I’m thinking of picking up and hanging my tri shoes in Austin from northern virginia. I’m looking for a little better cost of living, a place where I can train most of the year and have a wide variety of outdoor pursuits.
Would like to get some thoughts on moving to Austin from east coast from anyone who has done so, and what the job market is like there these days?
Looking for any info on Austin though, good or bad 
Thanks!
I haven’t lived in Austin since the early 90’s. From our regular visits (Hook’em!) I can tell you it’s not the same place it once was. The Tech boom saw tons of people move to Austin. The problem is that Austin doesn’t have the infrastructure to supprt that many people – especially the roads. The weather is good, the vibe is great, not sure about the job market though. Obviously a great place to train. I’d love to be able to swim weekly in my wetsuit at Barton Springs. But, I seriously doubt we’d move back there anytime soon if given the opportunity.
Bumping this as I’m surprised that no one from Austin has chimed in yet.
I live in Austin, but only for the last year, and I have been gone for 4 of those 12 months. Austin is pretty cool, but moving here from Europe was bound to be a disapointment no matter where I chose. Overall, the city is pretty cool, with a good cultural vibe, food, and weather. I can’t say about the job market, except that it seems to be kind of difficult as there are many very small companies that hire sporadically, but few larger, growing firms that have steady needs and good opportunities for career growth. I am an MBA student, so my perspective on the job market might be off for some technical or other fields. Overall, I would consider staying in Austin after graduation, if the job opportunity was better than those I have in other good cities. If I could have it my way, I would go back to Europe, but that is down the road…
Regards,
Jack
P.S.
pm me if you have other questions.
I moved to Austin in 1990 from Alexandria, VA to get an MBA from UT and haven’t left since (ok, 4 months in Copenhagen but I barely remember that).
As has been discussed on this forum many times, Austin is great and I think getting better (especially in the downtown area). The weather is great (if you like 80 and sunny on Thanksgiving day), traffic is still not too bad (its nothing compared to the NE).
Jobs and housing are running countercyclical to the rest of the US and are at record highs.
Almost every day someone walks into the store from CA or CO or VA or NY or you name it and announces athey are moving to Austin. Its definately boom times here.
The down side - it’s pretty freakin hot here in July and August. Make sure to hold onto your Maryland beach home so you can get away from here then.
The job market in Austin is better than much of the country. Of course, it depends on your line of work. The tech industry has made a pretty good rebound from the bust in the early 2000’s, so if you’re in that area and have good skills, you shouldn’t have TOO much trouble finding work.
The housing market is a mixed bag. It’s definitely less expensive than most major cities, but the closer you get to downtown, the less you get for more money. I live in a suburb northwest of town. My commute downtown is 45 minutes in heavy traffic, over an hour if there’s an accident. However, I live in a much larger and much less expensive house than I ever could if I was down in town.
The road riding is pretty good, despite the number of speeding pick-ups and other nasty drivers. There are a ton of roads with wide shoulders. You just have to know where they are, and that doesn’t take long to figure out. As others have said, the tri community is huge here. LOTS of folks involved. Austin Tri Cyclist and Jack and Adam’s can take care of all your tri needs.
Outside of triathlon, there’s decent mountain (okay “hill”) biking, lots of trails to run, and the weather is warm pretty much year 'round. It’s the end of November now and on Thanksgiving Day, it was 80 degrees. That’s unusually warm, but only by about 15 degrees or so. ATC is dead on that the summers are hot, but it’s definitely tolerable.
Good luck on the move. I doubt you’ll regret it.
Edited to fix the “more for less” comment to “less for more.” What can I say? It’s a Monday after a holiday.
We moved here in Jan of last year, and love it. Coming from th Northeast, housing is MUCH less expensive, even close to town. I’m guessing coming from Northern VA, you’d feel the same…
Traffic is not nearly as bad as that of Northeast, and a good part of VA. All cities have traffic. I’d agree that the infrastructure hasn’t caught up with the needs in regards to traffic…
Downtown is booming, as are the suburbs. Fantastic tri culture, and great places to train…
Weather is great. It’s hot in the summer, but it’s pretty hot in Northern VA too. The humidity is much lower here…
If only we had more “big event” races in this area. Then Austin would really be a keeper.
Hey D,
I PM’ed you…There is one coming up in October…
.
Keep plugging it Keith. At the rate you’re going it could the biggest race in the history of man by next year. Ha!
I moved to Austin 5 years ago from Maine and it has been the best decision that I have ever made. When I arrived I got into running and tri’s soon followed. Now that I am a total trigeek I will never leave. The weather is awesome and there is always something to do. People are very friendly here and things are more laid back than the NE. Housing is good and the job market is what you make it. If you’re looking for a certain job I am sure you can find something that will interest you. Traffic is tough at times but when isn’t it everywhere in the states. If you take your bike to work you won’t have that problem.
Just be prepared for the UT experience. I had no idea what I was getting into when I moved here. People bleed burnt orange here and live and die this team. It’s a little strange if you ask me.
I didn’t plug, as I didn’t even mention the LONGHORN TRIATHLON FESTIVAL by name in my last post:)
Really, I’ve lived in ATL, New England, and in Austin. The traffic in Austin isn’t anywhere near as bad as ATL, and isn’t as bad as NE cities, either…All urban areas have traffic, IMO. The great thing about Austin is that it’s still small enough that you CAN live fairly close to downtown and not have to deal with traffic, if you don’t want.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised by housing costs here. MUCH lower than the East Coast…
Yup, Burnt Orange rules here…I’ve been telling people from New England that I think the fans/supporters are even more rabid than Red Sox Nation…Hard to believe:)
Mrs. ATX and I have been down here going on three years. Other than Freakboy we have found this a great place to live and train. We also have Austin Tri Cyclist which is the best tri shop in all the world.
Weather can be hot in July, Aug but I really don’t mind it that much. Like others said it was 80 here all weekend basically.
I do love this place.
"We also have Austin Tri Cyclist which is the best tri shop in all the world. "
Well, I at least like to think we are one of the two best tri shops on Barton Springs Road.
…and your bikes don’t smell like fried chicken.
If only we had more “big event” races in this area. Then Austin would really be a keeper.
…and better cycling
It ain’t an Austin thread unless you get into a little ATC vs J and A bashing, huh.
Come on ATX; don’t go ruffling the “Lil Colonel’s” feathers.
OH shit that is priceless.
I’ve been in Austin 8 years and LOVE it! Wouldn’t live anywhere else! Great training and racing. More bike shops than you can shake a stick at and TWO tri-shops. How many other towns this size can say that??
Moved to Austin two years ago from Kona and I love the place. Nice weather, great training, and endless amounts of things to do outside of training. Plus, they have a top notch tri store…ATC baby.