Table of Contents
There are periods when I totally adore dwelling in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on Town Lake, when I’m drinking a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin underneath string lights.
That being mentioned, there are particular things I’m significantly less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the lack of walkability.
I have lived in Austin for practically two yrs. Here’s what I have occur to like and despise about it:
What I enjoy about Austin
The Men and women
By and big, Texans are unbelievably pleasant men and women: generous, funny, and sincerely form. When I had Covid, multiple neighbors introduced me tortilla soup and walked my canine. Folks say howdy to you on the street right here, even if they never know you. Austin is by much the friendliest put I’ve ever lived.
The Meals
A different beneficial – the food stuff. Austin’s food stuff scene is flourishing: you can uncover excellent TexMex, Thai, Vietnamese, and of course, barbecue. Some of my favorite spots are Uchiko (sushi), Odd Duck (new American), and Loro (Asian/barbecue fusion). I’ve also developed to Adore frozen margaritas, ha.
The Drinking water
As a born-and-raised Michigander, I desperately need to have to reside close to water (that was just one of the issues I found hardest about dwelling in Colorado). Luckily, Austin has plenty of it: City Lake, Barton Springs, and Lake Travis, to name a handful of.
The Winters
The winters right here are pleasant – the temperature hovers all-around 70 levels, and the skies are commonly crisp and blue. Though we do have the odd snow day, the wintertime weather conditions is incredibly moderate.
Reside Audio
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Austin’s internationally renowned are living new music scene. I appreciate how you can wander into a random bar on a Tuesday and hear an outstanding functionality for the value of a Shiner Bock.
The Pet-friendliness
In Austin, you can convey your doggy virtually any place — I bring my pup nearly almost everywhere I go. My local CVS is even pet-pleasant.
What I Detest
The Crowds
Thanks to its massive popularity in modern several years, Austin feels insanely crowded at moments. Parking is difficult to come across, restaurants are packed, and the weekends specifically can be frantic.
The Large Price tag of Residing
Austin is pretty highly-priced. To acquire a plot of land – not even a property – in my neighborhood, fees a million bucks.
Bad Walkability
Sadly, Austin is not a walkable city. Bisected by two highways, Austin is a incredibly car or truck-dependent town for walkability, it ranks 42nd in the US, among Las Vegas and Pheonix. As somebody who enjoys to walk, this is a substantial draw back.
The Allergy symptoms
Central Texas has been called the “Allergy Money of the Globe.” There’s even a day-to-day allergy report on the regional information, exactly where formal pollen counts for ragweed, grass, and mold are measured. I by no means had allergic reactions in my everyday living right up until I moved below — ugh.
The Heat
The summers in Austin are brutal. Temperatures can get to 110 levels (or higher). Just after this year’s scorching summertime, 90 degrees bizarrely feels fairly great to me.
The Isolation
Austin is near to only a several metropolitan areas: Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Before this year I produced the slip-up of driving to New Orleans, which took 10 hrs. From time to time I experience so envious of the East Coastline – imagine driving a couple of hrs and staying in a position to access Boston, Philly, and NYC? Sigh.
All this to say, I have been fairly happy here. I’m not sure if it’s my forever home (I’m not guaranteed I have a permanently household, interval), but I plan to remain at the very least a several additional years. And enjoy many much more lake days and frozen margs.
