What I Love (and Hate) About Living in Austin

There are instances when I definitely adore living in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on City Lake, when I’m consuming a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin beneath string lights.

That remaining said, there are selected points I’m considerably less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the lack of walkability.

I’ve lived in Austin for almost two many years. Here’s what I have appear to appreciate and detest about it:

What I enjoy about Austin

The People today

By and huge, Texans are amazingly nice persons: generous, humorous, and sincerely variety. When I experienced Covid, various neighbors introduced me tortilla soup and walked my doggy. Men and women say hi there to you on the avenue right here, even if they don’t know you. Austin is by much the friendliest position I have at any time lived.

The Food items

Another beneficial – the foods. Austin’s food scene is thriving: you can obtain exceptional TexMex, Thai, Vietnamese, and of study course, barbecue. Some of my beloved spots are Uchiko (sushi), Odd Duck (new American), and Loro (Asian/barbecue fusion). I’ve also developed to Really like frozen margaritas, ha.

The Water

As a born-and-lifted Michigander, I desperately will need to dwell near drinking water (that was 1 of the points I identified most difficult about living in Colorado). Thankfully, Austin has a lot of it: Town Lake, Barton Springs, and Lake Travis, to name a number of.

The Winters

The winters right here are pleasant – the temperature hovers around 70 levels, and the skies are typically crisp and blue. However we do have the odd snow day, the winter temperature is really moderate.

Stay Music

I’d be remiss if I did not mention Austin’s internationally renowned are living new music scene. I like how you can walk into a random bar on a Tuesday and listen to an amazing effectiveness for the price tag of a Shiner Bock.

The Doggy-friendliness

In Austin, you can carry your dog pretty much wherever — I provide my pup practically everywhere I go. My regional CVS is even pet dog-friendly.

What I Detest

The Crowds

Thanks to its massive recognition in modern a long time, Austin feels insanely crowded at times. Parking is really hard to come across, dining places are packed, and the weekends specifically can be busy.

The High Charge of Living

Austin is pretty high priced. To buy a plot of land – not even a home – in my community, expenses a million pounds.

Lousy Walkability

Regrettably, Austin is not a walkable town. Bisected by two highways, Austin is a incredibly motor vehicle-dependent metropolis for walkability, it ranks 42nd in the US, amongst Las Vegas and Pheonix. As another person who enjoys to wander, this is a substantial downside.

The Allergies

Central Texas has been referred to as the “Allergy Money of the Earth.” There’s even a each day allergy report on the regional information, the place formal pollen counts for ragweed, grass, and mildew are measured. I by no means had allergies in my lifestyle till I moved right here — ugh.

The Heat

The summers in Austin are brutal. Temperatures can achieve 110 levels (or better). After this year’s scorching summer time, 90 degrees bizarrely feels rather cool to me.

The Isolation

Austin is near to only a several towns: Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Earlier this year I built the miscalculation of driving to New Orleans, which took 10 several hours. From time to time I truly feel so envious of the East Coast – picture driving a couple of hrs and being capable to obtain Boston, Philly, and NYC? Sigh.


All this to say, I have been pretty happy listed here. I’m not positive if it’s my eternally household (I’m not absolutely sure I have a without end property, period), but I plan to continue to be at the very least a handful of more many years. And get pleasure from numerous much more lake days and frozen margs.

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