Overrated and Overgrown
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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 much worse today. Houston or Dallas are better bets.
The plus side, property taxes may be high, but at least you can send your children to public school and there are no state income taxes.
Abhd | San Francisco, CA