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There are times when I definitely adore residing in Austin: when I’m paddleboarding on Town Lake, when I’m consuming a frozen margarita at Maudie’s, when I’m hanging out in hip East Austin beneath string lights.
That becoming explained, there are sure points I’m significantly less fond of: the sweltering summers, the isolation, the deficiency of walkability.
I’ve lived in Austin for just about two many years. Here’s what I have appear to enjoy and despise about it:
What I really like about Austin


The Individuals
By and big, Texans are very nice individuals: generous, humorous, and sincerely sort. When I experienced Covid, several neighbors introduced me tortilla soup and walked my canine. Folks say hi there to you on the street listed here, even if they never know you. Austin is by far the friendliest location I’ve at any time lived.


The Food items
Another favourable – the food stuff. Austin’s food scene is flourishing: you can obtain excellent TexMex, Thai, Vietnamese, and of course, barbecue. Some of my favourite places are Uchiko (sushi), Odd Duck (new American), and Loro (Asian/barbecue fusion). I have also developed to Love frozen margaritas, ha.

The Water
As a born-and-raised Michigander, I desperately will need to are living close to water (that was 1 of the points I identified most difficult about dwelling in Colorado). Fortunately, Austin has lots of it: Town Lake, Barton Springs, and Lake Travis, to title a number of.
The Winters
The winters below are pleasant – the temperature hovers all around 70 levels, and the skies are typically crisp and blue. Though we do have the odd snow day, the wintertime climate is extremely delicate.

Reside Songs
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Austin’s internationally renowned are living music scene. I really like how you can wander into a random bar on a Tuesday and hear an amazing functionality for the cost of a Shiner Bock.

The Doggy-friendliness
In Austin, you can bring your dog almost wherever — I deliver my pup just about just about everywhere I go. My neighborhood CVS is even dog-welcoming.
What I Hate
The Crowds
Due to its large popularity in new years, Austin feels insanely crowded at moments. Parking is really hard to obtain, places to eat are packed, and the weekends especially can be hectic.
The Substantial Price tag of Residing
Austin is quite high-priced. To invest in a plot of land – not even a property – in my community, prices a million pounds.
Very poor Walkability
Unfortunately, Austin is not a walkable metropolis. Bisected by two highways, Austin is a quite car-dependent town for walkability, it ranks 42nd in the US, in between Las Vegas and Pheonix. As someone who enjoys to stroll, this is a huge draw back.
The Allergic reactions
Central Texas has been known as the “Allergy Cash of the World.” There’s even a every day allergy report on the nearby information, exactly where official pollen counts for ragweed, grass, and mould are calculated. I under no circumstances had allergy symptoms in my lifetime until I moved here — ugh.
The Warmth
The summers in Austin are brutal. Temperatures can reach 110 levels (or bigger). Following this year’s scorching summer months, 90 levels bizarrely feels fairly neat to me.
The Isolation
Austin is close to only a couple cities: Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Previously this yr I produced the slip-up of driving to New Orleans, which took 10 hours. In some cases I come to feel so envious of the East Coastline – picture driving a several hrs and getting ready to entry Boston, Philly, and NYC? Sigh.
All this to say, I’ve been quite joyful listed here. I’m not absolutely sure if it is my permanently house (I’m not absolutely sure I have a endlessly residence, interval), but I prepare to keep at minimum a few additional years. And appreciate lots of extra lake times and frozen margs.