Anybody here from Austin, TX?

[Otto 83]

Thanks a lot, folks!

And a very special thanks to Homesick American!

It all gives me some food for thought...

I wouldn't take much of the opinions posted as fact by any means.

*shrug* I never said I didn't like it. I just don't like the mass marketization of the place; IMHO it has been ruined by self-conscious hipsters and gel-headed, misty yuppie f*cks. I miss the Austin of 1993 before the UT student union was franchised, before the Drag was taken over by a bunch of f*cking chain stores, before Bluebonnet Plaza was torn down and replaced by a Starbucks, before Cap TX Highway had traffic lights every 10 feet, before you could drive around the hills west of town and NOT see McMansions clinging to any gradeable surface, before Macaroni Grills and hip restaurants with paragraphs describing each dish sprouted up like mushrooms after a rainstorm, before the streets were clogged with Lexuses and Boxters...y'know, back when you could make the drive on MoPac from Sixth to 183 in less than 45 minutes in rush hour traffic, back when you didn't have to use the valet parking at Chuy's Hula Hut because there were actual places to park...you get the idea. We visited Austin in 2005 and I was shocked and saddened to see what it had become. I just couldn't live there again; it hurts too much to look at what it has turned into.

I'm far from the only former Austin resident to feel this way. I know a lot of Dallas Flickrites who once lived in Austin but moved to Dallas because they just didn't want to wait around for Austin to turn into Dallas. It's like when you take off a Band-Aid...hurts less if you just rip it off quickly.

:::Yawn::: OK.. OP - it's a terrible place to live. Filled with strawberry smoking hippies paying too much for their homes and over-charging their platinum visas at all the over-populated shops while finding no place to park their gas-guzzling SUVs. Lets not forget, unlike any other med/large city, the traffic is horrible - the people are mean and nasty.

So - Hook 'em Horns and Rip The Band-aids let's all move to Mayberry RFD...

Edited May 22, 2007 by Karin und Otto

[homesick_american 1]

:::Yawn::: OK.. OP - it's a terrible place to live. Filled with strawberry smoking hippies paying too much for their homes and over-charging their platinum visas at all the over-populated shops while finding no place to park their gas-gusseting SUVs. Lets not forget, unlike any other med/large city, the traffic is horrible - the people are mean and nasty.

So - Hook 'em Horns and Rip The Band-aids let's all move to Mayberry RFD...

If you'd quit shoving words into my mouth and pay attention to the words coming out, you'd know I do NOT think it's a terrible place to live. On its own merits, it's a very nice city. However, it's nothing like what it used to be, and I loved the Austin of 15 years ago. It's not like that now, and I can't stand seeing what it has turned into. Dallas, on the other hand, has always been this way. Hence, no pain. Status quo maintained.

[sparkofcreation 0]

I've never been there, but the friends I've had who lived there, absolutely loved it. And they were liberal East Coasters like me.

If those are your criteria, though, consider Albuquerque too.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

in case you wanna get freaky in Austin you can check this place called the yellowrose

[StarProg 0]

Never been to Austin, but it was named after my second cousin six times removed (Steven Austin), so it must be a nice place (and weird fits well too). Guess I should make a point of visiting some day.

[russ 1]

I've done some research, watched some Travel Channel shows, and we have sort of come to the conclusion that Austin, TX will be our # 1 choice. Seems like one can rent a one bedroom for $600-700 a month (cheap!!), buy a decent house for $250K (unbelievably cheap), and administrative jobs there pay almost as much as in the Silicon Valley. But what we like best is the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan We are both weird, and we want to fit in

I've been to Austin, and have spent a lot of time in Dallas for many years. Austin isn't a bad place. Dallas is a blast. I could easily live there. Work in Dallas is good, and high paying. The cost of living is nothing. It is much better than Houston (too hot, too much traffic, and too expensive for me.)

This is a Yankee from Boston's opinion of Texas. My wife likes Dallas too. Plano, Addison, etc is where I would look at living. If you can live with a longer commute, you can get a much bigger house. It isn't all fake tits, big hair and oil money (most of that is in Houston anyway)

We are very happy in Tampa/St Pete. Cost of living is similar to Dallas (CHEAP compared to SF and Boston!), and depending on what you do, the pay is good here as well. Being close to the ocean is very important to us as. Unlike San Francisco, you can go to the beach every day here. Galina goes to the beach 5 days a week. We feel that we have the perfect mix of weather, culture, laid-back lifestyle, schools and prices we can afford. We are in our 20s, and just starting out after all.

Where do you have friends? For me, that has always made moving easier. You already have people you like seeing, and they can make settling in much faster for you.

Honestly, I can be happy living anyplace in the world. Florida is great if you love water. Denver is great if you love skiing. New York is great if you love culture and the big city. (If you haven't guessed, I love travel...)

Good luck!

[homesick_american 1]

I've done some research, watched some Travel Channel shows, and we have sort of come to the conclusion that Austin, TX will be our # 1 choice. Seems like one can rent a one bedroom for $600-700 a month (cheap!!), buy a decent house for $250K (unbelievably cheap), and administrative jobs there pay almost as much as in the Silicon Valley. But what we like best is the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan We are both weird, and we want to fit in

I've been to Austin, and have spent a lot of time in Dallas for many years. Austin isn't a bad place. Dallas is a blast. I could easily live there. Work in Dallas is good, and high paying. The cost of living is nothing. It is much better than Houston (too hot, too much traffic, and too expensive for me.)

This is a Yankee from Boston's opinion of Texas. My wife likes Dallas too. Plano, Addison, etc is where I would look at living. If you can live with a longer commute, you can get a much bigger house. It isn't all fake tits, big hair and oil money (most of that is in Houston anyway)

YAY, someone who likes Dallas!!!! (L)

I have to go ahead and disagree with your suburb recommendations though; these guys want to fit in with the "we don't care what you think of our uniqueness" crowd and Plano is about as far from that as you can get in Big D. I'd recommend a downtown loft for those guys; I know a couple of people doing the loft thang in D and they love it. They'd "fit in" in Austin, but they chose Dallas because Austin is now so fake and so full of poseurs.

[prpplague 0]

jewel, check with homesick american - she's from austin.

Actually, I'm from Dallas.

When we get back to Texas, we won't be going back to Austin. We're going to Dallas instead.

hehe, i totally agree with you on austin. DFW has never been "cool", but it's a great place to live!

when you guys make it back to DFW, we'll have to meet up and swap Immigration war stories!

[homesick_american 1]

jewel, check with homesick american - she's from austin.

Actually, I'm from Dallas.

When we get back to Texas, we won't be going back to Austin. We're going to Dallas instead.

hehe, i totally agree with you on austin. DFW has never been "cool", but it's a great place to live!

when you guys make it back to DFW, we'll have to meet up and swap Immigration war stories!

You bet, as long as we can go to Ojeda's on Maple. That place f*ckin' ROCKS.

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

jewel, check with homesick american - she's from austin.

Actually, I'm from Dallas.

When we get back to Texas, we won't be going back to Austin. We're going to Dallas instead.

hehe, i totally agree with you on austin. DFW has never been "cool", but it's a great place to live!

when you guys make it back to DFW, we'll have to meet up and swap Immigration war stories!

You bet, as long as we can go to Ojeda's on Maple. That place f*ckin' ROCKS.

nessa and i will be passing thru austin this saturday and on monday. bleh, i hate the traffic there.

[homesick_american 1]

nessa and i will be passing thru austin this saturday and on monday. bleh, i hate the traffic there.

Yeah, it's no fun.

Dallas is usually better, though not always. Once, a bus broke down on the 35 bridge over the Trinity; I was heading northbound towards downtown Dallas, and it's not a great place to be stuck in a traffic jam. It was a very hot day, and the Trinity was particularly smelly that day. It was like sitting in a porta-potty for an hour. I thought I was going to be sick.

[TracyLuis 0]

in case you wanna get freaky in Austin you can check this place called the yellowrose

That place is mild in comparison to some others here....

Austin is an incredibly beautiful city and a VERY comfortable place to live.

[homesick_american 1]

in case you wanna get freaky in Austin you can check this place called the yellowrose

That place is mild in comparison to some others here....

Austin is an incredibly beautiful city and a VERY comfortable place to live.

A friend of mine waitressed at the Yellow Rose when we were all students at UT. Half the dancers there were hooking on the side, and that's just the ones I knew about. :lol: