7 Things to Know Before Moving to Austin
If you’ve got plans to move to Austin, here’s a quick look at some of the things you’ll need to know if you don’t want to be pegged as a tourist.
Housing
Whether you’re looking for a house or for furnished apartments, Austin is a great city for both. Just be sure to do your due diligence to find a neighborhood that will suit your needs perfectly. Also, remember to stay on budget.
It’s Growing
As you’re finding your space in this burgeoning city, remember that it’s still growing and it is growing rapidly. However, houses and apartments tend to not be so large, so you’ll have to decide which things you want in your home and which can head to storage. Also, the rapid growth of the city means that traffic tends to be rather tricky since the small-town roads weren’t meant to handle vehicles in the vast numbers they’re seeing.
Music
This isn’t an exaggeration, the music scene in Austin is happening 7 nights a week. There are holes in the wall, one of them is actually called Hole in the Wall, and then you have the larger places such as Stubb’s and Austin City Limits Live, which make this city an ideal one for the music lover. It may have proclaimed itself the live music capital of the entire world, but only because it happens to be true.
Barton Springs
Barton Springs is essentially a swimming pool in Zilker Park that’s naturally fed. This is the same park that you see getting trampled each year in Austin City Limits. This is a large, 3-acre pool and stays a cool 69 degrees regardless of the time of year. In the warmer months, you can spot topless people of all shapes and sizes catching the rays on a grassy hill next to the pool.
Humor
If humor is your thing, you’ll definitely want to pay a visit to Esther’s Follies or even to Cap City Comedy Club. These places play host to quite a few different national stand-up comics passing through the area. Additionally, when it comes to improv, Austin has the most per capita in the entire country. Shows can be seen 7 nights a week at places like Hideout Theater. You might even want to take a class or two so that you have the opportunity to meet people who enjoy the same things as you.
Barbecue
If you don’t happen to be making a move to Austin simply for the barbecue, think of this aspect of it as the cherry on top, or maybe that fatty chewy layer surrounding a brisket. There are two places in Austin that are a mecca for the consummate barbecue lover – the Salt Lick and Franklin. If you head to Franklin, expect an hour’s wait and for the line to be out the door.
Heat
This part should be repeated a few times, but we’re almost to the end of our space. Austin is HOT! I mean miserable, scorching, super-duper hot. However, only the summers are hot, and this typically lasts from about March to November. However, there are a lot of ways to cool off.
If you ask people who live in Austin what people should know before moving there, they’re likely to respond with “Please don’t”. This isn’t because they don’t want you there, they just know that their city is a large, special city that still retains its small-town feel. It’s still growing and still attempting to retain its personality. That personality is very eclectic, extremely weird and one of a kind.
