Austin, Texas
SperlingViews

quality of life in Austin - 5/31/2012

Our quality of life would be immensely improved if you DO NOT move here. We don't need any more people. Go away.[more...]

Terrible...just terrible. - 5/30/2012

Austin is horrible. Traffic is terrible. Summers are well above the 100 F mark from May to October. People have bad attitudes toward outsiders/hipsters. Please don't move here.[more...]

The good and the bad - 3/30/2012

There really not a whole of nice things to say about Austin Tx but the pros about Austin is that is a nice city compare to other cities in Texas and Austin is a whole lot nicer than EL Paso and San Antonio. Downtown Austin is very nice because of things to do and a nice park around the lake. The weather is only nice a few months out of a year and that during the winter. Nov,Feb and March is nice weather months. The cons are that the weather here is terrible here during the summer time and its starts in May until middle of Sept. Its gets very hot and humid and not as much rain and the last five summers has been hotter and drier than normal.Hopefully the rain will come back this summer but is very likely that summer is going to be a problem with lack of rain. Drought is a big problem here, it may be rainy a lot during the winter and spring but drought always manage to come back. Some areas of Austin is very bad and run down like east Austin. Traffic is awful here and getting worse every year. The traffic lights here is a joke because its like a three year old has set up these traffic signals to control the traffic. The roads are not very well lay out to control traffic because its not wide enough and needs an extra lane and a turning lane is needed near the traffic signals. All the roads here are too small to handle a large volume of traffic. If you look at Phoenix Az and compare the street there in Phoenix is a whole lot better in Phoenix because Phoenix has a larger streets with more lanes and a much better Traffic signals. Phoenix is a much bigger city than Austin but I notice its easier to drive in Phoenix than Austin because its so easy to get around. Austin has a terrible roads that traffic is so bad here. I-35 is horrible going both directions because its three lanes in Downtown and getting on and off is hard sometimes its an old design from the 50's. Housing market is not so great but its might a little better than its has been. Not very much sight seeing leaving out of Austin and its looks rather boring. There are very rude drivers everywhere here in Austin and they get right up your car rear bumper if you are going the speed limit or even a little over speed limit and people drive pretty bad here well I guess its because the roads are not big enough that people gets very frustrated. People here are not very friendly and nice and but there are some very nice people around don't get me wrong. I am fixing to move out of Austin to Bend Oregon this summer because I want to live in a small city with only 85000 people and plus the weather in Oregon is so much more comfortable than Texas weather. In Oregon there a lot of sight seeing and ocean is near by and the its blue not brown like the gulf of Mexico. Its time for me to move on and say good bye to Austin Tx and seven years of Austin is enough.[more...]

Allergy Capital of the WORLD - 2/28/2012

Austin is very near enough to the Texas Hill Country, the Coastal Plains, and red soil piney woods of East Texas to receive pollen from plants growing in all of these climates. In fact, several of the major companies that compete in the allergy treatment and relief markets have product testing facilities here. If you do not already have allergy problems, move here and you soon will have. This is the complaint of many people who never before experienced allergies until they moved to Austin. And according to these people, the problems persist after you leave. [more...]

Market is getting stonger here - 2/28/2012

Apartment occumpancy is at 98% causing rent cost to increase drastically. We are at a 6 month inventory overall higher in suburbs and lower in central area. A 6 month inventory is a neutrul market meaning niether a buyers or sellers market. I find the suburbs are still a buyers market with the central area shifting to a sellers market as I am finding many multiple offers at list or above on listing located centrally. With the low rates, loosening up a bit from the banks on lending, and prices still not increasing yet, now before the summer rush is a good time to buy. Warren Buffet said he would buy as many single family units as he could and I have to agree. [more...]

Austin is a lot of fun but the Summers Are HOT HOT - 2/21/2012

I live in a suburb of Austin. Leander. There are a lot of suburbs around Austin. All usually 15 miles from Austin. It is very centralized area. I love Austin and grew up here. Left and returned to a different type of city. As a child I enjoyed all the fun and FREE family activities to do downtown (ie. kite festival, trail of lights, xmas tree pole, bun runs, bmx ing, water parades on the lake, etc.) well that has changed since I moved back. For one; we have lost a lot of FREE things to do here (due to economy). We do have UT (University of TEXAS) campus downtown and it is BIG! Very friendly hipsters and uppity hip people. Austin is about ART and MUSIC (LIVE). We have SXSW (South by Southwest)& ACL (Austin City Limits) every year. They are pricey to go to but worth the cost. All though the last 2 years we have had a lot of arrest for violent crimes. The people are Texas friendly; however; the last years' have brought in a different type of crowd that has kind of ruined Austin Hippie Lifestyle on which it was built on. You have people from CA and Louisiana that have seeked refuge here for homes and work. They are defiantly different and all the CA based designers and $$ have brought with them the idea that they to can change Austin/Dallas into California. Because of this; the traffic is worse than LA! There is no friendly atmosphere.. it is all a rat race.. takes about 1 - 1 and 1/2 hours to get across the river to different parts of the city and outlining counties. The roads are always jammed pack full of raging cars (as well as drivers). Road Rage is high here. After Katrina hit we had an onslaught of refugees that fled LA. They brought a lot of crime and they too cannot drive! All-though most have moved out of Austin area; they mostly have relocated to Houston and San Antonio, College Station as it is closer to LA. Thank Goodness! But I really despise the CA $$ that has bum-rushed Austin! + for all you people wanting to know what the school systems are like. Crappy! in Austin (AISD). High drop-out rates and low test scores. No Perry did not make our educational system better.. it has been this way since I went to school here. There are pockets of good school districts (Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, Lakeway and anything west Austin (high end areas) where famous people live).. Cost of living is cheaper than CA, Nevada, anything west coast or east coast (NYC) but it is high here and taxes are high. 8.25%. NO personal property taxes though.. just federal filing on IRS. They do have good Disabled Veteran benefits in homestead taxes, and other things, educational assistance, workforce assistance, VA health care system. With that being said - Austin is a lot of fun with a rich and full history.. for a few bucks you can go down to Zilker Park and ride the small train and go swimming in the cold 62 degree springs pool. Open year around. There are a lot of hike and bike trails, neat eclectic shops, vintage, punk, hippie, business (fortune 500 companies), actors, music events, cultural events, arts, and on the outskirts you have a lot of great places to camp, tubing down river, Schilitterbaun, the beach is 6 hours or so away. a lot to offer for fitness and healthy lifestyles. Farmer's Markets, vegetarian's heaven, and so on!!! Just be prepared to drive everywhere you go.. Austin area is spread out; really. I also like that people of all ages, races and sexual orientations are welcome in Austin.. Weird is cool here and normal is too! Cowboys and Punks will do line dancing next to one another along with retired folks.. Austin is liberal / republican but step outside of Austin and it republican redneck; small town.. all-though that is changing too. I love Austin and wouldn't live anywhere else in Texas; seriously!!! FYI: Houston is an industrial town; San Antonio is 95% Hispanic (they call it the most northern state in Mexico) and is high in crime; and Dallas is a small scale version of NYC without the subways and walking distances. Weather is HOT and drought in the summer highest time was 112 and is Hot from May - Sept/Oct/Nov; sometimes snows here and sometimes rains. Lots of hail storms in weird ways. we get tornadoes to. all though rare. Winters can get down to 19 for a couple of days and then back up to 60.. Hope this all helps. [more...]

Still a Good Town - 2/9/2012

Austin has grown, but it still has its charms.[more...]

HELP - 2/7/2012

NEED TO KNOW GOOD POINTS AS WELL AS BAD POINTS.THINKING of moving there.HELP PLEASE[more...]

Good news bad news - 1/25/2012

The good news on the climate of Austin, Texas is that winter months are quite mild. The bad news is that summers are painfully hot and long. Air conditioning is a must.[more...]

Weather - 12/17/2011

Austin has the best winters around but the summers are absolute killers. The heat last for over 4 months and just makes one want to stay in an air conditioned place and do nothing.[more...]

Seattle to Austin relocation - 12/14/2011

Thinking about relocating from Seattle. Was wondering what the main obstacles (besides the heat) we would encounter. Thanks![more...]

AUSTIN, TX IS EXPENSIVE - 12/5/2011

AUSTIN IS MOST EXPENSIVE CITY IN TEXAS! UTILITIES AND APARTMENT RENTS ARE OUTRAGEOUS. TAXES ARE 8.25%. I CAN’T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE ANY MORE. I’M DONE WITH AUSTIN.[more...]

Just not for me - 9/18/2011

The weather in Austin is a cakewalk for me, as I have lived in the Deep South for much of my life, so I won't complain about that. I came here because I was told that it was a great place to live, very family oriented. I have found that not to be true. I have simple come to the realization that Austin is not for me. I find it over-priced and boring. I keep hearing about all of the job growth, but I don't see it. Nor do I see the diversity. Four Hispanics, two blacks, one Asian, and 500 whites, does not make for diversity. It just doesn't. As far as crime, Austin has stupid crime and sexually deviant crime. No you will not be mugged, but your neighbor might be a pedophile, as Austin has some of the most lenient laws regarding sexual crimes. Oh, and your neighbor probably will beat his wife after scoring some speed from the Ph.D working the late shift at the Speedy Stop, and that's the suburbs folks. The house market is a joke. Who in the hell would pay 400k for a house built in 1985? As far culture, in my opinion there is none. Zero! If you want hill country music, then move there. What we have here is crap. I would rather be locked up in a juke-joint on the bayou listening to Zydeco, and I don't even like Zydeco! As for this city being family-friendly, how about that editorial in the paper asking where all the kids went. If you consider family fun going to the crappy Children's Museum (more like a mom's day out daycare) and watching bored hipsters and tech geeks sit and talk as their kids run around, then you will love it! And don't get me started on the crappy ass Nature and Science Center.....That shit. Austin is a city of singles, I found that out when I went out one night, and it was just depressing, with all of those people just looking for someone.Oh, and what's up with the fucking bedbugs here? What is that all about? Needless to say, I came here full of home and life, and now I have become a fucking hermit, as proof by the fact that I am on her ranting, before I rent another movie on-line and long for the beaches in Florida.[more...]

I wish I never moved here. YUKKO! - 9/7/2011

I've lived in Austin, Texas for 3 years now and I CAN'T WAIT TO LEAVE. It never rains here and the summers are BRUTAL. It reached 112 degrees this past August. This year was the first time that I was sweating while swimming. The water temp was basically at 90 degrees. Not refreshing at all whatsoever. The A/C is on 24/7. I came here for work and I'll be moving to the east coast shortly. As Billy Joel Sang that song "I'm MOVING OUT"[more...]

worst place I ever lived - 8/31/2011

I have lived all over and liked every place I have lived--except Austin. The air quality is poor. The first one bedroom I lived for 2 years at $1,000/mo became infested with rodents in the walls--which management did not address and they died. The smell was so horrid and the place became infested with flies, I had to move. The second apt at $1100/mo had a mold problem which made my dogs and myself sick. In addition, I was surrounded by cigaratte smokers which made the poor air quality worse. In addition, the people who are from there are nice, but I found lots of mean people--possibly the new influx of folks. [more...]

Austin-Not all its cracked up to be! - 8/28/2011

I was born and raised in Austin and as a "local" and not a "transplant", I am miserable. My entire family lives here, with the exception of a brother who resides in Houston, TX with his family due to his job. Property taxes are high, the highways are way too congested. We don't have the infrastructure to support the number of people who relocate here for school, work, or play. It may seem like heaven for people who move here form really expensive cities, but that drives up the price for the local residents and then they cant even afford to stay here, where they grew up. The weather has gotten progressively worse over the years. I remember the last "real" snow was in 1985. When I say real, I mean that stuck around all day and you didn't have to run outside at 7 in the morning to enjoy it before it melted by 9. The heat is ridiculous. It is getting worse and worse every year. When you cant even enjoy sitting on your porch in the morning without sweat dripping down your back as if you just ran a 5K, that is pathetic. I have lived in the mid west where you have four seasons and snow and actually green grass, not brown. I dont think people even know what rain and fresh cut grass, that is green, smells like. We were recently on the east coast for vacation and it was so nice just sitting on the porch with friends and not sweating. Wow! There are NO jobs here unless you are willing to work in a fast food joint, gas station, Wal-Mart, or call center. Sure there are tons of healthcare jobs in the area, but they never actually hire. They post jobs and never interview. The state is worse. I have friends who work for the state who complain that they are over worked, under paid and they say the state posts jobs all the time but there is always a hiring freeze or they just don't hire. Believe me, the way the Government runs in this sates, they are not that busy. They actually outsource their HR agency that screens the applicants. Why not use your own employees? This state is a joke and I can actually say that I have seen it get worse over the years for the locals, but better for people who think paying $400K for a house is reasonable because in CA or NY you get junk for that price. They can have this state and its heat. I am moving to the eat coast in a year and I cant wait. Sure, it may be a bit more expensive to live there, but at least I wont die of a heat stroke if I check the mail at 2 in the afternoon. [more...]

Getting too crowded - 8/3/2011

I've lived in Austin now for 30+ years, and now it seems everyone in America is moving here like Ca. Was in the 1980's. The conservative residents have not expanded infrastructure to keep up with the influx. This was a sleepy college town when I moved here, now it's a mess. I look forward to moving somewhere else for retirement.[more...]

Hot and miserable - 7/29/2011

The weather here is just awful because its so hot and humid from early June until late sept but the worse months are July and August. You have to wake up so early if you want to do yard work or to jog because otherwise you can get sick from the heat. I wish I never moved to Texas I really regret it so bad because of the climate. But move to texas to be closer to families but now they have move away and now thinking about moving out west like maybe Oregon or Colorado where the air is dryer and cooler. I thought about moving to Oregon many years ago and I should have move to Oregon and I don't mind the rain and cloudy days in oregon during the winter because its what keep it green there and they don't have drought problems like Texas do. Some part of Oct, Nov and March and some parts of April can be very nice weather but april and May we get terrible thunderstorm with large hail and tornado warnings its can be scary. Texas is okay in some area but overall its not a very pretty state because its mostly flat and a lot of desert west of Austin. Mostly west Tx is desert and some mountains until you reach EL Paso. If you hate the Hot and humid climate and want to move here is not the best place to live because its so miserable here and you can't do outdoor activity because of the heat. I am moving to Oregon, or Colorado soon just to be in a more comfortable weather and I do better in cold weather than hot weather. I am looking forward moving out of this miserable weather.[more...]

Bleh - 7/14/2011

Don't move here.[more...]

Austin is ALL ABOUT LIVING, not just existing! - 7/6/2011

My husband and I moved to Austin from the Maryland / Washington, DC area 7 years ago and we're still in "pinch me" mode. We absolutely LOVE Austin and have felt more at home here than we ever did in our own hometowns! AUSTIN IS ALL ABOUT LIVING, NOT JUST EXISTING! The warmth of the people, sense of community, incredible weather and outdoor lifestyle, culture, diversity, music, beautiful lakes, and hill country... all bring Austin to life!!!! It's a one-of-a-kind, very special city and one that we're more than proud to call 'HOME'![more...]