Ditch your perceptions of deserts, oil magnates and cowboys. The capital of the Lone Star State ain’t that. Want some nature? Go kayaking or swimming in one of the many tree- lined lakes and rivers, or go biking or hiking along one of the many trails around them. Want some culture? Austin is home to one of the country’s most popular art scenes, has a great foodie culture, and a music scene that has Austin hailed as the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

Want a job? You might question whether you’re in Silicon Valley when you see the number of tech companies here. Facebook, Google, Apple and more all have offices in Austin, and the city unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country.

Finally, we have to mention the political climate in Austin. If you’re moving to Texas to escape the progressives in San Francisco or Boulder then take 35 or 290 in virtually any direction to find giant pockets of conservatism. If on the other hand you’re looking for an island of misfit liberals that comprise the Austin populace then you’re going to love it here.

Note from a local about what they love here:
*Breweries, H‑E‑B, parks, barbecue, waterways, relaxed vibe (compared to other big cities), friends, live music. Looking forward to having the MLS team here, too.*

*I also love our big events throughout the year: ACL, SXSW, F1, etc. I know they come with their own sets of problems, but I love being able to take advantage of that kinda stuff in my own backyard.*

For more reviews of what living in Austin is like from locals check out: [**The Reviews**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/austin/reviews).

Where’d the desert go?

 The Best Thing About Austin?

Two Texas staples that Austin still clings onto are, unfortunately, traffic and weather. Austin commutes are some of the most brutal in the country. Austin is rapidly expanding, a reflection of those positives, but the roads are not, and regardless of when you leave the house, you’ll probably be stuck somewhere. The lack of good public transportation does you no favors, so you pretty much have to own a car to live here.

You need a car with great AC as well. You won’t forget you’re living in Texas in July and August when the highs occasionally get up to a humid 110 Fahrenheit. The plus is winter days in the sixties and autumn ones in the seventies, but we’ll let you be the judge as to whether or not the trade off is worth it.

Note from a local about driving here:
*Whenever I get in my car I feel like a contestant in the movie Death Race. I'm actually nervous to drive with the amount of red-light-runners and stop signs that don't seem to apply to some drivers. Lots of road rage I see that I don't engage in but still scary to witness. It's gotten worse since the start of the pandemic.*

It’s still in Texas

The Worst Thing About Austin?

We’re going to keep hammering home the fact that Austin strays far from the typical Texas tropes. Home to some of the hottest bars and foodie spots in the country, and a wide range of popular live music concerts, Austin is an increasingly attractive destination for young socialites.

Finally, we have to mention the political climate in Austin. If you’re moving to Texas to escape the progressives in San Francisco or Boulder, you’ll probably be disappointed in how far left Austin swings. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for an island of misfit liberals like the ones that comprise the Austin populace, then you’re going to love it here. Austin is also home to one of the most active LGBTQ communities in the nation.

Check out the Austin [**calendar of events**](https://www.austintexas.org/events/) to get the details on what's happening here.

Lifestyle Of Austin

You might question whether or not you’re in Silicon Valley when you see the number of tech companies that call Austin home. Facebook, Google, Apple and more all have offices in Austin, and the city unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country.

Tesla is another recent big company to name Texas’s capital its new home in recent years that highlights how substantial of a draw Austin is for the future faces of global progress. In the time that it’s taken me to type this, little Elon’s from around the country have undoubtedly picked Austin as home. 


Worklife Of Austin

One of the reasons people and companies flock to Texas, and Austin in particular, is that Texas taxes are just way below other states (we see you Cali). Whether you’re working remotely or just looking for a job, Austin is both socially sensible and economically strong. 


Texas Taxes

Why Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Austin?** Where’d the desert go?

Ditch your perceptions of deserts, oil magnates and cowboys. The capital of the Lone Star State ain’t that. Want some nature? Go kayaking or swimming in one of the many tree- lined lakes and rivers, or go biking or hiking along one of the many trails around them. Want some culture? Austin is home to one of the country’s most popular art scenes, has a great foodie culture, and a music scene that has Austin hailed as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” 

Want a job? You might question whether you’re in Silicon Valley when you see the number of tech companies here. Facebook, Google, Apple and more all have offices in Austin, and the city unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the country.

Finally, we have to mention the political climate in Austin. If you’re moving to Texas to escape the progressives in San Francisco or Boulder then take 35 or 290 in virtually any direction to find giant pockets of conservatism. If on the other hand you’re looking for an island of misfit liberals that comprise the Austin populace then you’re going to love it here. 

**The Worst Thing About Austin?** It’s still in Texas

Two Texas staples that Austin still clings onto are, unfortunately, traffic and weather. Austin commutes are some of the most brutal in the country. Austin is rapidly expanding, a reflection of those positives, but the roads are not, and regardless of when you leave the house, you’ll probably be stuck somewhere. The lack of good public transportation does you no favors, so you pretty much have to own a car to live here. 

You need a car with great AC as well. You won’t forget you’re living in Texas in July and August when the highs occasionally get up to a humid 110 fahrenheit. The plus is winter days in the sixties and autumn ones in the seventies, but we’ll let you be the judge as to whether or not the trade off is worth it.

**How You Living?** Somewhere Fairly Priced

Downtown is where the action happens. With a variety of living options and easy access to the best theaters, music venues, museums and more, downtown Austin is also cheaper than your average big city downtown. 

The neighborhoods around UT Austin have everything from college apartments to single family homes, and have the feel of a lively college town. If that isn’t your scene then eighborhoods like Crestview, Brentwood and Allandale are virtual suburbs in the middle of the city, with space and single family homes and easy access to great restaurants, bars and the like. Everywhere you go is pretty much gonna be cheaper than the San Franciscos and New Yorks of the world despite having a lot of the same amenities.

**Why Move Here Now?** Texas Taxes

One of the reasons people and companies flock to Texas, and Austin in particular, is that Texas taxes are way below other states (we see you Cali). Whether you’re working remotely or just looking for a job, Austin is both socially sensible and economically strong. 


UT is a big school so there is a big demand for off-campus housing in Austin. West Campus is a good place to start your search. Right next to campus and filled with reasonable (by Austin standards) apartments, restaurants/bars, outdoor play options in a great local park and overall great energy for your college years. If the energy of West Campus sounds exhausting or distracting then look at North Campus. That’s equally convenient but less of a rager and ideal for grad students. https://www.unilodgers.com/blog/locate-the-best-neighborhoods-with-student-housing-in-austin-texas
- West Campus
- North Campus
- Hyde Park
- Rosedale


College Students

West Campus

Downtown is ground zero for young professionals working in the area who want to both walk to work and to a huge volume of bars, restaurants and outdoor play. The entire area is filled with apartment and condo options mixed in with the downtown office buildings. Old West Austin is another good option if you want a bit of distance from downtown. Closer to UT but with a cozier neighborhood vibe. The area is filled with boutique restaurant, bar and shopping options, and as a bonus has some beautiful recreation options for a moment of zen or play within the city. 
- Downtown
- Old West Austin
- Bouldin Creek


Young Professionals

Downtown

Holy cow, lots of options in Austin for neighborhoods popular with the LGBTQ+ community. East Austin has spiked to top of the list in recent years with the opening of new restaurants and bars owned by and supportive of the community. Clarksville is another good option for those looking to be in the city but get a more intimate neighborhood experience. Close to the 6th Street entertainment hub the area has eclectic restaurants, cafes and boutique shops. 
- East Austin
- Clarksville
- Downtown


LGBTQ+

East Austin

Clarksville is an interesting choice if you want to be in the city but get a bit of distance from downtown. The tree-lined streets have a mix of home and apt/condo options amidst great locally owned restaurants, cafes and shops. Zilker is another good starting point in your search. The park is a huge attraction for outdoor play and zen chilling and within walking distance are as many restaurants, cafes, and shops as your heart desires. 
- Clarksville
- Zilker
- Bouldin Creek


DINKs/SINKs

Clarksville

Cherrywood is a good place to start if you want to be just a few miles from downtown but also want a quieter vibe with all the requisite homes, parks and trees. Bonus, it has its own local restaurants, bars and cafes so you don’t have to make the short trip downtown if you need a snack or libation. 
- Cherrywood
- Windsor Park
- Brentwood


Families

Cherrywood

Austin

**What is it like living in Austin, TX?**

This is the way I would summarize Austin: It’s affordable, but it doesn’t have a lot of value.

It’s really not a bad city. It’s a perfectly decent city. It’s just, after living here for most of my life, and being just old enough to remember Austin from the late-90s, it’s changed in a lot of ways. In many ways it has matured as a city, but with that maturity comes a sense of being like most other mid-sized cities, without anything that really gives it depth or distinction. I get the impression that it’s the kind of place people move to because they have to, not because they want to. Let me break it down:

PROS

*It’s not expensive. Rents aren’t bad, home prices are a lot less than what you’ll find on the coasts. Electricity does tend to run pretty high, though.

*There are a lot of nice little parks that are great for walking, biking, and hiking. The natural surroundings like the hill country are pretty nice to go driving in, actually. Not stunning, but pretty nice.

*Austin’s pretty active. Not sure how it would stack up against Denver or Minneapolis or places like that, but there’s always a lot of people on the disc golf courses or on the Town Lake (Lady Bird Lake) trails.

*We get some fun festivals here (SXSW and ACL being the two big ones), but the flip side is that the traffic becomes a raging b*tch.

*We’re one of the safest larger cities in the country. I don’t think our murder rate’s ever been out of the single digits; last I checked it was, like, five. Don’t expect it to be that way forever—it’s definitely getting worse—but there’s not a lot to worry about for the time being.

**What is it like living in Austin, TX?**

It can vary so much! I haven’t actually lived within the city limits of Austin before, but I have lived in the metropolitan area for about 8–9 years now. Let me describe my own position in life right now. Then I will describe my life in Austin, just to give you context.

I just graduated from Westlake High School in May, and I’m 17 years old. I’m a dependent, I will be moving to dorms at my university next month, and will major in Biochem.

So, when I arrived in Austin, I was very surprised to see that there are not really many cacti as I thought! I was just a little kid, and did not really know much about Texas. There are lots of hills around here. The weather, year-round, varies drastically.

In the winter, it can be freezing cold. It can feel just plain unpleasant to walk around outside. Being from California, even now, I will never get used to the cold in Texas. Some winters, very rarely, there is snow, and school gets cancelled. Each winter, there is likely to be ice.

During the summers, it is scorchingly hot. It burns just to stand outside (even just being outside will make me sweat); I have sensitive skin, and I’m always scared of the unrelenting Texas sun. Most summer days, I don’t really get out because it feels so unpleasantly hot.

Spring and fall have good weather; fall is nice and breezy, and spring brings showers. However, my allergies are terrible, so spring can be dreadful each year. Nonetheless, the bluebonnets blooming along the road are a beautiful sight.

Austin is a super nice city… as in, there’s more to do here than you think! You just have to find it. Last summer, during my PE class, my coach took me out to hiking trails on the Barton Greenbelt. That was really fun… but I assume that if one doesn’t know their way around, they could get lost. On the trails, there are some really nice natural pools you could swim in. They’re just wonderful.

**Is Austin worth it anymore?**

From a guy that grew up in Austin and moved away for sixteen years and lived elsewhere for a while......Austin isn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it has a lot going for it.

Other cities have no soul at all and Austin has plenty.

Yes the influx of Californians has brought a lot of change with it but that doesn't destroy the personality of Austin. There are still plenty of old Austinites like me around to keep Austin looking like Austin.

**Is Austin worth it anymore?**

I'm going on 25 years. Austin as a city still has plenty of charms, and as a musician, plenty to keep me here. But you mention more than just social and demographic changes which people can either choose to be bothered by or not.

You also mention the weather. I do believe it has changed since I got here and not for the better. It's not exactly surprising if you believe in the general pattern of climate change. It is unlikely to become utterly unlivable in my natural life, but there is no doubt that the south will gradually continue to become harder to live in.

The other thing you mention is state politics and IMO there is little debate that our state house has become stupider and more reactionary year after year. Until and unless they start losing statewide elections it's going to continue. I've waited for the predicted bluing for my entire time here. It still hasn't happened. As you say, they let 111 Texans die from utter negligence over grid problems they knew about for an entire decade. Then they tried to blame it on windmills. But look at them go this year, they have more anti transgender bills submitted than any other red state, 12 of them. Slow clap.

I'm looking for other places to live and when Covid is in the rear view mirror I hope to be traveling to other places and living and working from there for long enough to really know if it's a place I can put down roots.

Austin, Texas

Bat City

Looklyloo Score: 90