Should I move to Austin, TX?

Question

I live in So-Cal, own a home. I could buy a home there, twice as big, paid in cash. But I'm getting some negative press on crime, weather and traffic.

What's the scoop?

Answer 1

I've only visited Austin but I absolutely loved it. It is a pretty bohemian/artsy/liberal town, especially for Texas. I did live in Dallas for two years but if I ever move back to Texas it will be to Austin. The live music scene is very big there, all kinds of music. The South by Southwest music festival is the biggest event of the year in Austin. If I were you I'd go to visit Austin at least 2 times before moving, if you haven't already, and one of those I would go during South by Southwest. The summers in Texas are brutal, but Austin is in the Hill Country and has a milder climate than, say, El Paso, which is in the desert. Oh yeah, the area downtown near the river is where all the nightclubs and stuff are...6th Street and the surrounding area. If you are a party person, that is the place to go. Matthew McConaughey lives there too, BTW. However, the traffic there is horrible, especially on the interstate that runs through the city, I-35. Well, good luck.

Answer 2

I loved So-Cal when I visited, but I couldn't imagine living anywhere else but Austin. I'm lucky on the crime and the traffic because I live in a great neighorhood 5 minutes away from work, and I have a feeling that you'll be able to do the same. You'll spend $350-$500k on 1200 sq ft closer to downtown, but about $250k for the same in North Central, still a very convenient neighborhood. Avoid the 'burbs if you can, the neighborhood association folks are mini-dictators.

You'll love the night life, the friendliness of the people, and soon you too will develop that Austin smugness when you realize how cool the town really is. My advice is this: don't move to Austin if you're not going to enjoy the unique aspects of the city. If you're going to drive an SUV to and from Round Rock (a lovely series of planned developments) and never go downtown for breakfast, or if you can't stand the lake, move somewhere else. Otherwise, welcome!

Answer 3

I don't need to say anything other than Whiskey hit it the nail on the head. Everything he said is true - I back it up 100% and I have lived here my entire life (except for 4 years in San Antonio). I also agree that Austin is ANYTHING but flat. Hello? "HILL" country. Haha, that's why it's such a great place to ride road bikes + jog! Great challenging workouts...I run in the hills every day and MAN your calves will burn even after you've been doing it for years, haha. This is an amazing city. If I ever have to move out of it I'll be very disappointed. I've had 3 relatives visit from New England and they loved it so much here that they moved here. 2 friends (both from LA) moved here w/in the last year! If you have any more questions about finding a place to live, or anything about Austin in general, feel free to Email me. PS - buy a lot of TUMS before you eat the mexican food. lol

Answer 4

No... don't move here... Go away...

Honestly, Austin is a great place. Anyone who says it is that the crime and traffic are worse than LA is an idiot. Yes, we have bad rush hours, but nothing like California. And crime is not an issue except for a very small portion of the city. The weather is also very nice, HOT summers, but mild winters and spring/falls that are perfect.

Answer 5

I wouldn't tell anyone where to move to, but I can say that I was quite disappointed when I recently went to Austin to check it out. I'm from CA too. I was motivated to go there because of all the hype and people saying how great it was. I was there for about 2 weeks, and I feel that the place is highly, highly overrated. It honestly seemed like just a backwoods, hick town with some local music that wasn't very good. I even had to deal with a few closed minded hicks making dumb comments to me as I walked by, referring to my hair or how I was dressed which I have never experienced in any other place besides Texas. Yes, it's a little more liberal than most of Texas, and I can't judge the entire city, but I can say I was very let down by the people and lack of things to do there. It seemed like at least 50% redneck, with the "liberal" people being mostly hippie college students, who were probably just there for school. I would visit for at least a week, and see how long it takes you to feel out of place and bored out of your mind.

Answer 6

Austin is a great place. Right on the edge of the Hill Country. However, it has started to grow and I mean grow so the traffic is heavier, but certainly not anything like Southern California. There are lots of things to see and do in and around Austin. Last, but not least, there are good jobs opportunities. Come on down !!!

Answer 7

i was born and raised in austin, but now i live in So-Cal. I want to move back but I love the weather here. Austin is a great place to raise kids and you would probabaly live in a big house that is very nice so i would recommend moving to Austin, but its your choice. So-Cal has very good weather and you have a lot of things to do, in Austin there isn't very many things to do.

Answer 8

You could live in Austin on your Income from selling your home. You can get a nice home for $100,000 and still live a great life there.

David

Answer 9

I have a good friend that lives there and it sounds like an awesome, quirky place to live with lots to do. The summers are scorching though, and it is growing really fast because of the So-Cal invasion. ;)

Answer 10

I spent a week there and it was nice not that much to do though but I might have missed it all but it looked like a nice place to live. Coming from rural MS anywhere with more than 2 stores looks nice :)