Thinking of moving to Austin from Portland

[Esmo]

I've been kind of playing around with the idea of moving to austin. I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on the city. I'm 23 and I would like to play and record music and also find jobs in environmental science/engineering/planning. I also don't drive and I'm looking for an bike friendly, affordable, lively, youthful and creative city.
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[digitaldrummer]

Austin is not the most non-driver friendly place on earth. Texas is a big state and everyone is used to driving cause oil used to be cheap...

[tommy]

I've been kind of playing around with the idea of moving to austin. I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on the city. I'm 23 and I would like to play and record music and also find jobs in environmental science/engineering/planning. I also don't drive and I'm looking for an bike friendly, affordable, lively, youthful and creative city.

Have you ever been to Austin? Do you have friends there? Check it out first before you commit. I love Austin. I think it's a pretty bike friendly town. Tons and tons of bands and places to play and places to record. Great mexican food to boot. I have no idea what the job market is like for your career choice but It is a great city.

[Spiderhead69]

Having lived in Austin ( and just got back from 2 weeks there) and traveled to Portland many times I have this to add. I would stay in Portland. The traffic on I-5 can be as bad as the traffic on I-35. Both run north and south through the city and can be aggrivating to navigate. POrtland has a great selection of restaurants much like Austin, but the emphasis on North West ingredients means you get fresher fish and better tasting fish than what comes from the gulf. Austin is not as cool as it was 15 years ago. A recent article of over-rated towns said Austin is now more like Sacramento California. With that being said there are many things to consider.
Portland has the rain while Austin has the heat. Be expected to pay more for electricity from May through September due to running the A/C.
Which field of technology are you in? Most of the tech jobs would be in the North part of the city unless you get and IT job with the downtown businesses.
Downtown is ok to bike in, but anything else you will need a car. Plus, The heat and the humidity will make you sweat on your bike ride to work in the morning. Yes, it can be 80+ degrees in the morning during the summer.
Rent prices in Austin are going up fast. Rent downtown is more expensive due to the unitversity. Outer areas are a little cheaper, but once again, you'll need a car.
There have been a lot of chain resturants popping up over town. They paved over the outdoor music venue Southpark Meadows and build a huge shopping complex with stores from any other strip malls you can find in any other city.

If you are looking for music stuff, it's easy to get a band going, If you do get to play, don't expect to make any money from the door. Cover charges are cheap usually only $5 - 10 bucks.

I would take a 2 weeks vacation to Austin if you could swing it to see if you really want to move there.

Sure the Mexican food is good, but there is only so many ways you can cook meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
( Favorite joke -
Q, What's in a taco? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q, What comes on an enchilada plate? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q, What's on a tostada? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q: What's on a fajita plate? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas. ...YOu get the idea.

Hope this helps a little

[Mudcloth]

Yeah, I moved to Austin in 1990 and I'm about to sound like the old people I used to roll my eyes at. Austin ain't what it used to be. They call it the Live Music Capital of the World. That's right, you can see more loud, shitty bands there than anywhere else in the world. The L.M.C.W. doesn't pay that great, either. Clubs pay next to nothing and often times don't have they're own P.A. When they do have a P.A. they don't usually have a soundperson. Why pay a guarantee when someone else will be happy to play for tips? Also, fewer and fewer people are going out to see bands. Refer back to the loud, shitty part above.
The L.M.C.W. has absolutely no problem tearing down awesome venues like Liberty Lunch and putting up tech buildings and strip malls. Smart growth, they call it.
Part of the problem with Austin is that so many people move here. Traffic problems used to be non-exsistent, really. Friday at 5 O'Clock? Nada. Now I-35 on a Saturday afternoon can be a parking lot, even when the Longhorns aren't playing. For YEARS now, on average, 100 people move here a day. 100. People. A day. Guess what, 99 of them could give a shit about live music.
Rent has QUADRUPLED in the past 15 years and the wages have stayed the same.
At one point the occupancy rate was 99%! I used to live by myself for $200.00 bucks a month. Before I moved I was paying $400.00 to have the pleasure of living with three other dudes.
I used to eat and be full for under 5 bucks. Now 5 bucks will buy you a fucking taco. Meat, rice, beans and tortillas. 5 bucks. 8 with a salad. 10 with tip. 11 if you're not a cheap ass.
Oddly enough, people move here from places like Sacremento, Tulsa, Akron, and where ever else and say "Austin's awesome! And so cheap!".
Yes, it's hot. I can't adequately describe what 102 degrees with 95% humidity feels like for 60 days in a row. 80 degrees with that kind of humidity feels oppresive. I can't imagine how many people would move here if we actually had nice weather. I wish SXSW was in August.
And allergies, if you don't have them, you will. Cedar fever feels like you have pneumonia or the flu. Really. Through out the year if it's not cedar fever, it's ragweed, mold or other. I've known plenty of people who've moved back to whence they came simply because of allergies.
Meh. Austin's magic time has been over for over ten years. Stop moving here and making it worse! Or move here, you'll love it.
I must say this, though. The first thing that I immediately noticed when I moved here is that I'd have never seen so many beautiful women in one place. I saw more gorgeous women in one day than I ever saw in 4 years in Conneticut or Rhode Island. No forget I said that. The women here are all ugly. And old.
By the way, I got priced out of Austin 8 years ago. It's literally less expensive for me to own my own house and commute 20 miles than it is to live in the city and rent, by a lot. Best move I ever made. It really bums me out when I have to go "into town" now. So much change for the worse. Yet still, I tell myself "It's still way better than Dallas."
If you move here, look me up. I'm usually not this much of a curmudgeon.

[eeldip]

Sure the Mexican food is good, but there is only so many ways you can cook meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
( Favorite joke -
Q, What's in a taco? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q, What comes on an enchilada plate? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q, What's on a tostada? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q: What's on a fajita plate? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas. ...YOu get the idea.

this is a bizarre concept of mexican food. perhaps you have never eaten mexican food outside the confines of a mall?

[darjama]

I've never been to Austin, but I've enjoyed Portland whenever I visited.

A friend from Austin had this couplet as the start to one of his songs.

Some people like Texas, some like Austin.
Still others don't know what love has cost them.

I'm not sure exactly what it means, but I like it. If Austin inspired it, it can't be all bad.

[GooberNumber9]

I think the Austin music scene is pretty cool... for Austin. Almost none of the Austin music scene makes it out of Austin, with Los Lonely Boys being a recent notable exception. In that regard it has as successful a scene as Washington, DC (Vertical Horizon).

Frankly, having visited or lived in all of these places, I think you should check out San Francisco, Seattle, and DC, in that order. San Francisco is my favorite city in the WORLD, and it's only negative is that it's pretty darn expensive to live downtown. Seattle has a bunch of pretentious people in some areas, but it's a nice place. DC is where I have lived most of my life and it has it's good and bad points. If you live downtown it's very bike-able and there is a vibrant local music community, thriving economy, and lots of jobs in very sectors.

Austin is very spread out. I've only been there three times but if I didn't drive I wouldn't even think of moving there myself.

Save up some money and start visitng places. I'm pretty sure that when you find the right place, you'll know it real quickly.

Who knows, you might like LA, Vancouver, Chicago, New York, Philly, Baltimore, or even Chetek, Wisconsin.

Todd Wilcox

[digitaldrummer]

Almost none of the Austin music scene makes it out of Austin, with Los Lonely Boys being a recent notable exception.

'cept they actually came from San Angelo, TX and just sort of got adopted by Austin...

[kdarr]

Wow, Mudcloth, Austin sounds exactly like Seattle, except replace scorching heat with 180 days of rain every year.

Same deal up here: we're all about pricing all the musicians out of town forever, knocking down all the clubs and replacing them with horrible yuppie-hive condos.

You can't stop "progress," I guess.

[<|>]

[Spiderhead69]

Sure the Mexican food is good, but there is only so many ways you can cook meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
( Favorite joke -
Q, What's in a taco? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q, What comes on an enchilada plate? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q, What's on a tostada? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas.
Q: What's on a fajita plate? Meat, rice, beans and tortillas. ...YOu get the idea.

this is a bizarre concept of mexican food. perhaps you have never eaten mexican food outside the confines of a mall?

Well, I should clarify, when texans talk "mexican food", they mean, Tex-Mex, as noted above. Real Mexican food is nothing like the above, as Rick Bayless will agree.

[Bryantx512]

All this talk of Mexican food. BBQ is where it's at. Mudcloth has some of the best Texas BBQ in his hometown. Mudcloth, have you ever been to Crosstown? Blows the touristy Southside and Meyers away.

[Spiderhead69]

All this talk of Mexican food. BBQ is where it's at. Mudcloth has some of the best Texas BBQ in his hometown. Mudcloth, have you ever been to Crosstown? Blows the touristy Southside and Meyers away.

Thems fighting words to folks from Lockhart.
Kruetz, Smitty's, Blacks, and Floyds (Chisolm Trail) are better.....

[Mudcloth]

All this talk of Mexican food. BBQ is where it's at. Mudcloth has some of the best Texas BBQ in his hometown. Mudcloth, have you ever been to Crosstown? Blows the touristy Southside and Meyers away.

I do love Crosstown. It's the only joint I go to here. I could walk there from my house but I'd need a ride home. After living here for 7 and a half years, I don't eat too much bbq anymore. Gives me the "Itus".
And yes, there's some fine bbq down in Lockhart and Luling. Kruetz's just kills. No sauce. The porkchops. Oh, the porkchops.
My favorite all time bbq is Louie Mueller's up in Taylor. The brick walls are black from the decades of smoke. The first time I went there I asked for three ribs and the guy looked at me funny, smiled and held up one giant rib. It was brontosaurus huge. I embarassedly changed my order to one rib. And no, I did not ask "How much for just one rib?". Then he flips a piece of brisket on my plate. Of course I eat it and immediately order some. Pure heaven. I guess I've just made lunch plans for Saturday.

[Bryantx512]

I started to mention Kruetz and Blacks. Both very good places also. I haven't been to Smitty's or Floyds. I still think Crosstown is slightly better. Johnny really knows how to smoke a bird. Where else can you get half a bird, 1/2 lb of brisket (no, leave the fat on), and a tea for like $8? A few guys at work go every payday Friday for lunch. I apologize for hijacking the thread and turning it into the Texas BBQ thread.