate market, insurance)

[paulamom]

Hi,
My husband and I met and lived in Austin, TX in the early 2000's. Then we moved to FL, and then NJ, and we've been trying to get back to TX ever since. TX has become this mythical land of paradise in our minds.

Anyhow, looking at the Victoria area. From my reading of posts on this forum -- it would seem that it is extremely wet there. Are there lots of mold issues? Because we have mold issues in NJ and would like to get away from that sort of thing.

Also, the mosquito issue -- worse than Austin?

And in comparing the two cities, I realize that the cities will NOT compare in terms of nightlife, cultural events, access to Wholefoods, weirdness, etc. But in terms of weather and friendly feel. How do they compare?

We don't care so much about partying as we have a young family now. But the occasional street festival and a safe neighborhood would be nice.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[TexaCo Mom]

Just on the basis that Victoria is significantly closer to the Gulf Coast than Austin, I would imagine Victoria would have more issues with mosquitos and mold.

[TexasBlonde]

I grew up in the Austin area (Round Rock,more specifically) and I have nothing but great things to say about Austin (especially if you have children).

However, I've always liked Victoria. But, it definitely does differ from Austin. Being that Victoria is so close to the coast, the amount of mosquitoes is worse than Austin. And yes, Victoria is very wet, so the mold problem would be worse than Austin.

I think that the weather there is great (average is 50's or 60's in the winter) and the people seem to be very friendly.

[texdav]

As to allergies the cedar in Austin can give alot of sensitive people problems. Also like any coastal city being close to the coast with prevealing winds off the gulf can make most days pretty allergy and polution free compared to inland areas. I always recomened that people spend some time in the early spring in any area if they have alleriges. Dust in dry areas can also be a problem for alot of people. It just depends really.

[City_boi]

I don't know if you would like Victoria, but I don't. The town looks blah and downtown is kind of dead. There are some really nice historic and older neighborhoods with big trees. If you love the scenery and hills of Austin, Victoria is gonna be a downer. Some areas have a lot of litter and knarled up trees. You should drive around Victoria to get a feel for it.

[paulamom]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I think we would miss the Hill Country too much. Texas is so big that sometimes it's easy to forget just how diverse the geographic regions are from one side to the other. We'll get back to the Southwest yet! But probably not Victoria.

[txsizzler]

I don't know... the couple of times I have been through Victoria, I kinda liked it. It has an "old town" kind of charm to it, that you just don't see alot of. The way Victoria is laid out, is also unique too. Do note, though, that Victoria is nothing like Austin.

Seems to me from around Victoria, to Port Lavaca, down through Corpus, you get more of a laid back enviornment with the populace. If you aren't used to that, or do not like that kind of slower paced living, then this area would definately not be for you. Myself, I like that type of living. Life is too hectic as it is, and to slow down would be, in a word, heavenly.

I agree with the above poster about allergies. The areas that have a strong sea breeze would be less likely to experience allergy problems in regards to tree/ragweed/dust. Might be a bit higher mold spore count though. I noticed when visiting Corpus last, that my allergies nearly disappeared; upon arrival back to Wichita Falls though, they hit full force again. My son also suffers from alot of dermatological problems; when in Corpus, they nearly vanished without use of medicines... but once we got back to the Falls, they reappeared.

Anyhow, thats my .02. Whatever you decide to do, let us know.


Ian

[NeedAVacation]

I wouldn't characterize Victoria as having a "wet" climate. Like all of South Texas it has periods of very high humidity. Right now there is an extreme drought. Victoria Advocate - No end in sight (http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/local/story/429414.html - broken link) Victoria Advocate - What does Thursday's rain mean for you? (http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/local/story/430064.html - broken link) The weather there often goes like that - flood followed by drought, followed by flood, followed by drought....

People in Victoria are friendly. Victoria's best asset is the people. Geographically it is very flat. If you liked the Austin area, you'd probably be bored in Victoria.

[latetotheparty]

please keep the conversation about victoria going ..... after deliberation, i have decided that THAT is where i want to move in a couple or 3 years..... mainly have to wait for the economy and real estate market HERE to start on the road to recovery......

having grown up in houston and spent a LOT of my younger years around the rockport area, i have decided that victoria would suit my purposes nicely.... close enough to the coast to be close.... but far enough inland that insurance will be more affordable..... close enough to houston, san antonio and corpus for excitement on those rare occasions when that itch arises......

i have HAD it with the winters here in the midwest and am so so so ready to move back "home"

[sxrckr]

There might be more mold in Victoria, but there's more cedar in Austin. Everyone is forgetting that. For some people, the cedar is the worst. In fact, Austin usually makes the top allergy capital lists, higher than the coastal Texas cities.