Not what it's cracked up to be but not bad either
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5/1/2009
I've lived in Austin for the past two years, so this isn't a biased native perspective. I neither hate the city nor love it, but I do laugh at it frequently. I like to think of Austin as a fusion of "Big" Dallas and Southern California (there are a tremendous number of Cali transplants). Before I get into the negatives, here are the positives:
1. If you love music and dancing and bars and festivals out the whazoo, you're in for a treat. I will most definitely come back for SXSW in years to come.
2. It's a condensed city by most sprawly standards--if you choose the right local, you won't have drive much (especially if you're a student). This means more money to plunk down when you're shopping.
3. It's a very dog-friendly city--parks not withstanding. What I mean is you can bring your dog to many restaurants, coffee shops, even some retailers.
4. Housing is pretty cheap compared to the coasts
5. People go out of their way to be nice (although my Southern friends disagree).
6. Austin is really clean and safe (compared to most metros).
Cons:
1. If you don't like hot weather, oh my god, run away. There are NO seasons if you're from a locale with real seasons. There's hot and not so hot. And the humidity is brutal. It's not as bad as New Orleans or Houston, but it still feels like being in the womb. The lack of seasons also creates a mostly static environment interrupted here and there with a few weeks of wildflowers and a few weeks of what I think is fall (the leaves do sort of fall...but you have to look carefully).
2. People drive like maniacs.
3. Traffic is insane because they refuse to widen the highways.
4. Austin, though it doesn't want to admit it, is latently racist against black people who aren't "whitified" or charmingly rastafarian.
5. The food blows. I'm sorry. The lack of diversity in Austin negatively affects the quality of food. I've been to what are supposedly "the best" ethnic restaurants here, and they pale in comparison to what I'm used to. My baba ganoush tasted like...nothing...and they didn't even know what mazza was. There's a running joke here...There's really good food. Where? Houston.
6. Austin is so clean that I miss urban grit. Oh brick and uncommissioned graffiti where art thou?
7. Lots of very wealthy, very out-of-touch white folks who think they know how the rest of the world should live. This leads to some pie-in-the-sky political ideas that end up hurting lower income folks (ex: east austin gentrification is running out long-time home-owners). I realize this is a national problem and not Austin-specific. Just know Austin is a full-blown culprit.
8. People who live here LOVE it here and they won't be satisfied until you do too. They LOVE to talk about how great it is and how it's the best place on earth, blah blah blah. It gets annoying after a while. They're also obsessed with this "weird" image. Come on. We know you buy conventional produce at Whole Foods, and truly "weird" Austin died a long time ago. I know people who left because it died.
9. Though it's not the Deep South, it's Texas, and Texas is *slow*. If you are in a hurry, people will get offended.
10. If you're a feisty woman, beware of downtown. Men down here don't know how to deal with a woman who can a) hold her own b) argue politics c) put you in your place if you step out of line. I've never in my life been called "harsh", "fierce", or worse "mean" until I got here. Just be a soft little bunny in a short, tight dress and tilt your head. Then you're ok.
So, all in all, Austin: a good place to visit. Good if you like hot weather and don't mind the lack of diversity. Otherwise, go elsewhere. I am.
Anya | Austin, TX