Advice On Austin Anyone ? (San Antonio, Clarksville: for rent, house, dorms)

[SWKHAMMR]

Recent graduate Las Vegan seriously considering moving to Austin in the summer. Can anyone help me with questions regarding:

Public transportation ? Bus routes, metro rail, etc. I don't have a car, so ideally, this is how I would be getting around. How late and often do these services run ? I hear it's cheap, a monthly bus pass in Las Vegas is $55.00 !

What about housing ? My price range for renting is probably no more than $1,000 a month. What neighborhoods are convenient for public transportation ? I'm also concerned with safety- I don't want to live any place where I would feel unsafe. I've heard Allandale, Clarksville, Barton Hills and the Zilker area are all places I should check out. I'd like to live closer to downtown, but any place with easy access to public transit is good too.

What about jobs ? I'm a recent graduate with a degree in journalism. I know its a college-centric town, it should be relatively easy for me to secure a job right ? I probably won't have anything lined up when I get there, but I have some money saved up, so I think I'll be alright for a little while. Is this a safe and smart idea ?

What about the people ? I've been getting mixed signals on Austin residents. I've heard people are nice, I've also heard the opposite. There's a lot of stand offish apathy in Las Vegas. Is this the case in Austin too ?

What about the homeless ? Is it as bad there as it is in Vegas ? (you seriously get hit up for money pretty much everywhere and anywhere here)

Stuff to do ? I like the outdoors, I heard there are plentiful parks and such. How far is it to the Six Flags ? Are there a lot of carnivals and fairs and the like ? What about record stores ?

Any other advice anyone can give me about relocating would also be very helpful. I haven't been there yet, but I plan to visit in the next few weeks.

Thanks Very Much.

[Jennibc]

What kind of job are you looking for? Getting a job in journalism ANYWHERE is going to be rough. I have friends that have years in the business and are terrified of being laid off. Not to mention that you typically have to start in a podunk town somewhere. My best friend has her Masters from Stanford and her first job was at some neighborhood paper in SW Washington State. After years in the business, the market she is in is still smaller than Austin's. But if you are talking about picking up a job temping at an office completely unrelated to journalism, that might not take too long. As far as finding permanant work here, lots of places are laying off right now. If you are willing to take a "mcjob" for a while until you find something permanant you might be okay. I am not trying to discourage you, I am just trying to be realistic about job prospects right now. Of course, considering the economy, it is probably like this everywhere for freshouts.

As far as public transporation goes, you'd have to live downtown to rely on it. I love Austin, but there is NO way I'd live here without a car unless I was a student and lived in the dorms so that every imperitave aspect of my life were within walking distance.

As far as people go, we are in a different age bracket so I cannot tell you anything about twentysomethings. However, having just moved back here from Seattle, the overall difference is night and day. People are so friendly and upbeat here. There is a lot of energy. Although I've never been to Vegas, from what I've heard from a friend who moved there in the last few years, the local culture or personalities of the place are NOTHING alike.

As far as homelessness goes, we have a lot of that here. I have no idea what it's like in Vegas so I cannot compare the two.

Sixflags is in San Antonio, about 90 miles away. There are a lot of things to do outdoors here, but you will be limited without transportaion.

Make sure you save up enough for a few months of rent before you head out here. I hope this helps.

[readymade]

I second the "have enough for a few months" before moving here. It took me 3 months to find a job (plus one month of looking from CA) and I have a ton of experience in my field. I think it's much easier to find a job if you know people here.

The people here are SUPER friendly! Sure, I've encountered some jerks (they're everywhere)... but on the whole I think it's a very friendly city. From what I understand, the public transportation is not so great. It's not like Boston, NYC, Chicago, or even LA. This is very much a driving city.

Clarksville, Hyde Park, Zilker are all awesome places to live, but you might not be able to find something under $1000/month. Maybe you will, though... a 1 bedroom or something. I rent a 3 bedroom house in 78741 (east of 35) for $1300/month. It's 3 minutes to downtown and my particular area is quite safe. So you might want to check out that out. I think it would be great for a college grad since you'd be close to everything.

Good luck!

[artsyguy]

Don't get the OP's hopes and dreams up. The people are not "super friendly" especially since the economic crisis is striking Austin, there are layoffs, pay cuts, and underemployment.

The people do not fit this description of friendly.

define: friendly - Google Search

It sounds like the OP would be better off in San Antonio. They have outdoors activities, and several theme parks there.

I would suggest you get a job in the city before you move.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

The people are not "super friendly"

Yes they are.

[artsyguy]

Do you have examples of "super friendly"? and what is your definition of "super friendly"?

Originally Posted by readymade

Yes they are.

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by readymade

Yes they are.

I concur. It's the friendliest place I've lived. It's not the place though to make friends by looking down on others. If that is your thing then you may have a better time in another city.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Do you have examples of "super friendly"? and what is your definition of "super friendly"?

My definition is people in Austin. People in Texas, in general, are very friendly and Austin especially so -- maybe because of the laid back vibe, people aren't consumed in the rat-race.

However, it's good not to get the OP's hope up in regards to jobs. It's always very competitive here, because everyone has advanced degrees and are willing to work for less $$$. It's also more expensive to live here, and yes there are a lot of homeless folks.

[TexasHorseLady]

The neighborhoods you mention are within an easy commute to downtown, and you can get there via bus from most of them, I believe (and from some, eventually, via the MetroRail). You can check that out at CapMetro.

As far as whether the folks in Austin are friendly are not, I suggest that you wander around this board a bit and see who thinks they're friendly and, just as interesting, who thinks they are not. I think you might find that illuminating. Pretty much, I hear a lot more complaints (from people from elsewhere) about how we're TOO friendly rather than the opposite.

Yes, we do have homeless here. Driving around town, outside of downtown I'll see them a few times by the side of the road with their signs (some of which are getting pretty darned clever, by the way ). I've not been "hit up" for money other than that (and that's pretty passive) in years - in Austin, anyway.

[artsyguy]

Why would I or anybody complain about people being "too friendly"???