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I'm only refuting some of b.s. I've heard about Austin in the past.
I actually quite like it here for my personal reasons. I was never expecting another NY or CA, but I think it's in bad taste when people throw around phrases like "this is the music capital of the world!"
I'm only telling it like I experience it... and I've tried to experience as much as I can. I felt it was my duty to write this rant so that someone else that can relate to my state of mind will read this and maybe think twice (or at least know what to expect).
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
5,429 posts, read 14,864,112 times
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Originally Posted by SpreadingTruth
I moved to Austin with my wife 8 months ago from Los Angeles. I lived in Los Angeles for 1 year and I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY.
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LA has hollywood, celebs and beautiful sunsets
NY has statue of liberty, the italian mob, the yankees and true diversity
TX has... cowboys, mexicans and...?
Why would you compare L.A. or NYC to Austin? If you want to be fair, you'd have to compare Sacramento or Albany to Austin. Does that not make more sense?
The TX remark sounds like a stereotype. Sure it has those, but it also has 3 of the top 10 largest US cities (Houston, San Antonio and Dallas). None of which you are talking about I assume.
I've heard similar rants from people who moved from Chicago or NYC to Austin. It just seems like you guys have unrealistic expectations.
The closest you'll get to these large cities such as L.A. and Chicago, is Houston. Or maybe Dallas. Even then, you won't have a comparable public transit system. But you will get a great restaurant scene, world-class performing arts, top museums, diversity etc. more like you're used to, than in a smaller city like Austin. It just seems like that would be obvious from the start...
I have a friend who lives in Brooklyn. She's originally from Cali and spent a big part of her life in Texas. She tells me there is very little similarity between any of them and if you come expecting it to be like anything in NY, you will be sadly disappointed.
I agree there is very little similarity. CA was pretty cool, NY was pretty cool and I even enjoyed Jacksonville, FL. However, no one ever went out of there way to throw out outrageous claims about a city that are flat out wrong. Austin is a city like any other city the states. If one were to say that these places are amazing, I wouldn't care because they have something really special about them! Sarasota, FL - NYC - LA - Route 1, CA - San Francisco - DC - etc...
If people were to say that "Austin is a nice town to live in. The people are pretty cool, but you won't find a lot to do around here" .. that would be great.
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1)Food: Of course you don't have the same selection. Two completely different regions and Austin isn't a port city so you don't have the giant mix of cultures you would get there. Houston is better for this as far as Texas goes. Chains. Hmmm...I've been to New York. They have chains too. I think McDonalds in Manhattan is about as prolific as Starbucks is in some places. I agree, restaurants are spread out around here and you do have to travel around to find some unique non chain places. Some people find that part of the fun, learning about new places. It's not unusual to label things special to an area. That's just a personal opinion talking. New Yorkers and Californians do it all the time.
Again, I'm just speaking from experience. I was told the restaurant quality is awesome here and it is nowhere near awesome. It might be good.. as you would expect from any medium sized city.. but not as amazing as it's claimed to be.
I want to make sure people coming here won't expect a great middle eastern restaurant or something fun and exotic (even Jacksonville had these -- but Jacksonville has had a large influx of North Easterns move there to open businesses).
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2) Texas WAS a country. Study the history. Have you ventured anywhere else outside of downtown Austin? Some people have a problem with Texan Pride, just put some cotton in your ears. Who in their right mind would want to tattoo California on their body? It's going down the tubes in a lot of ways. You don't understand Texas or Southern Pride because you didn't grow up here. We have a good friend in Houston who grew up in Philly. Still has an extremely strong Philly accent. I think people from there have tons of pride in their city too, noones just thought to tattoo it on themselves. Hollywood can keep the celebs. What a bunch of out of touch idiots half of them are. New York can keep the mob. But Texas has MS-13/Latin Kings and Chinese Mafia which I wouldn't put down as a point of pride. New York has more diversity because, again, it's a very old city, a point of entry for many different cultures and a port city. Houston, in Texas, isn't an old city, but has more diversity culture wise because it's a large port city.
I'm aware that Texas was a country... but it isn't one now. There are stuck up people everywhere. New York has the *******s, California has the uptight green machines, etc. Texas has Texas Pride, which is just as ridiculous as the rest of them. People are no different here than anywhere else... there are nice people, most are bad people... that's the world.
Once again, I'm simply refuting the claim that "people are sooo nice here". That's a matter of personal preference and I personally throw up a little in my mouth when people I don't know are overly nice to me. If someone is like me (and I know there are plenty), I'd like to make sure they know.
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4)No, it's not liberal like New York or East Coast or San Francisco. It's a little more libertarian or live and let live. I don't find that a minus. Actually, if people spent any amount of time in any of the other cities in Texas or even some of the small towns in the state, they'd find that many of them are actually this way too. I won't argue with the uptight people. We have more of them than ever before, especially from the out of state transplants. I hate busybodies too, though. When we lived in Denver, we were out at a show (live music) and it was a smoking venue and some tard came up to my husband and tried to preach to him the horrors of smoking. It was really annoying and his friends had to physically drag him away. The people saying hi thing is just how people are here. They aren't out to get you or rip you off. My friends husband is a native New Yorker and he's been to Texas with her on visits several times and he's just now getting over his wariness of it.
I've heard the term "nanny state" a lot. It's being thrown around lately but people seem to miss that point when letting others know about Texas.
You'd be surprised how many conservatives there are in NY. Liberalism really isn't the issue in my opinion and frankly I feel like one of the main reason Texas is better off than other states (esp. given its size) is the fact that we republicans running the show here... and republicans know how to run a business.
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5) Yes, you do have to do a little traveling, but have you gone tubing on any of the rivers yet? How about shopping New Braunfels or Wimberly or Salado? Have you done any boating or any other water sports on the Lakes? Horseriding? Been to Innerspace Caverns in Georgetown? Seen the bats? Gone to any other town besides Fredricksburg? Did you try a game at Dell Diamond? Any Festivals, Museums, Theatre? Done any community gardening?
Done the boating, been riding horses since I was a kid, the caverns were boring and kind of cheesey... i've seen bats before no big deal, have been to 8 towns nearby and they all look the same (with the big town hall building in the center), i work in downtown austin so i dont miss the festivities when they happen and museums are "meh". Not a fan of gardening.
A single city can only have so much. People keep giving the impression that everything you need is in Austin.. but that's false.. and other people should know this. The great thing about living in LA/NY/FL was that there were always cool and unusual things to do that were specific to that state or region. There is nothing that you can do in Austin that you most likely haven't done somewhere else if you're over the age of 24 and like to explore.
There isn't anywhere else to go really... not if you can't spend 12 hours a day doing it.
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6) And you don't find people in any of the other States in America who have done the same thing?
Sure they have, but it's something people need to be aware of. If you're moving from the northeast or west coast you should prepared for people that'll give you a dirty look even if you tiny bit of an accent.
In NY and CA, some of the most engaging conversations I've were with people that I met in a bar/lounge. It's not see easy to do this here...
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9) I disagree. Texas does have some very good schools. Who cares if they aren't hotbeds of liberal indoctrination like in California and New York.
I'm not a fan of politics, so I don't know what you're talking about here. Growing up in NY, my friends have gone in a pretty much split path of conservative vs liberal and it hasn't really affected our lives.
The dropout rate in Texas is pretty darn bad and so are the public schools.[SIZE=2] [/SIZE]
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2) I personally find some New Englanders provincial and narrow minded and I find that terribly annoying. They are worse than Californians when it comes to complaining. I'd rather have laid back Californians surrounding me than stuck up New Englanders. I can't imagine that you must be hanging around native Southerners, as they usually have exceptional etiquette. I guess you could be hanging out with teenagers who's parents didn't teach them any better, which I find is a national problem, not a Texas problem specifically.
Well I find that southerners (and Texans especially) tend to give you plastic smiles while really hating your guts. If a new yorker doesn't like you, you'll know in 5 seconds of interaction. I like that. It's honest.
Complaining isn't a big deal, it's healthy.
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4) You were saying about etiquette?
Sex is human nature, get over it. A man who doesn't have sex eventually ends up with some serious psychological issues.
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6) It's all a matter of opinion.
And I've read some opinions that I completely don't agree with. If someone agrees with my way of thinking and reads my opinion of Austin, maybe it'll help them be a little bit more prepared.
I second that. I moved from Cali 6 months ago and people like OP were why I left.
Why, because I have an opinion that differs from yours?
I actually like Austin, as I said, for reasons of my own. I needed a little quiet in my life to do my work and that's what Austin brings. I appreciate a lot of things about this town and have some great stories of my own (like how I bought a high quality stetson cowboy hat for 5 bucks from a small town in texas that was worn by the seller's nephew in a rodeo).
There are things that continuously frustrate me about this town. They do frustrate me because I lived most of my life in New York.
I feel it's only fair for people that think on my frequency to read what others have to say. When I google thinks like the link below, I feel it's important people understand the truth behind it: http://www.google.com/search?q=music...l+of+the+world
Why, because I have an opinion that differs from yours?
I actually like Austin, as I said, for reasons of my own. I needed a little quiet in my life to do my work and that's what Austin brings. I appreciate a lot of things about this town and have some great stories of my own (like how I bought a high quality stetson cowboy hat for 5 bucks from a small town in texas that was worn by the seller's nephew in a rodeo).
There are things that continuously frustrate me about this town. They do frustrate me because I lived most of my life in New York.
I feel it's only fair for people that think on my frequency to read what others have to say. When I google thinks like the link below, I feel it's important people understand the truth behind it: music capital of the world - Google Search
Ah, well I do agree about the live music slogan. It's tiring, especially when I personally find the scene to be too heavily skewed in too few directions(mostly roots and Indie rock). But that's just my opinion. I like a wide variety of music but when it comes to jazz, classical, and middle-eastern/Indian music, I have to look a bit harder. But, it ain't enough to make me leave...and I'm a musician. I just think that Austin is going through some awkward growing pains and you can either live with that or you can't. Sounds like you can. I can as well.
Well I find that southerners (and Texans especially) tend to give you plastic smiles while really hating your guts. If a new yorker doesn't like you, you'll know in 5 seconds of interaction. I like that. It's honest.
So, are you a mind reader? How do you know they are hating your guts if they are smiling at you? Honestly, I'd rather be in a state of ignorant bliss surrounded by smiling, happy people than dealing with in your face mean spirited people. I grew up in LA, I lived for five years in the NE, I will take TX any day.
Originally from the Catskill mountains, then moved to Brooklyn, Coney Island & Flatbush, graduated Midwood High School and now live in California for the last thirty four years. Our daughter moved from California to Cedar Park Texas four years ago. Yes, she misses the coast and her family but has no regrets moving there. The public schools are much better than California and the kids are doing great. I myself wouldn't live in a home right niext to another but in the country and there are some beautiful areas. The humidity was the worse for us even coming from the east coast.... We are planning a trip in March and going to look around for a mini ranch perhaps Georgetown. There is good and bad everywhere it is just how you utilize what is available....
I don't know how old you are but I lived in Brooklyn in the 60's....Those were the days and that is a story all in itself....Not short either.....Hanging out on Avenue J (with Paulie Walnuts alas Jr Serico, Tony Serico of the Supranos) under the L , eating french fries, cherry cokes or eating White Castle hamburgers not to forget Coney Island fireworks., Nathans....Oh I could go on......
Sounds like you need to move back to CA or NY. You say you like it here for your personal reasons but do nothing but *****. If Austin has nothing to offer you, why are you here? And if Austin sux, why do so many people from Cali wind up moving here? I've met a handful in the last month alone--no lie.
"I'm from Philly, and I agree with a lot of this. But I sort of knew that going into it. What really drives me nuts is that people from here refuse to believe that it's not the most liberal, diverse, coolest place in the world. It's really not, honest."
I'm sort of glad it's not the most liberal place in the world I believe a good mix is better than too heavy on either side. Whatdya mean not the coolest place in the world? J/K
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I believe a good mix is better than too heavy on either side. Whatdya mean not the coolest place in the world? J/K 
