What I Miss About Austin/Why I'm Glad I Left (Spring: condo, house prices)

[mlassoff]

After 18 months back in Connecticut, I wanted to write a follow up to my "Why I am Leaving Austin" post from about a year and a half before I moved.

What I miss:
1) BBQ. I really miss Rudy's most, and links! Didn't see that one coming, but I tried a BBQ joint up here in Connecticut and almost gagged.
2) No snow. We got the crap beaten out of us this winter with snow. Too many days at home due to the roads being impassible.
3) My friends. I made many good friends in Austin and I miss them.
4) Cheap groceries. The groceries-- along with everything else are more expensive here.
5) The Austin Airport. I travel weekly for work, and the Austin airport was a pleasure with good service. Bradley airport here in Hartford isn't bad... But it's not ABIA!
6) The Austin entrepreneur scene and networking. Business in the northeast seem to form much less of a community and there is not exciting tech start-up scene to be involved with.

Why I am glad I moved:
1) I don't miss the heat at all! I am really enjoying early spring with temps in the 50's and low 60's. Perfect weather if you ask me.
2) The beach is here. Fishing, tanning, etc., much better here.
3) The food is just like I remember it. Tons of excellent mom and pop's serving Italian, Jewish deli, Chinese, Thai, etc.... Much better overall than Austin.
4) The music... My tastes run along 80's power ballads... I have seen in the local casinos: America, Survivor, Lou Graham, Tin Lizzie, and Huey Lewis and the News all for free.
5) Proximity to NYC and Boston: This has been good for both my business and entertainment.
6) All the pro sports... Seen the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Rangers, Knicks all live.
7) Close to old friends and family: I see my niece and nephew each week AND I have rekindled many old friendships...

Overall the move was a win for me. I am incredibly happy in Connecticut, and my business is thriving. I miss my friends from Austin and looking forward to my first trip back this summer.

That doesn't mean I think everyone should pull up stakes and move to the northeast-- It was the right move for me at the right time.

[rickc007]

Wow, I agree with most of those

But I'm preferring Austin.
Rudy's is a favorite, and I like the Music scene here much better

But I do miss those Springs, and Fenway Park

Not sure where in CT you are, but House prices/cost of living
is Significantly lower then where I was in Fairfield County
Big Plus for me

[atxcio]

Good post. What about the people, the culture? Are you still able to connect with folks up there, does it "feel" right in that sense?

Having livid in Texas for over 25 years, but originally from RI... and visit family up there occasionally... I don't think I can stand the people up there anymore. I've just turned into a Texan over the years, I prefer how friendships and acquaintances work down here. I prefer the more earnest banter; not every conversation feeling like a test or an attempt to one-up someone else. It's just not in me anymore.

So I wonder if you notice any of that.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by rickc007

Wow, I agree with most of those

But I'm preferring Austin.
Rudy's is a favorite, and I like the Music scene here much better

But I do miss those Springs, and Fenway Park

Not sure where in CT you are, but House prices/cost of living
is Significantly lower then where I was in Fairfield County
Big Plus for me

I am near Hartford, but moving back to Fairfield County, which is where I grew up. Yes housing there is outrageous. I had a condo in Lakeway with double the square footage for half the price.

[mlassoff]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Good post. What about the people, the culture? Are you still able to connect with folks up there, does it "feel" right in that sense?

Having livid in Texas for over 25 years, but originally from RI... and visit family up there occasionally... I don't think I can stand the people up there anymore. I've just turned into a Texan over the years, I prefer how friendships and acquaintances work down here. I prefer the more earnest banter; not every conversation feeling like a test or an attempt to one-up someone else. It's just not in me anymore.

So I wonder if you notice any of that.

That was the big "ethereal" problem I had with Austin. I couldn't connect there-- at least not like I do here.

I don't find that conversations are about one-upmanship. I find that the friendships I have from the northeast are life-long and deep. Where as, many of the friendships I had in Texas were out of convenience.

My roots are here. These are my people. I think that was a bigger reason than any that I moved back.

[centralaustinite]

I'm glad you are somewhere where you are happy!

[cBach]

Sounds great for you!

Are the springs in the Northeast 50's and 60's and rainy, or are they sunny? It seems I keep seeing in the weather about all the flooding in CT and NJ this spring. We get 50's and 60's and sunny in the winter, so we still get that kind of weather.

March was brilliant with 70's and 80's all month and it's heating up now but we got to go to the pool yesterday. I much prefer that to the snow that can happen even in April up north (50's is average but that means it can get colder), but I realize everyone has their own preference.

Also, about the beach/tanning... Isn't the beach season rather short there, like 3 months? Here we get a good lake/river/natural springs/Gulf scene of about 6 to 8 months. So maybe you have better quality in the 3 months, we have it more accessible more of the year.

To each his own, glad you are happy though.

[CptnRn]

You can mail order from many of the BBQ places around Austin. Just look for their websites.

https://rudysbbq.com/store/c-10-meat.aspx

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar?B?Que - It's All About The Meat!

Bar-B-Que - all - www.saltlickbbq.com (http://www.saltlickbbq.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&category=0100 - broken link)

[sinking]

I agree with you on the bbq. When I move away from here (probably back to the Northeast) I will miss the BBQ the most, especially Rudys. I will work on perfecting my smoking while I am down here.

The three airports I use the most are Albany, Hartford, and Austin. All three seem to be about as easy to deal with as an airport is going to get.

Originally Posted by mlassoff

That was the big "ethereal" problem I had with Austin. I couldn't connect there-- at least not like I do here.

I don't find that conversations are about one-upmanship. I find that the friendships I have from the northeast are life-long and deep. Where as, many of the friendships I had in Texas were out of convenience.

My roots are here. These are my people. I think that was a bigger reason than any that I moved back.

There is no truer statement in this thread. My friends from New England are all over the country now and I see them about once a year however we still talk often and we usually meet back up in the Berkshires in the summer and it is just like old times. The friendships here are, like you said, out of convenience.

[sinking]

Moderator cut: orphaned

I agree with you on many things but I wish I could take away one of the reps I have given you for this.

Really though, I think preference seems to go to if you like more of a sauce or smokey flavor. I don't like any sauce on my BBQ.