There must have been an accident. It takes me no longer than 15 minutes to drive daily from South Mopac to 183, unless there is an accident.
When I was working in Austin in October and November, it took me no less than 25 minutes to get from Northland/2222 to Barton Creek Mall every afternoon. Every time I've driven into Austin in the last year or so, when I cross over I-35 on Riverside, there is bumper to bumper traffic, no matter what time of day. Houston's traffic is worse than Austin's, but imagine Austin's traffic if it was Houston's size. It'd be much, much worse.
Gotta pick Austin, and I moved here about a month after the date you mentioned. That makes it almost 24 years. I disagree about the traffic... it's much worse in Houston, the distances aren't remotely comparable... hell, it takes longer to drive across some parts of Houston than for me to drive from SW Austin to San Antone. Just don't live and work anywhere that requires that you consistently use I-35!!!. It sux, big time. The drivers are much worse in Houston as well, although Austin drivers seem to be trying to catch up. Yes, traffic has gotten much, much worse here, but it's all relative when you compare it to H-town. And if you know Austin, there are short-cuts. Austin is more expensive. It's strange, really, because it used to be the opposite. All those damn Yankees and West Coast people think they've died and gone to heaven when they see what housing costs here and it's driven costs up a lot. Houston has better restaurants, but they're are scattered to hell and gone.. Austin's, while smaller in number, tend to be easier to get to. You could probably say the same about the nightlife... that Houston has a ton, but it's all over the place. And that could be argued. I disagree with you, RMT, about the blues (I don't know beans about country!). I admit to being pretty out of the loop the last few years, but Antone's and some other places, like the Continental Club, have always had great bands, local and from out of town, and really cheap to see. The music scene is still much hotter in Austin and, again, easier to get to. Clubs are more concentrated and hoppin' around to different gigs is far easier. Just my opinion. I'm not nearly as into getting out since the kids slowed us down. I love Houston, but I would never pick living there over living in Austin, based on being born and raised there, living in Houston until I was about 30 and then moving to Austin in '80. I will say, however, that I feel sorry for the folks that missed the Austin of the late '60's and '70's... it was beyond amazing. Truly. I came here all the time back then, and miss that Austin really, really bad. The Vulcan Gas Company and the Armadillo are long gone.
Geeez, some of us are sensitive about our cities! WElll, ok. My situation would be that I lived in Houston (except for a year in Mexico City and 2 in South Texas) for 19years. I'm BURNT OUT on Houston. I'm totally sick of all the concrete and predictable as well as unpredictable traffic. Pollution too, sick of it. Horrid, pig, selfish drivers a plenty, sick of it. Nightlife, ahhh, I really dont care. Sports is fine, but I watch alot of TV. Concerts, dont care much for. Art, starting to care even less. Yeah H-town has everything, but I enjoy piddling at home mostly. I moved just to be in a less populated city with a little nicer scenery, ya know some hills and trees and stuff. S.A. is just that but this is a dynamite job so I just HAD to apply. Well, I'll keep everyone posted on what happens and I guess I'll find out for myself if it all goes through. I might be crazy eneough to commute, but not sure how long that would last. Thanks for all your help. esse in S.A. *Interview is next week. Wish me luck!
Good luck! And remember - no poll is going to help you determine what YOU want. I think the ferocity of responses here shows that people like a city for different reasons... We're all unique.
How long of a trip was that? Because many of my commutes to my jobs average around 45 mins - 1 hour. A one hour drive is about the most I want to drive - maybe 1.25 hours tops. When I drove from SW Houston to the Galleria area and the Greenway Plaza area to work that was about a 13-15 mile trip for me and took about 40-55 minutes. Here in Dallas I'm about to move to Frisco and commute down to the Dallas area and my drive will probably be about 45 mins - 1 hr. When I lived in Houston, I-10 was the freeway I dreaded the most. Good thing I hardly ever needed to get on it.
Imagine Missouri City's traffic it was Houston's size. Millions of people trying to go down FM2234 all at once... whoa. That would be a bottleneck!
AUSIN MUSIC GREENERY/BEAUTY OUTDOOR SPORTS AND RECREATION LESS HUMIDITY/WEATHER YOUNGER POPULATION MUSIC (THIS GETS 2 SPOTS BECAUSE AUSTIN IS ALL ABOUT LIVE MUSIC - ALTHOUGH OVER THE YEARS THIS HAS DECLINED QUITE A BIT) HOUSTON RESTAURANTS/FOOD PRO SPORTS - ASTROS, ROCKETS, TEXANS, COMETS, AEROS LOWER COST OF LIVING VARIETY OF NIGHTLIFE BIG EVENTS - SUPER BOWL, ALL-STAR GAME, ETC. ARTS - THEATER, OPERA, BALLET, MUSEUMS GALVESTON (YEAH IT SUCKS, BUT AT LEAST ITS SOMETHING) TO ME BOTH CITIES HAVE BIG PROS AND BIG CONS. I LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR 5 YEARS AND LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. LIVING IN HOUSTON IS DIFFERENT, BUT I LIKE WHAT IT OFFERS ME HERE TOO. ITS A TOSSUP WITH A SLIGHT EDGE TO HOUSTON. PS SORRY FOR THE ALL CAPS..... IM NOT SHOUTING..... MY CAPS LOCK BUTTON IS FREAKING STUCK........
Most of Austin is prettier and hipper than Houston. But you (and I mean you) aren't going to be cool in Austin; everyone is cooler than you. You don't really have to be cool in Houston. I get a little cluastropohic in Austin; all the small town, old houses thing. I like upscale, modern suburban sprawl.
I like Austin for it's diversity. I'd guess at least 20% of the people that live here are from OOS. Plus, Austin is very liberal in a "do whatever you want, pal" way. There is nothing that beats waking up at 1 on Saturday and going to twin falls (or any other wateringhole) for a swim and then Shady Grove for a burger. Austin probably doesn't have the fine dining restaurants that Houston has, but you'll get by. As far as bars, there are plenty in Austin. Austin is probably more expensive than Houston, but that's because of it's small size. We don't have alot of land here, compared to Houston. Deals can be found. I found a 2 br apt on barton springs and south 1st for 750.00. Yes, it's a dump, but I'm a mile from downtown, barton springs, and south congress. Houston, I like. If I had to live anywhere else in Texas, Houston would be my second choice. Keep in mind that alot of Rocket fans are native Houstonians, so their loyalties may lie with their home city, and that's admirable. I'm also sure alot of the other Texas cities are tired of the "Austin is so hip and cool" mantra that the media had annointed to Austin. I think you're fine either way, but I prefer Austin.
The overall trend is most people move to Austin and live out their younger, wilder years.. then settle down in Houston. I plan on doing it bassackwards.
Austin is great. Yes, I35 sucks ass - you just have to learn how and when to drive it. Riverside especially because of all the college kids and other apartment dwellers live there and use it as their main access point to the freeway. In rush hour, it takes me right around half an hour to get from 290/cameron/51st to my apartment on Wickersham. If you're going to commute, DONT do it during rush hour. I've had to do it several times to make appointments and concerts in SA, and I wouldn't recommend doing it on a daily basis. Other than that, I can get just about anywhere in the city in 15 to 20 minutes. And traffic gets noticeably lighter when UT is not in session. Yes, the cost of living is expensive. But then again, most places will pay you comparably. I get paid a good 3 or 4 dollars more an hour here in Austin than I would in Houston doing the same thing. Just don't live anywhere near UT and things get a bit cheaper. Yes, a lot of activities in Austin revolve around UT. But a lot of activities are cheap as hell if not free. If you're not a longhorn sports fan, then sports will suck as much as if you're not a spurs fan living in SA anyway! Stupid Spurs. Although I am just living in Austin now because I'm a college student, I am trying to stay here and get a job in Austin if at all possible. I don't mind living in Houston if that's where my job leads me. Fortunately for me, I'm pretty sure I can get a job in either city. Which is another big point. It depends on which field you're in as to job availability in either city. But anyway, good luck. I hope everyone's input has given you a clue as to what other people think, but you're the one who can pick for you.
They do, but alot of activities don't revolve around UT. Eeyore's birthday, Spamarama, sxsw, Austin Music Fest, First Thursday on South Congress, etc......
I grew up in Houston, and went to college in Austin, then moved back to Houston for 5 years and then back to Austin for the last 7. Houston was great, but, I prefer the small town feel of Austin. Traffic in Austin is not 1/120th as bad as Houston, you don't ever completely stop like you do on I-10 during rush hour, atrocious. I miss the theatre in Houston, and the mueseums, and the zoo, and especially the sports teams. However, raising a family where a murder every 2 weeks is on the news is much better than the murder a day newscasts in Houston. Houston also smells funny, too much industry, Austin has cleaner air. Houston has better options for night life, but once you have kids, you don't really care about that. I think they are both great, but the humidity, Traffic, and smell of Houston drop it below Austin for me. DD
Wow! Everyone is coming out of the woodwork for this one. Having grown up in Sugar Land, I have my reservations about Houston. 1 . First of all, if you live outside the loop, there's very few "chill" spots. I remember back in high school, we used to hang out at the Starbucks at Barnes and Noble by First Colony Mall. 2. Houston is significantly more humid, which turns your car into a virtual oven in the summertime. 3. Very little scenery in Houston. 4. Unless you're in the loop, you're driving 30 minutes to go out. 5. No outdoors activities like hiking/biking/fishing, etc.
*knock on wood* I don't remember the last murder in Austin. For a "big" city, it's pretty safe. I think it has something to do with how educated the population is.
When I lived in Connecticut, I just couldn't get used to all the trees. It was disturbing to me to have what was essentially forest right outside my home. Growing up in Amarillo, we had roughly four trees for the entire Panhandle, and they weren't very big ones at that. Just thought I'd throw that in as an aside. Different people like different things. Personally, Austin always seemed like a town I'd probably enjoy living in, but I don't want to live there. There are just too many people like me down there, and I don't like myself very much. As for the traffic, does anyone get the feeling that when you live somewhere for an extended length of time, you stop noticing the traffic as much? I mean, when I go to Houston, I just feel like it's a madhouse, but I'm never bothered by anything here in the D/FW area. I know traffic just can't be better up here (though we do have better trains...), but I'm used to driving up here, so I don't notice it. I get the same thing in Austin. It seems like everytime I go through there, the Interstate is backed up to high heaven (except, actually, for the last time I was down there, which would've been 2001. It was pretty clear, and I must've come into town around 6pm or so). If I lived there, though, I'd probably learn the patterns and learn how to avoid the times the highway is backed up. By the by, to me, San Antonio has the worst traffic of the major Texas cities. It's the city I've always had the most trouble driving in (and Amarillo's traffic drives me the most batty because everyone drives so freaking slow. I don't know why they even have traffic cops up there. No one comes within ten mph of the speed limit).
