Austin, Texas

It Sucks!!! The Traffic Sucks!!! the lines Suck!!! and the traffic SUCKS! Don’t move here you will hate it! Its Hot there’s lots of bugs! Please don’t move here! The Hipsters will drive you crazy! And so will the Bernie Sanders supporters are every where in the Prius’s making the traffic real bad because they drive real slow! Please do not move here!

«The Live Music Capitol of the World». I have moved and traveled to many places in the world and am always happy to come back home to Austin. This is always a young town due to students and people fleeing their own states and that helps keep things new, exciting and shakes things up a bit. Yes there is more traffic, but keeping a town attractive keeps it from going stale and dying.

If you want to see drug deals, homeless people every 4 feet and gross bars go to 6^th St. Otherwise stay away from 6^th Street! They claim is it like Bourbon St, except for the smell, so not true. Austin does need to clean up their city and get the homeless under control. It was worse than Seattle. Other than that South Congress St was great, double decker bus tour really shows you the city and worth the time. Great restaurants, shops and nice people. We did a day trip and that was plenty of time to spend in Austin.

Austin has its’ good and bad points.
Pros-​There are good paying jobs in some areas such as the tech field. Housing prices are lower than in some other places like California.
While there are a few areas that are sketchy at night, you don’t have any downright rough areas that are unsafe like there are in NYC or Chicago. People here on average are friendly and have manners and are accepting of different types of people though we have jerks here too like anywhere. There is enough diversity to add some extra flavor but not so much that It destroys the host culture. There are a wide range of restaurants serving different types of cuisine There is also live music, entertainment and events. The winters are mild and the spring comes early. There are also major colleges and universities here and nearby.
Cons– Other than high paying tech jobs or jobs in certain other areas, salaries here are lower than other places. Property taxes here are high. The cost of living here and rents have gotten much higher. Part of this is due largely to the huge influx of people from other places resulting in more housing demands. A more business friendly climate in Texas along with failed financial policies in California and some states up North have resulted in huge numbers of people coming here for jobs or fleeing high taxes and costs. The public transportation here is worse than other cities because our city council is full of elitist yuppies who don’t care because the people who ride them are on the lower end of the economic scale. The traffic here is bad. More of the entertainment here is geared to the young and hipsters Too many festivals and events and runs that block traffic. Summers are long and hot and don’t end until close to Halloween.

Traffic, rich and sweaty hipsters, bad beer, more traffic, smugness. Imagine if bad performance art built a city. An Instagram selfie that came to life.
There are lots of talented chefs. Food is good. Lots of tech comes out of here.
Update: construction never finishes.

Positives:
1. I like Austin its the most livable of the Cities I have lived in.
2. People are friendly.
3. Plenty of public spaces to take family that are free or at reduced cost.
4. It is relatively safe to commute on a bike if you live in the city core.
Barton springs, The parks and free concerts.
Negatives.
1. It it still Texas :
Texas is the uninsured capital of the United States.
More than 6.3 million Texans — including 1.2 million children — lack health insurance. -
See more at:
HAMM seeks to provide health care for musicians but what about everyone else?
2. It is still in the United States :
Wages are low for the rent. The Austin city council stated that to live
in Austin comfortable a person needs make 20 per hour but minimum wage is still 7 dollars per hour. Austin is great because every where else went to hell … the rest of the country is still in such bad times and does not or will not spend money on infrastructure that Austin has.
3. The city that everyone loves or I love is disappearing and being replaced with chic useless things … pet walkers personal trainers and all the ills of California.
The opportunists that seem to show up at any place with to many upper income types.
4. The streets are not paved with gold: Everyone says that jobs are being created here but personally I believe it closer to the fact that jobs are being moved here. And I think the jobs are moved here at the expense of the region the were moved from.
The city rolls over to give various companies who are already extremely profitable a tax abatement.

Having lived here before and then moved back for the summer, I thought I should take a moment to give inquiring minds a look at reviews of Austin.
There are some upsides to living here, primarily surrounding the entrepreneur scene, and the health scene, which I’m pretty sure is coming close to matching Silicon Valley, Denver, NYC and DC. But to be fair, all of the negative things that are cited in other reviews are fairly accurate.
The traffic is now a lot worse, and the city is not equipped to deal with it all, which is having a detrimental impact on the quality of life here for some. The growth in development is undoubtedly pushing real estate prices through the roof, as evidenced by the number of transplants heading to Round Rock, Cedar Park, Marble Falls, and San Marcos, which in a way can be a positive development.
Overall, most of this is due to Austin receiving far too much publicity and hype over the past few years, and as a result, it is still the most over-​rated city that I’ve been to in recent memory if you try to do a side by side comparison of the claims made, versus reality.
It’s a tough call to say that this place is for everyone. But if you live on a bike or a scooter and reside close to downtown, it’s probably more palatable. Otherwise, you might be a little disappointed.

Austin, TX
1. plenty of parks
2. weird
3. great food trucks
4. outstanding BBQ
5. lack of seafood and Cajun restaurants
6. great schools
7. traffic is the worst
8. excellent medical care
9. nightlife
10. international airport

The traffic situation and poor city bus service make for a poor quality or life. On my trips into Austin realize more and more its vaunted reputation as a good place to live is an illusion. Fort Worth, Houston are superior in all categories.

Howdy Partner!
I have visited Austin a couple of times and I have always had a great time! I am shocked at how cultural and multicultural this city is. The people here are very friendly and most Texans are and they are very accepting of your culture, sexual orientation, even foreign language.
The city itself is very beautiful, very clean, and it is just the right size not to huge where the traffic is horrible and everyone is mad but also not too small that you are bored. There is a lively music, theater, and arts scene here. Your choices for food are fantastic from traditional American to European, Latin, or The Far East. The downtown core is such a pleasant place to work and live, a wonderful combination of Urban and Green spaces, plus the main street out of downtown is a very nice drive lined with shops on both side and great view of the city skyline.
I enjoyed my stay here both times, and will definitely be back many more times.

Great place. Everyone told me I had to come visit Austin. It reminds me of downtown San Diego. Nice people, great places to eat, exciting nightlife. You have your chic hotel lounges or your hole in the wall bars. It’s metropolitan but very hipster in some spots. Our night on sixth Street was a success jumping from place to place and dancing our behinds off. Lots of history in Austin but it’s a modern and happening place.

Austin, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
1. You’re not Houston or Dallas.
2.What traffic? Ever been in LA, Chicago, New York, Atlanta or Miami (or above)?
3. I’ll take 105 degrees over 3 feet of dirty snow and negative temperature any day.
4. Minorities, gay, strange, tattooed/​pierced or Tea Party we don’t GIVE A SHIT.
5. More great food trucks and restaurants here than gyms.
6. Legal for women to be «topless» anywhere and I don’t mean a convertible.
7. We have a drinking problem… yeah, so what?
8. We still open doors for women down here.
9. The words Y’ALL and AMIGO in the same sentence are not frowned upon.
10. Years ago we were the only Texas City that voted FOR gay marriage, now look!
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.

Austin, how can I describe it. Well I’ll start by saying it’s an amazing city. It has grown soo much since I was a kid. I was born and raised here and I love it. It’s growing with tons of diversity and different cultures all coming and exchanging ideas between one another.
You want music? Shoot this is the live music capital of the world!!! You like festivals? We have ACL (AUSTIN CITY LIMITS) SXSW (SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST). Among other smaller ones. You love racing? We have the only race track in the country that was built for formula 1 and moto gp.
You enjoy sports? There’s tons here, from the greatest college in the work in the UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS and our beloved LONGHORNS TO our wonderful express.
Food? Hehe we definitely have that. Austin has tons of food from all over the world. Austin has become the mecca of food trucks and they each bring there own unique spice to the scene. You’ll never be able to try them all bit if you do, let me know. I’ll join ya. Exercise? Were one of the healthiest city’s in the country with some of the nicest trails that’s run through the city and out of the city.
There are tons of things to do here, so if you plan on visiting or moving to the capital of TEXAS… just be sure you have some friends to stay with because after all, what’s a great city with out quality peeps to share it with.

I mean seriously, what is there not to love?
Beautiful weather (yeah, I sometimes like the 100+ degree weather, gross right?)
Amazing music scene
Delicious restaurants
Cool, relaxed bars (I mean, besides dirty 6^th)
Friendly, smiling faces
Gorgeous parks, lakes, swimming spots & trails
IT’S THE PERFECT COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE!
But if you’re from Dallas, it sucks, go away.

I visited Austin for the first time when it was SXSW season with my cousin and her friend
We visited the downtown area, it was so beautiful. Though walking on the streets it smelled like walking down the streets of NOLA. If you know how that is, its smelled nasty!!!
The people were nice and sometimes indifferent. It was a lot of different kinds of people here. A lot of good food places
Also, its a lot of weird people here, both for the college and regular. A LOT OF DIFFERENT ODD PEOPLE.
We even drove on the campus of UT Austin, it was really big and beautiful at night.
Its the capital of Texas, you can’t get any better than that. It was very beautiful both urban and rural city.

San Antonio is cooler.

I am one of the many pilgrims from California who relocated to Austin within the past few years. I moved here early 2010.
Understandably, native Texans have become a little hostile toward all the West Coast new comers. I’m not sure if this is because we cause the horrible traffic in Austin, because we drive up the rents, or because they have the impression we are «taking over» their beloved city. In spite of the resentment I have caused, I have been here 3 years and am entitled to an opinion:
Pros:
1.) Cost of living. The appeal of Austin generally boils down to affordability. Generally speaking, housing, utilities, food, gasoline, and entertainment are very affordable. Austin has become somewhat of The Silicon Valley of the Southwest, so the job market is very healthy. Many of these companies are hiring for entry-​level positions and don’t necessarily require a college degree.
2.) People are friendly. Native Austinites are generally easy-​going and agreeable people. It is easy to make friends here and establish ties with people.
3.) Music festivals and tourism. South by Southwest and Austin City Limits are some of the biggest and best music festivals in the country. These events occur during the Spring and Fall every year and bring millions of dollars in revenue to the local economy.
4.) University of Texas. It is a respected and important university with brilliant professors and students. Football in Texas is also very much apart of its culture.
5.) Food. Texans LOVE to eat. Austin is very protective and supportive of local businesses, so it is never difficult to find good food here. Despite Texas’ reputation for BBQ and steaks, Austin is home to wonderful Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cuisine. The food trailers are taken very seriously and usually offer impressive results.
Cons:
1.) Very little cultural diversity. Many visitors from around the country see Austin the way it is during SXSW or ACL: a vibrant, diverse city that is a destination for culture, music, and the arts. The Live Music Capital of the World.
I do not believe this to be true during the rest of the year. Austin has ONE, very small fine arts museum and a couple small galleries peppered downtown. Consequently, Austin doesn’t have much of a local art scene. This isn’t a city for artists.
Culture and entertainment in Austin is very bar-​centric. Many of these bars are typical jeans, t-​shirt, and flip-​flop kind of places filled with UT students and townies. «Trendy» dance clubs are usually small and mediocre and rarely showcase innovative music. Fashion in Austin is usually quite outdated and it’s very rare to see well-​dressed people here. The bar scene is too casual and too pedestrian. Nightlife here is not exciting or different.
2.) Very little natural beauty. Lake Travis is pretty, but forget about relaxing and losing yourself in nature. The Green Belt is Austin’s nature destination, which actually makes me quite sad. It’s small, rolling hills with native scrubbery and dry desert plants. Aside from the city center and parts of South Austin, you’ll find a lot of track housing and McMansions in new, planned neighborhoods. Not a whole lot of mature trees or efforts in landscaping. I understand the weather is harsh, but there are plenty of native cacti, succulents, and other desert plants that would greatly improve the beauty of the city. Instead, most homes are dead set on their grassy front lawns that cannot survive the summers.
2.) You’re in Texas. Austin is what they call a «blueberry in a cherry pie,» meaning it is quite liberal compared to the rest of the state. However, you still run into the fanatically religious, homophobic, anti-​woman, pro-​gun, George W. Bush-​loving conservative idiots Texas is known for.

Austin is the best city in Texas. If you’re young and in your 20s, you’ll probably love Austin. For the rest of us, the active nightlife, ubiquitous live music, plethora of festivals, and wide selection of independent coffeeshops will suffice. Austin is a vibrant city with a sense of community. People who live here actually love it here and speak positively about their city.
Locals often enthusiastically shell out an extra xyz% to buy products from their local, independent store instead of the Walmart. Customer service in general is great; salespeople and waitstaff seem genuinely friendly.
Crime is so low I feel safe walking around downtown alone at 3 am. The cost of living is really low. Residential homes and apartments not too far from the city center are still quite affordable.
Half the reason I like Austin is the Town Lake trail and the other half is the people. I grew up in suburban Houston watching countless reports of crime on the evening news and became cynical of humanity from the people I’d encountered in life. Since moving to Austin for school and then the miserable post-​undergraduate work life, my faith in humanity has mostly been restored. People in Austin are really laidback, honest, ethical, educated, open-​minded, polite, and friendly. They are also really fit and beautiful in general – your coworker or neighbor is probably a marathoner or a triathlete. Driving on Austin roads is a far more relaxing experience than on Houston roads. I also like the high density of vegans and vegetarians in Austin. My favorite vegan Unilocaler is Jenny L. (
).
I took off a star for the occasionally-​oppressive summer heat and also for making me feel retired since I’ve been out of college. Other things about Austin I hate are the presence of wild deer in the west side of town, the hills that make my 4-​cylinder econobox struggle, the high-​rise residential buildings going up downtown, the 98% rental occupancy that leads to 10% rent increases every time my lease is up for renewal, and the high density of rich people who vote for Obama.

After college, so many of my friends moved to Chicago or New York or LA. I didn’t feel an affinity for those cities. Any longing. Any sense of excitement. There was always something missing… and I don’t mean 90 degree summer temperatures or a bunch of tie dye. Over the past six years I’ve figured it out. Austin is The Total Package.
Smart, sassy, sexy. Technologically forward but community driven. A haven to peoples of all religions, races, interests. An amalgamation of ideas and attitudes. It’s nooks and crannies and wide open spaces. A conservative town. A liberal town. A city that lights up a 40 foot Christmas tree and sings Oh Tannenbaum in front of the capital like any good Charlie Brown Special but who’s going on 40 years of Eeyore’s birthday replete with drum circles and painted breasts. A place where you’re just as likely to see dreadlocks and vintage clothing as you are a preppy sweater with three popped collars. It’s mesquite trees and crawfish boils and big back yards with fat white string lights and live music anytime you get a hankerin’.
Where in the summer you’ve got so many festivals and athletic adventures and natural parks to choose from that it’s a wonder we’re not all suffering from event paralysis. Where in the winter the sky is clear and sunny and it’s everything you can do to not leave what you’re doing to enjoy the beauty of the hill country. It’s city mouse meets country mouse; plays and art and opera and ballet with an option for barn dances and sock hops and bonfires and a guy with a guitar on a porch. It’s Thai and Indian and Mexican and BBQ. It’s gourmet with flop flops. It’s glam in glad rags.
And the people. They reflect the shining multifaceted ruby red beating heart of this city. Ever shifting and changing and full of life and love and laughter. And purpose. And intention. And invention. And brains. Everyday I meet someone who inspires me, awes me, makes me question, think, reformulate. Is it the city that molds the people or vice versa?
I guess what I’m saying, Austin, is that I didn’t know that you were home until I got here. And sometimes when I can take a step back and get a little distance from my life, I sense that all the stars aligned to put me in this time and place of magic and wonder and possibilities… deep in the heart of Texas.

This is an interesting category, it made me think for a moment. Here’s a moment’s worth of thought:
No matter where I’ve lived or visited, I’ve pretty much found what I wanted or needed to find.
What makes Austin different is I can get to anything within a half-​hour or less, and that includes the airport. I’m not sure there’s a bunch of cities where you can do that, and I’m too comfy now to find out.