We are a 29 and 28 year old married couple with no kids looking to relocate from Southwest Florida within the next six months. We have narrowed it down to Austin, Texas and Chicago, IL.
2006-11-19 13:32:34 · 20 answers · asked by Relocating 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ Austin
Chicago to visit, Austin to live. Austin= outdoor activities 10 months out of the year. The Live Music Capital of the World. Golf year round.. Austin is cutting edge and technology oriented.
Chicago is a great city to visit and shop. IMO it is too big and can be difficult to get around. There is lots to do, but unless you are well off financially you'll drive a lot because you'll probably live out in the burbs.
By in large the cost of living is much less in Austin vs. Chicago. Property taxes are similar, however you keep more of your paycheck since Texas, like FL, has no earnings tax.
I hope this helps... in case you're wondering, I've lived in both cities. I married and dragged my new wife out of Texas. Five years latter, it was me or Chicago....we moved back to Austin.
2006-11-21 03:45:18 · answer #1 · answered by Robert Y 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the lifestyle you're looking for. Chicago is a large cosmopolitan city, Austin is smaller and has more of 'college' feel. It's not quite the 'hippy' town it used to be due to all the businesses that have been relocating to Austin in recent years, but it still has that feel in a lot of respects. Chicago has the theatre/fine arts/ballet, and Austin has a lot of live bands and that sort of thing. I live in Austin and I can tell you it is a great city to live in - it's very pretty, the people are friendly and will take the time to help out strangers. And for the most part it's nice and laid-back. There is not a whole lot of crime, and it's a pretty safe city overall. If you're planning to have kids at some point, Austin would be ideal. The drawbacks are that Austin has long, HOT summers. Sometimes it can reach temperatures of 110++. I will admit that I don't like the hot summers very much. But if you can handle it, I would say Austin is a great choice for you. Chicago winters are also brutally cold from what I hear, so that's something to be aware of too.
2006-11-20 04:20:53 · answer #2 · answered by Jenny A_331 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Chicago Il To Austin Tx
2016-12-26 15:50:16 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Austin Tx To Chicago Il
2016-11-07 10:18:22 · answer #4 · answered by dhrampla 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Austin
You have a great nightlife, warm weather (as you would be used to being from Florida), a growing job market, and great real estate. Austin is only miles away from the Hill Country, which is vast open spaces of beautiful land. You can get nice houses with huge plots for reasonable amounts (if you live outside the city a bit). The gas is cheap (most people here drive huge trucks and SUVs). There is no income tax in Texas, but the sales tax is 8.25% and property tax can be 3 %.
In sum, Austin is a better place to relocate to from Florida. You will not be shocked by the weather, the prices will be lower, the people (native people, mind you) are friendly and you will only be a 3-hour drive from the beach. Not to be mean, but Chicago is expensive, cold in the winter, and land-locked (there is a lake, but not the Gulf of Mexico!).
Good luck!
2006-11-19 13:47:30 · answer #5 · answered by CCBB 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I love both cities.
We live in Austin and occasionally travel to Chicago for fun. We moved from Houston to Austin because we got tired of the big city and the crime that came along with it. I don't think living in Chicago will be easy unless you were born in a cold climate and are used to it or you just plainly love the cold weather and snow. We went during December one year wanting to see snow, but had no luck, it ended up snowing the day after we left! It felt like we came close to getting hypothermia, though.
The move will all depend on what you want from the city. Austin is small, but it's definitely growing. The weather is great and the scenery is just beautiful. Make sure you eat some barbeque!
We sure are getting a lot of people from all over the map.
Good luck! :)
2006-11-21 07:42:24 · answer #6 · answered by Fig 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in Austin, but have lived in Chicago and travel there regularly. I love both. Forced to choose, I would choose Chicago, but I don't mind Chicago winters.
Chicago
- Pro - Benefits of a large city including museums, theater, food, public transportation, events, music and night scene. Great people. Major hub, so flights to anywhere tend to be cheap. Proximity to many other states with fun things to do.
- Con - Expensive housing, transportation, taxes, groceries. Cold winters. Plus, some people just don't like the shear scale of the city that large.
Austin
- Pro - Mild weather (fall, winter, and spring are all awesome). Inexpesive housing. Great grocery stores with great produce. Good youth/college scene. Music. Outdoor activities (camping, hiking, biking, climbing).
- Con - Isolated (apart from other Texas cities). Growing urban sprawl is killing off the old 'weird' Austin; Austin is promoted being funky, liberal, and cool, but it really isn't as funky, liberal, and cool as it likes to think it is.
2006-11-21 07:14:50 · answer #7 · answered by Wundt 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Austin , if you like it warm through most of the year. It's a great place to raise the kids- great school districts , specially in round rock,(15 mins drive from austin) - a wonderfully safe and happy place, . There's a great outlet mall and a brand new IKEA opened there now. Reasonable as far as buying a house would go, ...Austin would be a better choice.. but it all depends on what you want..
2006-11-19 14:07:30 · answer #8 · answered by Kria 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Two very good choices! Please take into consideration that while Chicago has frighteningly cold winters, Austin only has two seasons. Also, if you're into road trips, Chicago doesn't have as many destinations close by that you can drive to while Austin has several, including the beach! Chicago is older and has more history, and Austin has a nice small town feel. You should definitely visit both cities before you decide. Its a tough choice! Good luck.
2006-11-19 13:46:15 · answer #9 · answered by Nikki B 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
ok don't listen to these people who are saying you have to be rich to afford a house in Austin... NOT TRUE! first of all there are so many new homes being built that start in the 150's.... the areas with the new homes are in north austin/round rock....going further south to central and south austin the neighborhoods are older and not as nice.. but the location is great cuz you are close to downtown and that's where it all happens! great night life, music, and a huge mix of different people, including hippies!
2016-03-29 02:08:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋