Austin, TX - tell me about it!

[fatcontroller]

So, the wife has applied for a job in Austin. Please tell me what you can about your fair city: quality of life, schools, real estate/rental scene, neighborhoods, traffic, how much of an out post is it, convenience to airport, non-ACL cool stuff, how do locals deal w/ outsiders, etc.

About us: 40 yrs old, two kids, not drawn to suburban life: either like to be in the thick of it or in rural isolation.

All input appreciated!

[mgarrison99]

It's the mecca of Texas and you'll love it. Real estate is still pricey there, especially if you're in town or on 2222 in the hills. Great city!

[mge80]

I would think that there is no shortage of info about Austin here on TGP. It seems there is a similar thread going fairly often.

No offense intended, just stating that a quick search would probably yield a good deal of info, in addition to what you might get in this thread.

I was born and raised in TX, attended school in Austin (UT), my oldest and best friend still lives there, my oldest daughter lives in the Hill Country west of there, and...should I ever return to TX (highly, highly unlikely) it would be to that area.

[fatcontroller]

No offense taken. I started with a search, but everything seemed slanted toward the "going to Austin. what clubs/guitar shops/bands should I go check out". Plus something was bogging the search down a bit. Hope I haven't offended in asking a similar question as others.

I lived in Liberty for one year as a kid. My least favorite childhood year. But I understand Austin to be a chip off a somewhat different block than the rest of the state.

Originally Posted by mge80

I would think that there is no shortage of info about Austin here on TGP. It seems there is a similar thread going fairly often.

No offense intended, just stating that a quick search would probably yield a good deal of info, in addition to what you might get in this thread.

I was born and raised in TX, attended school in Austin (UT), my oldest and best friend still lives there, my oldest daughter lives in the Hill Country west of there, and...should I ever return to TX (highly, highly unlikely) it would be to that area.

[tonedaddy]

How about a whole forum for your questions?
Seek here, and you will find:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/austin/

And if you don't find, just start a thread and ask away!

[deltaboy]

Austin has been awesome everytime I've gone there, it has a great "feel" you know it's relatively safe, but at the same time it's not sterile. Great music, outdoor recreations, college, and I think the school are pretty good. That being said, I don't think I could ever live there, and I'm not really sure why.

[wichita]

Originally Posted by fatcontroller

, how much of an out post is it,

You are asking if my town is an Outpost... and you are from where??

Seriously...

Austin is the guitar center of the universe. Great players, fun town, eatery's, real estate is priced accordingly.
The prettiest women, the nicest folks in general.
Parks, lakes, outdoor shows...

Wish we could move SXSW to Tulsa though... as it does get totally crowded that week and its not that darn much fun..

Wisconsin is an outpost.. Austin is a Paradise.

[mge80]

Originally Posted by wichita

Wisconsin is an outpost..

Thank Gawd. That's why I love it here. And why I left Texas never to return (except I do like to visit...occasionally).

Fortunately, there is a "paradise" for everyone. The key is finding it.

[wichita]

Agreed...

MGE80.. enjoy...

I don't like snow, or cheese all that much, and you don't have TEX MEX food.

[mge80]

I love the snow. Absolutely love it. So do my sled dogs. The cheese I can take or leave, for the most part.

TEX MEX? That's why I have to come back to visit from time to time.

[fatcontroller]

Originally Posted by wichita

You are asking if my town is an Outpost... and you are from where??

Seriously...

Wisconsin is an outpost.. Austin is a Paradise.

Lance - By which I meant "is it the only thing within an hour/is there nothing else around it/am I stranded there if I want to get away". i.e. Milwaukee is an hour from Madison and an hour from Chicago. Madison is 3.5 hours from the Twin Cities.... I can get a change of flavor pretty easily here.

Peace, Love, Hominy.

[fatcontroller]

Is it true that peolpe born south of the M/D are lactose intolerant? That's the only possible reason to be iffy on WI cheese.

[wichita]

That may be true...
However, Mexican food includes cheese and dairy products and that sits well with me.

To answer your question:
San Antonio is an hour away. It has a river walk, sub standard food on the riverwalk for the most part though imo....
It has theme parks for the kids, Sea World, Fiesta Texas.

Houston is 2 and half hours by car.

Dallas is 3 and half the other way.

The Austin airport has flights that actually go OUTSIDE of Texas...
You are 3 hours from the West Coast.
4ish to New York...

For International flights you would go from Dallas or Houston, but they have 30 minute connecting flights from Austin.

[billywade]

My wife and I lived in Austin when we were newly married. We're both native Texans but were made to feel welcome even though we weren't native Austinites. I think that there was a time when the locals wanted to close the gates but that notion has probably passed for most everyone by now.

Austin has more of a "hippie" vibe than any other Texas city. I knew lots of California expats when I was there. Most of them said they liked Austin because it reminded them a lot of home but without the high prices. Many had taken pay cuts when they moved to Texas and still had more disposable income. Prices are pretty high IMHO but everything is relative I guess (see CA example). It is beautiful country and even though it's a city there's lots of open areas for hiking, biking, swimming etc... If you're up for a car trip there's tons of stuff to see and do within driving distance. If you're allergic to cedar you'll figure that out pretty quick too

We were apartment dwellers when we were living there but we did own a piece of property (later sold) and planned on having a home built but never got that far. When we lived there real estate E of I-35 and especially South was generally a little less expensive, not sure if this still holds true but I am sure there are probably plenty of exceptions. If you're rolling in dough the sky's the limit regarding your abode. Michael Dell and Lance Armstrong types generally gravitate to the hills and riverfront West and Northwest of town (Matthew Mcconaughey is said to keep a small trailer spot reserved in a quaint little campground on town lake, Willie lives West of town 30 miles or so).

Traffic is probably just about as bad as it gets in Texas so, since you prefer to live in the thick of things, I'd recommend getting a place close to work unless you really enjoy stop and go traffic (provided work is in the city & you can find an available place nearby). Because of the population boom of the past few decades infrastructure (roads/highways) always seem to be lagging somewhat and road construction is a given.

An added bonus (you being from Wisconsin) is that about 2 or 3 times every decade, following precipitation and a hard freeze, all of Travis county will be covered in a 4" thick layer of ice. All of the locals will proceed to pile into their bimmers and 4 wheel drive(believing they are invincible) soccer mom SUVs. They will then attempt to drive full throttle to their intended destinations. At that time you will be required to sit back and deliver pompous commentary about how "Texans sure don't know how to drive in the snow".

The airport used to be right in the middle of the city (near the university/capital, etc...) but has moved away from the city center in the past decade or so (to the SouthEast). It's a much better facility but a little more out of the way.

[fatcontroller]

Thank you, Billywade - that is most helpful.

The Austin airport has flights that actually go OUTSIDE of Texas...

- Very funny, Witchita Is a SxNE Chunnel too much to ask for???

I ask about airport convenience b/c we would likely retain a WI residence, as my business doesn't up-and-move very easily.

Here's another one for you: what can you tell me about the craft brewing scene in Austin? Is it all Shiner all the time? Are there high-end beer bars? Brewpubs? Are their private liquor stores or are they all State-run?