What BestPlaces Users Say about Austin
Austin, Texas is a rapidly growing city known for its vibrant music scene, outdoor activities, and booming tech industry. With a diverse population and a thriving economy, many people are flocking to this city to live and work. However, as with any place, there are both positive and negative aspects to living in Austin. In order to better understand the experiences of those who have lived in this city, I have gathered a variety of user reviews from BestPlaces.net.
According to user reviews on BestPlaces.net, there are many positive aspects to living in Austin. One user, Grace, shares that "Austin has a great sense of community and a friendly atmosphere. People are generally laid back and open-minded, making it easy to make new friends." Another user, John, praises the city's job market, stating that "Austin offers a wide range of job opportunities, especially in the tech industry. I was able to find a job in my field within a few weeks of moving here." Additionally, user Lily highlights the city's vibrant culture, saying that "there is always something fun to do in Austin, whether it's attending a music festival, trying out a new restaurant, or exploring the city's beautiful parks."
On the other hand, there are also some negative aspects mentioned by users about living in Austin. One user, Mike, expresses his frustration with the city's traffic, stating that "the traffic in Austin is a nightmare, especially during rush hour. It can be stressful and time-consuming to get around." Another user, Samantha, mentions the high cost of living in Austin, saying that "rent prices and property taxes are constantly on the rise, making it difficult for some people to afford to live here." User David brings up an important issue, stating that "while Austin is a diverse city, there are also issues with gentrification and displacement of longtime residents in certain areas."
In conclusion, many user reviews on BestPlaces.net highlight the positive aspects of living in Austin, such as its sense of community, job opportunities, and vibrant culture. However, there are also some challenges and drawbacks mentioned, such as traffic, cost of living, and issues with gentrification. Overall, these user reviews provide valuable insights for anyone considering a move to Austin, allowing them to weigh the pros and cons and make an informed decision for themselves.
based on 449 ReviewsGet to know Austin with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Austin
Possible Relocation - 10/2/2007
I'm may be relocating to Austin,TX and I would like some feed back about the area, things to do, education and housing.
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Evenly divided politics - Blues, reds, greens, etc - 9/26/2007
From what I've seen, Austin has its share of liberals, moderates, indies, and republicans and neo-cons- tree-huggers, you name it. A lil bit of everything. A very activist community when it comes to politics. If you are inclined to get involved in issues, there is a movement for you! Whether abortion rights, anti-tolling, voter fraud, investigate 9-11, education, pro-gun, pro-life, anti-gun, etc... there seems to be a group of people for each issue. I've been to quite a few rallies at the capitol bldg. just to observe. I can honestly say that there is a rally nearly every weekend at the state capitol or on UT campus.
The most prolific political figure I've seen here is a documentary filmmaker name ALEX JONES- who claims to be the father of the Investigate 9-11 movement. He is based here in Austin and has quite a huge following. His websites are infowars.com and prisonplanet.com
Some mind-opening stuff he has up there!
Also, the old-school hippy flavor
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It's all about what you make it... - 9/24/2007
I once referred to Austin as a 'warmer Columbus, OH', but my outlook changed since then. This place has more potential and is growing very fast. A good place to pursue education and find a decent job. This place is on the move and in 5yrs, it won't even look like it does now.
Austin prides itself on two things: UT football and 6th Street. For young single people this can be a party mecca. 6th st. has been rated the top place for partying in men's mags year after year. It is THE spot for revellers. It boasts someting like 200 bars, pubs, and clubs within a 1-mile radius.
For more mature fare, the Warehouse District is literally a block over and up. Nice place to meet attractive people drinking, listening to loud music and looking sexy. lol
BUT ALSO - downtown is family friendly as well with three museums and Zilker park is huge and awesome. AND - there seems to be some kind of festival damn near every month! South by SOuthwest, the Film Fest and ACL are MUST DO
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No basements. Dry grass. Fire ants. High property - 9/24/2007
Being from up north I'm used to having a basement. Apparently there are no basements here in Texas. Something I have to get used to. In that repect, I feel like I'm missing about 500-800sqft of a house. $200k will get u a decent home on the outskirts of town w/ at least 2,000sqft. A garage is a MUST becuz of hailstorms. Lawns must be watered constantly due to dry clime. Fire ants are another reality to deal with! Property taxes are rather high. Gentrification is pushing everything affordable away from the central area int othe outskirts (and conveniantly, it seems, past the toll roads!) The downtown area is currently SWARMING with towering condos and hi-rises. This city has changed a lot in just the year I've been here. The current crop of transplants are dual-earners in the tech field so they have no prob finding a place to call home.
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About 10-yrs behind on roads... - 9/24/2007
After 1 year of living here I noticed that this city is growing VERY FAST. TOLL ROADS is the main issue right now. A TR or two or three would help clear congestion cutting thru the city; but TXDOT wants to convert existing roads into tolls! (the natives are angry about that) Travelling the main vein (I-35) during peak hours is a serious no-no, if at all possible. MOPAC, the western vein has gotten terrible as well. 183, the eastern vein, is also toast. This all happened just since I moved here last year. Pros: The side/access roads are a great option to use. U-turns are EVERYWHERE in case u miss an exit; love that! Cons: TXDOT waited too late to add more parkways and expand main roads; now they are all but forced to build tolls. In that respect, TXDOT
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Two seasons: HOT, and NOT HOT! - 9/24/2007
Moved here last year from Ohio and I liked having season changes; winter to spring, summer to fall. I do NOT miss the Ohio winters tho!
Here in Austin, TX (the ATX they like to call it) It is warm starting in late Feb, then it goes to very warm/hot around May and very hot and humid from June to Oct! It cools down around mid-Oct/early Nov. Not really an 'autumn' here. The leaves hang on the tree pretty much all year - so don't look for 'Fall'. lol
If it rains or, God forbid, snows even the slightest, expect traffic to go haywire. Sleet and ice shuts this city down for days. Pro: Great weather year 'round. Con: Gotta deal with very hot summer. But that's what a/c is for, right?
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Austin is not what I expected - 9/21/2007
After living here a few months I'm considering returning to California. There is not enough opportunity for me professionally. As a teacher, I was even turnrd away from the substitute orientation because of the large number of applicants. My son's school is very over-crowded.I have found a part-time job to try to make ends meet and will get out of Austin as soon as possible.In comparison to California it is not a thriving economy in Austin. Austin reminds me of many sleepy Florida towns that I lived in. It seems that Austin is good at hiring many part-time people to fill jobs, so they don't have to pay benefits to full- time employees. Even in these sleepy towns in Florida I found a Special Education teaching job, so Austin does not get high marks from me for the economy, but is ok as far as my neighborhood and surrounding area is concerned.We feel safe and the school across the street is ok. I think Austin is going to have to build more schools and it seems they do not have money to
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Austin Overall Cost of Living - 9/19/2007
Having moved here one year ago from Nevada and prior to that California, I have to seriously question the accuracy of Sperling's statement that Austin's overall cost of living is 17.1% lower than the national average.
Property taxes are prohibitively high due to extremely high education tax rates, and the overall cost of living appears to be similar to both California and Nevada.
The exclusion of a state income tax is more than offset by higher overall taxes in subtle areas such as gasoline tax, utility bills, etc.
At the end of the day, we pay about the same to live here as we did in the West Coast. The real advantage is not an expense reduction, but rather a vastly improved quality of
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Too hot and humid! - 9/17/2007
this place is over 90% with humidity over 2/3rd of the year. If you want to move here, you MUST love the
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Fantastic Place to Live...Except for Allergy Suffe - 8/25/2007
Austin's high ranking on being a good place to live is well-deserved. With a high number of multi-degreed, forward thinking, activity loving people...Austin's community remains caring, down to earth and open minded.
If you suffer from allergies (or even have a family history of allergies)...watch out! The Austin allergies truly put people down for the count and are one of the few reasons people choose to leave Austin. The cedar count is high enuf in the winter to cause hospital visits for many people who never even realized they had a cedar allergy. And the mold counts in the summer are off the charts. This doesn't cover the YEAR ROUND pollens that permeate the air due to the mild winters. The only good news...allergy docs make out like bandits and I'm sure the pharmaceuticals love Austin's need for year round allergy meds.
Sadly, I am considering a move after fighting for four years to stay because I LOVE the people here...but my health has taken more hits
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