| Austin is just about as liberal as it gets. There is a reason that local politicians will try to move the seat of government back to Houston or Dallas every so often ;) Texas, though still a 'stronghold' for the Right at the moment, is getting whittled down. For example: in the Fort Worth area, one of the reddest in a red state, 12 years ago was voting 96% Republican. 4 years later it was 88%. These days it is around 65%. Strongly red to be sure but the trend is unmistakable. Also, a lot of 'Rockstar, Ninja SuperHumans' in SF are eventually going to want to raise a family. I love SF (aside from the slight claustrophobic feeling it gives me) but it is terribly hard to raise kids there. Aside from the tiny living spaces and lack of places to play, child care is astronomical. Austin is a great place for raising a family. Everybody's mentioned the cost of living. Some differences with the Austin 'scene' as opposed to CA. Ideas are greeted with a bit more skepticism...the second or third question that will always be asked is 'Sounds great! How is it going to make money?' That can be a bit of a wet blanket but it could also serve to keep you focused. Not to say that there is a lack of enthusiasm. There is plenty of that, but it is a bit more sober. Also, entrepreneurs seem to be a slightly older set of people. Not much but it is noticeable. One problem is that traditional banks around here (Austin) seem to be next to clueless or just extremely cautious when it comes to technology (if someone has a favorite tech savvy bank(er) in the Central Texas area, please let me know). Anyway, I have convinced people to move from SF kicking and screaming. They have had a lot of the same reactions of people here ("I never want to be a Texan!", "Where will I get good beer?", "Is there any good food there?", "The jobs are not as exciting." etc, etc.) and they have ended up being very happy here. Austin is awesome! Just my 2 cents. |