Considering relocating to Austin from San Diego (sale, house)

[YaYa]

Originally Posted by fishstix3

Ok, as a No. California girl who has spent her college years in San Diego, that post was really insightful, tashina! Thank you. I can't tell you how many times that I have said that I actually ENJOY the variation in weather in Austin and gotten laughed at -- everyone here in CA. thinks it is just horrendously hot 24/7 in Austin, and I say that while it DOES get horrendously HOT, we have also really enjoyed those lightning storms and the changeability in weather that Austin seems to have. I get tired of the SAME weather day in/day out. We are also really looking to get our kids out of this "me-centric" universe that seems to surround us, and we noticed that the kids in Austin generally seemed respectful of adults compared to where we are here -- broad, sweeping generalization, I know, but even though we teach our kids to be respectful of adults, it is hard when no one else seems to reinforce that. There is such a sense of entitlement in so many kids around here, and they all HAVE EVERYTHING, so what is there to work toward? Anyhow, thanks ---

I thought I was the only San Diegan who actually gets tired of the weather. After living in NorCal and then the East Coast, I miss the weather variations and so does my Connecticut-bred husband. There's also the superficiality of SD and the ongoing competition of who has the nicest car, most expensive jeans, etc. Of course it's not like that everywhere but I'm looking forward to escaping that.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by austin_or_sd

The Dell stock did the wonder so he could retire realy and enjoy his life. But it is a different Dell now with the fierce competition around the globe and PC is no longer a growing market.

Oh, I agree completely, but I don't know if the work weeks have gotten any shorter or not. Also, his wife was even higher up in the company (working long weeks) and she continued after he retired. My brother now works in manufacturing there (not sure really what he does) and he works a regular schedule (if second shift can be considered regular).

[dsearch]

I will say never rent/lease anything from Gables!

Gables Great Hills is the worst apartment complex I've lived in so far, in terms of management. They don't tell you everything but once you move in, they will hit you up with all sort of charges/raises. Very rediculous.

Rent elsewhere, if you can.

[rebecky]

Have you moved yet and was the advice you recieved from everyone to be help? We are considering relocating as well to Austin. You advice to us would also be of interest.

[austin_or_sd]

Originally Posted by rebecky

Have you moved yet and was the advice you recieved from everyone to be help? We are considering relocating as well to Austin. You advice to us would also be of interest.

After receiving an offer from a company in Austin, I read through this forum as well as the San Diego forum. I also had a few posts in both forums. I received a lot of helpful tips, the proc and cons about relocating from San Diego to Austin. No place is a paradise. Every place has it's pros and cons. I listed the pros and cons in either places. I know the pros such a more afforadble housing in Austin is important for me. At mean time, I am prepared for the cons such a heat in the summer or no beach in Austin. After much debate and soul search, I made my decision slowly but clearly - relocate to Austin.

[muddaerf]

Originally Posted by cruickies

Hi there wel ive in the UK and are considering a move to Austin. I too work in HR (at the moment for JPMorgan Chase in London) and am trying to get a sense of jobs and salaries. Most job postings don't have salaries so I have no way of knowing what I might be worth...I will come clean with my boss once we have been on a "look see" trip to Austin and have finalized out plans...then I am hoping they will "find" a job for me...but only 5 or 6 HR jobs in Austin area!!!

Could you share any info you might gather about HR and I will do the same. thanks.

Actually, I have been looking for HR jobs for about 3 months now to no avail. I have my FIRST interview scheduled for next week but I'm not holding my breath (I would LOVE the job but it sounds like they have a lot of interviews). I applied for probably around 15-20 jobs. I am a Generalist and have found that there are very few jobs in Austin for Generalists. Recruitment jobs appear to be all over the place so if you're a Recruiter, go for it!

We have only lived in Austin now for about 3 weeks (yes, we made the move and don't regret it one bit!) and I was worried for a while that I wasn't getting any hits on my resume because I lived out of state (even with a "Relocation not necessary" and "We are relocating in a week" adddition to my cover letters). California is one of the toughest states to practice HR because of its paternalistic laws but I was also concerned that I wasn't getting anywhere because I don't have any Texas experience. Anyway, I'm blabbering, but I have been applying and searching for jobs RELIGIOUSLY to no avail. (I am so desperate that I would start taking mental notes of company names on large buildings and look them up on their websites when I got home).

Anyhow, good luck!

[jwb123]

After much debate and soul search, I made my decision slowly but clearly - relocate to Austin.

Congrats on your decision! The situation at D is scary, but my husband reports that things were normal today... I have talked to some long time workers of D and they all say stick it out...

[Singin'intherain]

Originally Posted by tashina

I was in born and raised in San Diego and moved to Austin last year (I'm in my 40's). I live in Southwest Austin which is like a whole 'nother place. It's not city really, more suburban I suppose, but with more personality than San Diego suburban (like some mutant cross between Santee in the 80's and Clairemont Blvd now, but with hills and trees). We can get to downtown in 15 minutes but we get to live in the hills of Hill Country and it's very pretty. There are plenty of big box stores around, but they are grouped together and not as interspersed with neighborhoods as SD.

Coming from San Diego, here's what I most notice: lots and lots of trees here - every spare inch of land that isn't built on yet in the Hill Country is trees (mostly live oaks and juniper ashe that they call cedar). Very few flowers - shockingly few for a San Diegan. Almost no palm trees which I really miss. Much more laid back here. Oh, and the children here are polite and nice and amazingly different. I lived in Temecula for 18 months and there the kids were (live most San Diego kids) all over the street and rude to adults and basically thought they were the center of the universe. Here they are actually respectful and even though I don't have kids, I really notice that.

The weather is nice overall. There is actually weather here. As a native San Diegan, I thought weather was only in movies and on TV. But no, there are really big lightning storms and hail and sometimes you wake up and it's 25 degrees outside in the winter. Then 3 days later, it's 80 degrees. The July/August time is certainly just a time to be gotten though alive. It's not that it's hot every day, it's that it doesn't cool off at night. Last July/August there was about a month where it did not get below 75 day OR NIGHT. That means at 5 am it was 75! Also, instead of it being spring pretty much until June gloom is over in July, Spring here starts in February and it's pretty much summer as you would know it by April. April-June is like a San Diego summer except with big thunderstorms. Then July/Aug is hot with lots of humidity compared to SD. Overall I love the weather here and would easily take the summer here over the June gloom and no weather of San Diego.

I loved San Diego growing up in the 70's. Austin is very much like that now. I've lived in San Diego, San Francisco, and London. I'm happy here.

Hi there!
I am trying to figure out how to post a question here and can't, but I thought I would reply to your post. I am looking for advice on moving to Austin or San Diego from Seattle. I am a mother of two young children. My concerns with San Diego are the schools, the crowding, and the materialism. I want to know which is a better place to raise children. I am happy to go either place coming from Seattle due to the sunny weather there compared to the gloomy rain here. I keep trying to convince myself that I like the rain. I don't mind the heat and think I could deal with that in Austin. I have lived in Little Rock and D.C. which are both hot and humid. I love thunderstorms, too. San Diego is beautiful and has the beaches and a lot of amenities. It sounds like people may be friendlier and more curtious in Austin, from what I have read. I am taking trips to both places but would appreciate any opinions.

[love roses]

I vote Austin, if for any reason but the cost of living. Haven't been to San Diego, but am going to guess it's a little more expensive there. Also, it's more laid back. Noone's too concerned about keeping up with the Joneses.

[prtybrwnis]

I just moved to Austin from San Diego in January. I vote Austin too! Less expensive, friendlier people and more laid back. San Diego schools are overcrowded. I had my son in private school. Austin's high schools are bigger but more individualized programs than I've seen in San Diego. San Diego (California as a whole) is experiencing budget problems with the schools and cuts are coming. check out San Diego Unified School District Official Home Page which is the San Diego Unified School district site. Of course there are other school districts dependent upon where you live in the County but that is the biggest.