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As a Texas native, living in Austin for over 5 years now, here's my take on the complaints I'm seeing in this thread. Traffic:
It's a common complaint, but I find it's really not as bad as everyone says. Though, the key to beating traffic is to reside as close to work as possible, and avoid 35 at all costs. Alternatively, live off MoPac or 183. I worked for a few years in downtown Austin, and lived up near Apple's campus. Getting to work was not bad at all (~20 min, given no accidents). My advice, stay North West to give yourself the option of traveling 183 or MoPac. Worst case, hit MoPac's Express Lane and you'll fly past the traffic. Outside of rush hour, the roadways are generally clear. Heat:
Being a native, I actually enjoy hot summers, and hate winter. All of the waterways between Austin and San Antonio are fantastic. My typical summer weekend is spent on the river with a beer in hand. If you want to beat the heat, you have to get near the water. Go-tos: Lake Travis, Canyon Lake, the Guadalupe River, Barton Springs, etc. Summer nights are warm, so camping is do-able without all the cold gear. Housing:
It's not "cheap" to live in Austin, but far more affordable than the Bay Area. Typical apartment rent per square foot hovers around $1.00-$1.50 (1br, $1,200/mo is typical). Typical home rentals closer to $1.00. To buy a home, you'll be hard pressed to find anything decent under $250k. There's a ton of new developments in the far suburbs, where prices are more reasonable. Tech Scene:
There are plenty of meetups, conferences, and coworking spaces to enjoy. Most of my neighbors are in the tech industry. Nearly every Silicon Valley company has a presence in Austin. The job market is very hot. Public Transportation:
I do miss this, having lived in SF for a few years. I live right near the Metro Rail line, and I've used it once. It takes forever to get downtown. I'd rather pay for a ride share and get there in 1/2 the time. As much as everyone complains about the lack of public transit, Texas is huge so having a car allows you to visit all of the towns between and around the major cities. We have Lyft/Uber, which is available even in far out areas like Cedar Park/Georgetown/Round Rock, and between Austin and San Antonio. Considering the cost of living, and your take home pay, you can easily afford a car. Air Travel:
There was a mention of Austin not being a hub, however, there are many direct flights from Austin to great destinations (including international destinations). I've never had a problem here. Geography:
This is lacking. You won't find beautiful mountains or redwood forests here. We have lakes and rolling hills. Allergies:
It's manageable. Daily allergy pill and you'll survive. |