I'm going for a job interview in Austin, if I get it I will be moving there from El Paso. This job is north of town on I-35 near Yager lane.

I'm looking for any information on living conditions, things to do, where to live, general stuff like traffic. I have heard that allergies are bad there- is this true?

The interview is the first time that I will have ever been in Austin, so I only know what people who graduated from UT have told me, like 6th street, hippies everywhere, etc...

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

Allergies are awful there.

Traffic is also very bad, so try to get an apartment close to work for a while.

Apartments and homes in Austin are VERY expensive, but if you wait about 18 months you should be able to get a good deal as the real estate craters there (as it does regularly).

It is very hard to find apartments in Austin that will keep you away from perverts, junkies, and illegal aliens, but it is usually pretty easy to avoid the scary poor/day laborers -- just visit during the middle of the day and look at how many cars are there and their condition.

You WILL have problems with burglary in most of Austin.  Get insurance and lock up valuables in a safety deposit box.  Crime is a serious problem in Austin, and it keeps the police hopping.

I will see if I can dig up the crime map that I used to have.

My wife has pretty bad allergies but she does fine here in Austin. It might just be that she's gotten used to it. I myself have never had allergy problems so I guess I'm just lucky.

I-35 sucks for traffic. The new bypass is "supposed" to alleviate some of it but I myself am skeptical. Luckily I don't commute on I-35.

It is expensive to live here. I don't know what El Paso is like but it ain't cheap here. IM me if you want to hear some of the prices I've paid over the last few years. But I did live near campus for a large part of that which costs more.

I can't comment on the crime aspect. I don't know the big picture but I feel quite safe where I am. I did get burglarized when I lived by campus but I'm 99% sure of who did as there was a homeless guy living in our laundry room at the time.

As far as what there is to do....what things do you like? There are a lot of bars, live music, and if you're an excercise fanatic then you'll be right at home with all the crazy runners and wannabe Lance Armstrong's we have here.

So yeah......I'm sure others who have been here longer than I have will chime in soon.

It's like Berkley, California with a few more cowboy hats.

Quoted: I'm going for a job interview in Austin, if I get it I will be moving there from El Paso. This job is north of town on I-35 near Yager lane. One of the Dell factories? I'm looking for any information on living conditions, things to do, where to live, general stuff like traffic. I have heard that allergies are bad there- is this true? The interview is the first time that I will have ever been in Austin, so I only know what people who graduated from UT have told me, like 6th street, hippies everywhere, etc... Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

Austin is one of the best places to live in Texas.

Crime is not a problem, as far as my experience goes.

There's a lot on night-life, if that's what you are looking for. I'm married, and out of that scene.

Traffic sucks out loud. I-35 is bad in the Yager Ln area. There is a lot of road construction going on, toll roads mostly. There are no toll roads at this time.

The job is at TCEQ, state job so pay is not stellar, so I am pretty concerned about cost of living.

How is the commute coming down from Pflugerville, Round Rock, etc. places north of town? Is the housing any cheaper? Can anyone give me a ballpark figure for renting a 2 bedroom house or apartment?

I'm old enough that I am past the bar scene (and I dated a girl who managed a 6th street bar, so I've heard about that scene). Is the place crawling with students? I've dated several very liberal UT grads and all of them told me I would hate Austin because I'm not "tolerant"- do the hippies bother you in general daily life?

I'm into backpacking and shooting, so any info about those is appreciated. And thanks to everyone that has answered so far, please keep it coming.

Don't live anywhere east of Mopac.

Don't go anywhere east of IH 35 after dark.

Stay off of 6th street always and downtown in general after the end of the work day.

Follow those three rules and you'll never see one bit of crime.  

Some more thoughts.  

Look north and west for living space.  Postion yourself so you avoid IH-35 as part of your commute if possible.

For things to do, buy a boat or make friends with someone that has one. 5 lakes within 60 miles.  I boat about 3 times a week

Housing isn't that expensive unless you are looking around the city center. Lots of affordable housing in the suburbs. (we built ours for 170K)  Commuting isn't bad as long as you stay off the north-south corridors.  I live out by the lake and it takes me 25 minutes to get to work. Lots of good restaurants unless the doc gets mad at you for not sticking to your cholesterol diet.  

Little over an hour to San Antonio, 3.5 hours to the beach/fishing in Corpus. Two indoor ranges, three outdoor ranges,  Austin rifle club.  

Don't know about two bedrooms specifically, most of the single guys I know pay around 600-900$ a month for apartments.  Just about all live in the north such Pflugerville or the Wells Branch area.  

Hippies?  Great for entertainment value. I've heard it mentioned that only one of 7 people here have been in Austin longer that 10 years. The old hippies are getting kind of scarce.   We did have some great war protests though.

Regarding housing, if you look near your prospective employer's location you shouldn't have to worry much about traffic conditions.  Be forewarned that real estate prices in Austin are pretty darned high.  I lived in Plano 11 years ago and thought that area was expensive--until I made the move to Austin.

I dunno who told you that Austin has hippies everywhere, but I think that's a misnomer.  I think Austin has a good mix of folk.  Professionals, hippies, college folk, day laborers, etc.  Yeah, you'll find more of the college crowd near 6th and the UT campus, but that's true of a lot of demographics.

Things to do?  Whatcha like?  Austin has lots of outdoor stuff within close driving distance.  Hiking, biking, boating all available in plentiful supply within an hour's drive.  Several shooting ranges.  Lotsa places to eat.  Movie theaters, shopping, museums, live music.  

Let us know what other questions you have and we'll try to help.  Good luck with the interview!

My vote is,

Live in the oposite direction of main traffic for am (6:45 - 8:30) and pm (3:30 - 6:30).  I say get an apt. off Metric Blvd. between Parmer Ln. and Braker Ln lots of them in this area.  They are nice.

Good luck  

Map

Quoted: Don't live anywhere east of Mopac. Don't go anywhere east of IH 35 after dark. Stay off of 6th street always and downtown in general after the end of the work day. Follow those three rules and you'll never see one bit of crime.  Burglary?  I know you would know, but it has never seemed that rosy to me, and I remember when people said Austin had no crime and I knew people being mugged by folks following them home in Westlake Hills .... Some more thoughts.   Look north and west for living space.  Postion yourself so you avoid IH-35 as part of your commute if possible. For things to do, buy a boat or make friends with someone that has one. 5 lakes within 60 miles.  I boat about 3 times a week Housing isn't that expensive unless you are looking around the city center. Lots of affordable housing in the suburbs. (we built ours for 170K)  Commuting isn't bad as long as you stay off the north-south corridors.  I live out by the lake and it takes me 25 minutes to get to work. Lots of good restaurants unless the doc gets mad at you for not sticking to your cholesterol diet.   Little over an hour to San Antonio, 3.5 hours to the beach/fishing in Corpus. Two indoor ranges, three outdoor ranges,  Austin rifle club.   Don't know about two bedrooms specifically, most of the single guys I know pay around 600-900$ a month for apartments.  Just about all live in the north such Pflugerville or the Wells Branch area.  Wells Branch is a good choice.  Pflugerville is not so hot (crime, again). Hippies?  Great for entertainment value. I've heard it mentioned that only one of 7 people here have been in Austin longer that 10 years. The old hippies are getting kind of scarce.   We did have some great war protests though.

I would really, really, really wait about 18 months before buying anything.  Home sales are stalling, and the prices should start to fall soon.

One thing that I just thought of -- when you are looking at apartment complexes in Austin, try to make sure that they aren't being run by bankrupt firms being reorganized.  Thet is happening a lot lately because California companies invested heavily in the Austin apartment market during the tech boom, and when they go under you can't get anything that is not life-threatening fixed.  So check them out as well.

Yeah, get a place near work of course.  No north/south corridor is good during rush hours.  I have the option now of Mopac (Loop 1), 360 or Mesa...and I end up taking Mesa most of the time cuz it's quicker.  

Lots of places north and east of Austin to get a house, of course.  Apartments are all over.    

Lots of BBQ and Tex-Mex places.  Some are even really good.

Too many damn Californians.

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Quoted: My vote is, Live in the oposite direction of main traffic for am (6:45 - 8:30) and pm (3:30 - 6:30).  I say get an apt. off Metric Blvd. between Parmer Ln. and Braker Ln lots of them in this area.  They are nice. Good luck  href=Map

Kendal, thanks, nice map, I'm going to go and check that out when I am going to the interview.

Everyone else, thanks for all the info, I appreciate it. It turns out that a classmate of mine already works there and I got some good info from him too. I've got several other interviews around Texas and New Mexico, so we'll see what happens.

I agree with a lot of sentiment here.  Austin IS a great place to live.  Traffic DOES suck balls, so try to find a place close to where you'll be working.  The north end of town, Pflugerville and Round Rock are great areas. I live just south of Round Rock, and work at Dell in Round Rock.  I'd almost feel safe enough leaving my car unlocked, but I still lock it.  Around this area, I have no fear of being burglarized or other drastic crimes.

Yeah, it is a pretty liberal area... you'll see tons of the W stickers and crap like that.  Downtown can be fun at night.  Yeah, there are lots of younger college age hotties, but there are plenty of more mature hotties.  You could just walk up and down 6th street and marvel at all the hot ass around.  

Plenty of good stuff in and around Austin to keep you occupied.  There's a group that has a range southwest of Austin called TexasTactical.  They put on several matches every month including IDPA and Carbine matches (which they base off of IDPA rules).  They're laid back, not real hardcore about the technical rules, but they are very safety minded.  Sometimes a few of us will get together for a match.  

Anyway, come on down!  Let us know if you have any questions!

After visiting regularly for over a year, I moved down on this month. Really like it, and it's a far cry from the Dallas burbs.

Sure plenty of hippies, but you would be surprised to see how many of them are armed. Seems to be a new thing down here. Look closely at the bumper stickers if you don't believe me.

I got a place 5 min from downtown, I wanted to try that for a while. Found a well established neighborhood and people pretty much watch out for things. I see a lot of foot traffic through the streets and that makes me a little nervous, so a bunch of security measures for the house are in order (as opposed to my last place where there was not a single break-in for 10 blocks in all directions for like 7 years...).

It is way more laid back here, but there is still a lot of business, money, and motivated people to hire and work with. The city is WAY more compact than DFW, and I like that a lot. Traffic can suck, but once you figure it out, and as long as you don't commute during the worst of it, it's not that bad at all.

The people are way more open and friendly here. Standing in line at the post office (which I have to do regularly), in DFW you are lucky if you get an "excuse me" if someone's kid kicks you in the leg, plus everyone is all pissed off due to the wait. In Austin, everyone is talking and cracking up in line...bunch of strangers shooting the shit. It's a different mentality.

I'm looking forward to networking with the shooters and 4x4 crowd here.

Austin is a great place to live.  Been here for almost 20 years now and it'd take a lot to get me to move.

The bad news:  

1.  Californians (willing to pay double what a house is worth since that's still less than what they pay in CA) have jacked the housing market.

2.  The area you are looking at has some of the crappiest traffic in the area.

3.  the property taxes are OMGWTF bad.

4.  I'm personally disappointed with the ranges and gun stores around here (except for The Gun Store in Cedar Park, which rocks).  I'd rather there were twice as many of both in the hope that there would be at least one good one, but that's the way it goes.

The good news:

1. Crime is not really a problem compared to any city this size or larger, provided that you don't live in a bad neighborhood  (I'd stay away from the area West of 35 between Rundberg/Kramer and loop 1, as well as anything East of 35 between Yeager and ... San Marcos.   There are other areas to avoid, but those are the big ones.  Truth is, there parts of even those areas that are ok, but why take the chance if you're not sure what you're getting into).  I've lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in town and while they're no joke, you could do worse.

2.  Some really good schools if you're a family man.  Some crappy ones too (AISD is a mixed bag).

3.  Parts of Round Rock, P-ville, and Georgetown aren't far from your area and can be reasonable (for the Austin are).

4.  If you're looking for an apartment, in the last couple of years apt rent has been the lowest in 10 years.  I think it may be back on the upswing, but still lower than it was, say 5 years ago.  Apparently, after a big apt crunch about 5-10 years ago they overbuilt, so there are a lot of apts going cheap.

5.  Good night life, decent folks, lots of good food.

6.  nice lakes if you fish or are into water sports.  Not much for big bassin' but lots of good places to catch a lot of fish.

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Quoted: Austin is a great place to live.  Been here for almost 20 years now and it'd take a lot to get me to move. The bad news:   1.  Californians (willing to pay double what a house is worth since that's still less than what they pay in CA) have jacked the housing market. 2.  The area you are looking at has some of the crappiest traffic in the area. 3.  the property taxes are OMGWTF bad. 4.  I'm personally disappointed with the ranges and gun stores around here (except for The Gun Store in Cedar Park, which rocks).  I'd rather there were twice as many of both in the hope that there would be at least one good one, but that's the way it goes. The good news: 1. Crime is not really a problem compared to any city this size or larger, provided that you don't live in a bad neighborhood  (I'd stay away from the area West of 35 between Rundberg/Kramer and loop 1, as well as anything East of 35 between Yeager and ... San Marcos.   There are other areas to avoid, but those are the big ones.  Truth is, there parts of even those areas that are ok, but why take the chance if you're not sure what you're getting into).  I've lived in some of the worst neighborhoods in town and while they're no joke, you could do worse. 2.  Some really good schools if you're a family man.  Some crappy ones too (AISD is a mixed bag). 3.  Parts of Round Rock, P-ville, and Georgetown aren't far from your area and can be reasonable (for the Austin are). 4.  If you're looking for an apartment, in the last couple of years apt rent has been the lowest in 10 years.  I think it may be back on the upswing, but still lower than it was, say 5 years ago.  Apparently, after a big apt crunch about 5-10 years ago they overbuilt, so there are a lot of apts going cheap. 5.  Good night life, decent folks, lots of good food. 6.  nice lakes if you fish or are into water sports.  Not much for big bassin' but lots of good places to catch a lot of fish.

Thanks, great info.

Alas, this whole Austin job thing has been overtaken by events, I was offered a job for significantly more money elsewhere. So I have cancelled my interview and will not be visiting next week as planned. However, Austin certainly sounds like a great place that I will have to visit sometime.

Thanks again to everyone that has provided all the great info.

Austin certainly is a great place, even with the down sides people have posted.  To be truthful traffic sucked "out loud" way before California snuck into town-I lived there between '82 and '87 and it was obvious that at least one additional north-south and TWO east-west freeways were needed even then.

Yes, there are "hippies," and plenty of them.  But let's think about definitions.  A lot of these folks are "the sytem sucks and I'm checking out of it" types of people, not "I hate the government, I hate the state, I hate..." people.  Those are few and far between in the Austin area.  In fact, you can often find old hippies in just about any place most of the membership here would be.  They "dropped out" and found out that their ideals and reality didn't mesh, so they dropped back in.  A lot of them are employers now-check out the way the tech industry (minus the California crew) was built in town.

And my only knock against 6th Street is that they let it degenerate into an unmanaged, free-for-all sort of area, kind of like Burbon Street in New Orleans used to be on weekends.  With the UT crowd and all the other young people with money but without sense, it gets UGLY fast.  That's sad.  I have some great memories from there...

Anyway, now that you know so much about Austin, you GOTTA visit!

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Quoted: It's like Berkley, California with a few more cowboy hats.  Not even! When I was going to school at Cal, there was a guy that used to sit on Telegraph Ave. (same as Guadulupe at UT) with a git-tar case & sign that read "Need money for dope". Cops used to just walk by and not even take note. I lived in Austin till 87, moved to Kali then back last year; folks that moved out of Kali with a sh*t pot of money did the same thing to the real estate market in Seattle & all over Oregon. I work on the west side of downtown austin, and all over town. I agree with living close to where you're going to work (try & get a short lease, but NEVER take an apartment that dosen't run a background check on you) The toll road will be finished late next year & should help with alot of (not all) the cross country traffic on 35. Austin is still a hot market to move to, so just lay back for a while & see what works for you. I live 30 miles east in the forest, the state park on one side, lake on the back & acreage lots all around. Leave early to avoid the 7am jam, try & leave early (3-4pm) and life won't suck too bad.

I've seen some dope smokers with gi-tars around Austin.  It is a liberal town.  People are generally friendly.  

The thread has given you alot of info about Austin.  Lots of folks commute from the cities up north like Georgetown.  It takes time to commute.  Taxes are high.

I live in Marble Falls and it sees all the population moving west from Austin.  I work here so traffic is not bad.  I try not to travel and visit the town if possible.

GL.

Quoted: I've seen some dope smokers with gi-tars around Austin.  It is a liberal town.  People are generally friendly.   The thread has given you alot of info about Austin.  Lots of folks commute from the cities up north like Georgetown.  It takes time to commute.  Taxes are high. I live in Marble Falls and it sees all the population moving west from Austin.  I work here so traffic is not bad.  I try not to travel and visit the town if possible. GL.

Where do you work in MF,I grew up in Burnet & am very familiar w/ that area.

I'm an active real-estate investor here in town over the past 5 years, I've got three properties (all of them occupied) however but my recommendation is to move close to the Arboretum area as it is in the nicer NW side of town and still pretty close to your work as you can get to it from Braker lane which has relatively light traffic as compared to Mopac, 360, and I-35.

Also, I grew up in Louisiana and lived in Dallas for a while, the only time I have EVER even had a runny nose is during the winder when the 1st freeze causes ‘cedar fever.’ Oddly, it doesn’t really get too people till their 2nd year because it takes a while for your body to become sensitive too it. Claritin works for me, but some get shots.

Dayton Oh, and Dallas, TX were HELL on my allergies, by contrast.

Your safest bet is to stay away from East Austin.
There are also a PLEATHORA of decent apartments south of Parmer Lane on Metric, just shop them and shop them, and then keep shopping them.

They try to play tough, but the apartment market is sucking wind right now and prices have adjusted a little bit.

If you want to be smart, and like to be your own handy-man, and don’t mind collecting rent checks, buy a duplex… you won’t regret it.

Oh, and there are more fun things to do here than you will believe, LARGE shooting community, lots of mountain biking, and the live music/bar scene will not disappoint you, however watch out for the revenue men, Austin cops don’t have much real crime to fight as compared to my brother-in-law in SPD swat so they really bust your ass here for drinking and driving.

My advice is DON’T!!!

Quoted: After visiting regularly for over a year, I moved down on this month. Really like it, and it's a far cry from the Dallas burbs. Sure plenty of hippies, but you would be surprised to see how many of them are armed. Seems to be a new thing down here. Look closely at the bumper stickers if you don't believe me. I got a place 5 min from downtown, I wanted to try that for a while. Found a well established neighborhood and people pretty much watch out for things. I see a lot of foot traffic through the streets and that makes me a little nervous, so a bunch of security measures for the house are in order (as opposed to my last place where there was not a single break-in for 10 blocks in all directions for like 7 years...). It is way more laid back here, but there is still a lot of business, money, and motivated people to hire and work with. The city is WAY more compact than DFW, and I like that a lot. Traffic can suck, but once you figure it out, and as long as you don't commute during the worst of it, it's not that bad at all. The people are way more open and friendly here. Standing in line at the post office (which I have to do regularly), in DFW you are lucky if you get an "excuse me" if someone's kid kicks you in the leg, plus everyone is all pissed off due to the wait. In Austin, everyone is talking and cracking up in line...bunch of strangers shooting the shit. It's a different mentality. I'm looking forward to networking with the shooters and 4x4 crowd here.

You are confusing hippie's w/libertarians, more pro-gun than your average GOP fan-boy.

Quoted: I agree with a lot of sentiment here.  Austin IS a great place to live.  Traffic DOES suck balls, so try to find a place close to where you'll be working.  The north end of town, Pflugerville and Round Rock are great areas. I live just south of Round Rock, and work at Dell in Round Rock.  I'd almost feel safe enough leaving my car unlocked, but I still lock it.  Around this area, I have no fear of being burglarized or other drastic crimes.

John in Austin may be able to back me up here, but an APD detective told me that the highest auto-theft area in town was in the traingle north of braker, left of I-35, and west of mopac. I dont have the data but thought it was suprising.

Quoted: Quoted: I agree with a lot of sentiment here.  Austin IS a great place to live.  Traffic DOES suck balls, so try to find a place close to where you'll be working.  The north end of town, Pflugerville and Round Rock are great areas. I live just south of Round Rock, and work at Dell in Round Rock.  I'd almost feel safe enough leaving my car unlocked, but I still lock it.  Around this area, I have no fear of being burglarized or other drastic crimes. John in Austin may be able to back me up here, but an APD detective told me that the highest auto-theft area in town was in the traingle north of braker, left of I-35, and west of mopac. I dont have the data but thought it was suprising.

Well, I also live in an apartment complex with literally NOTHING around it.  A field to the north.  A field to the west.  A field to the south... a highway on the east.  A big fence all the way around.  


Anyway, let us not forget, our original poster has said that the opportunity to move to Texas has been superceded.  He ain't comin.    

I dont really understand some of the comments about Austin and makes me wonder if they're being made by people that live here or think they know about it.

much along the same lines as those gunsnobs that tell you your idea is stupid and/or your build is a piece of shit because it differs than theirs.


having been born and raised here, at age 33 I'd say I've got a decent handle on Austin.  brother in law is LEO here so I hear more than your average person about crimes.  both of my parents were born here too, so I get all kinds of "this is how it used to be stories".  other people might have lived here longer, but obviously some of these people havent been here long at all......or branched out much.


I dunno who said "dont live East of Mopac".  I think you meant to say Burnet or Lamar.  if not, I suggest you take a drive in the neighborhoods around Enfield to 35th, between Lamar and Mopac.  there are many multi-million dollar mansions in that area.

I also dont get the vehement "dont buy now, wait 18 months as the market craters on a regular basis".  I'm guessing you thought the astronomical bubble of a few years ago was "normal" when Austin was in the top 3 most expensive housing markets in the nation.  now that its normalized a bit, prices have come down/settled, but homes in the better areas/neighborhoods are still increasing and will continue to do so.  particularly in the older, established neighborhoods.

6th street?  for college kids and MTV viewers.  if you want to get dressed up and take the wife for a nice coctail or two, 4th street (aka warehouse district) or outlying areas are very nice.  but there's no reason to "avoid 6th street after dark"  that's ridiculous.  some of the better restaurants in Austin are also on 5th and 4th streets.  gimme a break.  in fact, the best steakhouses in Austin are on 6th (Ruth's Chris), 4th (Sullivans) and 2nd (Flemings).  hell....one of the best hotels in Austin is on 6th (Driskol)  Seafood is 5th (Eddy V's South) and 4th (Trulucks South)

hippies....yes we have more than most cities might.  what do you expect being a seat of government and home to 5 colleges?  I'm not overly tolerant of hippies (real hippies) but just because you see someone in flip flops, ratty cargo shorts and an old t shirt doesnt mean they're a hippie.  as they email joke goes "they could be the most recent IPO'ed millionaire".  Austin is a very relaxed town.....hence more people tend to look like a hippy than say.....snobby Dallas.

let me tell you, the economy is alive and well in Austin.  dont believe me?  go to the lake.  there's more $50K wakeboard boats running around than I've ever seen.  and very high dollar land/home development.  you think those lots in Steiner are selling cheap?  check into them.  I remember when Steiner ranch was just that...a ranch.  all that shit built out there is full of people....if they were empty, then I'd agree the housing market was going to decline.  same for the Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander......we're growing.

schools, neighborhoods, etc. all of them need to be checked on an individual basis.  talk to people there, not realtors or people that "know people there".  first hand info.  the best High Schools IMHO in "Austin specifically" are Anderson, Austin, Bowie and maybe Connolly. technically Westlake and Westwood are basically Austin as well and fine schools.  Hyde Park is a nice, centrally located, private school (church affiliated) as well.

crime?  not that bad.  but as someone mentioned, when crooks follow you home to rob/whatever you....NOBODY is insulated from that.


for the record, I live in NW Hills.  a fine neighborhood by anyone's standards.


*I guess this is all for naught, but it kinda got under my skin

Quoted: I dont really understand some of the comments about Austin and makes me wonder if they're being made by people that live here or think they know about it. much along the same lines as those gunsnobs that tell you your idea is stupid and/or your build is a piece of shit because it differs than theirs. having been born and raised here, at age 33 I'd say I've got a decent handle on Austin.  brother in law is LEO here so I hear more than your average person about crimes.  both of my parents were born here too, so I get all kinds of "this is how it used to be stories".  other people might have lived here longer, but obviously some of these people havent been here long at all......or branched out much. I dunno who said "dont live East of Mopac".  I think you meant to say Burnet or Lamar.  if not, I suggest you take a drive in the neighborhoods around Enfield to 35th, between Lamar and Mopac.  there are many multi-million dollar mansions in that area. I also dont get the vehement "dont buy now, wait 18 months as the market craters on a regular basis".  I'm guessing you thought the astronomical bubble of a few years ago was "normal" when Austin was in the top 3 most expensive housing markets in the nation.  now that its normalized a bit, prices have come down/settled, but homes in the better areas/neighborhoods are still increasing and will continue to do so.  particularly in the older, established neighborhoods. 6th street?  for college kids and MTV viewers.  if you want to get dressed up and take the wife for a nice coctail or two, 4th street (aka warehouse district) or outlying areas are very nice.  but there's no reason to "avoid 6th street after dark"  that's ridiculous.  some of the better restaurants in Austin are also on 5th and 4th streets.  gimme a break.  in fact, the best steakhouses in Austin are on 6th (Ruth's Chris), 4th (Sullivans) and 2nd (Flemings).  hell....one of the best hotels in Austin is on 6th (Driskol)  Seafood is 5th (Eddy V's South) and 4th (Trulucks South) hippies....yes we have more than most cities might.  what do you expect being a seat of government and home to 5 colleges?  I'm not overly tolerant of hippies (real hippies) but just because you see someone in flip flops, ratty cargo shorts and an old t shirt doesnt mean they're a hippie.  as they email joke goes "they could be the most recent IPO'ed millionaire".  Austin is a very relaxed town.....hence more people tend to look like a hippy than say.....snobby Dallas. let me tell you, the economy is alive and well in Austin.  dont believe me?  go to the lake.  there's more $50K wakeboard boats running around than I've ever seen.  and very high dollar land/home development.  you think those lots in Steiner are selling cheap?  check into them.  I remember when Steiner ranch was just that...a ranch.  all that shit built out there is full of people....if they were empty, then I'd agree the housing market was going to decline.  same for the Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander......we're growing. schools, neighborhoods, etc. all of them need to be checked on an individual basis.  talk to people there, not realtors or people that "know people there".  first hand info.  the best High Schools IMHO in "Austin specifically" are Anderson, Austin, Bowie and maybe Connolly. technically Westlake and Westwood are basically Austin as well and fine schools.  Hyde Park is a nice, centrally located, private school (church affiliated) as well. crime?  not that bad.  but as someone mentioned, when crooks follow you home to rob/whatever you....NOBODY is insulated from that. for the record, I live in NW Hills.  a fine neighborhood by anyone's standards. *I guess this is all for naught, but it kinda got under my skin

I could not have said this better myself, probably becuase I have only been here 6 years.

height=8

Quoted: Anyway, let us not forget, our original poster has said that the opportunity to move to Texas has been superceded.  He ain't comin.

Thanks, I saw that this thread is still going, so I will pop back in to say, yes, I am no longer going to move to Austin right now. However, I am in El Paso, which I hope everyone still considers part of Texas. It is possible that I will end up in Austin, but we'll see what happens.

I do want to re-iterate my thanks to everyone for taking the time to give me an idea of what Austin is like, I really do appreciate it. I contacted a number of "friends" from Austin or who went to UT and I got 1 or 2 sentences of "you'll like it" and stuff like that, with no detailed info. I sincerely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to write specific details. Once I get settled in, I am definitely making time to come visit.

Quoted: Quoted: Anyway, let us not forget, our original poster has said that the opportunity to move to Texas has been superceded.  He ain't comin.     Thanks, I saw that this thread is still going, so I will pop back in to say, yes, I am no longer going to move to Austin right now. However, I am in El Paso, which I hope everyone still considers part of Texas. It is possible that I will end up in Austin, but we'll see what happens. I do want to re-iterate my thanks to everyone for taking the time to give me an idea of what Austin is like, I really do appreciate it. I contacted a number of "friends" from Austin or who went to UT and I got 1 or 2 sentences of "you'll like it" and stuff like that, with no detailed info. I sincerely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to write specific details. Once I get settled in, I am definitely making time to come visit.

well, that's the funny thing about Texas.....we are so F'n big we have a major city in our borders that's in a different time zone....who else has that??
lol

enjoy El Paso.  it aint Austin....but at least you're in Texas  :)

Quoted: I dont really understand some of the comments about Austin and makes me wonder if they're being made by people that live here or think they know about it. I grew up there, off of Mesa and Greystone. much along the same lines as those gunsnobs that tell you your idea is stupid and/or your build is a piece of shit because it differs than theirs. having been born and raised here, at age 33 I'd say I've got a decent handle on Austin.  brother in law is LEO here so I hear more than your average person about crimes.  both of my parents were born here too, so I get all kinds of "this is how it used to be stories".  other people might have lived here longer, but obviously some of these people havent been here long at all......or branched out much. I dunno who said "dont live East of Mopac".  I think you meant to say Burnet or Lamar.  if not, I suggest you take a drive in the neighborhoods around Enfield to 35th, between Lamar and Mopac.  there are many multi-million dollar mansions in that area. I don't think that he is in the market for Shiver's widow's old place.  Just a guess.  Maybe I'm wrong and he wants to buy on Niles Road.  I would suspect not, though. I also dont get the vehement "dont buy now, wait 18 months as the market craters on a regular basis".  I'm guessing you thought the astronomical bubble of a few years ago was "normal" when Austin was in the top 3 most expensive housing markets in the nation.  now that its normalized a bit, prices have come down/settled, but homes in the better areas/neighborhoods are still increasing and will continue to do so.  particularly in the older, established neighborhoods. That was probably me.  Homes in NW Hills are now staying on the market a long time.  When the California money runs out, DR Horton and KB Homes will be screwed, and that means that repos will be cheap.  And the other prices will fall.  Yes, eventually it will come around, but eventually can be a long time.  I remember when land in NW Hills was $1,000,000 an acre in late summer of 1985.  I remember the tech crash and all of those huge homes sitting empty for years.  The market is (again) overbuilt there and it will dip 20% again, just like it did before. 6th street?  for college kids and MTV viewers.  if you want to get dressed up and take the wife for a nice coctail or two, 4th street (aka warehouse district) or outlying areas are very nice.  but there's no reason to "avoid 6th street after dark"  that's ridiculous.  Well, people are still getting stabbed on a regular basis.  It has not been safe after dark for 20 years.  Being stabbed is more than an inconvenience.  some of the better restaurants in Austin are also on 5th and 4th streets.  gimme a break.  in fact, the best steakhouses in Austin are on 6th (Ruth's Chris), 4th (Sullivans) and 2nd (Flemings).  hell....one of the best hotels in Austin is on 6th (Driskol)  Seafood is 5th (Eddy V's South) and 4th (Trulucks South) hippies....yes we have more than most cities might.  what do you expect being a seat of government and home to 5 colleges?  I'm not overly tolerant of hippies (real hippies) but just because you see someone in flip flops, ratty cargo shorts and an old t shirt doesnt mean they're a hippie.  as they email joke goes "they could be the most recent IPO'ed millionaire".  Austin is a very relaxed town.....hence more people tend to look like a hippy than say.....snobby Dallas.  Well, I would actually call Austin as snobby as Dallas, just with a different focus.  That was why I left and went to Houston.  And the hippies aren't hippies, just shrill, intolerant liberals.  Both Austin and Dallas are mean, mean places, where people will fire the maid if she gets pregnant.  That bears pointing out. let me tell you, the economy is alive and well in Austin.  dont believe me?  go to the lake.  there's more $50K wakeboard boats running around than I've ever seen.  and very high dollar land/home development.  you think those lots in Steiner are selling cheap?  check into them.  I remember when Steiner ranch was just that...a ranch.  all that shit built out there is full of people....if they were empty, then I'd agree the housing market was going to decline.  same for the Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander......we're growing.  And the people who want to sell are having a lot of problems.  How much of the money in Austin has a strong tech and California connection?  And if California's economy craters and everyone scales back spending on IT ... everything looked great in the summer of '85, the summer of '00, and it looks great now.  Like nothing could possibly go wrong.  That's demographics rather than the economy. schools, neighborhoods, etc. all of them need to be checked on an individual basis.  talk to people there, not realtors or people that "know people there".  first hand info.  the best High Schools IMHO in "Austin specifically" are Anderson, Austin, Bowie and maybe Connolly. technically Westlake and Westwood are basically Austin as well and fine schools.  Hyde Park is a nice, centrally located, private school (church affiliated) as well.  And St. Andrews, St. Stephens, and St. Mickaels.  At Hyde Park they handle snakes.  Just kidding.  Kind of. crime?  not that bad.  but as someone mentioned, when crooks follow you home to rob/whatever you....NOBODY is insulated from that.  Sure, but in Houston it makes the papers.  In Austin, the Statesman makes sure not to print anything.  If the guy is considering coming, he deserves the whole story. for the record, I live in NW Hills.  a fine neighborhood by anyone's standards.  It's OK.  It was better before that cocksucker Milburn opened up Valburn and the bottom of Far West, but, hey, who am I to ask people to hold to their contractual obligations.  Especially in Austin. *I guess this is all for naught, but it kinda got under my skin

There is some bad with the good.  The amazing racism, for one.  The really bad traffic -- people wonder why Houston doesn't bother me, and Austin is the reason.  The political corruption that makes Houston look good by comparison.  The liberals and California people.  The cost of living. The low wages.  Austin has been running on hype for a long time.  That gets under my skin.  You didn't mention the drug situation with the schools, or the many joys of dealing with AISD.  I was restraining myself because the boosterism was limited.

The only thing that I miss is Fonda San Miguel, and I can drive in when I need a fix.

Quoted: There is some bad with the good.  The amazing racism, for one.  The really bad traffic -- people wonder why Houston doesn't bother me, and Austin is the reason.  The political corruption that makes Houston look good by comparison.  The liberals and California people.  The cost of living. The low wages.  Austin has been running on hype for a long time.  That gets under my skin.  You didn't mention the drug situation with the schools, or the many joys of dealing with AISD.  I was restraining myself because the boosterism was limited. The only thing that I miss is Fonda San Miguel, and I can drive in when I need a fix.

Racism and political corruption, you sure you aren't talking about Louisiana?
And, speaking as an ACTIVE real-estate investor, the price of Austin homes in most areas are well below the national average.

$160K goes pretty damned far here, even compared to Shitport, LA, my hometown.

Houston is a fun place, but only if you are a bachelor making bank... other than that, it's got more drug infested slums than anywhere else I've ever been.

No offense, but Austin AINT that bad... so long as you avoid the white collar sweat shops that are here, but that is mostly becuase of all the college kids more than anything else.

If they could save money by opening in Waco they would, but they would not have the young hungry talent.

I'm still curious about the race part, Austin is the most racially tolerant, culturally diversified place I have ever lived, including California, Louisiana, Ohio, and the Dallas/FT worth area. I honestly cant remember the last time I heard the N word, in fact.

Quoted: Racism and political corruption, you sure you aren't talking about Louisiana? And, speaking as an ACTIVE real-estate investor, the price of Austin homes in most areas are well below the national average. $160K goes pretty damned far here, even compared to Shitport, LA, my hometown.

I live in the Pflugerville area...  for $160k in my neighborhood you can EASILY buy a 2000 to 2400 sq foot house built between 2000 and 2002.  It is not a fancy neighborhood by the hoity-toity southwest Austinite kind of standards, but is a relatively safe and quiet neighborhood.  Pflugerville schools are supposed to be fairly decent, although I have no children so I have no personal experience with them.  Comparatively Austin homes are dirt cheap compared to the coasts or even comparable sized cities in the north, which I believe is the main reason so many Kalifornicators and other people are still moving here despite the relatively sluggish economy and job market.

I've been following this thread with a bit of amusement, especially blind blanket hatred from south and west side residents against anything east of I35.

Houston is a fun place, but only if you are a bachelor making bank... other than that, it's got more drug infested slums than anywhere else I've ever been.

I'd tend to agree, I've not spent a lot of time in Houston, but I've found its not hard to get into areas over there that I find a lot scarier than the worst part of east Austin.  From the way the elitists talk you'd think east Austin was like south central LA or Oakland or something.  Not even close.

No offense, but Austin AINT that bad... so long as you avoid the white collar sweat shops that are here, but that is mostly becuase of all the college kids more than anything else. If they could save money by opening in Waco they would, but they would not have the young hungry talent. I'm still curious about the race part, Austin is the most racially tolerant, culturally diversified place I have ever lived, including California, Louisiana, Ohio, and the Dallas/FT worth area. I honestly cant remember the last time I heard the N word, in fact.

Hmmm...  the last time I heard the "N word"?  Some dude at a stoplight playing gangsta rap at rattle your fillings volume with the windows rolled down the other day.  Does that even count?  But yeah, Austin seems to be more racially tolerant on average than a lot of places even up north or on the coasts where I've been.

Well put, and let’s not forget all the beautiful woman, and cool music here.

I love this place, and I especially like that I can drive 20 minuets and be in hill country, which is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Quoted: Well put, and let’s not forget all the beautiful woman, and cool music here. I love this place, and I especially like that I can drive 20 minuets and be in hill country, which is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Ahhh.  Strolling along the trails by Town Lake and watching the joggers-many of them female, fit and dressed for Austin's weather...  Ahhhh.

In the Fall, when UT cranks up and the weather turns a bit cooler than now, there's nothing like enjoying Austin's outdoors!  Head to the Barton Springs pool and enjoy the sun bathers sunbathing, too!

Quoted:

Ahhh.  Strolling along the trails by Town Lake and watching the joggers-many of them female, fit and dressed for Austin's weather...  Ahhhh.

In the Fall, when UT cranks up and the weather turns a bit cooler than now, there's nothing like enjoying Austin's outdoors!  Head to the Barton Springs pool and enjoy the sun bathers sunbathing, too!

Yeah, my wife is a knock-out, and was starting to figure that out when we were dating back in Louisiana. I stayed behind a few months after she came down, as I couldn't find a job during the dot-bomb bust and needed to complete an intensive ground course for my commercial instrument pilots licenses (which I never finished *sigh*) but when she noticed all the hot bitches down here... she was really quick to want to get married when I moved down. I guess she didn’t want the competition… LAFF!

Quoted: Ahhh.  Strolling along the trails by Town Lake and watching the joggers-many of them female, fit and dressed for Austin's weather...  Ahhhh. In the Fall, when UT cranks up and the weather turns a bit cooler than now, there's nothing like enjoying Austin's outdoors!  Head to the Barton Springs pool and enjoy the sun bathers sunbathing, too!

Yeah, my wife is a knock-out, and was starting to figure that out when we were dating back in Louisiana. I stayed behind a few months after she came down, as I couldn't find a job during the dot-bomb bust and needed to complete an intensive ground course for my commercial instrument pilots licenses (which I never finished *sigh*) but when she noticed all the hot bitches down here... she was really quick to want to get married when I moved down. I guess she didn’t want the competition… LAFF!

trwoprod:

are you kidding me?
we might know each other....I grew up on mesa, a few blocks south of there...

seriously, I cant believe you're comparing Houston and Austin.  you must be sniffing too much refinery juice or something I dunno.  crime?  Houston is one of the most dangerous in the nation.  yes its bigger than Austin, but the murder rate is considerably different.  in Houston, yall average a murder EVERY day.  in Austin, we have between 40 and 60 a year.  like I said....my LEO bro in law (ex-homocide) gets me stats even the Statesman wont cover.  

regarding homes staying on the market a long time in NW hills, that is very dependant on which home and where it is and the pricing on it (meaning trying to sell vs trying to pocket a little extra).  I bought mine (in your dreaded Milburn expansion) in September the day it went on the market from the old residents, and felt good about it.  my dad (said house down the street from your old one) was on the market a few months, before drawing 1.25 mill this year (admittedly the upper echelon of the NW Hills market).  my sister in laws house right around the corner sold in a month.  the people that bought their house (up mesa a ways) had a contract on their house the day it hit the market.  of the 3  houses I've recently watched for sale on Far West, 2 had contracts pending in a week.  so I think you're a bit out of the loop on that.

people being stabbed on a regular basis on 6th street?  
um, no.
but then again, with such a large concentration of intoxicated people, you would expect there to be altercations.  but people dont run up and TAG, YOU'RE IT stab you in the stomach.  anyone with any sense at all is very safe on 6th street.  in fact, you have to be careful to not bump into a walking beat cop or one on a bike or get stepped on by a mounted cop.  sorry to say, you're information is incorrect here.  I'm so unconcerned with "safety" on 6th I dont worry that my wife's office is right in the middle of 6th.  parking sucks, but safetywise....no worries!

you're not supposed to fire your maid when she gets pregnant?
DAMMIT

you're right about the other private schools, but most people arent looking at those

racism in Austin is worse than Houston?  oh man.  having several close friends that grew up and live in Houston but visit here on a regular basis, they'd argue with you.  Austin's liberalism/hippy-dom you've been talking about overrides the racism.  its very difficult to be a liberal/hippy and a racist.  
so you're saying that Austin is ultra tolerant of hippies, liberals, and homosexuals, but not non-whites.  that's pretty funny.

drugs in schools?  apparently Houston doesnt have that issue.  come on man!


I wish there wasnt any "hype" about Austin.  I dont like the big city feeling we're really getting deeper into (even if that is a lot of what my job has to do with it....construction).  I dont like paying almost $10k a year in property taxes.  I dont like having to talk to people that loudly praise Austin as if its the 9th wonder and have only lived her 9 months.  I dont like being looked at as a redneck or whatever because I drive a big truck and like to shoot guns.  if it were my way, there'd be a lot of different things.  but its not.  people are still flocking to Austin at an alarming rate, and your fabled tech boom has nothing to do with it.  the boom is well over and we're still growing by leaps and bounds.  must be because there's some things here that attract people.

+1

Quoted: trwoprod: are you kidding me? we might know each other....I grew up on mesa, a few blocks south of there... Well, the dividing line used to run up Greystone, so if you did Doss/Murchitraz/Johnson then possibly. seriously, I cant believe you're comparing Houston and Austin.  you must be sniffing too much refinery juice or something I dunno.  crime?  Houston is one of the most dangerous in the nation.  yes its bigger than Austin, but the murder rate is considerably different.  in Houston, yall average a murder EVERY day.  A lot of that is the nice Katrina people, and a lot of that is that the Houston SMSA is about 12 counties, and Austin has been three for years. in Austin, we have between 40 and 60 a year.  like I said....my LEO bro in law (ex-homocide) gets me stats even the Statesman wont cover.  In Austin, crime travels.  Much less so in Houston.  I actually feel safer here.  And I will be nice about APD, but I am a lot more comfortable with HPD around. regarding homes staying on the market a long time in NW hills, that is very dependant on which home and where it is and the pricing on it (meaning trying to sell vs trying to pocket a little extra).  I bought mine (in your dreaded Milburn expansion) in September the day it went on the market from the old residents, and felt good about it.  my dad (said house down the street from your old one) was on the market a few months, before drawing 1.25 mill this year (admittedly the upper echelon of the NW Hills market).  my sister in laws house right around the corner sold in a month.  the people that bought their house (up mesa a ways) had a contract on their house the day it hit the market.  of the 3  houses I've recently watched for sale on Far West, 2 had contracts pending in a week.  so I think you're a bit out of the loop on that. I still know folks on West Rim, Deepwoods, Valburn, etc., and the stuff that was selling in two weeks last year is taking three months, and a lot of the buyers are California escapees.  Things have slowed down a lot.  A good home will always sell, but you are the first person I have heard say that things are still clicking along in about a year. people being stabbed on a regular basis on 6th street?   um, no. but then again, with such a large concentration of intoxicated people, you would expect there to be altercations.  but people dont run up and TAG, YOU'RE IT stab you in the stomach.  anyone with any sense at all is very safe on 6th street.  Well, it is less likely to get rat-packed by kids with screwdrivers these days, but I wouldn't call it safe.  And the cops are still 90 seconds away, and that is plenty of time to get seriously injured. in fact, you have to be careful to not bump into a walking beat cop or one on a bike or get stepped on by a mounted cop.  sorry to say, you're information is incorrect here.  I'm so unconcerned with "safety" on 6th I dont worry that my wife's office is right in the middle of 6th.  parking sucks, but safetywise....no worries!  Boy, I really, really disagree.  I know way too many people who have gotten mugged down there, several in broad daylight. you're not supposed to fire your maid when she gets pregnant? DAMMIT  You think I am kidding, but I'm really not.  I grew up with people (and you probably know them) who would go "n***er knocking" at night, and they thought that it was great fun.  I am only a few years older than you, and they also went to Doss or Hill, had "nice" parents, and so on. you're right about the other private schools, but most people arent looking at those  St. Andrews in particular is a pretty good deal, still. racism in Austin is worse than Houston?  oh man.  having several close friends that grew up and live in Houston but visit here on a regular basis, they'd argue with you.  Too many years of kindly older neighbors and the parents of friends having a few drinks and talking about the colored people.  These are your neighbors, dude.  People tend to talk around me, probably more than they should.  Austin's liberalism/hippy-dom you've been talking about overrides the racism.  its very difficult to be a liberal/hippy and a racist.  But it is pretty easy to be a "liberal" in public and a racist in private. so you're saying that Austin is ultra tolerant of hippies, liberals, and homosexuals, but not non-whites.  that's pretty funny.  No, I am not.  NW Hills and West Austin and Westlake are all full of amazingly two faced people.  They really don't like anyone who isn't white, rich, and Baptist or Episcopalian, although they are somewhat tolerant of Jews.  They talk about tolerance all the time.  They talk a great game.  It's Austin, that is what people do. drugs in schools?  apparently Houston doesnt have that issue.  come on man!  Probably half -- half -- of the people I went to Doss with wound up in Shoal Creek.  I know lots of folks here and no one had a peer group with problems like that. I wish there wasnt any "hype" about Austin.  I dont like the big city feeling we're really getting deeper into (even if that is a lot of what my job has to do with it....construction).  I dont like paying almost $10k a year in property taxes.  I dont like having to talk to people that loudly praise Austin as if its the 9th wonder and have only lived her 9 months.  I dont like being looked at as a redneck or whatever because I drive a big truck and like to shoot guns.  if it were my way, there'd be a lot of different things.  but its not.  people are still flocking to Austin at an alarming rate, and your fabled tech boom has nothing to do with it.  the boom is well over and we're still growing by leaps and bounds.  must be because there's some things here that attract people.  The belief that Austin will fill the hole in their souls and make them cool.  The same reason why people move to Los Angeles.

Some people are happy in Austin.  They grow up, go to Doss, St Andrews, St. Stephens, Plan II, and marry a relative, live in the same house they grew up in, play a lot of tennis, have the same drinking and affairs that their parents did, and bring up another generation exactly like the last, with an angry distant father and a massively medicated mother.  And make sure never to leave Northwest Hills.  I realized that I would rather take a packing knife and dig deeply into my wrists, so I left.  I may work for you.  I am sure that you have two Suburbans and a golden retriever named Bubba and your wife backs over the mailbox twice a year.  It's a life.  It's just not for me.

Quoted: Some people are happy in Austin.  They grow up, go to Doss, St Andrews, St. Stephens, Plan II, and marry a relative, live in the same house they grew up in, play a lot of tennis, have the same drinking and affairs that their parents did, and bring up another generation exactly like the last, with an angry distant father and a massively medicated mother.  And make sure never to leave Northwest Hills.  I realized that I would rather take a packing knife and dig deeply into my wrists, so I left.  I may work for you.  I am sure that you have two Suburbans and a golden retriever named Bubba and your wife backs over the mailbox twice a year.  It's a life.  It's just not for me.

unbelieveable


you have effectively proven a point I mentioned previously.  you dont live here and all your information is based on what you "hear".  so its senseless to keep trying to give you information, when you're in some fictional world where young hooligans wear costumes, frequent milkbars, and stab people with screwdrivers for a little of the "ultraviolence".
I mean, you're all over the board.  St Andrews is a good deal?  that's probably the most intolerant school in Austin.  and that's coming directly from a good friend that has children there.  gimme a break!  you dont have any friends that had someone in their peer group have drug/alcohol issues growing up?  you cant be serious.  ALL of my friends that grew up in Houston either have friends that fit that mold, or were the problem children themselves.  in fact, the only friends I have that had a peer OD during their schooling years, grew up in Houston.


you are obviously angry about your upbringing.  that's ok.  you dont appreciate the fact that you at least started a little ahead of the game (as would be considered knowing how/where/when you started) and apparently fell short of someone's expectations or at least what you perceived.  further, you are quite obviously upset with where you are in your life.
this is all fine

but do not think for a fucking moment you know about me and the way I am.
yes, I grew up in NW Hills (Doss).  parents divorced when I was in 5th grade and I went out to Westlake, where I went to middle school and graduated high school.  then on to ACC for a few semesters then transfered to UT, eventually graduating from Texas, working my way thru college.  so I fit smack into your categorization of people.  further, yes she does drive a large 4wd SUV and I a jacked up 4dr diesel.  my blonde haired mutt (not named bubba) is laying next to my desk right now in my office, having yet another afternoon nap.

I will NOT apologize for busting my ass and spending my hard earned money to put my family into a nice home, in a great neighborhood, with excellent schools.  My wife and I have done this all on our own accord, to take care of ourselves and our daughters.

and if you're worrying about taking a packing knife to your wrists when looking at people's lives....you've got some real issues to deal with.


oh...and if your work dictates you carry a packing knife or similar....then yes, you might actually (theoretically) work for me...



again...unbelievable

I realized that I would rather take a packing knife and dig deeply into my wrists, so I left.

Then by all means, come back.  And remember, the train runs down the tracks, not across them.

WOW... just, WOW!!!

I'm happy in Austin and my wife drives an old paid for economy RAV4 to haul building supplies and I drive an accord commuter car.

We live in a modest home, priced under $200K in a nice neighborhood w/RR schools but in an Austin address. There are million dollar homes in short walking distance from me but that doesn’t mean they are bad for living in them.

I collect guns, and try to get together to jam w/friends on the guitar whenever our wives allow it but some of the things you say man... *dang*!

I had a REALLY bad time in Shreveport, getting beat up by gang-bangers because I was a large kid for my age and they thought I was an older white kid, having survived 2 attempted car-jackings when I got older.

And… my brother actually got mugged TWICE living in Houston, and you say Austin is dangerous. I fail to say ANY logic in this discussion at this point.

*** SUBSCRIPTION CANCELLED ***

My old neighbor next door must hate everyone then, she's so nice to all the people she meets of any race/creed/ethnicity/upbringing/etc.  She's just hiding her indiscretions well I suppose.  

Wait, she does hate people who park in front of her house. That gets her 'steamed'.  I know better than to park there, her vision isn't that good and the spaces aren't that big to park in.

Man, I've lived in both places for years, and  there's no comparison btw Houston and Austin. In Austin, I feel safe no matter where I am, even on the East Side. On 6th street, there are more cops than you can shake a stick at.

Houston, you better watch your back, even in River Oaks, West U, where ever, cuz you're fix'n to get jacked. And it's only gotten worse, thanks to the NOLA refugees.

Quoted: Man, I've lived in both places for years, and  there's no comparison btw Houston and Austin. In Austin, I feel safe no matter where I am, even on the East Side. On 6th street, there are more cops than you can shake a stick at. Houston, you better watch your back, even in River Oaks, West U, where ever, cuz you're fix'n to get jacked. And it's only gotten worse, thanks to the NOLA refugees.

Odd how that works out based on per capita crime rates.

CITIES OF 500,000 OR MORE POPULATION: (32 cities) [source: Morgan Quinto]

Safest ten:
1. San Jose, CA
2. El Paso, TX
3. Honlulu, HI
4. New York, NY
5. Austin Texas
6. San Diego, CA
7. Louisville, KY
8. San Antonio, TX
9. Fort Worth, TX
10. Jacksonville, FL

Hot damn! lots of Texas cities on there!!  

But wait there's more!!


Worst ten:

1. Detroit, MI
2. Baltimore, MD
3. Washington, DC
4. Memphis, TN
5. Dallas, TX
6. Philadelphia, PA
7. Columbus, OH
8. Nashville, TN
9. Houston, TX
10. Charolette, NC


Oopsie.  Someone's rose-colored glasses are in need of a replacement.

And gosh, according to the police chief, there were 26 murders here last year.  How many did Houston have?  (2005 stats)

Heck for 2004, it sure didn't look so good:

Crime Type 2004 Total Per 100,000 People National per 100,000 People
Overall Houston Crime Index 146852 7186.5 3982.6

That's 80% higher than national average?  Pre-Katrina?

I've lived in Austin and San Antonio, and I've lived near Detroit.  I never felt uncomfortable in any of these places.  My mom was born in Detroit, and she said she'd never let anyone make her feel unsafe in HER city, so maybe that's an attitude I picked up.

On the other hand, there are areas in Houston I just don't go to.  Aside from the traffic and viciously aggressive drivers, these areas (even places like near the Art Museum) just don't look comfortable to me.  And in San Antonio, I don't go a lot of places because there's nothing for an old white boy there.  I used to work on Kelly AFB, and I ALWAYS left by way of 36th street because the other gates went in the wrong direction through areas that I didn't fit into.

On the third hand, there's no place in Austin that I wouldn't go when I lived there.  'Course that was almost 20 years ago...

Quoted: On the third hand, there's no place in Austin that I wouldn't go when I lived there.  'Course that was almost 20 years ago...

Back when SoCo meant "Some Coke?"

Quoted: Quoted: On the third hand, there's no place in Austin that I wouldn't go when I lived there.  'Course that was almost 20 years ago... Back when SoCo meant "Some Coke?"

that was only at the schools there.....



"SoCo" drives me nutty.  is it so hard to say "South Congress"?

Quoted: "SoCo" drives me nutty.  is it so hard to say "South Congress"?

I have friends (my age) who still live there, and they have not picked up this oddity.  There's a flavor to BEING on South Congress, particularly the part you can see the capitol from, that's not about shortening its name.  It's like OLD South Austin, where everybody was friendly and put up with the yuppies' "Bubba" jokes.  I lived a couple blocks off of Ben White near Banister for quite some time, and that area was a nice little town by itself.  Sigh...

To butcher a quote, "You may be able to go back home again, but they've redecorated..."

Quoted: Quoted: "SoCo" drives me nutty.  is it so hard to say "South Congress"? I have friends (my age) who still live there, and they have not picked up this oddity.  There's a flavor to BEING on South Congress, particularly the part you can see the capitol from, that's not about shortening its name.  It's like OLD South Austin, where everybody was friendly and put up with the yuppies' "Bubba" jokes.  I lived a couple blocks off of Ben White near Banister for quite some time, and that area was a nice little town by itself.  Sigh... To butcher a quote, "You may be able to go back home again, but they've redecorated..."

yeah, I have a few friends that say "SoCo", but they're kinda artsy, nuevo, hipsters.  most of the people I know say "South Congress", including myself.

not sure what they're going to nickname South 1st, as its becoming hip now too. "SoOne" I guess.  

Bannister....nice little area.  been to some parties over in that area, back in the day.

that's the funny thing about Austin.....you've got these little pockets all over the place of nice little neighborhoods.
and yes....even East of I35....