Austin

Contrary to popular belief, I didn't die at the Alamo.  I've just been (surprise!) too lazy to write in the past several days.  Plus, this post is about Austin, which was one of my audition cities, and I therefore had to give my writing some thought.  Because I had to give Austin some thought.

I spent 5 days and 4 nights in Austin.  Austin contained the most eloquent and vociferous proponents of why I should move there.  Clearly, the people who love Austin really love Austin, and I'm glad I got to hear about the city from so many people who live there.

Let's start with two of my friends from WoW:  Ron (Mabaroshi) and Jamie (Greela).  Ron grew up in Texas and Jamie just outside of NYC, so I got perspectives from a local and someone who relocated there.

Jamie & Ron

They both really like Austin.  Ron's favorite attribute of the city is that his house won't wash away in a flood, which is a factor worth considering when I choose a new home.  Jamie, on the other hand, likes all sorts of things about the town, especially the people, which she says stand out by taking so much pride in their home.  And in her experience, that usually results in people being really polite because they want their home to have a good reputation.  Based on my short time in Austin, I have to agree with everything Ron and Jamie said.  I especially noticed it in the behavior of other drivers; while the traffic could get pretty heavy at times, people let each other merge and I didn't see a lot of obnoxious driving.  I did hear a noticeably high number of horns, though, which in my experience is very rare outside of DC, Boston and NYC.  So... huh.

I met a couple of other Warcraft friends, too: Sam (Hornedup) and Tim (Schlitzkreig), who both also love Austin and think I should move there (their friends think so too).

Andy, Gaby, Sam, Celeste, Tim, Ron (terrified of cameras), Jamie, and the Skeptical Lady

Among the other things I liked about Austin:  There's a big university there (Texas, which I could never root for, but which brings learning and culture), there's a lot of variety in the people.  In fact, I'd say I saw more physical variations among the people in Austin than anywhere else I've been in the US.  I mean, all different races, styles of dress, hair, tattoos (or lack of), piercings (or lack of).  Austin, like Portland and Asheville, is one of those places that prides itself on being "weird," which usually means "accepting," and that seemed pretty evident.

It's a fairly liberal town politically (not the most liberal, but more left than right).  And being the seat of government, I expect my job prospects would be decent.  It's a big enough town that major entertainment would be easy to find, like Broadway touring shows, etc.  There's also a really wide variety of places to eat there.  Ironically, I was much more impressed with the Vietnamese and Vegetarian restaurants I went to than the barbecue place.  But my pals told me it was only "OK" barbecue, so I guess there'd be better if I went looking for it.

As far as the physical surroundings, I liked the downtown area a lot.  It was definitely bustling, but it wasn't full of wall-to-wall people or traffic.  There were lots of offices and places to eat and some places to live quite nearby.  Austin has some skyscrapers, but it's not a really tall city that completely blocks the sun.  And the streets are wide, adding to the sense of space and light.  It made me think that if life took me to Austin, I could find a place downtown and make a little life for myself and be content.

I did the usual drive-in-loop-around-the-city tour, stopping at shops and coffee houses and libraries, then walking around the residential neighborhoods.  This is where Austin failed to capture my attention, I think.  Although I made about 15 stops all around town (not counting downtown, even!), none of the neighborhoods really made a lasting impression on me.  Maybe it's because Austin is relatively new compared to the architectural styles I tend to like?  Because there were certainly some interesting neighborhoods, with both residential and commercial parts.  And more vintage, antique and consignment shops than I've yet come across (and which would normally make me like a place).  But they just didn't catch my eye or pique my interest the way a number of other places have.  Even a few short weeks after my stop in Austin, I'm having trouble remembering neighborhoods, whereas some other cities I've visited still stand out clear as day.

One of several super funky vintage shops in Austin.

And of course, there are some objective factors I wouldn't like about living in Austin, particularly the political leanings of the state generally and the weather.  If you've read my blog pretty much at all, you'd know that I'm a fan of cooler weather and cloudy days, and don't really love prolonged heat and sun.  And Austin has plenty of hot and sunny days.  But I guess I'd have the sun and heat to thank for keeping my house from being washed away in a flood.

In short, I liked Austin and found it comfortable in a number of ways.  I could see why many people like living there.  It just didn't do enough for me to be under consideration as my future home.