Thinking about moving to Texas. (Austin or Dallas)

[lozina]

I've lived my whole life in New York's NYC suburban area and am pretty fed up with living here. Cost of living, property values, climate and state politics are my primary grievances. Out of the research I have done I feel like Texas is a good fit for me and I am particularly interested in Dallas or Austin.

What's it like living there? I know it's a pretty bad cold spell now but this is rare right? How is the IT job market in these areas? Housing prices look great, and despite the property tax being considered high I'd end up paying a lot less than here since the housing is so expensive here so a smaller percent on a gigantic number is a lot better than a larger percent on a small number.

 

[Svnla]

If everything is about the same, I would pick Austin over DFW.

 

[MetalMat]

IT job market in Austin is pretty big. I like Austin better than Dallas for a variety of reasons, the cost of living is higher in Austin though. You could get a very nice house in a Dallas suburb for the money, in Austin you would probably need to live on sort of the outskirts or up in Round Rock. Traffic sucks bad in Austin. Climate wise it gets pretty hot in both cities, it seems that every other summer it gets brutally hot in Austin.

 

[Gibsons]

IT job market in Austin is pretty big. I like Austin better than Dallas for a variety of reasons, the cost of living is higher in Austin though. You could get a very nice house in a Dallas suburb for the money, in Austin you would probably need to live on sort of the outskirts or up in Round Rock. Traffic sucks bad in Austin. Climate wise it gets pretty hot in both cities, it seems that every other summer it gets brutally hot in Austin.

This.

Traffic in Austin doesn't have to be bad though. Just depends on where you live and where you need to commute to. If you have to take 35 every day you're probably hosed. We live close enough to work where the commute isn't bad at all, and I take the bus regularly.

Housing tends to go up as you get closer to UT/downtown, but even "expensive" houses here are nothing compared to nyc.

 

[PricklyPete]

They are pretty different cities from my experience. If it were me, I would pick Austin over Dallas everyday of the week. That being said, if you feel like you identify with Texas, Dallas is more likely your speed. Austin is like a NorCal town placed in Texas... Very different than the rest of the state in my opinion.

 

[SaurusX]

Already the main topics of Austin have been addressed, the weather and the traffic. If you move here don't do what I do and commute from the suburbs into downtown every day.

Socially, there's always stuff going on... SXSW, ACL Festival, F1 racing, college football (I hope you're a UT fan!), decent nightlife.

I've never even been to NYC, but I guarantee it'll be a different pace than what goes on there. And notice how no one is talking up DFW. Hmmm...

But seriously, the traffic sucks.

 

[corwin]

Of the two Austin is better on most all counts, even weather...DFW is far enough North that they still get some bad stuff in the winter, just had an ice storm last week that never came within 100 miles of Austin...and it's pretty liberal which would remind you of NYC

Housing in Round Rock or Georgetown is pretty cheap too.

Did anyone mention that the traffic sucks yet?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Austin is the only one to consider.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I live in ATX (Austin metro) currently. It has ups and downs.

Ups:
-Good music, comedy, and arts scene
-Google Fiber coming soon
-Lots of good homebrew beer options
-Cost of living is high but pressure is low- unlike Dallas everyone doesn't try to act like millionaires

Downs:
-The city was built for 100,000 people tops and it is holding almost a million. Some of the worst urban planning and development in the nation. But its growing!
-Because of above, traffic is really rough and recent toll roads are political pork that doesn't actually help
-Not as much high culture compared to Dallas and Houston. There are not many really great museums, or a decent zoo, and the best food places are trailers.


Neutral:
-The city feels very cramped compared to many Texas cities (feels like Europe or New England). I hate it, some love it.
-Plenty of tech jobs with more coming in all the time, but less other jobs than Dallas (or especially Houston) as they benefit more from the oil boom


Austin wins if you are 21-35 with no kids, Dallas wins if you are 35+ with kids.

 

[SMOGZINN]

I've lived my whole life in New York's NYC suburban area and am pretty fed up with living here. Cost of living, property values, climate and state politics are my primary grievances. Out of the research I have done I feel like Texas is a good fit for me and I am particularly interested in Dallas or Austin.

Good choices. Dallas is more of a modern big city, while Austin is a college town.
Dallas has everything anyone would want in a City. Austin has great bars and lots of weirdness.

What's it like living there?

I live in Dallas. Actually I live in Arlington, a suburb right between Dallas and Fort Worth, but I’m typing this from my office in downtown Dallas.
I like it. The people are friendly, it has all the things I would want out of a big city, and the stars at night are big and bright.

I know it's a pretty bad cold spell now but this is rare right?

Dallas has been all but shut down by an ice storm this week. We get this about one week every other year. The rest of winter is really mild. Oh, and if it snows, even a little, we close the town and all stay home.

As someone already mentioned we pay for these mild winters with brutal summers. Expect a month of 100+ degree temperatures. You will get use to it, but really everything is well air conditioned and for the most part we spend that month indoors.

How is the IT job market in these areas?

Pretty good comparatively. In general Texas economy is going stronger then the rest of the nation.

Housing prices look great, and despite the property tax being considered high I'd end up paying a lot less than here since the housing is so expensive here so a smaller percent on a gigantic number is a lot better than a larger percent on a small number.

Another thing to consider is that Texas does not have a state income tax.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Austin if you're a liberal nutjob.

Dallas if you're a reasonable human that likes to live peacefully without feeling you need to buy a paper bag or donate to 20 bums a day.


As far as job markets, both are fairly equal. Don't go to Houston though is all I can say... unless you like slitting your wrists. My vote goes to Dallas.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Lots of good homebrew beer options

That seems to be Texas in general. There is like a dozen small breweries in DFW, and two more opening this month.

-Cost of living is high but pressure is low- unlike Dallas everyone doesn't try to act like millionaires

What he really means is that Austinites are damn dirty hippies while people in Dallas know to shower regularly.

traffic is really rough and recent toll roads are political pork that doesn't actually help

Dallas has this problem as well. I predict that in the next 10 years every road in the DFW metroplex will be a toll road and nothing will have been done to alleviate traffic.

and the best food places are trailers.

But those trailers have some simply AMAZING FOOD. Really, I'm convinced the main ingredient in some of those foods is crack.

Austin wins if you are 21-35 with no kids, Dallas wins if you are 35+ with kids.

Houston wins if you don't mind sweating all the time, and can get a job in the oil industry.
San Antonio wins if your primary language is spanish.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

That seems to be Texas in general. There is like a dozen small breweries in DFW, and two more opening this month.


What he really means is that Austinites are damn dirty hippies while people in Dallas know to shower regularly.


Dallas has this problem as well. I predict that in the next 10 years every road in the DFW metroplex will be a toll road and nothing will have been done to alleviate traffic.


But those trailers have some simply AMAZING FOOD. Really, I'm convinced the main ingredient in some of those foods is crack.




Houston wins if you don't mind sweating all the time, and can get a job in the oil industry.
San AntonioHouston wins if your primary language is spanish.

Fixt for you.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Fixt for you.

In English that would be Fixed. You live in San Antonio, huh?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

In English that would be Fixed. You live in San Antonio, huh?

Live in Houston. Have relatives in San Antonio - so I've been there plenty of times.

 

[weirdichi]

I will tell you how it is after I visit Austin this weekend. I do like Dallas though. Can't think of anything else to add in addition to what's already been said.

I've heard of Austin being called the Portland/Seattle of Texas, so that may give you an idea of what to expect.

 

[Palvaran]

Your best bet is to use city-data to do a comparison on the big 3 -- Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Also, don't forget to do some cost of living comparisons via wolfram alpha.

Each one has a unique personality type so I would really recommend you spend a week or so vacationing in the 3 cities since they are all within 3 hours of each other and spend the night in each for at least 2 nights to get a feel for each.

That said - Austin is very liberal while Dallas is more conservative and Houston is in the middle with the last election showing that that the majority voted slightly more liberal for the first time. If you are young and like the nightlife, Austin is probably the city for you. If you are more of a homebody or conservative, I would probably vote Houston or Dallas.

I am a 7th Generation Houstonian who has traveled a lot and Houston has some nice bonuses in that there is a ton of land, taxes are low, jobs are stable, and your buck goes far. That, and you don't have to work in the Energy Industry as many have stated, although that that is a popular field. Houston has the number 1 medical center in the world as well as a several Universities and Colleges.

 

[CountZero]

Moved to Dallas from Seattle and lived there for five years, for the last two years I couldn't wait to leave.

Weather:
Dallas is overall worse than Austin. Usually one wintery storm per year, some years it melts immediately some years it sticks around. Either way it will be a mess, if you can telecommute it may not matter.

Both will be extremely hot. Someone claimed you get used to it but I personally never got used to it so much as I gave up on doing anything outside for months at a time. If you haven't been somewhere really hot it is hard to describe just how hot it is. The wind blowing isn't cooling, its just hot, like a convection oven.

Food:
This is tough. I think I'd give Dallas the edge. Dallas has a large asian population and lots of restaurants to choose from. If hole in the wall/ethnic isn't your game it is also chain restaurant central. Austin has more interesting restaurants IMO but fewer straight up asian hole in the wall options. This is probably changing with the continuing tech boom.

Vibe:
Dallas is to TX as L.A. is to CA. Same kind of people flooding the area. Austin kind of had a Seattle vibe and I've it compared to Portland. Dallas has colleges but is a city. Austin feels like a grown up college town, ironic given it is the state capital.

This is hard to explain but Austin feels more interesting, Dallas feels like a vast suburb. Even the walkable city areas lack any real character.

Stuff to do:
"Due to the weather the only things to do are shop, eat and go to the movies" <- What I was told by a coworker after moving to Dallas. That isn't 100% true but it isn't far off. Lots of malls in Dallas, can't speak for Austin. During the summer they are packed as there isn't much else you'd want to do.

Dallas (and Ft Worth) have museums that are decent though IMO Houston has better museums than both. Dallas (and Ft Worth) have zoos and an aquarium. Dallas has the state fair though going once was enough for me. Dallas (and Ft Worth) have at least a decent arboretum/park.

Parks/gardens are nicer in Austin. The surrounding area is naturally interesting (as opposed to the vast flatness that is DFW). No zoo that I recall, not much in the way of museums.

Austin is closer to San Antonio, the southern coast and Houston for changes of scenery.

It would take an act of congress to get me to move back to Dallas but I would actually consider Austin under the right circumstances. But that's me. Dallas just never 'clicked' for me try as I might. A year apart has softened my loathing of the place. I'd recommend taking a trip down to visit both. A short trip won't tell you the whole story but that hard to pin down feeling a place gives you usually shows up pretty quickly. If you do that I'd recommend visiting the areas you'd likely to be able to afford.

 

[Brian Stirling]

If he's trying to get away from the liberal/democrat leanings of the NYC area then Austin is not likely to be his cup of tea.

Austin is something of an oddity in Texas given the very conservative nature of the state and the relatively un-conservative nature of a place like Austin.

I've worked in both cities and both suck in the summertime due to oppressive heat, but if I had to chose I'd opt for Austin.


Brian

 

[MrPickins]

Austin sucks.

You won't like it.

Don't come here.






:whiste:

 

[fjmeat]

Come on!

 

[Gibsons]

Austin sucks.

You won't like it.

Don't come here.






:whiste:

 

[Lithium381]

Hah, just don't bring your liberal politics! I am in the process of moving from SF bay area to Dallas . . .

 

[smackababy]

I particularly like the Austin area (having lived just outside and attended UT for a year). I grew up around Houston and it was a big change of pace. However, the yuppie scum was incredibly high and all the live music is pretty much garbage Stevie Ray Vaugh covers (whom I don't like anyway).

The cost of living is fairly low, compared to places like Chicago, NYC, SF. The weather isn't awful (but I grew up in Houston and then spent time in Alabama in the military, where the weather is worse).

Be warned though, even the liberals carry guns in Texas.

 

[tfinch2]

all the live music is pretty much garbage Stevie Ray Vaugh covers

:hmm: Not sure if serious.