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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
Traffic, Traffic, Traffic - 11/6/2009
The dirty little secret none of the "Best Places to...." reports ever mention is the severe, chronic traffic problem we have here in Austin. We are consistently ranked at the top of that list, too, for city size. This is an ongoing problem.
While Dallas , Houston and San Antonio all have lots of traffic, they at least have the freeways to move it along. Here,we have TWO. And a couple of new (very expensive for daily commuters) tollroads. Thats it, folks. No cross-town expressway. No commuter rail. No decent mass transit. Nada. So, all these magazine folks keep encouraging people to move here by the tens of thousands and we all sit on the freeways earlier and earlier each morning, trying to beat the rush. The state capitol has no decent freeways? Correct. And if you think you're going across town after noon on a Friday, or a holiday weekend in less than 2 1/2 hrs.? Think again. For a city "everyone should move to", folks sure are anxious to get the hell out on the weekends!
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Start Your Review of Austin
Austin - 10/17/2009
Austin allows for a wider view on reality. Not limited by dogmatic exclusion. Room to live without the straight jackets of delusion but tolerant of those who are. Where "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas" go hand and
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If you build it they will come. Then they will try - 10/9/2009
People want to live in Austin because of what it was. An intelligently planned grid city that made laws to protect its natural beauty and placed the needs of the city above that of the whims of developers.
So the people move into town because of what it was. But the irony of all these people moving in is that in this modern world the town rapidly moves away from what it was.
In bringing all these people here it becomes less like Austin and more like the modern cities these people tried to escape in the first place.
Kind of a tragic irony.
One that could have been avoided if the City politicians were committed to smart growth rather than paying it lip service. Of course the ability to influence polticians with money, commonly called bribery in many places, means that smart growth is a losing battle in Austin.
They dont want to build the highways and road infrastructure to support corporate sprawl to appease the old guard of Austin. Yet on the
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Lots for Your Money, But High Property Taxes - 10/3/2009
Since housing is the most expensive component of COL, I'll focus on that. To be sure houses come in 3 sizes of large in Texas so you get a lot for your money and quality construction. There are no basements so storage has to be built into the square footage. That's why they seem so big. Property taxes will run you 2-3 + % per annum on the value of the home so figure that in. However, Texas has no state income tax, so that's where the state gets their revenue.
Many areas have HOA dues that will cost anywhere from $300 per year to several thousand, depending upon the neighborhood so keep that in mind.
I just returned from there at the end of Sept. Houses below 300k are selling fast. The houses above that are struggling and there are deals to be had so if you're in the market for that price range, and have some cash you can really negotiate. If you are coming from the coasts or Cali, possibly some other large cities in the Midwest you will be impressed with
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Overrated and Overgrown - 9/15/2009
Austin is not that great, I feel the housing prices close in where anyone would want to live close in, without freeway traffic are astronomical. There is really nothing "weird" about austin at all. I am originally from texas (houston) moved to SF after college and moved back to texas (austin)--I couldn't leave fast enought to get back to San Francisco. In my opinion, Houston is a much better city. Tons of cultural and performing arts and museums well funded by old money, more diverse nightlife and world class restaurants and shopping. Austin seems like an overgrown backwater or a college town. The college scene rules, nothing else is here. Music capital of the world....pretty shaky if not completey misleading. Outdoor activity in Texas is a joke anyway, but it really isn't even that pretty here, it is difficult to do anything in 100+ heat and humidity. there are two temps, hot and freezing and no season inbetween. I really didn't get it back then 1996, and I'm sure it is so
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Austin is very overrated and overhyped - 9/13/2009
I lived in Austin for many years. I just don't get it. It must be one of the most overrated cities in the entire country. Traffic is horrible for a city of this size. Want culture? You can choose from such favorites such as Eeyore's Birthday and Spam-O-Rama. No joke. SXSW is probably the best event Austin has, but it's become way overcrowded and overpriced, so what's the point? No pro sports. The restaurant scene is pretty lame outside of BBQ and Tex-Mex... have to drive to Houston for a a real quality restaurant scene in other categories, as well as decent museums or world-class performing arts. Think Austin is different from the rest of Texas and has no sprawl or strip malls? Think again. Summers are extremely hot. Most of the city is not very walkable. The housing is overpriced for the amenities this city offers (or rather, doesn't offer.) Every time there's a drought, the whole city turns brown and many sources of outdoor recreation like boating (such as Lake Travis) dry up and
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One of the most overrated cities ever - 9/13/2009
I lived in Austin for many years. I just don't get it either. It must be one of the most overrated cities in the entire country. Traffic is horrible for a city of this size. Want culture? You can choose from such favorites such as Eeyore's Birthday and Spam-O-Rama. No joke. SXSW is probably the best event Austin has, but it's become way overcrowded and overpriced, so what's the point? No pro sports. The restaurant scene is pretty lame outside of BBQ and Tex-Mex... have to drive to Houston for a a real quality restaurant scene in other categories, as well as decent museums or world-class performing arts. Think Austin is different from the rest of Texas and has no sprawl or strip malls? Think again. Summers are extremely hot. Most of the city is not very walkable. The housing is overpriced for the amenities this city offers (or rather, doesn't offer.) Every time there's a drought, the whole city turns brown and many sources of outdoor recreation like boating (such as Lake Travis) dry up
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I don't get it?! - 9/7/2009
What is so great about this "city"? Everyone says how great Austin is and what a great place it is to live, etc. I don't see it. There's too many people. The traffic sucks. The air quality is poor. Sure there are a lot of green pockets but the majority of the city is ugly. 6th street, big deal. Live music, big deal. People talk about the outdoors. Have you ever been to Colorado or Wyoming or Montana? THOSE are the outdoors. I don't know what the hell Austin is. 10th greenest city in the country? BULL! The city doesn't even collect compost. Help me understand. What am I not seeing? Or maybe my standards are just high. I'd argue that everyone else's standards are too low. I'll be moving far away once my lease is
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