What is attracting people to Austin, TX?

I did not read all of this thread yet but will read it.

Lots of my awesome deaf friends live there. There is pretty good deaf community, lots of waters such as riding the boats, some weird spot that i forget whats it called Baton spring or something is the one I loved it there, lots of stuff to do outside and excellent mexican food and drinks. I wish i lived there!!! I should have stayed there after i stayed there for one month and half. dang!!!

i will read it later.
 
sequoias said:
That is one of the reasons why we don't want to live in Texas. Our son has allergies and asthma. The heat is not good for him as well and we hate the summer heat like that...average temp in Austin is 97/73 in July compared to many cities in Sacramento and San Jacquin Valley in California around 90's high and low in the 60's. I like the cooler nights than too hot nights which require to use A/C 24/7. I prefer the west coast and the west US.
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I don't recommend your son moving to Texas, either. New resident I know just moved in from the West has gotten allergies. She is recovering from pneumonia right now. I'm used to the heat. I usually shop in early morning or evening when the temperature is down. Don't wanna my frozen supplies melting so fast!
 
Personally, I don't think I could take the extreme heat either.

I really, really like the Mid-Atlantic area. Nice, four-season climate, but very short winter as compared to where I grew up. Lots of things to do, easy to travel anywhere. Cost of housing is high, that's the big negative for young people starting out, but other than that, it's a great place to live.
 
During the Texas summer, I don't use dryer machine much. I hang up the clothes indoor, and they dry quickly!
 
I have heard from various Deaf friends how much they liked Austin

and also heard from hearings how much they liked certain things about it too.

have read many generally positive things about it - most of Texas, not interested in <and have been there> but for me, I'd like to visit Austin.
 
Wirelessly posted (droid)

Nice university and gov't town. Deaf school and active Deaf community. A great music scene for people who are into that. Nice public parks.



Cons: Weather (but no real hurricane threat), very conservative (but not like rural Tx), not a big city (limited cultural opportunities except thru univ.)

I 'm in Houston for schools for my kids. Would definitely consider it otherwise.
 
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Beach girl said:
Personally, I don't think I could take the extreme heat either.

I really, really like the Mid-Atlantic area. Nice, four-season climate, but very short winter as compared to where I grew up. Lots of things to do, easy to travel anywhere. Cost of housing is high, that's the big negative for young people starting out, but other than that, it's a great place to live.
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Ditto here. I don't think I can take extreme cold either.
 
Wirelessly posted (droid)

People in Texas seem to hate snow.
It's cheaper to live in South and SW especially housing.
We have this wonderful invention called air conditioning. Lol
.
 
Do you think AC is cheap? Do you have good electricity rates in TX?

In our house in VA, in the winter our gas bills were much higher (gas heat), and in the summer the electric bills would soar (electric AC). So year-round, what we paid for utilities didn't vary all that much, except that April-May and then Sept. - Oct. were pretty cheap, not using either much heating or much air-conditioning.

Our NC house is newer and more energy-efficient, so our AC bills aren't too bad. We can keep the temperature set higher and still be comfortable because the house is well-insulated, plus we have fans all over the place.
 
We are lucky to have double windows, and ceiling fans. We set it at around 80 degrees. My hubby and I are skinny, so we don't feel hot. Personally, I don't like ceiling fans. It always seem to give me headaches and clogged ears. If the night gets warm, I just stuff cotton balls in my ears and turn it on. Our average bill is around $150-$200 during the summer (we live in the apartment).

If you plan to purchase a 2 story house in hot climate, I would definitely say it is a bad idea. It will cost you $$$. The second floor always gets hotter than first floor.

I notice that many moved to Texas for graduate schools here.
 
Have you ever been to Austin? If not, then visit it before making a determination if it's right for you and your family.

Judging a book by its cover...tsk tsk.
 
Utilites are not too bad. Not much to heat in the winter. I live in a home that is shaded by trees. Ceiling fans are standard.

The allergy part is a consideration. Bad place for allergies, especially if you're allergic to mold (like me). I stay indoors when the pollen count is high.

Bugs are huge! Flying tree roaches. Seriously big and disgusting. That alone makes Texas less desirable. Those things freak me out.
 
Utility bills aren't bad in Austin. I heard that the electric companies in Dallas were outrageous...according to my mother in law, they pay around $350 a month for an average size house. Geez!!!! Maybe Vampy can confirm?
 
sallylou said:
Wirelessly posted (droid)

Cons: Weather (but no real hurricane threat), very conservative (but not like rural Tx), not a big city (limited cultural opportunities except thru univ.)
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I don't think I have ever heard Austin called "conservative". For Texas, it is super-liberal, and I would say it falls on the liberal end of the spectrum compared to anywhere in the US.

I notice that many moved to Texas for graduate schools here.
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Texas has a state tuition waiver for people with a qualifying level of hearing loss good at any state-funded college or university. I know people who have moved or are considering moving to Texas to take advantage of that.

Austin is a great city with a very unique personality - the city motto is "Keep Austin Weird!" It does have a large Deaf community. Major employers are the state government (since it is the capitol of Texas) and the largest state university so the local economy is pretty stable and there is a good job market. For a city, it is very clean and has comparably low crime rates.
 
I went Austin,Tx its so nice last years for my cousin's college grads but Austin,Tx its so huge!!
 
sequoias said:
Wirelessly posted (sent from a smartphone. )

I've noticed few of my friends moved there. Austin is growing like crazy as well. What is so special about Austin? I know for sure it gets really hot in summers and the utilities are pretty high there.
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Austin is bit cooler than DFW area.
 
deafbajagal said:
Utility bills aren't bad in Austin. I heard that the electric companies in Dallas were outrageous...according to my mother in law, they pay around $350 a month for an average size house. Geez!!!! Maybe Vampy can confirm?
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no, it's under $200. Unless the idiot use too much oven, over-powerful desktop, fat TV and light on all the time and forget to turn off.
 
Maybe deafbajagal was talking about 1600 sq feet house? That explains why the bill is so high. Or the house's insulation is bad? 600-1100 sq feet place usually costs average $100-$200 if it has electric only.

The best way to save the bills-
set it at 78-80 degrees.
Adjust the water heater thermometer at 120 degrees.
unplug all unessential appliances such as toaster, blender, lamps,etc.
If your window faces west, keeps the blinds or curtains closed.
If you are single, you don't need to use dishwasher machine. Wash your dishes.

I read somewhere that the guy turns off the water heater power before he goes to bed. He turns it on every morning. I am not sure how it will affect the effects of the water heater.


I have never heard of Austin being very conservative, either. I have always thought it is one of the most liberal cities in Texas.
 
My deaf cousin live there...
Awesome Deaf community
but sucks weather... He have to lawnmower his grass at night! :eek3:
 
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