There are times when I unquestionably adore residing in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on City Lake, when I’m ingesting a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin below string lights.
That being said, there are specified things I’m considerably less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the absence of walkability.
I have lived in Austin for nearly two decades. Here’s what I’ve come to love and hate about it:
What I appreciate about Austin
The People
By and big, Texans are amazingly wonderful men and women: generous, amusing, and sincerely type. When I experienced Covid, numerous neighbors brought me tortilla soup and walked my pet. People say hello there to you on the road below, even if they never know you. Austin is by much the friendliest position I’ve ever lived.
The Food
A further good – the food items. Austin’s food scene is thriving: you can discover exceptional TexMex, Thai, Vietnamese, and of program, barbecue. Some of my beloved places are Uchiko (sushi), Odd Duck (new American), and Loro (Asian/barbecue fusion). I’ve also grown to Enjoy frozen margaritas, ha.
The Water
As a born-and-elevated Michigander, I desperately need to have to live around h2o (that was one particular of the points I uncovered most difficult about living in Colorado). Luckily, Austin has a lot of it: Town Lake, Barton Springs, and Lake Travis, to title a couple of.
The Winters
The winters listed here are delightful – the temperature hovers all around 70 degrees, and the skies are normally crisp and blue. Though we do have the odd snow day, the winter temperature is very mild.
Dwell Music
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out Austin’s internationally renowned live audio scene. I like how you can wander into a random bar on a Tuesday and hear an extraordinary general performance for the price of a Shiner Bock.
The Canine-friendliness
In Austin, you can convey your pet just about anyplace — I convey my pup nearly all over the place I go. My local CVS is even pet-helpful.
What I Hate
The Crowds
Because of to its enormous acceptance in the latest decades, Austin feels insanely crowded at instances. Parking is hard to come across, dining establishments are packed, and the weekends primarily can be busy.
The Significant Expense of Living
Austin is really costly. To get a plot of land – not even a property – in my community, expenditures a million bucks.
Very poor Walkability
Unfortunately, Austin is not a walkable town. Bisected by two highways, Austin is a pretty vehicle-dependent metropolis for walkability, it ranks 42nd in the US, among Las Vegas and Pheonix. As anyone who enjoys to walk, this is a big draw back.
The Allergies
Central Texas has been known as the “Allergy Cash of the Entire world.” There is even a each day allergy report on the area news, wherever official pollen counts for ragweed, grass, and mildew are measured. I never ever had allergy symptoms in my life right up until I moved here — ugh.
The Warmth
The summers in Austin are brutal. Temperatures can attain 110 degrees (or increased). Just after this year’s scorching summer time, 90 degrees bizarrely feels to some degree cool to me.
The Isolation
Austin is shut to only a number of metropolitan areas: Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Previously this calendar year I made the oversight of driving to New Orleans, which took 10 hrs. Often I experience so envious of the East Coast – envision driving a number of several hours and staying able to access Boston, Philly, and NYC? Sigh.
All this to say, I’ve been rather delighted here. I’m not sure if it is my endlessly property (I’m not absolutely sure I have a eternally dwelling, period of time), but I prepare to continue to be at the very least a several additional many years. And take pleasure in several extra lake times and frozen margs.
