Been in Cedar Park for 11 years. I love it. I work downtown a few times a week, otherwise only go down if there's something important happening.
I've been in austin almost 10 years now after spending most of my life in Houston. I don't think I could ever live in a city as large as Houston again. I go to Houston about once a month and hate how far apart things are. The humidity of course makes it hard too... If I was to leave Austin, I think I'd want a smaller city...something like a Boulder, etc. I miss the international food Houston offers a lot though.
That’s how we feel. I couldn’t live in Houston again. I have relatives there and several friends that I wish I could see more often, but they all live as far a part from each other as Austin is from San Marcos, and are still in Houston or one of the suburbs. We’ve lived here 39 years now, which I find hard to believe when I stop to think about it. I’m older than my significant other and started coming here in the mid-‘60’s. Austin was well and truly wonderful then. There was UT and the state government as major employers, and that was it. When UT let out for the summer, most of the students left and there was a very noticeable change in the amount of traffic, not that there was much traffic anyway. When we moved here in 1980, when “rush hour” still lasted an hour, it was right around then that the city began to change. Tech companies, draw by the highly educated population, began to move here or open up shop as a startup. UT students had alway tried to stay in the city after graduation and they finally had alternatives to UT and the Capital. Far more were able to stay, and there was a synergy that developed. Except for the housing crash here in the late ‘80’s, the city continued to grow steadily. More than it was before. Then the boom happened in the ‘90’s. Growth took off and it’s never really slowed down. People move here from the West Coast or the Northeast and are shocked at how far their money goes, in both the cost of living and the cost of a house or condo. Meanwhile, we stare in amazement at how expensive everything is becoming, and at the traffic. I know a lot of shortcuts and ways to get around to avoid a lot of the traffic, but others are finding them now. Crazy. What’s happening with the Rockets? ;-)
Me too, this coming from a mid thirties guy who has spent +10 years in Austin with another 4 in San Marcos. Austin feels much more like a city to me, of course that comes with city problems like traffic. However, the food, the drinks, the entertainment, etc have never been better.
I concur with this. Except Boulder... meh. It’s not technically a big city but it’s like the woodlands is to Houston ... it To Denver. Better vibe but still. We just did a California trip so maybe something like Monterey. Internet says population is only 30k but feels bigger.
this is s. congress and ben white. i saw this grill there yesterday, but didnt realize they had brought a f***ing picnic table up there too. the whole ben white corridor from I-35 to s. lamar is basically a giant homeless camp and garbage dump. its disgusting. under I-35 at 7th st.
So this ordinance will allow “tent cities” beneath underpasses? People have been sleeping and hanging out in that area under them for years, but in small numbers, and not with tents. Usually with the carts taken from nearby supermarkets. The Target close by actually invested in some “high tech” carts with wheels that lock if you move them off of their parking lot. I discovered this because I had stopped in the buy some 8 packs of Cokes and DP’s on sale and had parked close by, right next to it, but technically not on their lot. It took me about 5 minutes to figure out why the damn thing would suddenly stop moving! Living in Southwest Austin 25 years, I’m very familiar with pretty much everything in that area If that’s what the city council did, then I owe @Commodore an apology (although I still think he’s a (fill in the blank) most of the time in D&D). I’m against that as well. I drive in that area quite often. Not to go to Target (I usually avoid Big Box stores), but to go to a very good local tropical fish shop to get things for my 90 gallon aquarium. There’s also a Central Market and Dan’s Hamburgers close by. I thought they were constructing a very large Park and Ride under most of the elevated part of Ben White there? Not everywhere, obviously, but it’s a decent sized project. Maybe it’s a bizarre plot to move those people out! ;-)
I thought it was an interesting/amusing story and searched for a CF thread on Austin to post it in ("places to live in Austin" was too funny to pass up). Didn't give it much more thought than that.
Yep, Austin city council made it legal to camp in public areas except the capitol and parks. Private parking lots are still off limits. Sidewalks are public property, including the one in front of your house.
Its gonna take approximately one human poo, outside someones doorstep, for the neighborhood taxpayers to get together and cause a riot.
Loro, Sway, Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, Dai Due, Contigo are the best one's I've been to in the last few months.
kome - japanese - good date spot. via 313 pizza - detroit style deep dish with the sauce on top. little sheep mongolian hot pot - super cool dining experience, plus great food. elizabeth street cafe - vietnamese/french - another good place to take a lady. chicks love this place. fonda san miguel - traditional mexcian with a really cool interior.
Since we’re sharing, been here since 95, wife is a native Austinite, (met at St. Ed’s) never lived north of the river.
Austin is great if you're a rich tech person and you anticipate using flying uber in the future. Other than that, avoid this place for more than a night or two and you don't mind fake hippies and old people who are no different than people in Dallas.
