[blkknightarms]

I just left CA after 42 years. Austin, apart from panhandling and corporate retail dominating commercial real estate, is awesome. Free tattoos line around the block for Friday the 13th on 6th st. was hilarious. People are much nicer and more social. Groceries are cheaper (HEB rocks). Traffic sorta sucks but it's nothing like LA or Bay Area commute. The weather is baller as long as it's not summer, in which case, vaca in Canada or Santa Cruz. Land outside of city limits is dirt cheap for whatever purpose, homestead or commercial. Property taxes are nearly 2%/yr in most of TX so there's a disincentive to owning expensive homes for most people.

People in CA aren't dating or having kids like TX, middle states, and UT. The coasts are graveyards for all but the rich, retirees, and high-income visiting employees; everyone else is like a SF "gold rush miner" trying to hang-on to a delusion, spending most of their income on rent. Screw that; build a life somewhere sustainable such as on the outskirts of a burgeoning city.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territ...

[rotexo]

Nah man it isn’t life unless it’s summer in Austin. Back in my youth I would still bike everywhere, I would just plan my bike route to hit every public pool possible, like the main character in John Cheever’s ‘The Swimmer.’ And then I would eat some amazing Tex mex on a patio and then hit the springs for a night swim. Of course, nobody is doing that kind of thing these days anyways. I miss Austin. I miss my youth.

[blkknightarms]

Ah, the good ol' days.

Pools. Heh. Had an in-ground one growing up and almost never used it. I had to do the chemicals, skim leaves, roll the solar cover, and change the diatomaceous earth. Everyone on the block had one too, and they were rarely used either.

Humidity kills me. For example, I had a Colombian gf but the weather in Barranquilla is mass murder.

Around the south Bay Area, I biked around the hills of the Almaden Valley and Mt. Umunhum incessantly, and skateboarded around the neighborhood until my knees had divots and layers of scars. Went to UC Davis where biking was de rigueur. Did some biking in Netherlands and Belgium, the former being a biking paradise.

The cis females in Austin are just my speed. Sadly, they don't have a chance. And, being a big city, the open-minded types I prefer are more abundant. One area I miss is SF's Castro where mixed gender bars facilitate hooking-up with cis females, but I'll be back. I don't miss SF's parking situation and am looking for cheaper ways to park near downtown Austin.

Folks seem friendlier in Austin than CA where almost everyone has a chip on their shoulder, is seething with dissatisfaction, and doesn't want to be sociable. Heck, I don't even mind chatting with the saner homeless people that aren't panhandling me. I met some very cool homeless people with interesting lives in Palo Alto, CA when Happy Donuts was the hangout.

[hindsightbias]

Sustainable?

https://www.zillow.com/travis-county-tx/home-values/

Enjoy that gold rush.

[blkknightarms]

What a horrible, drive-by comment. Why barf on someone else's birthday cake adapting to economic conditions? I suggest you try living in the Bay Area or LA, work an average job, and then talk about sustainability. There are plenty of satellite areas to live around Austin where houses are in the 300-400k range.

[toomuchtodo]

Have you been to Buccees and Whataburger yet? Try both if you haven’t. Welcome!

[blkknightarms]

Thanks, I already did 20 years ago but I'm vegetarian. My mom's family is from north TX and my folks met in San Anton. Earth Burger in San Marcos is crazy good but 2-3x more expensive than regular fast food.