What do you love about Austin? (Dallas, Atlanta: home, buying, schools)

[bianca0]

I was just wondering what people like about Austin. I just moved here and I am thinking of moving back because I don't think that it is my cup of tea here is what I look for in a city:

1. nice weather (I have asthma and allergies so this is important). I do not want to have to worry about ice on the roads in the winter either.
2. Good shopping. I like the domain, those are the type of places that I like to shop, newer upscale stores.
3. Good Resturants.
4. Scenery, but, I do not want to have to drive 20 to 30 minutes to get to it.
5. Proximity. By this I mean I need things to be located neer to where I live. I want to be able to walk to the grocery store, resturants, shops, and work, or at least good public transportation. (I do not have a car and do not plan on buying one soon).

I do not go out do bars or clubs. I don't enjoy swimming in lakes or ponds or rivers. I have lived in KY for 26 years and in San Diego for 1 year. Both of these places had most of these, however, I left KY for better weather, and I left San Diego for a cheaper cost of living. I am now finding that Austin does not offer enough of what I want for me to stay. I would like to be proven wrong since I put so much time and effort into moving here

[jread]

It sounds like you will never be happy. A place like what you want is going to have a high cost of living, a place without a high cost of living is not going to have what you want. I think your best bet is to move somewhere like New Zealand because the U.S. ain't gonna have it.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by bianca0

I was just wondering what people like about Austin. I just moved here and I am thinking of moving back because I don't think that it is my cup of tea here is what I look for in a city:

1. nice weather (I have asthma and allergies so this is important). I do not want to have to worry about ice on the roads in the winter either.
2. Good shopping. I like the domain, those are the type of places that I like to shop, newer upscale stores.
3. Good Resturants.
4. Scenery, but, I do not want to have to drive 20 to 30 minutes to get to it.
5. Proximity. By this I mean I need things to be located neer to where I live. I want to be able to walk to the grocery store, resturants, shops, and work, or at least good public transportation. (I do not have a car and do not plan on buying one soon).

I do not go out do bars or clubs. I don't enjoy swimming in lakes or ponds or rivers. I have lived in KY for 26 years and in San Diego for 1 year. Both of these places had most of these, however, I left KY for better weather, and I left San Diego for a cheaper cost of living. I am now finding that Austin does not offer enough of what I want for me to stay. I would like to be proven wrong since I put so much time and effort into moving here

It sounds like you didn't really research Austin prior to your move. Let's explore each point of yours....

1. Austin is not such a great place to live if you have allergies.
2. The Domain/Arboretum are probably your best choices for the newer upscale stores
3. Austin has great restaurants in my opinion.
4. Scenery/beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When I see Dallas in my rear view mirror and Austin on the horizon...I know I'm "HOME"
5. If you live downtown or close, not having a car shouldn't be too much of a problem, but I would find living in Austin difficult if I didn't have a car.
6. The lakes and natural pools is what makes Austin a gem in my eyes.
7. Bars/clubs---HELLOOOO.....Austin is nicknamed the "Live Music Capitol of the World".

I think you should have researched Austin a little more in depth prior to making such a huge expensive move. Austin fits everything that I want in a city/place to live. The only thing that doesn't would be the allergy component, but I'll deal with it.

[jwb123]

I don't think that anyone, on this forum at least, would try to convince you to stay.

[atlanta hope]

Maybe San Fran if you can afford it? I can't think of many cities that you can live in and not have a car. Public transportation sucks in the U.S.

You can cross Atlanta off your list, you most definitely need a car to get around -- and then you'll be sitting in traffic.

[bianca0]

I want to know, if anyone can answer this besides the lower cost of living, what makes Austin better than San Diego. I know that alot of people cannot answer this since they havn't lived in both places. I am not bashing Austin, I do see why people like it. My husband and I are very liberal, with tattoos, and believe it or not, my husband is a musician. However we do not go the bars or clubs when he is not playing a show. That brings up another issue, he has looked for people to play music with and he can't find anyone who plays his style of music. Which is rock, by that I mean alot of screaming and very, very loud guitars. His band was actually banned from a bar in KY because they played so loud

[mark311]

Originally Posted by bianca0

I want to know, if anyone can answer this besides the lower cost of living, what makes Austin better than San Diego.

Austin is a better place to raise a family in my opinion and that's a big one for most of the people moving here. Unless you live in a very expensive area of
San Diego, you won't get the same quality schools as you get here in the Austin area. I grew up in San Diego and left when I was 29.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

It's all in the eye of the beholder! I've never lived or visited San Diego so I can't answer that question specifically, but it sounds like you prefer San Diego.

[flamingjupiter]

I guess i'm veering off topic a bit but........i was curious to know how long have you been in austin thus far? If it has been a short while, why not just give it a chance? Its natural to have some home sickness,and your bound to have doubts,and have to make some adjustments! Maybe its just a case of NOT love at first sight! I know if i didn't live in Arizona for a year and Georgia for a year,coming orginally from Chicago and New York, i would have been in an even deeper state of culture shock then i was! I know i sometimes get VERY nostalgic for Chicago, the food, the diversity,the music, BUT when i moved here ,i had to check my unrealistic expectations of what austin should be at the door,and just enjoy austin for what it is! I really hope you enjoy your stay here however short or long!

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by bianca0

...what makes Austin better than San Diego.

Huh? Austin isn't better than San Diego. San Diego is one of the most beautiful places in the country with arguably some of the best weather anywhere. If you took the cost of living out of it, I'd bet half the people here would be moving to San Diego right now.

Cost of living is a critical factor in choosing where you want to live. If you make less than 100k/a year, living in San Diego (or almost anywhere on the coast) just isn't practical for most people.