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MN Nestie Potentially Moving to Austin Area - Help!
Hey ladies!
I've been recently divorced and now that I'm single again, I'm seriously considering a big change. I grew up in IA and have lived in MN for the last 3 years and...well...I'm ready for a warmer state and a fresh start to life.
I've heard many great things about the Austin area, mostly from people that have visited there but I haven't talked to anybody that actually LIVES there.
I was wondering if you all would be so kind to give me pros and cons to living in the Austin area and which part of the city is best to live. I want to be close to the city but slightly suburban. For instance, right now I live in the Twin Cities but I'm 15 min from St. Paul and 30 min from Mpls. So I would love to be within 30 minutes of downtown if possible.
Thank you so much!
Oh, and I plan to fly down next month to check it out for myself. 
Re: MN Nestie Potentially Moving to Austin Area - Help!
I'm sure others can chime in, but here are my pros/cons:
pros:
- the people are SUPER friendly, almost to a fault. coming from the midwest already though, you might be used to this! the ladies on this board are also very friendly.
- lots of young people
- it's a pretty unique city as well, downtown has fun independent shops/restaurants
- there's almost always something to do
cons:
- the weather. although it doesn't snow, it is chilly in the winter. summers are brutal - triple digit heat for months, ugh. definitely recommend finding a house/apt with access to some kind of a pool.
- the traffic, although coming from southern CA, I think it's all relative. obviously, it's always ideal to live close to where you work so keep that in mind.
- the salaries tend to be fairly low, although I don't know how much of a difference it would be with where you are now. I'd peruse craigslist, monster, etc. just to get an idea so you aren't surprised.
HTH!
One of my best friends moved from Austin to MN several years ago, and she always says what she misses most (uh, aside from her BFFs, obv) is the weather. If you enjoy the outdoors, you can enjoy it nearly year-round in Austin. Yes, some days are super hot. The one day in January or February when we get a snow flurry or ice storm, the city shuts down. But otherwise, my friend would put weather at the top of her "pro" list.
Traffic here is terrible. I live about 16 miles north of my centrally located office, and some days it takes me 20 - 25 minutes to get there, but some days it take 45. You really do want to take into consideration where your work is located when you're looking for a place to live.
Good luck!
Rarely Updated Blog
I'm originally from Minneapolis, and my whole family still lives there. In fact, we are heading up there for the holidays soon. I lived there until I graduated HS, then I went to college in Michigan, eventually ended up in Colorado where I met my DH, and we moved here to be closer to one of our families (mine lost out due to climate considerations, sorry mom). All of the following are compared to the TCs:
Pros
No snow, no snowplows, never goes below zero, similar cost of living, more jobs, awesome BBQ and Mexican food, some lakes (but not as many small lakes), locals are just as friendly as MN, lots of great locals shops/products, fresher produce in the winter, more readily-available, organic offerings, gorgeous weather most of the time. Really, even when it's sweltering, there are plenty of ways to cool off.
Cons
No snow, hot/humid summers (same humidity as the TCs, but you get it from March thru November rather than May thru August), lack of local pro sports teams, less culinary variety (well, the variety is here, but not as many restaurants), no winter sports (obviously), EXPENSIVE to fly pretty much anywhere from Austin, no Noodles & Company (this last one was almost a deal-breaker for me...almost. Oh, and traffic can be bad, really bad, like Hwy 100 or Crosstown bad.
I would say the pros outweigh the cons for me other than the fact that I really do miss my family up there. You are welcome to email me if you like: srgarlan AT yahoo DOT com to talk more about differences or you can page me on the babies board (The Bump) since I am usually over there.
ETA: If you feel comfortable posting the area of town where you live now (city or nearest cross streets or whatevs), or if you want to email me, I could probably give you some specific parts of Austin that are just like your current neighborhood.
ETA2: I'd be happy to meet a fellow Minnesotan for a beer when you fly down.
ha! difference of opinion, I guess.
although I guess I would put up with the super hot summers to avoid brutally cold winters.
Thanks ladies! Hopefully I'll hear from more as well.
MrsRosie - I live in Eagan. I may email you.
I'm not as familiar with the St. Paul side of town, but pretty much anywhere around here is within 30 minutes of downtown with the exception of the far western areas (like Lakeway) or if you are trying to get downtown during rush hour. We live in an area called Milwood and we really like it. It is easy to get pretty much anywhere in any direction. If you look on a map of Austin, our nearest cross-streets are Mopac (Loop 1 or Hwy 1) and Parmer Lane.
If I were single, living in Austin, and could afford it I would probably choose to live somewhere like Hyde Park, the Mueller neighborhood, the neighborhoods along South Congress, or out toward Westlake Hills.
Hi Numbers!
What price range are you thinking? It will make a big difference on areas and price for any suggestions I might have for neighborhoods.Also depending on what you like to do in your spare time and where you plan to work.
I imagine you have someone helping you once you are here, but Id be happy to answer any questions you might have concerning areas and neighborhoods. You can email me directly at findyourwayhomeinaustin at gmail dot com.
Hmmm...probably in the $200,000-$250,000 range?? It's all relative due to COL and income. Here I make $91,500/year so can afford that but if the pay is lower there, that would change how much I can afford. KWIM?
Thanks for the email! I'll send you one too.
Pros:
- The weather. I'm a native Texan, and as much as I used to hate the summers, enough winters in Chicago for work have changed my mind. You can always jump into a pool, float a river or visit Barton Springs to combat the heat.
- Cost of living is very affordable.
- Lots of great places to eat.
- Lots of fun things to do year-round, especially if you like being outdoors.
Cons:
- The population is growing faster than the city infrastructure can handle, so traffic can get bad. However, it's no worse than if you were commuting from the burbs to a main city (I used to have an hour long commute from East Bay to San Francisco!)
- Hard to get from north/south or east/west. There just aren't many highways.
As for places to live, there are lots of great areas in South Austin that give it a somewhat suburban feel without being more than 10 miles from downtown. Lots of cute neighborhoods in Hyde Park. Each area has its own personality, so I'd suggest figuring out what part of town fits you best, and you'd be able to find something you like.
Thank you!!
To the other gals that gave me your email...I haven't forgotten to email you. Just life got crazy with the holidays. Expect something from me soon.