Relocating to Austin

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by iwanttotravel42

Great thanks for the advice. What would the Domain area be like to live in? Expensive/ safe? Is it easy to get downtown from domain area for socialising at weekends etc?

Domain I would consider pricey but not obnoxious like downtown. If we didn't have kids, we'd consider living there. Succinctly put, its target demographic for residential living are people like you. Young and urban. It features nightlife, an expensive movie theatre, restaurants, shopping. It's like a self contained word and within distance to public transportation, though transit here isn't the best at all. You can probably find a 1/1 for 1300 or so, I think.

[JT-3]

The Domain area is nice. Everything you need is there, more or less. The new Whole Foods grocery store opened to a crowd:
Domain | Whole Foods Market

[Rynldsbr]

Wanttotravel - where are you coming from in Europe and what is your experience in US? Your idea of urban and mass transit may be VERY different if you are not familiar with where you are headed.

I am moving to Austin area from upper midwest US and it is very different. Are you also aware of difference in pay/tax structure when comparing income and cost of living? I would make sure you have done a COL comparison online and researched that thoroughly.

Good luck. Hope it works out and you enjoy it.

[Jeanneelise]

Originally Posted by iwanttotravel42

I am qualified accountant in my mid 20s who is thinking about relocating to Austin from Europe for a year for a new challenge. I hear Austin is growing and very vibrant for young professionals with great opportunities? I would be very grateful for any advice in relation to costs or general living? For example on cost of daily living? Best locations to live (rental websites/ rental costs)? Public transport? Night life? Sporting activities/ gyms?

It is HOT humid here , there are fleas , ticks and fire ants. But the bats are cool! The music is fading and now corporate , not at all what is used to be. Night life 6th street is ok if your 21, just don't go into the alleys. I would sugget the continental club or saxon pub as a Austin standard.

Austin is weird about best locations to live. Your best bet is tarrytown, clarksville or basically the west side, central and south. (I do live east however) The north side of town is hit and miss and can be bad as the same with the east side.

Public transport is fair not anywhere as good as Denver and as a European you will be shocked.

As a life long resident I am sure I'm going to get flamed but its really not grand as they taut it to be anymore.
The opportunity's are still there but a lot of people are competing for jobs. It is hard.

Cost of living is very high here, I am actually looking at other cities at the moment. Electric bills are crazy high due to the heat humidity. Also there is no state tax however property tax here makes up for it.
Austin compares to Santa Fe, and southern California coast now as per housing costs price per sq ft. You can find good prices sometimes but out in the suburbs or round rock.

Ok fun things-

Barton springs pool and all the lakes
Eyores birthday Eeyores Birthday Party
Tx renaissance festival Texas Renaissance Festival | Renaissance Festival Events in Texas | Texas Fairs and Festivals
Old pecan street festival
Food - BBQ and great Mexican ,check out ironworks or luling city market Luling City Market ~ Real Texas Bar-B-Que
Drives in and around the hill country ( wimberly , gruene , roundtop and san Antonio to name a few)

I could name a 100 more but all and all every same sized town has the same fun little things to do. Denver for example.

If your working around JJ Pickle the domain is the nice closest area abit lack in the Austin feel and they have a domain in every city exactly! ( just like soco, lodo and any other over development " doe" area in our country) They all have the exact stores.

Be aware that the area by there gets bad quickly. Or you can look in the arboretum area. It varies street by street.


I really suggest visiting here first.