Relative moving to Austin - advice?

[AwakeAtLast]

Hello DU Texans! I have a relative who is moving to Austin. Is there any advice you would be willing to share with me to pass along? I always appreciate the DU perspective! Thank you in advance! :hi:

[Richardo]

1. Go with them!

Austin is great. :patriot:

[AwakeAtLast]

5. Thanks, but I kinda have to stay here

Mr. WMU is from PA, so I think this is as far west as he will go. :D

[Richardo]

9. What part of PA is the Mr from?

<--- Note my avatar and answer this question carefully. :D

[AwakeAtLast]

10. I'm going to disappoint you - Reading

but he's not a sports fan at all - he used to hunt, likes cars, video games and oh, yeah, ME! ;)

[sonias]

2. Austin rocks!

First of all start reading our weekly alternative newspaper - Suggest to your relative they pick one up every Thursday all over town.
The Austin Chronicle

Then buy a subscription to The Texas Observer for your relative, because if they're going to live in Molly Ivin's home town you gotta pay your dues! Even if Molly is no longer with us in body, she is with us in spirit.
The Texas Observer Heck and it's the only decent political coverage we get in the whole damn state.

This is way more than you can take in in a weekend too
101 Great Things To Do in Austin

University of Texas at Austin
UT

Texas State Capitol
Captiol info

:hi:


Sonia

[AwakeAtLast]

6. Awesome links!

I will send them on, thanks!

:hi:

[DUgosh]

3. They will love Austin

I have a daughter in South Austin. It's a great place to live and to visit. There is no housing bubble in Austin, if they can get into a fixer upper house for a reasonable price it would still be a wise investment.

[AwakeAtLast]

7. They are moving from Chicago

the lower cost of living was a real decision maker for them!

:hi:

[sonias]

15. My hubby and his family are from the Chicago area

They need to prepare for the heat. If they grew up in Chicago, the Texas summer heat is going to be a killer for them. It's very humid here. If you hate winter, it's a nice place to live. But if you like a real fall and winter snow, you will hate it. They can always go to Chicago for Christmas and visit the snow though!

:hi:

Sonia

[BlueGirlRedState]

4. Move close to your job

That's my advice -- you'll enjoy Austin much more if you don't have to fight traffic. Stay off of I-35 as much as possible. They should go to all the festivals downtown and really enjoy life. Take long walks around Lady Bird Lake (sorry, I still think of it as Town Lake) on the hike and bike trail. Go to the summer musical at Zilker but get there early. Eat at Shady Grove -- have the Airstream chili! Go to Broken Spoke before it's swolled up by condo's.

[AwakeAtLast]

8. Great ideas!

Thanks!

:hi:

[fudge stripe cookays]

11. Buy some shorts and flip-flops.

They'll live in them!

Go to Shady Grove and have the Hippie Sandwich (veggies, yum!)

Check out "Esther's Pool" (Esther's Follies) for some real Austin funnies. Kind of like live SNL for locals, with big windows behind the stage that are incorporated into the act.

The migas at Baby Acapulco are the world's greatest brunch food.

Are they foodies? Central Market is the ultimate grocery shopping experience. Multiple locations around town.

For fitness, the Hike and Bike Trail follows Town Lake (and further) and is a gorgeous sampling of Austin scenery!

Don't even THINK about not having central air conditioning-- in your car OR your house. You will DIE without it. Literally. You cannot conceive of heat until you have lived through a Texas summer. Imagine the winter of up north (6-9 months long), only reverse it. We usually have a big ice storm in January or February, but that's it. Winter is only a few weeks long.

Are they gardeners? Texas tends to have two growing seasons. One in spring, and one in fall. It just gets so freaking hot, everything withers a bit from July and August. You have to chill bulbs for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator for them to come up at the right time. And there is very little seasonal change. One thing I loved about moving north was the gorgeous leaves changing color. There isn't much of that down there. They're green, then they're yellower, then they're dead and you have to rake them.

Look out for creepie-crawlies! Texas has lots of fun ones. Rattlesnakes, water moccasins (cottonmouths), copperheads, scorpions, fire ants, palmetto bugs (or as the locals say, "pametta"-- bigass flying roaches)...

To help them blend in and not look like tourists, many of our streets and locations are not pronounced like they look:
- It's NOT like Carol Burnett's name, "it's BUR'NET, durnit!"
- It's like like the fancy house, it's MAY-ner (Manor)
- It's not KO-nig, it's KAY-nig. (Koenig)
- It's not MANCHACA, it's MAN-chak (Manchaca)
- It's not GROON, it's GREEN (Gruene)

To experience TRUE Tex-Mex, go to Chuy's and have the cheese enchiladas with green sauce. And a frozen strawberry margarita. I get homesick just thinking about them.... :cry:

That'll get em started...
fsc, lifelong Texan now in Wisconsin

[AwakeAtLast]

13. Also great! Thanks!

:hi:

:hug:

[ihavenobias]

21. (Sigh) Creepie Crawlies...

Are there really snakes everywhere? Is Austin and the surrounding suburbs really like a larger version of Snakes On A Plane? It sounds like it with the way you're describing it.

You also mentioned scorpions. When I talk to people from Phoenix, they say they almost never see scorpions, and pretty much only people who live near mountains and other wild areas see them frequently.

Do you mean to say that the things you mention above are common in the average backyard? I mean, fire ants and (I had a roach problem once and can't stand them) and some roaches outside sometimes I get (are the palmetto bugs super common and all over the place all of the time?), but snakes and scorpions slithering and crawling around?

[Longhorn]

22. I've only seen maybe five snakes in the 35 years that I've lived in Austin

or Dripping Springs, even out here in a more rural area. We never had scorpions in the city but will see four or five a year in our house out here -- usually because one of the dogs sees it and goes after it. I've only been stung twice in my life -- it hurts like hell at first but, at least for me, the pain went away immediately with no after effects. In the late summer, we'll see crickets everywhere, sometimes covering the sidewalks. If you ever step in a fire ant mound or swarm, you'll know it right away and after the sting goes away from those bites, they can swell and itch for a couple of days. Texas isn't a good place to go barefoot for that reason. But still, I'll bet it's been a couple of years since I've been bit.

We've got plenty of critters but they're not everywhere all the time. :)

[fudge stripe cookays]

23. Not your average Texas backyard, but...

just to give you an idea...

My husband and I lived near Lake Ray Hubbard near Dallas, and we did find two small water moccasins in our backyard during the 5 years we lived there. We had a small pond, so if you're into water gardening, keep that in mind.

It is more a case of, if you do decide to go to places out near Lake Travis where there are lots of rocky spots, be very careful where you step and where you put your hands if you're climbing up rocks (cottonmouths like to sun themselves on rocks).

For copperheads, be careful if you have a woodpile near your house, because they can hide in there.

I've never seen a real live rattlesnake, but I would imagine that over in the hilly areas out west, or down in the Hill Country, or in the more rurual areas EVERYWHERE, you might see one. Ditto on the woodpile, and be careful when moving rocks around. They always say you should use something to move rocks (a stick or something), and lift the far edge of the rock, AWAY from you. Just be careful if you go out in the country, I guess is what I'm saying.

Scorpions tend to show up more out in the country as well (something to think about if you head to Buda). The only scorpion I ever saw was at a brand new house my aunt and uncle had built in a clearing in a very rural area near Alice in Central/South Texas.

Fire ants, I'm afraid, are EVERYWHERE. It's very unusual for anyone living in Texas to NOT have been bitten. It hurts like a mofo when they bite you, the pincers will NOT let go. You will have to pluck them off. And the bite leaves a pus pocket after a bit. Popping it usually leaves a scar. So be very careful when you garden or cut the grass where you step when you mow or use the Weedeater, and be careful when you're planting in beds. You'll soon come to recognize the look of them vs other ants. Most people use Amdro to control the nests. It's corn mixed with poison. The workers take it back to the nest so you can get the queen. But the nests tend to just pick up and move, and the next week, they're somewhere else.

Palmetto bugs can be common, unfortunately. It depends on the cleanliness and age of your dwelling, but sometimes they just show up. Keep your place REALLY clean and there's less a chance of your seeing one. Especially with a newer place.

Seriously though...if I were you, I'd stay in town. I know Buda has gotten more built up, but when I was growing up it had a reputation as white-trash/trailer-ville. If you're coming to Austin to get the Austin experience, you miss half of it living so far south. And with gas going up, that could be a decision you might regret later. I'm just sayin...

fsc

[ihavenobias]

25. But to be fair

Does it really matter that Buda *used* to have that kind of reputation? There are places in Chicago that *used* to be dirty and dangerous, but are now much cleaner and safer.

Of course ideally we'd live in IN the actual city of Austin, but with what little we've have for a down-payment on a place (estimated $20-$35k), I just don't see how we could afford it, unless there are places way on the outskirts.

Speaking of dangerous, it sounds like the east side of Austin was/is dangerous and may be gentrifying? Who knows, we won't be moving for another 1.5-2 years. And unless something changes, we plan to rent for a year so that we can really get a feel for the area to know where we'd want to live. For example, it's quite possible we'd change jobs within that first year, so it'd be awful to buy some place only to change jobs and have a horrible commute but be locked in.

[fudge stripe cookays]

26. Honestly,

you'll do much better in Texas than you would elsewhere. My husband and I put $10,000 down on our place in Rowlett 5 years ago, and we did just fine. Interest rates were low, and we both had jobs and bought below what we could afford, replacing the value with lots of sweat equity. Even in this crappy market we made $20,000 on the sale when we moved to Wisconsin.

I just really think you should explore more. Even North Austin would be closer to the city vibe than where you're considering. I guess I'm just biased. My husband and I thought the same thing about Rowlett, but when we got out there, I wished SO HARD that we'd bought in the city. We had to drive to EVERYTHING. And we had to get home to walk the dog at night, so it pretty much ruined our evening. Once we got home, we didn't want to be driving back into the city again to eat at any of the good restaurants or doing any shopping. Believe me. It gets REALLY OLD. All you get out there are usually chains or crappy fast food.

Just remember what everyone is telling you about public transportation. You cannot exist in Texas without a car, and you get REALLY tired of driving everywhere if you're that far out. At least in the city you'll have Capital Metro. And if you spend just as much on gas than you saved on your house payment, what's the point?

Just my 2 cents as a native.

[moc]

27. Scorpions and snakes weren't uncommon when we moved to Central Texas in 1967.

I had a scorpion fall onto my school books when I was sitting on my staircase, and we found a snake under the kitchen sink. (This was in Bryan/College Station in the late 60s.)

Today, not so much, at least not in the developed 'burbs.

Fire ants and palmetto bugs (them big ass roaches) are enduring, however. I live in North Texas, and we have a pest control contract every 3 months. As a result, we don't get water bugs (aka palmetto bugs) in the house. Fire ant beds in your yard need to be treated promptly with ambdro.

[yellowdogintexas]

29. once you have shopped at Central Market you are never the same again

I so love that place.

Great Post, Fudge

[Divameow77]

12. I'm moving to Austin too

in about 3 weeks. I have been living in Orlando for about a year while my fiance is in school (we moved here from Minnesota) and just got a job at Harley in Round Rock. I am very excited to be moving there, I keep hearing how nice it is and Orlando has been TORTURE!

I will check out those links above too :D

[GOPisEvil]

14. Round Rock?! Noooooooo!

Please, for the love of all that is holy, LIVE in Austin. Round Rock is Generica. You could drop Round Rock anywhere and it would fit in.

I know those fine people need all the Democrats they can get out there, but God it's nothing but chains, shopping centers and houses.

Live in North Austin. Trust me, it's better. :)

[Divameow77]

17. I have found an apartment in North Austin

I hope it's in a nice area, anyone know Renaissance at North Bend?

[GOPisEvil]

20. That is VERY close to my house.

Very close to a police station, too. :D

It's a nice area. Not snooty nice, but nice.

[sonias]

16. Welcome to Texas!

Harleys and Texas go together well. There's one big biker event in Austin called the ROT-Rally. This year its June 12th-15th. I'm sure you'll be at the event since it's probably a requirement for a Harley employee.
http://www.rotrally.com/

We don't go to the rally ourselves but hundreds of them gather downtown on Congress or 6th street bar scene and we walk around for blocks just checking everyone's ride out.

And here's something you'll love about Texas. The biker's have their own lobby group at the Texas Legislature and one of the lead lobbyists is a biker by the name of "Sputnik" and he's really good. He and his crew are responsible for Texas not having a helmet requirement for bikers. His group is the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association
http://www.tmra2.org/index.shtml

:hi:

Sonia

[Divameow77]

18. Thanks

I think I'll like it. Orlando has been awful and I have missed many things about Minneapolis, not the cold obviously, but I keep hearing such nice things about Austin. The hardest part of living in Florida though is not having any friends or family here and unfortunately that will not change by moving to Texas...

:hi:

[sonias]

19. Oh you'll make new friends

And your old friends will love to come visit you. Just wait until SxSW (South by Southwest) music festival or ACL (Austin City Limits) Festival. All your friends from out of state will be calling you to see if they can come visit. :rofl:

Don't worry, you won't be lonely.


sonia

[fudge stripe cookays]

24. There are some amazing Austin DUers you can hang out with...

I miss all the Texas DUers!

That's the nice thing about DU. You can already have friends before you move somewhere!

[Fleshdancer]

31. TX is THE place to go for making new friends

I recommend going to places with other Austin DUers (something I need to do more of myself) and also check out the various meetup groups in town: http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/tx/austin/

I know TX has a horrible rep, but we really are extremely nice and usually very open to random conversations with strangers. I'm from Austin but lived in Minneapolis for 3 years and it was a bit of a culture shock for me when I would strike up conversation with people and they would look at me like I was on crack. In my opinion, it was harder to make friends up north but once you do, they're your friends for life. Down here, it's all very easy going so you make friends quick but sometimes they last and sometimes they don't and that's ok.

:hi:

[End Of The Road]

28. Driving in Austin

PLEASE tell your relative that if he/she is the first car sitting at a red light, when the light turns green LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. We are notorious red light runners here.

[Fleshdancer]

30. great advice actually

That was the first lesson my dad taught me when I started driving and I know it saved me more than once.

[3isamagicnumber]

32. Stick to HEBs for groceries if you can

Randall's is awwwwwful, and Whole foods too overpriced. There are Central market HEBs which are about heaven, and regular HEBs are always just your best bet in Texas. We love our HEBs down here!