Need some honest advice on moving to Austin (Howe: houses, university)

[inneed]

Hello,

Sorry, this may seem like a rant in the beginning, but it's not.

I have been lurking here for some time and other forums for other cities. My husband and I are looking to relocate from CA. We are not originally from CA and although we still enjoy certain aspects of LA and CA in the long term I don't think this city can fill our needs. We used to live in Boston and we are originally from the East Coast. We tried CA, but after 3 years it's just becoming tiresome. I really don't want to start a rant about CA or LA and I know all too well about it's current problems. My thing is I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO FIND A NICE CITY/AREA TO SETTLE DOWN IN. We tried Boston and LA and I'm nervous about moving somewhere else right now, but at the same time I want to move out of LA. We both want a house and a little land for some animals, raise a family, have peace and quiet, and have NATURAL GREEN, just simple things. I just so want a different lifestyle. Both in Boston and LA, all we seem to do is RACE, RACE, RACE from one place to another and all we did was work to make ends meet and I'm so tired of it. It's exhausting!!! I'm just so tired of the RACING and RUNNING of city life.

I know every city has it's pros and cons, but I'm just so sick of working, working, working. So, what I'm hoping is...is the Austin or Texas lifestyle slower?? Do you have to work your ass off just to survive?? I have heard so many wonderful things about Austin and we are planning a trip there in July. My husband has a friend who lives in the Northwest area and is willing to show us around. I'm excited but scared thinking about another move.

I'm in accounting and have a small business and my husband has his own business.

Any advice would be great! Thanks.

[atxcio]

I suggest you visit your husband's friend and see for yourself. I think the "slower" part you need can definitely be found here -- it's very laid back, and not rat-race like at all. However, being from Boston and LA recently, the climate may bother you -- it's a long, hot summer here. Really hot.

Good paying jobs can be difficult to find, many people are working in positions they are overqualified for... that's typical Austin. But you can live around here for relatively cheap, so that sacrifice is doable.

However, with your own businesses, that should not be a problem.

[mandib]

it is slower here. Much more so. when I came here 10 years ago from L.A. I hated it because it was so much slower and relaxed. It was overwhelming to me (I didn't want to move here) and hard to get used to.

But if that's what you want and are looking for, then you'll find it and it won't be quite as hard to adjust if you're happy.

I'm happy here now. I love it. I love the relaxed atmosphere. I love wearing my birkenstocks everywhere and fitting in just fine

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by inneed

Hello,

Sorry, this may seem like a rant in the beginning, but it's not.

I have been lurking here for some time and other forums for other cities. My husband and I are looking to relocate from CA. We are not originally from CA and although we still enjoy certain aspects of LA and CA in the long term I don't think this city can fill our needs. We used to live in Boston and we are originally from the East Coast. We tried CA, but after 3 years it's just becoming tiresome. I really don't want to start a rant about CA or LA and I know all too well about it's current problems. My thing is I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO FIND A NICE CITY/AREA TO SETTLE DOWN IN. We tried Boston and LA and I'm nervous about moving somewhere else right now, but at the same time I want to move out of LA. We both want a house and a little land for some animals, raise a family, have peace and quiet, and have NATURAL GREEN, just simple things. I just so want a different lifestyle. Both in Boston and LA, all we seem to do is RACE, RACE, RACE from one place to another and all we did was work to make ends meet and I'm so tired of it. It's exhausting!!! I'm just so tired of the RACING and RUNNING of city life.

I know every city has it's pros and cons, but I'm just so sick of working, working, working. So, what I'm hoping is...is the Austin or Texas lifestyle slower?? Do you have to work your ass off just to survive?? I have heard so many wonderful things about Austin and we are planning a trip there in July. My husband has a friend who lives in the Northwest area and is willing to show us around. I'm excited but scared thinking about another move.

I'm in accounting and have a small business and my husband has his own business.

Any advice would be great! Thanks.

I have great advice....keep your options open, and enlarge them to include places other than the 20-30 largest cities in the USA. If you can relocate anywhere, why just follow the same people to the same places?
Try finding a unique, out-of-the-way place off the general radar. It really doesn't have to be one of the following:
1.) a top 30 city in population(Austin 16th largest).
2.) A place that is on everyone's radar(Austin is DEFINITELY on everyone's radar!)

My best advice would be to discover a place that would fit you uniquely, that you might have to spend some time finding, like anything else rare and worth finding, that could very well be far from where you thought you wanted to go, or smaller than what you thought you needed.....and I can guarantee you that 95% of those special places are not on everyone's radar, which is what makes them special.
Hope this helps!

[G Grasshopper]

I have to agree with Scongress123. If you have no particular attachment to Austin and are just looking for something that really fits your desired lifestyle, why limit your searching? Lots of places are slower paced than LA. I am not knocking Austin at all, just saying that it may or may not fulfill your lifestyle needs. Visiting different places, doing lots of research, and just giving yourself time seems, IMO, to be the best approach. Also, if you want some land, as you seemed to suggest, think about what type of climate/vegetation are you most comfortable with. Do you like deserts, forests, plains/grasslands, oak woodlands, green and lush, etc.? If you want to live with nature rather than pave it over, it would be good to enjoy the natural setting you are in, rather than feeling like you have to fight it.

[TexasHorseLady]

Good advice from all, even scongress1234!

Determine what you do want in some detail. Define something to run toward rather than away from, see where you can get the most of what that is, and then make a decision where to move. You'll stand a better chance of a successful and permanent move if you do that.

[ricerony123132]

I heard some places in Mississippi are really nice...affordable, authentic, and off-the-radar.

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by ricerony123132

I heard some places in Mississippi are really nice...affordable, authentic, and off-the-radar.

Well, one is actually choice...Oxford, where Ole Miss is. Oxford is considered the most southern of southern cities, in the most southern state, by temper, mannerisms, and lifestyle. Very affordable classic houses, best ice tea in the south, very laconic and laid-back lifestyle, and the University has so many events......You want an off the radar classic southern little place, small and totally safe, with a major university to provide sports and culture, along with a very quaint little DT district, you have certainly got that in Oxford, Miss.

Oxford, Mississippi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Best off-the-radar place in the USA.....

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by inneed

Hello,

Sorry, this may seem like a rant in the beginning, but it's not.

I have been lurking here for some time and other forums for other cities. My husband and I are looking to relocate from CA. We are not originally from CA and although we still enjoy certain aspects of LA and CA in the long term I don't think this city can fill our needs. We used to live in Boston and we are originally from the East Coast. We tried CA, but after 3 years it's just becoming tiresome. I really don't want to start a rant about CA or LA and I know all too well about it's current problems. My thing is I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO FIND A NICE CITY/AREA TO SETTLE DOWN IN. We tried Boston and LA and I'm nervous about moving somewhere else right now, but at the same time I want to move out of LA. We both want a house and a little land for some animals, raise a family, have peace and quiet, and have NATURAL GREEN, just simple things. I just so want a different lifestyle. Both in Boston and LA, all we seem to do is RACE, RACE, RACE from one place to another and all we did was work to make ends meet and I'm so tired of it. It's exhausting!!! I'm just so tired of the RACING and RUNNING of city life.

I know every city has it's pros and cons, but I'm just so sick of working, working, working. So, what I'm hoping is...is the Austin or Texas lifestyle slower?? Do you have to work your ass off just to survive?? I have heard so many wonderful things about Austin and we are planning a trip there in July. My husband has a friend who lives in the Northwest area and is willing to show us around. I'm excited but scared thinking about another move.

I'm in accounting and have a small business and my husband has his own business.

Any advice would be great! Thanks.

One awesome thing about austin is the relaxed pace. Everything really is just slower here. When we go to the east/west coast we just get exhausted because everyone is running around frantically.

[readymade]

Hi Inneed! I'm also originally from Boston and then moved to LA and now want to move to Austin too!

I visited Austin last summer and fell in love with the place. It seemed to me to be much more like Boston than LA. It actually reminded me a bit of a larger Northampton, if you've ever been there. The people were much friendlier, though (than Boston. I found Northampton to be quite friendly). I like the "big city" feel of the buildings without the sprawl of LA. Yeah, Austin has sprawl, but it also has an actual downtown that one would want to be in. And the traffic is much better, too, even though people in Austin about it, heh. I had a blast there and can't wait to move.

Anyway, as I'm still trying to sell my house and haven't moved yet, I can't really offer too much advice, but I wanted to say hi to a fellow east coaster-turned west coaster considering Austiner.