Pre-COVID Austin was hyped to be the next big tech scene. I feel like it hasn’t lived up to the hype so far. What are y’all’s thoughts on Austin’s future? Context: I’m a SWE in Austin (5 yoe, 250k tc)
Austin was just hype. Folks moved to Austin during remote work and with back to office a lot of tech workers seem to be leaving. I personally know like 4 folks leaving for California and NYC Also the lack of outdoor activities during summer and brutal weather doesn’t help much. Infrastructure hasn’t kept up either. The extreme politics is another reason. Wouldn’t want to raise a daughter where the government has a say in her body.
So you’d rather live in California where the politics say it’s not illegal for someone to knowingly infect you with HIV and it’s encouraged to steal things under 900 lol lmao
Yeah, that's exactly what he is saying you neocon moron
Traffic infra in this city stays at 60s level, and there is ZERO qualified indoor shopping mall or the medium to large scale recreation complex. The exodus has begun. https://www.kut.org/austin/2024-03-19/austin-population-census-data-net-migration?fbclid=IwAR1jtZaaPbnHMnFB7frSZdmFAtgFKgQYmVphhhxohlSgGSrcHNn55qEQEpg_aem_AWXh7KBcYI1AB2cigsXeZEpZjM0fe8II_OJUEexQjX1_BI0sSdPZUAzMqbb2WvarWYQ
Exodus to Williamson… Brain not work well, eh? “ historical county-to-county migration data shows people are leaving Travis County for neighboring areas. This includes Williamson County to the north and Hays County to the south. In the last half of 2022 and the first half of 2023, roughly 20,000 more people moved to other counties” I was one of those too.
It’s perfect example of cali / seattle folks trying to validate their pricey home purchase by twisting the facts. They just can’t digest the exodus to tx that happened in last couple of years.
Bay area or seattle have a better tech job market but this is where it ends. Austin is safer, cleaner and yet (much) cheaper for a family. Regarding politics - to each their own. Bay area weather is better but otherwise it is a large parking lot with offices and indian stores. The stories about hiking and surfing same day are just stories. You spend your day in surfing traffic.
The greater Seattle area (East side or west) is beautiful, safe, and extremely clean. Have you been there? I'm not sure why you would say SF is just Indian stores. It has one of the most multicultural food and shop scenes in the US. There are plenty of downsides to the bay area, but monoculturalism isn't one.
> The stories about hiking and surfing same day are just stories I think that’s just a you problem. When I was in the SF and San Diego I used to go hiking on Saturdays and then chill at the beach Sundays. Maybe you need to get out of the house more? I now live in Austin and compared to what I had before the activities are severely limited.
Austin only made sense when you had to be in the office and companies would pick it as the LCOL alternative for offices. Now it's not LCOL anymore, in a state with toxic politics at a time when you can work from anywhere.
lol lmao
Flair gives it away. Only the most social system is 👆🏽guy’s preference.
At end of the day it’s Texas. If you’re women or queer you’ll feel like it’s 1800s. If you’re republicans / tesla supporter please move here!
As a bona fide queer myself - Austin is WAY more friendly than the Bay or NYC. The culture leagues better - less toxic, more down to earth, sustainable, and friendly.
Lol WTF are you smoking? Austin, being the most progressive city in Texas, is where all of the LGBT folks who grew up in Texas and don't want to fully leave the state move. There are multiple gay bars right downtown.
Austin is terrible, the fact that overall taxes are low and the state is allowed to uphold your right to self defense is just ridiculous. I’d much rather be riding a subway or BART risking my life daily. Also it’s the best economy in the world right now so why is everyone complaining about cost of living?
I’d say that it is growing. The new office buildings in the Domain are getting filled with more offices that are close to being done with construction. Starlink factory opened in Bastrop and you got Samsung with their semiconductor fab. The communities I’ve seen are growing and SXSW attracted a lot of startups and investors. The politics is manageable and it’s a fun place to live. Sure it’s not Boston or NYC, but there is a lot to do. You’ve got the river, hiking, horse rising, go karting, paintball, golfing, and gun ranges.
Hey everyone, it's the weekly Austin hate thread! Brought to you by the folks living in a 1.5 million dollar bay area shoe box with a two hour commute, stepping over feces and needles on their way to work, concerned about their home losing its value.
Well said!
I am in Austin and my friends have all left or are planning when they can do so. The ever rising heat, lack of scenic beauty, and terrifying politics are all too much.
Do they need help moving? I will haul their stuff for free
All left?! They are lying to avoid seeing you maybe?
Salaries are trending down hard in Austim, housing went up way too fast, city infrastructure is one of the worst in the US. Future: not good at all
Source: Bay Area bro afraid of his shitty house losing value to an exodus to cheaper cities.
Austin has grown a lot in the last few years. It takes time for infra to catch up.