Eugene, OR to Austin, TX (Houston, Dallas: apartments, rent, how much)

[98NWCherokee]

Hello Everyone,

I've been reading through a number of older posts and thought I would write one specific to my scenario. I currently live in the Eugene/Springfield area of Oregon and I'm desperately needing a change in my life. I've been here for about 12 years now ever since I completed college. My motivation for moving is a career change. I currently work in the records department at the University of Oregon. I want to pursue engineering and I've heard that UT is a good school for this. I also like what I read about Austin but I have a few concerns:

One concern is weather. I know it's subjective to the individual but I've lived in Oregon my entire life and I'm concerned about the humidity/mosquitoes/heat. I did spend a year in Phoenix, AZ and didn't have that much trouble with the heat.

As a single, mature person, is it feasable to meet a quality single adult in Austin? I read a lot about young kids and party animals and I'm really past that phase in life. At some point I'd like to settle down but there just isn't a decent population of young adults in my part of Oregon. Most of the women I meet don't have a job or a car and some have criminal backgrounds.

Living in Oregon, I think the cost of living is already pretty high. I would be looking to sell my home here and rent in Austin as I became a pos-bac student at UT. Can someone get a reasonable apartment near campus that's safe and somewhat quiet? Which neighborhoods would be best considering I read traffic is a nightmare but the college campus neighborhood is party central?

How much sun is there really? A lot of the older posts blast Oregon for 300 cloudy days a year with rain.....and for the most part they're right! I hate the grey and never ever got used to the constant rain. I love the sun but am concerned at the oppressive scenarios I've read about Summer in Austin.

Any additional thoughts would be great. I'm also considering Ann Arbor, MI as opposed to Austin so any comparisons would be great between the 3 locations.

Thank you

[eileenkeeney]

If you are coming for school, maybe you can still return to Oregon for the summer.
I moved from Oregon, and found the winter weather here (in Austin) to be pretty awesome.

I wish I had the option of returning to Oregon for the Summer, but my employer is not open to that, so as long as I want to keep my job, I will have to tolerate Austin.

Yea, lots of sun. Winter had a few cold spells, but they only last a few days, and then the warm weather returned. I loved it.

Cost of living? Some stuff is more, some stuff is less.
As a student, the savings on income tax might not be as much of a benefit as it is for me.
If you are not buying a home, the cheaper house prices won't benefit you much.

I don't think Rent is cheaper (I am comparing to Corvallis, where I lived). Energy seems to cost more. Most apartments seem to have electric water heating (as opposed to Gas which is much cheaper in this area).

I think that as long as you are a student, why not take advantage of spending the school year in Austin, and then go elsewhere for summer?

[texasdiver]

I grew up in Eugene, went to college at Reed in Portland and grad school at the UW in Seattle. My wife's career brought us to Texas 7 years ago. So I can probably comment intelligently on both areas.

First, Austin is not Eugene, not even close. Austin is really much closer to Portland in size and temperament. Eugene is a sleepy college town. I graduated from HS in 1982 and I'm still astonished about how much of Eugene looks exactly the same now as it did 30 years ago. Austin is much more of an international city. It's a state capital, it's a high-tech mecca, it's a music mecca. People are drawn from all over the world for various reasons. Austin has its flaws. Traffic is a mess, urban planning and suburban sprawl leaves much to be desired. But don't confuse the two cities. The greater Austin area is rapidly closing in on 2 million people.

I'm married so I can't really comment much about the social life in Austin but from all reports, it's pretty decent for adults. As far as Texas goes, I'd only want to be single in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin or Houston. Maybe San Antonio but it seems a slower more family-oriented town. I would expect that you'd find Austin social life to have more in common with Portland than Eugene.

As for the weather, it's fine. Mid-summer gets pretty hot which makes things like bike commuting long distance something of a trial. But much of the year the weather is great for working out. A lot of cyclists like Lance Armstrong live and work out in Austin. You will adapt. It isn't greatly hotter than the Willamette valley in mid-summer expect that it doesn't cool off at night like it does in Oregon so you do need air conditioning.

If you want to stay in the NW, there's always the UW in Seattle which has good engineering programs. I was in marine fisheries but I had friends in engineering grad school there and they spoke well of the programs.

[jread]

Originally Posted by 98NWCherokee

One concern is weather. I know it's subjective to the individual but I've lived in Oregon my entire life and I'm concerned about the humidity/mosquitoes/heat. I did spend a year in Phoenix, AZ and didn't have that much trouble with the heat.

If you can deal with the heat in Phoenix, then Austin will be a cakewalk for you.

Funny story: we went on vacation to Portland in September a couple of years back, and the day before we left it was 96 in Portland and 86 in Austin. I think you'll be able to handle it. The problem with Austin's summers is not that they are so hot, it's that it is hot for such a long time with no relief. Again, though, it is nowhere close to Phoenix if that makes you feel any better.

People say there are mosquitoes here, but I have not seen too many. The ones I have seen are tiny, pathetic little things. However, I grew up on the Gulf Coast where mosquitoes swarmed by the thousands and were the size of small aircraft.

[knrstz]

Based upon what the op said, Austin sounds like a perfect fit. I encourage people to understand that there will definately be differences and don't try or expect Austin to be Eugene. Things will be different. If you handled Phoenix heat you can handle Austin. It doesn't sound like you'll be out in the heat too much except for walking to and from class. If you were pouring concrete outside, I'd be concerned. Personally, weather is the most overhpyed thing on city-data. Virtually everywhere has at least one season that isn't pleasent. I think if you actually measure it out, you'll find the weather in Austin is better than eugene more often than the other way around. I really believe your attutude toward the heat will have a lot to do with how well you handle it.

[Acuda]

Go Ducks!!

First, Austin's weather is awesome. I love the heat and I am very active in the 90-100 degree summer heat. It can certainly get hot, which many find oppressive, but it is not nearly as hot as 115 degree Phoenix/Tucson (where I spent two years living). So, I agree with jread. Besides, every store, restaurant, movie theater, etc. are air conditioned and many to the point that it can get chilly. Austin has a ton of public pools, a river, lakes that are fantastic to dive in and cool off. It can get humid at times, and certainly more humid than Eugene, but it isn't like the Deep South or places back east. Winter is overall very moderate IMO. It can get cold, but there is not that added drizzle and grey like the PNW (for 6 months). Winter in Austin can still be cold and at times rain, but it seems to last just long enough to relieve one from the summer/fall heat. So, no worries on the weather.

Women? There is a great single scene here in my opinion. There are a ton of cultural outlets, meet-ups, restaurants, bars, etc. to meet people. IMO Austinites are very open and friendly. Eugene is definitely a college town and is loaded with undergrads. Austin is much larger with a ton of people from other places. I moved here 3 years ago and I am engaged to a hot, liberal teacher who is from right here in Texas (more-or-less). I wouldn't worry about the dating scene either.

Rent can be a bit pricey especially near campus. I live out towards Lake Travis, so it is cheaper for what we have. Austin is big, but, around campus is going to be similar to around campus in Eugene. There are homes and apartments that are ramshackle and some that are nice. But, overall, it costs more to live closer to town and UT. I think you'll be able to find something in your budget.

Lastly, Austin is a great city. It is obviously bigger than Eugene, but not as "big city feeling" as Portland IMO. Portland always feels more sophisticated with the restaurants, art galleries, public transportation, etc. Austin is getting there but no way does SoCo compare to the Pearl District. Plus, Portland is more wacky than Austin IMO. But, Austin is great and I don't want to live anywhere else...except maybe Amarillo or Odessa...kidding

Worst thing here is the choice and cost of beer. We have a few good local breweries, but no where near the selection of Oregon. It ain't Utah, but I know it doesn't have Ninkasi either.

From a Duck...I think you'll like it. PM me if you have any more questions

[hoffdano]

Acuda's post above is very good. Austin's humidity is not what many think it is. The mornings can be humid, but by mid-day the moisture is gone and you have warm (or hot), dry afternoons. Houston on the other hand is humid all day long.

Texas doesn't have the microbrew culture of the Pacific Northwest. But the good news is that you can buy those beers here easily.

[jread]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

Austin's humidity is not what many think it is. The mornings can be humid, but by mid-day the moisture is gone and you have warm (or hot), dry afternoons. Houston on the other hand is humid all day long.

Yes, and thank you for backing that up. Austin is much more a western climate than an eastern climate, though it contains elements of both. We went into great detail about this in the other thread in here titled "Portland vs. Austin".

[MasterOfPuppets]

Other than being about the same size, Austin is nothing like Portland.

[98NWCherokee]

I want to thank everyone for their input. It's really fascinating to read what people think about a specific city. I did want to clarify one thing.....

I'm not a huge fan of Eugene. Don't get me wrong, having gone to school here and worked here for over a decade it's not without its charms, but overall I'm completely burned out on this place. I consider myself to be liberal but Eugene sometimes tips the scales too far to the left with things like personal hygiene or transportation habits. I know people who will commute 25 miles a day, by bike. Now, I'm all for making the world a better place but that's just never going to happen for me!

I like the idea of a fresh start and I don't need the two places to be completely similar. Phoenix didn't work out for me because I found the people to be very, very strange. I lived there for a year and had a really difficult time developing relationships with other people. I'm not even talking about dating.....just basic friendships or people to converse with.

Austin appeals to me because it seems to be filled with energetic, youthful people who are laid back and overall positive. That's the most important aspect for me really, although the other factors of course play a part. I think things like humidity, traffic, etc could easily be acclimated to if the people are overall positive....which is sounds like they are.