Hello. I saw a great post some time ago from someone considering a move to Austin. I'd love to hear from people who live there now and thier likes/dislikes. I used to live in Phoenix, so I'm used to the heat, but is the humidity really unbearable? I'm also wondering how the job ops are and last question (I promise), what are good parts to live in (names of towns or anything helpful) for 2 people in thier late 20s to live? Thanks in advance for any insight.

Austin is a fun city. The humidity is not that bad though summers are hot, as you know. Big high tech industry, college oriented business as 3 or 4 universities there (UT being the largest of course). If I moved there, I would live in the Hill Country just west of the city; but, there are nice places all over. Besides, Texas is a great state in which to live and work--no income tax and very friendly!!

The humidity in Texas really isn't that bad-- except for Houston and far southeast Texas. In Austin it is not a problem, although you will notice it more than you do in Phoenix!

Although I don't live there, I do go down frequently for my husband's business. The thing that always kills me about Austin is the TRAFFIC. The highways there always seem jammed- and I'm from Dallas!! Also, friends who live there tellme that rents are really high, especially near the UT campus, and apartments downtown are impossible to find.

However, the city itself is a really neat place with lots of young, fun, educated people. The trendy side of town to live in is the northwest part, but that tends to be pretty pricey. The other nice part of town is near the "Arboretum". Austin doesn't have a whole lot of suburbs, so you'll probably be in the city limits of Austin itself. If you are willing to drive a little, you can live near Lake Travis, or Georgetown. Housing in those areas isn't so expensive, and it's a lot easier to find. Plus, they are usually prettier!

The high-tech firms realy are king in Austin. Dell computers is a major employer. Austin also has a lot of government employees, since it is the State Capital.

Good Luck!!

Austin truly is a great place to live. Yes, it does get very hot here during the summers, and humidity can make it worse. However, as a previous poster mentioned, it is a much worse problem in Houston. Because of the University and the high-tech economy, Austin is a young, vibrant town. It is also very eclectic and deeply loyal to its bohemian past. Some of the long time festivals honor things such as Eeyore and Spam. Rental and housing prices are very expensive compared to even just a few years ago. The most sought after location is Westlake, especially for its school district (Eanes ISD). Other suburbs are Round Rock and Pflugerville to the north. Much of the growth is taking place south and southwest like Buda and Dripping Spings. Traffic is awful, especially I-35. While it could possibly be solved by building more highways, Austin has luckily chosen to maintain much of its greenery, unlike some other cities in Texas.
For information on the city, including employment and housing information, try the website hosted by the local newspaper. www.austin360.com

August and September are unbearable, IMO. And yes, I have always lived in central Texas! I am not from up north.
The traffic is horrible, and for the next 10 years the highway dept will be in the process of redoing the highways as it should have been done 30 years ago.
On the news last week it was reported that Austin rents are higher than those in New York city!
I moved outside of Austin. I never can see what there is to rave about. Sitting in traffic, paying too much for rent, and attending a hippy birthday party for a Pooh character once a year isn't enough incentive for me to move back!