Just saw Tim Duncan in Downtown Austin

[DPG21920]

Yea, I'm thinking about moving to Austin, but I need to do it quickly if I am going to. As you said the prices are rising pretty quickly up there.

Its definitley expesnive but although I really love SA and its a great city in its own right, austin is just a different beast when it comes to cool cities.

[BD24]

Its definitley expesnive but although I really love SA and its a great city in its own right, austin is just a different beast when it comes to cool cities.

Agreed, although I live in San Antonio I prefer Austin tbh.

I have always told people that if I didn't know Austin existed I would be completely happy staying in SA.

There is a reason Austin gets voted on top cities to live lift year after year. My kid will be starting school in a few years, so if I move to Austin I would like to do it before he starts Kindergarten.

[DPG21920]

Agreed, although I live in San Antonio I prefer Austin tbh.

I have always told people that if I didn't know Austin existed I would be completely happy staying in SA.

There is a reason Austin gets voted on top cities to live lift year after year. My kid will be starting school in a few years, so if I move to Austin I would like to do it before he starts Kindergarten.

IMHO the trick with any big city is some sacrifice. Other countries and other big cities people are totally fine living in smaller spaces.

Yes, its way more expensive in austin, especially in and around downtown, but if you are willing to live smaller, you can have a pretty amazing quality of life.

Most of us that grew up in SA or similar cities want a 4000 square foot home, etc, so the thought of condo living or small home living seems off; especially for the money. But since the wife and I have lived in Austin for years and had smaller places, we actually found we really love that life style. Less maintenance, active (since you can walk/bike to most places) etc.

[BD24]

IMHO the trick with any big city is some sacrifice. Other countries and other big cities people are totally fine living in smaller spaces.

Yes, its way more expensive in austin, especially in and around downtown, but if you are willing to live smaller, you can have a pretty amazing quality of life.

Most of us that grew up in SA or similar cities want a 4000 square foot home, etc, so the thought of condo living or small home living seems off; especially for the money. But since the wife and I have lived in Austin for years and had smaller places, we actually found we really love that life style. Less maintenance, active (since you can walk/bike to most places) etc.

I actually have a 3700 sqft home at the moment. All of the maintenance and cleaning gets a bit annoying

Will probably look more around 2k sqft if we move to Austin. Maybe something around 1700 if we want to live a bit closer to downtown. Alot of that depends on how many kids we have though, currently just the 1, but we want at least 1 more, maybe 2.

The biggest draw to me in Austin is all of the extra outdoor activities and parks. I also like that downtown is so much more vibrant and alive than Downtown SA, downtown SA has improved since I moved here, but it doesn't hold a candle to Austin.

[Xx_SpursNation_xX]

I'm suprised to hear that Austin is fans of the spurs, i assumed there would be some but i've always gotten the sense that Austin thinks it's better than SA and thus wouldn't be interested in their teams.

[spurs10]

IMHO the trick with any big city is some sacrifice. Other countries and other big cities people are totally fine living in smaller spaces.

Yes, its way more expensive in austin, especially in and around downtown, but if you are willing to live smaller, you can have a pretty amazing quality of life.

Most of us that grew up in SA or similar cities want a 4000 square foot home, etc, so the thought of condo living or small home living seems off; especially for the money. But since the wife and I have lived in Austin for years and had smaller places, we actually found we really love that life style. Less maintenance, active (since you can walk/bike to most places) etc.

Spot on! I could extrapolate on this, but this about covers it.

[spurs10]

I'm suprised to hear that Austin is fans of the spurs, i assumed there would be some but i've always gotten the sense that Austin thinks it's better than SA and thus wouldn't be interested in their teams.

Funny enough I think it's more a SA thing thinking Austin 'thinks' that. Especially now, I hear of people moving to SA all the time. I have lived in both places and see the charm in both cities.

[Twisted_Dawg]

[QUOTE=spurs10;9709308]You would be right!! Austin is Spurs town![/QdUOTE]

I lived in Austin from 1980-1993 and the local media RARELY covered the Spurs. The Rockets got more coverage than the Spurs. The American Statesman rarely mentioned the Spurs and if they did it was wire copy from the AP. All the covered were UT athletics. I had to go to the Jim's Coffee shop to buy San Antonio papers to keep up with the Spurs. It's still my perception that people living in Austin could give a about the Spurs and view San Antonio as a backward city.

[BD24]

[QUOTE=Twisted_Dawg;9710114]

You would be right!! Austin is Spurs town![/QdUOTE]

I lived in Austin from 1980-1993 and the local media RARELY covered the Spurs. The Rockets got more coverage than the Spurs. The American Statesman rarely mentioned the Spurs and if they did it was wire copy from the AP. All the covered were UT athletics. I had to go to the Jim's Coffee shop to buy San Antonio papers to keep up with the Spurs. It's still my perception that people living in Austin could give a about the Spurs and view San Antonio as a backward city.

You lived there pre Timmy. I imagine they became more of a Spurs town when we started winning les if I had to guess

[TXstbobcat]

Funny enough I think it's more a SA thing thinking Austin 'thinks' that. Especially now, I hear of people moving to SA all the time. I have lived in both places and see the charm in both cities.

I grew up in Austin and have lived in SA for the past 18 months. I prefer living in SA a lot more than Austin. Housing is so much more affordable here and dealing with Austin traffic sucked.

[Millennial_Messiah]

The 7th biggest city in the us being considered small market is moronic anyways tbh.

It's the fact that there's literally nothing outside of Loop 1604 all the way until you reach Austin and nothing on all the other sides.


There are a lot of smaller cities that are bigger markets because the metro area is much bigger, expansive and more populous tbh.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

I don't know who designed Austin but it is the worst designed city in Texas when it comes to traffic. I lived there for a year and 35 is the worst. Even taking back roads (bc 35 is the worst) the traffic is horrible. The houses there are ridiculously expensive as well. My boss paid like 400k for her home and it was like the same size one I grew up in (which today is worth 180k). It amazes me how expensive it was. Sure it was in a nice area but it just it doesn't seem worth it to me.

i rather live in San Antonio bc housing is cheaper and I know all the ways around traffic so that's easier to deal with. And party in Austin on the weekends. I'm too busy anyways to really enjoy the nightlife during the week than when I was younger. But nothing beats them UT hoes though...

[Play Boban]

It's the fact that there's literally nothing outside of Loop 1604 all the way until you reach Austin and nothing on all the other sides.


There are a lot of smaller cities that are bigger markets because the metro area is much bigger, expansive and more populous tbh.

True tbh. The lack of a metro area around San Antonio has always been odd.

[spurs10]

I grew up in Austin and have lived in SA for the past 18 months. I prefer living in SA a lot more than Austin. Housing is so much more affordable here and dealing with Austin traffic sucked.

There ya have it. This is the sentiment of many. Especially depending on where you are in life. My wife and I lived in SA as kids and I came to Austin in my late teens for business reasons. These days I enjoy both, but live in the hill country. I'm closer to the games now...so that's a good thing!

[BD24]

It's the fact that there's literally nothing outside of Loop 1604 all the way until you reach Austin and nothing on all the other sides.


There are a lot of smaller cities that are bigger markets because the metro area is much bigger, expansive and more populous tbh.

WTF are you talking about. There is decent sized cities scattered along 35 all the way up to Austin. Obviously San Antonio doesn't have the amount of suburbs that alot of metros do, but you come off as someone who doesn't know what the he is talking about per par. NW and NE both have decent sized suburbs scattered outside the city. Schertz, New Braunfels, Boerne, Helotes, Universal City etc.

[Millennial_Messiah]

I don't know who designed Austin but it is the worst designed city in Texas when it comes to traffic. I lived there for a year and 35 is the worst. Even taking back roads (bc 35 is the worst) the traffic is horrible. The houses there are ridiculously expensive as well. My boss paid like 400k for her home and it was like the same size one I grew up in (which today is worth 180k). It amazes me how expensive it was. Sure it was in a nice area but it just it doesn't seem worth it to me.

i rather live in San Antonio bc housing is cheaper and I know all the ways around traffic so that's easier to deal with. And party in Austin on the weekends. I'm too busy anyways to really enjoy the nightlife during the week than when I was younger. But nothing beats them UT hoes though...

DFW is worse. Too many stupid toll rolls and not enough options around them

[Millennial_Messiah]

WTF are you talking about. There is decent sized cities scattered along 35 all the way up to Austin. Obviously San Antonio doesn't have the amount of suburbs that alot of metros do, but you come off as someone who doesn't know what the he is talking about per par. NW and NE both have decent sized suburbs scattered outside the city. Schertz, New Braunfels, Boerne, Helotes, Universal City etc.

Those suburbs you listed are all tiny and far less numerous compared to other "smaller" cities in "bigger" markets.

[BD24]

True tbh. The lack of a metro area around San Antonio has always been odd.

The city annexed alot of it in so they had to pay city taxes. Alot of the oulieing cities are kind of putting their foot down on that now though and not allowing it.

[BD24]

Those suburbs you listed are all tiny and far less numerous compared to other "smaller" cities in "bigger" markets.

Obviously, I stated as much. To say there is nothing outside of 1604 though until Austin is another re Andy take though tbh. Not sure I would call New Braunfels tiny as far as suburbs go. They are approaching 75k people, while small compared to the likes of Plano I wouldn't neccesarily say it is tiny.

[Millennial_Messiah]

Obviously, I stated as much. To say there is nothing outside of 1604 though until Austin is another re Andy take though tbh. Not sure I would call New Braunfels tiny as far as suburbs go. They are approaching 75k people, while small compared to the likes of Plano I wouldn't neccesarily say it is tiny.

Plano... Richardson... Irving... Frisco... Lewisville... Denton... The Colony... Arlington... are all substantially bigger than any SA suburbs, and then you have about 10 more that I didn't list that are roughly the size of a place like New Braunfels.

Over Christmas break when I was last in SA my mom and I went just north of 1604 towards Bulverde and it was a crappy two-lane two-way road like you see in the country. Basically a cow path

Not to say there is NOTHING outside of SA, but other than the 35 corridor it's really sparse... SA really has next to nothing to the west, due east and especially south.

[spurs10]

Plano... Richardson... Irving... Frisco... Lewisville... Denton... The Colony... Arlington... are all substantially bigger than any SA suburbs, and then you have about 10 more that I didn't list that are roughly the size of a place like New Braunfels.

Over Christmas break when I was last in SA my mom and I went just north of 1604 towards Bulverde and it was a crappy two-lane two-way road like you see in the country. Basically a cow path

Not to say there is NOTHING outside of SA, but other than the 35 corridor it's really sparse... SA really has next to nothing to the west, due east and especially south.

I hope it stays that way.

[stu scotts eye]

I'm suprised to hear that Austin is fans of the spurs, i assumed there would be some but i've always gotten the sense that Austin thinks it's better than SA and thus wouldn't be interested in their teams.

Grew up in SA for 18 years, lived in ATX for the past 17, so I think I qualify to speak here.

Back in mid 2000s, roughly 50% of Spurs games were shown in ATX. For the past 5-7 yrs, 100% of Spurs games are televised. Mostly on FSSW now if not nationally televised, but used to show more on local KBVO type channels.

Personally I love ATX and would never want to move back to SA. But SA has closed the gap on overall livability for a young professional.

Housing definitely cost more within 8 miles of downtown in each direction, but worth it for ppl who work dtown like me. And it has appreciated fairly linearly over the last 20 yrs. There are other options outside small housing/condo living, you just have to be OK driving 40-60 minutes to suburbia each way.

Then again, when I am at 35/1604, it takes me 45 mins to get to La Cantera also. So while ATX traffic blows, SA is spread out so much that total mileage blows.

[koriwhat]

I grew up in Austin and have lived in SA for the past 18 months. I prefer living in SA a lot more than Austin. Housing is so much more affordable here and dealing with Austin traffic sucked.

it'll be that way soon enough. i've heard the same for decades but now i actually believe the statement. all you have to do is look towards stone oak for what's to come.

[Millennial_Messiah]

Grew up in SA for 18 years, lived in ATX for the past 17, so I think I qualify to speak here.

Back in mid 2000s, roughly 50% of Spurs games were shown in ATX. For the past 5-7 yrs, 100% of Spurs games are televised. Mostly on FSSW now if not nationally televised, but used to show more on local KBVO type channels.

Personally I love ATX and would never want to move back to SA. But SA has closed the gap on overall livability for a young professional.

Housing definitely cost more within 8 miles of downtown in each direction, but worth it for ppl who work dtown like me. And it has appreciated fairly linearly over the last 20 yrs. There are other options outside small housing/condo living, you just have to be OK driving 40-60 minutes to suburbia each way.

Then again, when I am at 35/1604, it takes me 45 mins to get to La Cantera also. So while ATX traffic blows, SA is spread out so much that total mileage blows.

DFW is far worse with mileage. Almost rivals SoCal.

[Spur|n|Austin]

People in Austin have no idea who Timmy is...

if you played for the Longhorns though -
that would be another story!