How is Austin, TX as a place to live, work, and play?

Question

I am thinking of relocating from Albuquerque, NM to Austin, TX. I have visited Austin a few years back, but I'm wondering about things like traffic (commute time), crime, employment, etc. Thanks!

Answer 1

Austin was recently designated as one of the best cities in the US for single people:

http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/DatingCities.aspx

By the way, most of the information you are looking for can be found if you browse the bestplaces website under Austin, TX.

http://www.bestplaces.net

Answer 2

In Austin, it takes no more than maybe 30-45 minutes to get from one side of the city to the other, even in the heaviest rush hour traffic. However, that's Austin, and doesn't include the very nearby cities like Cedar Park, Westlake, Pflugerville and Round Rock, where many people, especially families, live. Some commutes take an hour or more. But I think those are exceptions rather than the rule. There are major employers on all corners of the city. If you rent or can afford a 175k house, you can live within reasonable distance of just about anywhere.

Crime - Austin was recently listed as the 5th safest city in the country: http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#25

Employment is good now, especially in the tech sector. Check out the chamber of commerce for their books of companies, etc: http://www.austin-chamber.org/

Austin also has a lot of fun stuff to do. One of my side jobs is creating a calendar of 200 Austin events, festivals and activities. You can check it out at http://AustinFunStuff.com It should help you find a good time to visit. Or some stuff to do when you get here.

Good luck in your search.

Answer 3

We have lived here 15 years and see no reason to leave.

- Housing it cheap and stable. 200K can still get you a nice house, close to town, in a good school district. Rentals are a little less certain because of the student population, but there are several areas that are nice and affordable.

- Crime, like any American city. There are areas you avoid and you don't want to do anything stupid. But, personally, I cannot think of anyone I know who has been mugged or burgled in Austin. (Some petty theft and vandalism).

- Outdoor activities. There are several parks in Austin and State Parks within a couples hours drive. If you like to mountain bike, rock climb, hike, camp, etc, there are many options.

- Night life. I moved here after graduating from college so never really got into the scene. But, I have known several people who loved the Austin night scene.

- Food. Good mix of local and chain restaurants. The local places are starting to lose ground, but they are still there and still good. (But, don't take everyone's word for what is and isn't good, there are several local favorites that I think are over-rated).

- Family activities. We found it tough 10 years ago to find things to do with a family in Austin. It has gotten better, but it is one of the only things I think Austin still lacks. There are not enough museums, a decent zoo, or 'amusement' locations in Austin.(though Austin is an easy drive from Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio where you can find these things).

- Sports. Not really my scene, but really, the only big draw in town are the UT teams. There are some small local pro teams (minor league baseball and minor league ice hockey). But, we are the largest city in the US not to have a professional major league team.

- Traffic. Mixed. It is bad for a city this size. But, still better than most large cities. (I comparing it to LA, Denver, Dallas, and Chicago). You can expect any trip to take 3-4 times as long during rush hour, but since you can drive most places in Austin in about 20 minutes (without traffic), that means most commutes are still less than an hour during rush hour.

Answer 4

6th Street During the Day
Traveling west by automobile, in this video set to music you see a nice long stretch of 6th Street, especially the north side of the street all the way up to Lamar Boulevard. The first 35 seconds or so capture that part of 6th included in the 6th Street Entertainment District. As you'll see, there's a lot more to 6th Street than just the clubs.

Driving through Austin, TX
In this fast motion video you'll drive down IH 35, take the frontage road a short way, then at about 1:10 into the video speed west on 6th Street then head south on Lamar Boulevard.

Austin Grits
About a minute into this 3 minute video you'll take a nighttime drive through downtown including down 6th Street, Lamar Boulevard, and other streets.

Austin 6th Street at Night
The video is jumpy and a little blurry but you get a sense of what an ordinary night on 6th Street is like -- lots of lights, people, street preachers, short skirts, and oddballs. You can hear the music coming from the nearby bars. Was that Leslie in the devil mask?

Halloween 2006 on 6th Street
I was on 6th for a short while this past Halloween and I recognize a lot of these crazy costumes. You don't see much of the buildings here but you see a lot of super heroes, skimpy outfits, and perhaps a few tacky costumes too. Here's part 2.

A Man Singing Downtown
Despite the poor sound quality the music comes through beautifully in this 2 minute video of a man and his guitar singing on the sidewalk.

Texas: SXSW Music Festival
This nicely done video with narration features some of the music at SXSW. Includes some 6th Street scenes and a short bit with a pedicab driver.

Define: Rickshaw
Intercut with very quick 6th Street scenes is a discussion about the difference between "rickshaw" and the pedicabs found on 6th Street. Some of the video is filmed while riding in a pedicab.

Brawl on 6th Street
Yes, things can sometimes get a little rowdy as seen in this short, jumpy clip of a street fight one evening.

6th Street After the 2006 Rose Bowl
Austin may be home to a lot of musicians but not everyone can carry a tune. This short, rather blurry clip shows a little of the impromptu celebrating and street crowds along with an off-key rendition of "We are the Champions" after the Longhorns won the Rose Bowl.

Street Evangelism on 6th Street
You can see a little bit of everything on 6th Street including shoppers, club-hoppers, musicians, hookers, tourists, and preachers. In this very brief clip the Austin Tabernacle is holding a street service. The tents you see in the background are set up down the middle of the street during various arts and crafts events held downtown.

News 8 Explores Sixth Street
Scroll down to find links to a 5-part series on "The Rise and Fall of 6th Street." Each link takes you to the full story on the News 8 Austin site where you'll also find the video version as it appeared on TV. These television segments explore the past, present, and future of 6th Street

http://austin.about.com/

Answer 5

lots of traffic, the crime is average not to drastic, employment is great, houses cost between 150000 to 300000 for a really nice new home, culture is mixed more or less hispanics and caucasion, lots of clubs on 6th street, however its easy to get bored there, lots of homosexuals ....