Tech bro moves from CA to Austin - immediately reverses course after calling culture 'bland'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Lakeway was a retirement community up until about 15 years ago. Now it's filling up with younger families since the closer in areas are less affordable. But if you're into the "Keep Austin Weird" vibe then its not where you should end up. He should have talked to more people, spent more time there to get the feel for it. I don't get the "school choice" complain either. Sounds like he was looking for private schools which there aren't many very close to there. Why wasn't he ok with the publics? Again, if school was important to him researching the options prior to the move would have been helpful.

His school choice critique was very specific and not about private schools.

There's also little public school choice. In California there are charter schools, two day schools, public schools, cash/combo charter school/homeschooling, you name it. In west Austin, just public schools. Don't know why, but I heard that the high school football industrial complex opposed charter schools.

Tech bro can't google schools before moving.

This guy is a complete tool. Why did he open his mouth so wide to let everyone know what a moron he was? The local high school, Lake Travis, is a football behemoth. Lots of star quarterbacks, multiple state championships, and this douche was surprised that Friday night football was a big deal. Had he ever actually been to the area or talked to anyone about it before moving there? He could not have picked a worse place for his family given the things he says were important to him that the community did not provide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw this online. He comes off as rude and dim, in part because he's trying to make a buck by writing about his failure to think about a big move. That said, I don't like Austin and would never live there. I don't get what people like about it.

- Bay Area native who likes NOVA pretty well.

Kind of hijacking the thread, but I'd be really interested to hear your reasons why - and I don't mean that in a rude way at all. I am from TX, lived in Austin for about a year after college (mid-'90's) and have the option to move back. Went there for a weekend - relocation would be to northwest Austin. I kind of hated it/hated that area and am really reconsidering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Six years isn't immediate.

He moved back to California after only a year. He just decided to write about it in 2021.

He wrote a semi-famous Quora post about it in 2016:
https://www.quora.com/Has-anyone-moved-from-the-Bay-Area-to-Austin-What-were-your-reasons-What-would-you-advise-anyone-looking-to-make-the-move-to-consider-before-making-a-decision?top_ans=30172787

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw this online. He comes off as rude and dim, in part because he's trying to make a buck by writing about his failure to think about a big move. That said, I don't like Austin and would never live there. I don't get what people like about it.

- Bay Area native who likes NOVA pretty well.

Kind of hijacking the thread, but I'd be really interested to hear your reasons why - and I don't mean that in a rude way at all. I am from TX, lived in Austin for about a year after college (mid-'90's) and have the option to move back. Went there for a weekend - relocation would be to northwest Austin. I kind of hated it/hated that area and am really reconsidering.

NP, we lived for years in downtown Austin. How far northwest in Austin? I agree can be a pretty bland area. That said, most folks I know who worked up there lived closer to downtown. I'll leave it to the Austin hater to give you their perspective, but happy to answer any other questions. We loved the city, will likely move back when life permits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Six years isn't immediate.

He moved back to California after only a year. He just decided to write about it in 2021.

He wrote a semi-famous Quora post about it in 2016:
https://www.quora.com/Has-anyone-moved-from-the-Bay-Area-to-Austin-What-were-your-reasons-What-would-you-advise-anyone-looking-to-make-the-move-to-consider-before-making-a-decision?top_ans=30172787

Good....GOD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw this online. He comes off as rude and dim, in part because he's trying to make a buck by writing about his failure to think about a big move. That said, I don't like Austin and would never live there. I don't get what people like about it.

- Bay Area native who likes NOVA pretty well.

Kind of hijacking the thread, but I'd be really interested to hear your reasons why - and I don't mean that in a rude way at all. I am from TX, lived in Austin for about a year after college (mid-'90's) and have the option to move back. Went there for a weekend - relocation would be to northwest Austin. I kind of hated it/hated that area and am really reconsidering.

NP, we lived for years in downtown Austin. How far northwest in Austin? I agree can be a pretty bland area. That said, most folks I know who worked up there lived closer to downtown. I'll leave it to the Austin hater to give you their perspective, but happy to answer any other questions. We loved the city, will likely move back when life permits.

183 and Spicewood Springs/Anderson Mill.

I definitely knew it would be different than living in Hyde Park in the mid-'90's (where I lived) but I was not prepared for the vast housing tracts with absolutely no retail/grocery store/doctor's office/coffee, etc. within a 10-20 minute drive out of the housing area to the 183 feeder road. I live in a NoVa suburb with its share of strip malls, but it's easy and quick to get to all of the places I listed above. Not to mention we actually have a center of town and can go to things there. Just to get to downtown Austin on a weekend night was a 30 minute drive with no traffic. It sucked. And living more central is a no go with the housing prices being what they are, not to mention the daily traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that area of Austin, it’s wealthy sprawling suburbia. If you want more character and city feel, move to Old Enfield, Clarksville, Old West Austin, South Congress, Barton Hills, Hyde Park, even parts of Lakeway/Westlake which are more suburban but closer to downtown. God knows the only people who can afford to live in those areas are wealthy tech people now. The downside is most of the tech offices are North of the city and even the reverse commute is awful on Mopac.

Most of the part of Austin dominated by tech feels like San Jose to me—just a big morass of suburban sprawl. It’s also pretty politically moderate—used to be more Republican until Trump.

The cool/liberal/funky part of Austin is very small and expensive to live in. I went to UT for grad school and the transformation in full throws at that time.

Exactly. I've lived in Austin and Silicon Valley. This move was like moving to Morgan Hill and complaining its boring and bland. It's too far from all the "cool" stuff and traffic is horrific if you need to be DT or north to Round Rock. But, if he'd done his research he would know that. He had no clue what he was getting himself and his family into and can only blame himself. But if you want the brand new house on a lot of land, that's where you would go.

Yup, I loved Austin, went to school there, bought our first house there, had our first baby there. Miss it terribly.

It's hard to imagine he even visited the area he moved to before picking it, given (apparently) what he values. Hell, besides the land he would have been in much better proximity to "cool" things but still have the 'burb and new house vibe in Circle C and have paid a fraction of the price.

Austin has a lot of wonderful amenities, including a ton of outdoor activities--including a lot to do on the water. I'm just sort of baffled by this.

Have you lived in the Bay Area? I don't think Austin has as much varied outdoor activity and, if you don't like the weather--especially the heat, you may not be doing as much outside for large parts of the year.

I am the first PP quoted who went to UT for grad school. I also used to live in Berkeley/El Cerrito (did my postdoc at Berkeley) my brother lives in San Jose. Very familiar with the Bay Area and Austin. The ability to be outdoors is not like the Bay Area, but PP is correct that there is tons to do on the water (which is the only pleasant way to be outdoors when it is 105 out).

[Anonymous]

Austin is a great bang for your buck compared to some of the other tech cities. You have options for great schools at multiple price levels. Lots of awesome food, everything is close in.. I live in a suburb of Austin but a true 10 min from downtown with excellent public schools. Downsides are the nasty brutal heat, allergies and lack of unique places to go for weekends away. Taxes are high though, but no state income tax. People are kind and warm and I have found they don't take themselves as seriously as those on the costs. If you want a more laid-back vibe this is it. No one asks what you do for a living in their first conversation and I live in a wealthy, highly educated area.

[Anonymous]

Austin is fine if you don't like being outdoors and don't use open space preserves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Austin is fine if you don't like being outdoors and don't use open space preserves.

That’s not really true. You can do patio dining and play golf or tennis from October to May. It’s really the summer that is miserable. It’s quite nice right now. Sunny and 65 degrees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Californians b*tch about how expensive CA is, then they move elsewhere and complain about how those places aren't CA. It seems these people moving are just confused!

Don't New Yorkers do this all the time too?

[Anonymous]

Should have moved to Denver instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Austin is a great bang for your buck compared to some of the other tech cities. You have options for great schools at multiple price levels. Lots of awesome food, everything is close in.. I live in a suburb of Austin but a true 10 min from downtown with excellent public schools. Downsides are the nasty brutal heat, allergies and lack of unique places to go for weekends away. Taxes are high though, but no state income tax. People are kind and warm and I have found they don't take themselves as seriously as those on the costs. If you want a more laid-back vibe this is it. No one asks what you do for a living in their first conversation and I live in a wealthy, highly educated area.

Okay that bolded part doesn't even make sense to me unless you're talking about parts of Austin itself since most of the city feels like a suburb. I used to live off of South Congress and I really don't know what you're talking about saying you lived in the suburbs 10 minutes from downtown. That literally makes no sense. I have family that still live in the area and travel there often. It's crazy what's happened but you cannot get from Round Rock, Pflugerville, or Oak Hill to downtown in 10 minutes. Unless you live in Sunset Valley, which I never understood how it existed, I don't see as how you can get downtown in 10 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Happy for Austin. Hope they threw a party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw this online. He comes off as rude and dim, in part because he's trying to make a buck by writing about his failure to think about a big move. That said, I don't like Austin and would never live there. I don't get what people like about it.

- Bay Area native who likes NOVA pretty well.

I also was underwhelmed by Austin. I actually liked Dallas better, never been to Houston.