Anyone live in Austin, Texas?

[ScottyB]

I am gathering information on graduate programs around the country, and I am now considering University of Texas-Austin. I really don't want to live in the South, especially the Southwest. But the school is supposed to be terrific for my program, and the pictures I saw of the city made it seem livable. Plus I have heard it is a fairly liberal atmosphere compared to the rest of Texas.

What exactly is it like in Austin? What is the atmosphere like (climate and social)? How are the people? How is traffic? How non-Texan is it? I am from northern Michigan (the hunting/farming part), so I can deal with non-thoroughbred people, but rather not.

 

[Mears]

Sixth Street

 

[Oil]

Originally posted by: ScottyB
I am gathering information on graduate programs around the country, and I am now considering University of Texas-Austin. I really don't want to live in the South, especially the Southwest. But the school is supposed to be terrific for my program, and the pictures I saw of the city made it seem livable. Plus I have heard it is a fairly liberal atmosphere compared to the rest of Texas.

What exactly is it like in Austin? What is the atmosphere like (climate and social)? How are the people? How is traffic? How non-Texan is it? I am from northern Michigan (the hunting/farming part), so I can deal with non-thoroughbred people, but rather not.

What program?

 

[ScottyB]

Originally posted by: OSx86

Originally posted by: ScottyB
I am gathering information on graduate programs around the country, and I am now considering University of Texas-Austin. I really don't want to live in the South, especially the Southwest. But the school is supposed to be terrific for my program, and the pictures I saw of the city made it seem livable. Plus I have heard it is a fairly liberal atmosphere compared to the rest of Texas.

What exactly is it like in Austin? What is the atmosphere like (climate and social)? How are the people? How is traffic? How non-Texan is it? I am from northern Michigan (the hunting/farming part), so I can deal with non-thoroughbred people, but rather not.

What program?

Creative Writing

 

[lizardth]

Austin is VERY liberal compared to the rest of the state. It's full of hippies and yuppies. You can go to a wine tasting and then to Eeyore's Birthday (hippie festival). There is more info in here. And here is some info on the climate.

 

[swimscubasteve]

The city is great (I have lived here for 5 years). This summer has been freakin hot though.

 

[microAmp]

Traffic isn't bad minus rush hour, but it's getting worse every year. Only one highway, I-35, that doesn't have a stop light on it some where, Mo-Pac (Loop 1) comes the closest to that, being the longest highway between two stop lights, going from far south Austin into Round Rock. No real loops around the city. Supposedly they have tolls setup on highways they are working on now.

6th street is the place to get drunk.

Humidity is high and is nasty right after it rains. It hasn't snowed in forever, not melting when it hits the ground, but usually once or twice a year there will be a freeze.

The people here are pretty nice here. Lots of bicyclist, so don't run them over, unlike a some other drivers do.

 

[LanceM]

There really aren't any *big* cities in Texas that are as "Texan" as you seem to be worried about. Most of those are smaller farm/ranch towns. You'll find more ghettos in Texas than than you would hillbillies.

 

[DaShen]

It is a wonderful place. You will love it there.

 

[Paddington]

Austin is a fairly cosmopolitan place. It's supposed to be the least Texas like place in Texas, despite being the capital.

 

[ElFenix]

austin isn't cosmopolitan. houston is cosmopolitan. austin is not. other than the university it's mostly whites and hispanics.

austin has a lot of democrats. but so does texas. a lot of them are texas democrats, which means populist, not the authoritarian big government high-minded types from the northeast. but there are some of those as well.

the climate is hot and pretty humid. sometimes it'll freeze in the winters. in 1999 there was a freeze in april, which was weird.

if you don't like tex-mex or barbeque there isn't too much else there. some good southern food, and the normal 'bar-grille' chains, but not tons of ethnic food like you get in larger cities.

btw, you're quite the snob for being from nowherehicksville.

 

[swimscubasteve]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
austin isn't cosmopolitan. houston is cosmopolitan. austin is not. other than the university it's mostly whites and hispanics.

austin has a lot of democrats. but so does texas. a lot of them are texas democrats, which means populist, not the authoritarian big government high-minded types from the northeast. but there are some of those as well.

the climate is hot and pretty humid. sometimes it'll freeze in the winters. in 1999 there was a freeze in april, which was weird.

if you don't like tex-mex or barbeque there isn't too much else there. some good southern food, and the normal 'bar-grille' chains, but not tons of ethnic food like you get in larger cities.

btw, you're quite the snob for being from nowherehicksville.

Apt description. As an aside, boy do I miss good food!

 

[Otaking]

They just opened up a new Chinatown on Braker / Lamar, so Austin is at least expanding somewhat in the ethnic department. Of course you're not going to find the Chinatown like that in Houston, but for a Chinese-American who occasionally likes to go eat Dim Sum and decent chinese food, Din Ho and T&S usually do the trick here.

OP, you shouldn't have any issues adapting to Austin. Yes, the temps do get a little high, but it's worth the extra sun when you get to play golf all winter.

 

[judasmachine]

Originally posted by: Mears
Sixth Street

Amen brutha!

 

[doze]

Moved to Austin this year and love it here. People are friendly, lots of good looking women, city is clean, plenty of jobs, and cost of living is fairly low. Summer is hot but low humidity so it really doesn't feel that bad outside and most nights still get kinda cool. Lots of good Mexican food and BBQ and of course Sixth Street and downtown bars are nice.

Lots of bums and hippies/liberals here though.