Austin, TX Reviews

Liberals, Looks Nice, White People - 7/23/2020
Moved to Austin in 2012. It's 2018 and I'm sitting at my apt hot tub talking to these 2 college girls. I ask them why they like Austin.

They tell me:

'It looks nice!'
'We're liberals!'
'White people!

Pretty much summed up my experience of Read More

Hopeful but Still a Bit Overrated - 7/9/2020
I'm pretty torn about Austin. On one hand, people are casually polite and courteous but on the other hand fairly stuck up for no reason. However, bar and restaurant staff are really friendly for the most part - and that makes a huge difference compared to where I used to live which was the opposite (Denver).

It's definitely fairly easy to live here with access to tons of bars and live music venues. Food here is OK but not terribly exciting. Food Trucks seem to be the core of good eating for the most part.

I'm also definitely extremely impressed by the quality of health care at hospitals, specialists, and whatnot. Nobody seems to talk about that. Facilities are really clean and straightforward as well (even during COVID-19).

As for the other people who live here: a little too snobbish & aloof for my tastes. People are really cliquey and it's tough to meet friends overall. I think the worst part are some of the management people that run Read More

Homeless skyrocketing Traffic, everythin Expensive - 5/4/2020
I've lived in this City for 2 years with my wife, moving from cold cloudy Boston in sunny Texas. Living here we have noticed that weather is not as steady as we thought, although is lot warmer than Massachusetts lot more sunshine and drier climate. City offers a lot of opportunities, jobs, outside sitting caffe's and cool restaurants. Here you will meet few respectful people that will make your day and while driving in the city in beautiful sunny day get cut off maybe 3 or 4 times from rude drivers that make absolutely no sense and don't belong behind the wheel.
Here is the only city in the World that after calling 911 they tell you do you want the police there? And police never shows up unless you call 2 -3 times..
Rent and house prices are absolutely over expensive. Traffic is horrible due to infrastructure. Highway 35 is taking forever to be finished by contracts that are milking our tax money and elected politicians that don't set deadlines and fire the contractors. Read More

Austin: A Geographic Example of Dunning-Kruger - 3/1/2020
I have lived in this dump for nearly three years and I am counting down the days until I leave. I moved to this dump in the fall of 2017 to attend UT, which is admittedly an excellent institution. It's a world-class university about which I cannot say enough good things. That said, UT is a rose surrounded by a manure field.

This dump is overcrowded to the point of absurdity. Apparently no civil engineer was consulted when "leaders" decided to grow the city at all costs and not consider infrastructure whatsoever. Forget being a bicycle commuter to beat the traffic. You're basically taking a gamble with your life if you are biking or walking due to the recklessness of drivers in this dump. The bus system is not completely awful, but do expect to be crammed into a bus next to the dregs of society, namely hipsters who don't wear deodorant and have their pits smelling like an anchovy's vag. There is a useless rail system which only serves the north side of town.
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This City is for LOSERS - 2/18/2020
Been here 6 to 7 months and already planning on moving back to the West Coast.

The biggest turnoffs have been apartment and condo associations who lie through their teeth (especially CA transplants like myself) just to make a buck. Although it's cheaper than the coasts, so does management going along with it (ignoring maintenance calls for bugs and not taking ownership for regular defects). It's stressful and would be illegal in California - but then again it's Texas so they can get away with it I guess.

Other than that - Other mainline things are harder to get in Austin than CA like access to good Mechanics and Doctors. Dating here is also freaking stupid too. Most of the Women here have their head shoved so far up their a** you'd think it be Miami or something (EG: Bumble is *Crickets*).

Traffic is also dumb with ridiculous lane and road closures and people driving big trucks and cutting people off. Heck, even the Postal Workers lack Read More

Don't Listen to the Negativity! - 1/23/2020
Great city! Yea the traffic is bad and cost of living is high but that's a sign that lots of people want to live there because there are so many great things going on! Tremendous growth and opportunity Read More

Austin has enough to be what you make it. - 11/19/2019
Oh the haters. I cant decide of they just hate life OR if they are trying to post negative things to keep the invading hordes away. Anyone game for the truth, well my version of it anyway.
1> Lots of things to do here. I like an active lifestyle- hiking, boating, getting outside the walls. This place is great for that except in summer. Then just go to the lake. Yes I know its crowded.
2> The people are what you make of it. Yes some are rude, some are very friendly just like anywhere else. There are some fine human beings in this town from all over. Maybe some posters here need to work their angles.
3> Growth and Sprawl : Yes its a problem and a big one. The road and transport system is for a city half this size. Austin has a gov that is more concerned with buying hotel rooms for all of the homeless than fixing real urban problems that effect homelessness to begin with. They are totally reactive instead of proactive to the point of feel-good only Read More

Austin is overrated - 11/13/2019
Moved after a week. It’s a crowded, busy, expensive, dirty place to live. I don’t understand the good reviews of living in Austin. To get to work it was over an hour each way from round rock to Austin. I got honked at for letting a pedestrian cross the street, evidently I was expected to run them over. My co-workers were expected to work from home due to the Austin traffic. Property taxes are very high, even in small towns 30 miles away property taxes were around $800 - $1,000 per month. Most people can not afford to live in Austin so they look in small towns outside of the city. Even in small Historic towns like Georgetown You can’t get away from the crush of people & traffic. It’s all tore up with road construction & toll roads are the norm. For lunch it was $80 for BBQ for four people & not a lot of food. Everything is brown and dirty looking nothing green or pretty. If you don’t enjoy crowds, traffic or the high cost of living you won’t like Austin. Read More

Austin Does SUCK! - 10/27/2019
On Man! Where do I start??!!! I have been here going on 8 years and I have SEEN so many changes. Very pretentious!!! Like a little LA (it has been dubbed.) I am middle aged and this is not for people in my age group. Plus, almost ALL of the Iconic Austin Haunts (that made Austin...Austin) are going away. They either cannot no longer afford their rent, or their property taxes have become too high. I.e. Threadgill's, Hill's Cafe, Nutty Brown (people are complaining about the noise), Maria's Taco Xpress (her property taxes are thru the roof)...how long is the Saxon going to be able to hang on? Anyway, I am making steps for my exit (as many of my friends Read More

Growing and changing fast... it - 9/18/2019
Austin isn’t perfect by any means, but it’s great for people in their 20s or 30s who work in tech.

Rent is pretty reasonable, especially compared to the other major tech hubs (SF/SV, Boston, and Seattle). Real estate is getting pricy, but again, it’s a steal compared to the big cities of the Northeast and West Coast. Your salary will go MUCH further here.

Nightlife is excellent. There are five or so bar districts (depending on how you count them), and you can find virtually anything you’re looking for... except for upscale dance clubs, for whatever reason. Austin is a bar city, not a club city. The nightlife is still light-years ahead of cities like Denver, Seattle, or Minneapolis though.

Cityscape/transit: Austin is also the fastest-growing city in America, and one of the most obvious effects of this is its changing urban form. City planners have placed a high priority on increasing density, so five-story apartment buildings and condo towers Read More