Unique City
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5/8/2007
I can't believe all of the negative postings about Austin. It's true that people who have lived here for a while (2 years to 2 generations) will forever complain that Austin was so much better before it grew. I suspect they have been and will be doing this until the end of time.
I love Austin. It's a truly unique place and it's definitely quirky. It's true that there aren't that many upscale restaurants. I have one friend who complains about that, but I also have a friend that loves the fact that there are only about two or three places here that you can't go to wearing flip flops. There is great food: BBQ, Tex-Mex, Mexican, Middle Eastern, South American, South Asian, Japanese, Chinese, etc, you just need to know where to look for it. Basically you ask.
Austin is built for the health conscious. The headquarters for Whole Foods is located down town and HEB has a competing store, Central Market, which provides most of the same fresh and organic products. There are public parks through out the neighborhood and multiple sports leagues for children and adults. The greenways are extensive and well maintained. Along with Barton Springs & Deep Eddy, the city has many neighborhood pools and offers lessons during the summer through their Deparment of Parks and Recreation. On Town Lake, there's the opportunity to kayak and canoe or join a crew team or simply go tubing. There are gyms, yoga and pilates studios located across the city and also opportunities for free yoga in the parks in springtime. The botanical garden and wildflower center are also beautiful places to walk if you're so inclined.
Along with the live music and bar scene, Austin also offers many coffee houses, book stores, and the Alamo Draft House Cinemas. The University attracts many major touring artists and contrary to another poster's comments, I believe the Longhorns would monopolize the local sports scene even if there were professional sports teams in Austin. Those who do need their professional sports fix usually make the trip to Houston anyways.
As far as traffic is concerned, I have to agree with other posters. If you've ever lived on one of the coasts, (I previously lived in Boston and Washington, DC for example.) the traffic here is a joke. There are way too many SUVs, but there are also more hybrid vehicles than I've ever seen. (Environmentalists here actually live what they believe!) And people do tend to drive like they have no where special that they need
Jenn | Austin, TX