pixelbend

Hi all,

My wife and I are giving some consideration to moving in a year or so. Austin, TX keeps coming up on our radar. From 500 miles away, it looks like a young, fun city, but I know there is a lot more to it than you see on TV or on the web.

So anyone here from the Austin area? What is it like?

Thanks!

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Seaver

Austin is great, I spent 6 years there only moving up to Dallas in August.

It's a very young city, if you like outdoor activities it's a blast. There is Zilker Park right downtown, which is the largest City Park in Texas. They have the 3 day music festival Austin City Limits every Sept., and has a 7ish mile run/bike/dog trail which loops Town Lake. There is also the Greenbelt, which is the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, so no buildings allowed. It's a small river/large creek which is spring fed. Everyone goes there when the weather is warm and drink/smoke/whatever because the water is a constant 60 degrees (dogs welcome).

If you want night life 6th street is the best bar scene I've ever seen. Austin is constantly labeled the Live Music Capital of the world, for good reason. Enjoy it, it's part of the atmosphere.

Texas football rules, if you can get tickets. You can also enjoy all the other sports naturally.

Alamo Drafthouse is an Austin landmark. It's THE origional eat/drink movie theater. They keep it Austin Weird though, they do stuff like Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sing-A-Long's, or 6 course meals for the Fellowship of the Ring triologies with a live quartet. Also, I've personally met Tarantino, as he loves the place and openly credits them for helping show his independent films early on.

We have like 8 lakes in the region, the big draw is Lake Travis. If you want to take your wife out on a date take her to Oasis, it's perched on a cliff overlooking the lake facing the sunset.

If you want to know more please provide some info, where you plan to be staying, what you're interested in, etc. I spent 6 years in college there and wish I never left, so I got plenty of info.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

surferlove007

I agree Austin is a lot of fun. Very opposite of Lubbock. It tends to be a lot more liberal with it's presence of people. James and I were there last February for JugglingFest. UT Campus is cool and near lots of neat things. Overall I liked it. Plus the location is killer, close to a lot of other major cities.

Aladdin Sane

I live in San Marcos, which is 35 miles south of Austin and 45 miles north of San Antonio. San Marcos is the best kept little secret in Texas. Here I've got the best of Austin, San Antonio, urban, suburban, and rural life within quick reach. If you are considering a move, and you wouldn't mind a mid-sized city, you really ought to check out San Marcos.

Seaver has given you a pretty good rundown on Austin. It is all about music, youth, education, government, high tech, tourism, nature, and being Texan. In short, it is a great town.

The only negative I know of is Austin's tremendous growth and the awful traffic that goes with it. It has become a fact of life in Austin.

Where are you living now? What kind of job are you looking for?

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Gabbyness

I've lived quite a few cool places in the US, eg, Austin, DC, and San Diego. I'd say without a doubt Austin is the best. It's young, vibrant, "weird," and an all-around good time. If you are into live music, it's one of the best places in the States.

The only downside I can find is that people are sometimes obnoxious about being *from* Austin, but then again, you get that in most popular US cities

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Seaver

Amen, traffic sucks worse than any other city I've been.

There's a reason for it.

1) Austin up until the '90s was a tiny city, then Dell started there and it became a second Silicone Valley. The city grew 4x faster than roads could be built, hence the traffic problems.

2) Too many Californians moved here. No, it's not a joke. We got flooded with the self-involved and arrogant Californians who wanted their lifestyle to go here. This is still Texas, we're plenty prideful enough and liked things the way they were.

*Disclaimer* I used to live in California, don't take offense. It's just true.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

hunnychile

I lived in Dallas for 11 years and visited Austin often. Wish I had lived in Austin and only visited Dallas once in a blue moon! Traffic in Dallas and Houston is waaay worse (still) than it is in Austin. Folks seemed friendlier in Austin and less stuck up than the Dallas people. Dallas was 100% about what you own; how big your house is and the car you drive. And your kids need to go to the "right" private schools. Yuck. I don't miss it at all.

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Seaver

Heh, I live in Fort Worth right now. Honestly people that live in Dallas might as well all be Yanks from the way they act compared to just 30 miles away in Cowtown.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

pixelbend

Right now we live in the southeasern corner of Missouri. Outside of the largest (take that with a grain of salt) city, Cape Girardeau. We currently live about 30 minutes from both of our jobs, so a commute wouldn't be out of the question. I'll have to look up San Marcos, thanks for the tip.

I work as a Systems Administrator at a small company now and my wife has a degree in wildlife biology, but she's not currently using it. Austin seems like it would be great for both of our careers since it's both the tech center of Texas and the home of the Department of Conservation.

We have been planning on taking a week off and spending some time down there this summer. Kinda get a feel for the town. All of your comments have me stoked about getting to see the place.

Thanks for all of the great info gang.

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Seaver

San Marcos is nice, I however prefer Austin.

San Marcos in the Spring/Summer/Fall is THE place to go river tubing. Nice 3 hour float down the river, you bring all the beer/etc you can drink. During nice days the river is packed full of college kids, many who bring radios and it's a blast. Afterwards, shower up at a station and you go to Gruene and end the night at Gruene Hall (oldest dance hall in Texas) and you'll enjoy a staple of the Texas Hill Country. For food I suggest the Gristmill, ask anyone around there they'll know.

Give specifics of what you enjoy and we can give more suggestions, it's a small city but has more entertainment than the D/FW metroplex in my opinion.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

yellowmac

I can't contribute much myself, as I've never been. A friend of mine was just there, though, and he really was impressed with the place. A lot of great restaurants, all in a walkable downtown district or something. I've heard it's a nice town.

SSJTWIZTA

austin kicks ass..i want to move there.

its my new love. trust me.go.

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Then they came for the communists and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
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Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me.
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Fremen

Talk to Giant Hamburger about Austin.

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pixelbend

We like outdoor activities, good places to eat (more greasy spoon than silver spoon) and music. I know we have to hit the Alamo Drafthouse and the Austin Zoo (wife is a biologist after all). I'd like to see the hill country and Lake Travis.

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pixelbend

Oh, and the most important question I forgot to ask. Can I be a Green Bay Packers fan in Texas and not get run out of town?

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Seaver

As long as you're not a Sooner or USC fan you're golden.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

Redjake

sorry, I have to say I'm against moving to Texas, because whenever I think of that state now, this is what comes to mind:

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Aladdin Sane

Texas reminds you of Charlie Watts? What's so bad about that?

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Seaver

What, Chainsaw Massacre wasn't good enough for you?

__________________
"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

Aladdin Sane

Charlie Watts plays in Texas Chainsaw Massacre? I didn't know.

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Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

JumpinJesus

Why are we showing pictures of Javier Bardem from No Country for Old Men and calling him Charlie Watts in Texas Chainsaw Massacre?

I'm confused as hell.


As far as Austin, I've never been there, but I've never met a person who had a bad thing to say about it. In fact, every person I've ever spoken to who lived or visited there had nothing but great things to say about Austin.

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Seaver

He said that seeing that movie makes him think of Bardem everytime he thinks of Texas. I was making a joke that Chainsaw Massacre wasn't gruesome enough to do that to him.

__________________
"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

JumpinJesus

This is where it's revealed that I need to pay more attention to what people type in threads before responding.

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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

Aladdin Sane

JJ, I'm the confused one. I thought Javier Bardem was in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (which I haven't seen) because of something Seaver said. Now I understand that Bardem is in No Country for Old Men, which I also haven't seen.

This train wreck started when Redjake said he is against moving to Texas, because whenever he thinks of Texas he thinks of Javier Bardem. I didn't know who Javier Bardem was, but I thought he sure looks like Charlie Watts. Then Seaver says something about Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which made me think Bardem acted in that movie.
I'm sure that's clear as mud now.

Does anyone else think Charlie Watts and Javier Bardem look alike?

Getting back to the subject of Austin--neither Charlie nor Javier live there, but both might in the future.

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Barstool

Just as a qualifier, I'm a Texan, born 'n raised all my life. I went to school at Texas A&M and love everything about the state.

In my opinion, Austin is a wonderful place to go and visit. The attractions, live music, outdoors-y stuff, and night life are all amazing and keep me going back many a time. Also, the football rivalry between t.u. and Texas A&M (THE University of Texas ) gets things heated up and keeps it interesting. BUT (yes there's a but), the whole "Keep Austin Weird" thing gets annoying. The rest of the state is conservative in nature, yet Austin has a huge liberal following. It's like it was transplanted straight from California to the heart of Texas. If you're conservative/republican like the majority of Texas, it might make you a little uncomfortable.

All in all, it's a great town. I'd wholeheartedly suggest you visit the place first before making permanent plans. In fact, visit several times so you see all there is to do.

Happy hunting!

Seaver

Eh, I think we both know where I went to school. I'm pretty conservative and I love it, even with all the hippies.

Besides, I knew more homosexuals in College Station than I ever did in UT so don't act as if it's so different.

__________________
"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

pixelbend

I'd say I'm kinda conservative, but as far as I'm concerned, the more cultural differences, the better. My wife on the other hand, could easily slip into the yoga hippie lifestyle completely.

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