{"id":41677,"date":"2015-06-15T13:09:06","date_gmt":"2015-06-15T20:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?p=41677"},"modified":"2015-06-15T13:09:06","modified_gmt":"2015-06-15T20:09:06","slug":"things-to-know-about-living-in-austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/things-to-know-about-living-in-austin\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Things You Need To Know About Living In Austin"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. This Isn\u2019t Your Mama\u2019s Texas<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: imgur user punkeetk<\/div>\n

Living in Austin<\/a> is every bit as liberal and proudly weird as you\u2019ve heard. It\u2019s a blue dot in a sea of red. If Texas<\/a> was a waffle, then Austin would be the syrup.<\/p>\n

2. But That Doesn\u2019t Mean That This Isn\u2019t Texas<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Austin, Texas Facebook<\/div>\n

Remember, this is still Texas and just because Austin proper doesn\u2019t fit the stereotypical mold, that doesn\u2019t mean that you won\u2019t still find it. Local and surrounding areas can still be very highly conservative.<\/p>\n

3. It\u2019s Getting Pretty Crowded<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

SourceL imgur user fairocious<\/div>\n

Austin consistently tops the charts of fastest growing city statistic lists and it doesn\u2019t go unnoticed. Not only is it getting crowded but housing costs have gotten really high because of it.<\/p>\n

4. And The Traffic Is Even Worse<\/h2>\n

\"Traffic<\/p>\n

Source: Techzette<\/div>\n

The traffic is bad. I know a lot of cities make the same complaint, but this one is so true, it hurts. According to INRIX, Austin has the fourth worst traffic in the country and residents can spend upwards of 38 hours per year stuck sitting in it.<\/p>\n

5. But Rumors That Austin Has Jumped The Shark Are Ridiculous<\/h2>\n

\"Kevin<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

Where else can you find a real-life Mystery Machine driving the streets like living in a scene from Scooby Doo. Or walk into a place that specializes in bacon to find none other than\u2026 Kevin Bacon?<\/p>\n

6. There Is Definitely A Hierarchy Here<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

When you hear people complain about Austinites being pretentious, it\u2019s not entirely off-base. The longer someone has lived here, the moodier they can get about the population boom.<\/p>\n

7. Live Music Capitol Of The World Is An Understatement<\/h2>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Austin, Texas Facebook<\/div>\n

Live music is never more than a few blocks away when you live in Austin, no matter what time of day or what day of the week it is.<\/p>\n

8. If All The Beer Dried Up, Austinites Would Die Of Thirst<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

You know who drinks wine coolers? No one who lives in Austin, that\u2019s who. Learn to love beer, there are plenty of great bars and craft selections to choose from here.<\/p>\n

9. Breakfast Tacos Are The New Waffles<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Austin.com<\/div>\n

Rumor has it that breakfast tacos are starting to make their way around the country. Just remember that they were an Austin thing first.<\/p>\n

10. Tex-Mex Loyalty Can Get As Dicey As Political Affiliations<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Torchy’s Tacos Facebook<\/div>\n

Where you get your tacos and Tex-Mex can say a lot about you in Austin. Are you a Torchy\u2019s loyalist? Or do you prefer the dives? Choose wisely, and prepare to have your selection judged hard.<\/p>\n

var googletag = googletag || {};
\ngoogletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];
\n(function() {
\nvar gads = document.createElement(‘script’);
\ngads.async = true;
\ngads.type = ‘text\/javascript’;
\nvar useSSL = ‘https:’ == document.location.protocol;
\ngads.src = (useSSL ? ‘https:’ : ‘http:’) +
\n‘\/\/www.googletagservices.com\/tag\/js\/gpt.js’;
\nvar node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
\nnode.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
\n})();<\/p>\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() {
\ngoogletag.defineSlot(‘\/1014900\/M_Blog_300x250_Inline’, [300, 250], ‘div-gpt-ad-1425403311834-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
\ngoogletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
\ngoogletag.enableServices();
\n});<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n
\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1425403311834-0’); });<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

11. If Austin Were A Planet, It Would Be Made Of Cheese<\/h2>\n

\"Chips<\/p>\n

Source: Torchy\u2019s Tacos Facebook<\/div>\n

I don\u2019t want to say that Austin is obsessed with cheese, but in queso emergencies, Austinites know to pray to Cheesus.<\/p>\n

12. You\u2019ll Wonder How Everyone Can Be So Fit<\/h2>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Source: Wanderlust Yoga Austin Facebook<\/div>\n

Austinites know how to party until the bands shut the bars down and they have a steady diet of tacos and cheese. So they couldn\u2019t possibly be fit, right?
\nWrong. Austin is rated as the 11th fittest city in the country and everywhere you go, it seems like someone just left yoga class.<\/p>\n

13. Get Yourself Two Wheels<\/h2>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Source: Bicycle Sport Shop Facebook<\/div>\n

There is an active cycling community in Austin and getting around on two wheels is a breeze. If you\u2019re unconvinced, even Lance Armstrong agrees that Austin is as bike-friendly as it gets.<\/p>\n

14. But Don\u2019t Give Up The Car Just Yet<\/h2>\n

\"Austin<\/p>\n

Source: My Milestone<\/div>\n

Unless you don\u2019t plan on leaving your neighborhood, you\u2019re still going to want to keep your car.
\nTraffic sucks, but the city is spread out pretty far and public transportation leaves much to be desired.<\/p>\n

15. SXSW Is A Even Cooler Than You Heard It Is<\/h2>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Source: SXSW Facebook<\/div>\n

Austinites don\u2019t like to brag but\u2026 Oh, yes they do. SXSW is the best festival you\u2019ll ever attend. That\u2019s right, Coachella, I\u2019m looking at you.<\/p>\n

16. But That\u2019s Not The Only Festival In Austin<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Austin City Limits Music Festival Facebook<\/div>\n

ACL and Marley Fest are amazing, too.<\/p>\n

17. Never Had Allergies Before? You Do Now<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Holman Wellness Center<\/div>\n

If you can make it through this list without sneezing, you must be made of metal.<\/p>\n

18. You\u2019ll Learn To Not Hate Bats Anymore<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Austin, Texas Facebook<\/div>\n

Unless your name is Bruce Wayne or Dracula, you probably don\u2019t have a deep love for bats. But in Austin, they\u2019re a local treasure.
\nYou still probably won\u2019t see the big deal about them since they\u2019re bats and all, but watching a million or so emerge from under the bridge at dusk is pretty cool.<\/p>\n

19. No Sports Team? Says Who?<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Source: Texas Longhorns Facebook<\/div>\n

Austin might be the largest city in the country to be without one of the four major sport leagues. But they have the Texas Longhorns and that\u2019s all they need.<\/p>\n

20. Hook \u2018Em<\/h2>\n

\"Matthew<\/p>\n

Source: Texas Longhorns Facebook<\/div>\n

When you see someone from Austin throwing up the devil horns, they\u2019re not channeling their inner Dio. That\u2019s how you \u201chook \u2018em\u201d for the Longhorns.<\/p>\n

var googletag = googletag || {};
\ngoogletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];
\n(function() {
\nvar gads = document.createElement(‘script’);
\ngads.async = true;
\ngads.type = ‘text\/javascript’;
\nvar useSSL = ‘https:’ == document.location.protocol;
\ngads.src = (useSSL ? ‘https:’ : ‘http:’) +
\n‘\/\/www.googletagservices.com\/tag\/js\/gpt.js’;
\nvar node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘script’)[0];
\nnode.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node);
\n})();<\/p>\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() {
\ngoogletag.defineSlot(‘\/1014900\/M_Blog_300x250_Inline2’, [300, 250], ‘div-gpt-ad-1425403275176-0’).addService(googletag.pubads());
\ngoogletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();
\ngoogletag.enableServices();
\n});<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n
\n

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1425403275176-0’); });<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

21. Find Yourself A Thunder Buddy<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

The storms in Austin don\u2019t mess around. The sky can go from perfectly clear to ominous in a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n

22. The Graffiti Is Better Than Architecture<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Austin, Texas Facebook<\/div>\n

In New York, locals complain about out-of-towners holding up traffic and jamming up the sidewalk to check out the skyscrapers.
\nIn Austin, you have to deal with everyone stopping to rubberneck all the completely unique graffiti and art around town.<\/p>\n

23. Austin Has Fishing On Steroids<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

Sometimes you go fishing in Lady Bird Lake and sometimes the fish catch you.<\/p>\n

24. \u00a0The Lake Is Actually A River<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Austin, Texas Facebook<\/div>\n

Speaking of Lady Bird Lake, it\u2019s actually a river. It\u2019s just called a lake. That\u2019s because there is a dam on both sides of it.
\nAlthough technically that makes it a reservoir. But whatever. It\u2019s Lady Bird Lake, just deal with it.<\/p>\n

25. Austin Is Proof That The Midwest Knows Nothing About BBQ<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

You\u2019re free to argue this point all you\u2019d like but as soon as you try the barbeque around here, it\u2019s checkmate.<\/p>\n

26. Food Trailers > Diners<\/h2>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Source: Stewards.edu<\/div>\n

Food trucks are big in other cities. But Austin does food trailers because they don\u2019t do it like other cities.<\/p>\n

27. Don\u2019t Forget It Is The State Capital<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Austin, Texas Facebook<\/div>\n

With all the music and the fun and the art and the weirdness, people tend to forget that Austin is the state capital of Texas. And the Capitol is the biggest in the country \u2013 which makes sense, since it\u2019s the Texas Capitol.<\/p>\n

28. The Pools Here Are A Bit Different<\/h2>\n

\"Kids<\/p>\n

Source: imgur<\/div>\n

Austin is really hot and every season is swimming season. But you don\u2019t need a pool here. The watering holes around here turn the city into a paradise.
\nWith Hamilton Pool, Krause Springs, and Jacob\u2019s Springs, a cool down is never far away.<\/p>\n

29. Gourdough = True Love<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Gourdough’s Facebook<\/div>\n

Calling the concoctions at Gourdough \u201cdonuts\u201d doesn\u2019t really do them justice. They\u2019re more like a confectionary dream come true.<\/p>\n

30. Come To Think Of It, Living In Austin Isn\u2019t That Great<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Source: Virtual Music<\/div>\n

Like the shirt says, Dallas<\/a> is lovely.
\nLike This Post? You\u2019ll Definitely Love These:<\/b><\/p>\n