So... anyone lived in Austin?

**smmokan** · 08-02-2006, 12:30 PM

My friend is moving down there from CO and was wondering how the outdoor scene is... how's the mtn biking? I know its Texas, but I've heard Austin is a very cool city... anyone have info?

**GBB** · 08-02-2006, 12:50 PM

It is a very cool city. My friend's sister goes to college down there and absolutely loves it. I don't know how good the mountain biking is but I know road biking is huge down there. Austin is in the middle of the hill country and plus Lance Armstrong has a ranch down there. She said that tons of people ride there bikes places. There are a lot of lakes in and around Austin for water skiing and boating. There are also a couple of rivers down there that people fish in (i think

). Usually the water tends to be pretty low and the water doesn't run that fast so it can't really compare to Colorado. It is really humid and the summers can be brutally sticky.

It is probably the best place to live in Texas hands down but its no Colorado...

**PNWbrit** · 08-02-2006, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by givebackbloom

It is a very cool city. My friend's sister goes to college down there and absolutely loves it. I don't know how good the mountain biking is but I know road biking is huge down there. Austin is in the middle of the hill country and plus Lance Armstrong has a ranch down there. She said that tons of people ride there bikes places. There are a lot of lakes in and around Austin for water skiing and boating. There are also a couple of rivers down there that people fish in (i think

). Usually the water tends to be pretty low and the water doesn't run that fast so it can't really compare to Colorado. It is really humid and the summers can be brutally sticky.

It is probably the best place to live in Texas hands down but its no Colorado...

shouldn't that be the least worst place to live in Texas

**greenmachine** · 08-02-2006, 01:05 PM

It's a great place to live if you are ok with not living by the mountains. One of the best in the country if you look at it that way. Great culture, music scene, nightlife,etc. Good balance of liberal/conservative,etc. Decent MT Biking but not on the CO level obviously. Good road biking, people are also into rowing there. great golf too. good climate but a little hot for me. ToNS o hotties and great college sports.

**GBB** · 08-02-2006, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

shouldn't that be the least worst place to live in Texas

Haha I stand corrected.

**TeleHoar** · 08-02-2006, 01:22 PM

Tell him to check out Hippy Hollow on Lake Travis,
Barton Spgs Pool,
Pizza on "the Drag"
6th St. Friday nights.
Austin City Limits Music Festival coming up Mid Sept!
BTW....Texas kinda sucks!

**P_McPoser** · 08-02-2006, 01:34 PM

Cooler than Austin, NV.

**sfotex** · 08-02-2006, 01:38 PM

I did 6 years in Austin, Tex-ass. Descent mountain biking in the area. Fun rock climbing, hot chicks, good music and food. Lots of outdoor seating at bars and restuarants, which is pretty nice. The biggest negative is there isn't alot of public land in the area, so the state parks get crowded...

**tex1230** · 08-02-2006, 01:43 PM

I grew up near there <ducks>
- Rock climbing at Enchanted Rock is some of the best around. Head down to San Marcos for the Prince Solms park tube chute and Schliterbahn (#1 water park in the US)
And Drink Heavily - the more you drink the less you'll notice the heat, humidity, and mosquitos

**ColMan** · 08-02-2006, 01:50 PM

I sort of lived there for 18 months (Austin Mon-Fri, Denver Sat-Sun). A must do is to float the Guadalupe. They rent tubes (including ones with a cooler strapped to it) and all you do float and drink all day. Good time.

**corn dog** · 08-02-2006, 02:06 PM

The mexican volcanoes aren't that far away. I lived in College Station for a couple of years, which is not nearly as nice a place as Austin

, but we did a cool road trip to the volcanoes. Drove to the border and dumped the gf's car in the mall parking lot, crossed our fingers it would still be there in 3 1/2 weeks, and bussed south. Climbed the non-erupting volcanoes and spent a few days in some interesting places on the way.
The border towns were interesting. Then you've got Big Bend but thats a ways.

**golden powder** · 08-02-2006, 02:12 PM

live music capitol of the world.

had a friend from austin come spend the summer up here in Denver and she loved every bit of it, except the fact that she couldn't find any good places with live music.

Austin is a very proud city, and you'll get the "so move somewhere else" if you complain about something.

PS: Austin's not that humid....... compared to Houston. Just tell you friend to be a man (or woman) and suck it up.

**GBB** · 08-02-2006, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by corn dog

Then you've got Big Bend but thats a ways.

Yea Big Bend is a very cool place...but it is in BFE.

**lemon boy** · 08-02-2006, 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by golden powder

had a friend from austin come spend the summer up here in Denver and she loved every bit of it, except the fact that she couldn't find any good places with live music.

Sure it's not Autism but it isn't like Denver is baaaad for having live music and places to go

**golden powder** · 08-02-2006, 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by lemon boy

Sure it's not Autism but it isn't like Denver is baaaad for having live music and places to go

yeah, she came up for an internship at Lockheed and exploring the rocky mountains. The live music thing was expressed as a "this summer has been perfect and I would totally want to live here even though..."

**72Twenty** · 08-02-2006, 02:40 PM

I have a friend that sells real estate down there. PM me if you want some contact info....

**MarsB** · 08-02-2006, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by TeleHoar

Tell him to check out Hippy Hollow on Lake Travis,
Barton Spgs Pool,
Pizza on "the Drag"
6th St. Friday nights.
Austin City Limits Music Festival coming up Mid Sept!
BTW....Texas kinda sucks!

Second the Barton Springs recomendation. I was in Austin in July for a week a few years back and that was by far the best place to escape the heat. Constant 55 degree water, plus a good number of the ladies go topless.

And "Chuy's", the place where the Bush daughters were busted for underage drinking, makes a mean margarita.

**dbp** · 08-02-2006, 04:14 PM

As much as I love skiing and the mountains, I also love Austin. I will try to keep this somewhat brief. Yeah, Texas is not Colorado (or anywhere out west). That said...

- In general, Austin is a pretty outdoorsy/health conscious city. Big running and road biking scenes.

- Food: Too many great Interior Mexican and Tex-Mex places to name

- Music?
Here is the lineup for ACL fest
There were 1300 artists at last years SXSW
Club listings in the Austin Chronicle - the free weekly that also has good info on food.

- Swimming holes. Places like Hamilton Pool and Barton Springs are essential in the hell that is summer in Texas. Anything that isn't spring fed is (or will be) dry as a bone.

- The Highland Lakes, including Lake Travis, if you have a boat... or a friend with a boat.

- For mountain biking, Austin is on the edge of the Hill Country. Lots and lots of limestone. Good info on the web about trails. Try Austin Ridge Riders maybe.

- Politics: If your friend leans left, Austin is the place to be in Texas. I bet you can pick out Travis county on this map.

edit: oh and southern town with huge student population (UT alone is like 50K) + hot summers = eye candy. ;^)

**rideit** · 08-02-2006, 05:08 PM

Austin freakin' ROCKS!
And the riding is abso-fucking-lutely fan-bloody tastic.
Check out www.bikemojo.com austin voodoo. I am a proud member of the MoJo forum riding crowd...great folks, and no Jonging. Join the forum, (or have your friend do it)
The riding is burly hard and technical, if you would like, or buff and flowy. Singlespeeds, 6" trail bikes, hardtails, road, fixies, all have a valid place here. The food is amazing, the music beyond compare. I look forward to riding there a few times a year when I can. It has probably the BEST riding for a major urban area than anywhere else I have been. You are gonna be psyched you have a friend to go visit there!

**StoneCold** · 08-02-2006, 08:30 PM

Austin is a great town. I graduated from UT a few years ago. I lived in Austin for a total of 6 years. If I could afford a house in the Roaring Fork Valley, I would. But because I can't, I will eventually move back to Austin.
Enough mountain biking to keep you satisfied. Barton Creek Greenbelt has 10-20 miles of trails, with a two-minute drive from downtown. 15 minutes north of town there is a small area call Walnut Creek with 10 miles of trails. 15 minutes west of town is a sick loop called Emma Long Metropolitan Park. It was created as a dirt bike loop, but I've only ever seen other mountain bikers on it. Then there are places a little further out like Muleshoe, Rocky Ridge, and Pace Bend Park.
Lake Travis and Lake Austin are the equivalent of riding and boarding in CO. Wakeboarding is HUGE in Austin.
The party scene is awesome. There are many places where you can get a good microbrew and just hang out listening to good music, wearing Reefs, and enjoying the warm weather.
Summer heat temp sucks. The last year I lived there I remember wearing flip flops in February.
My Thanksgiving Day football game was had wearing shorts and t-shirts.
HOT CHICKS. 25,000 girls between 18 and 25 just at UT alone.
Unbelievable Tex-mex. I still haven't found a place in Colorado that does it even close to how they did it in Austin.
Sick live music. Austin City Limits Festival, as someone mentioned, is insane. I buy my ticket for it in February every year. Last year I watched Coldplay bring down the house. This year it'll be Tom Petty. Year before last it was Ben Harper.
Affordable housing. Hot chicks. Decent outdoor activities. Flights from Austin to Denver can regularly be had for $200 on Frontier.
All that being said, I still choose to pay rent in the Roaring Fork Valley over owning a house in Austin. At least, for now.

**smmokan** · 08-03-2006, 10:22 AM

So... what are the better areas to live (with nicer homes) for:

Quick access to UT
Access to mtn biking
Can you have both?

**rideit** · 08-03-2006, 04:13 PM

Hyde Park. Money Money Money, baby!

**JBN999** · 08-03-2006, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Lloyd Christmas

So... what are the better areas to live (with nicer homes) for:

Quick access to UT
Access to mtn biking
Can you have both?

The hike and bike trails run all over town. Around campus there is a straight shot trail through downtown and down to the river where you can get on the barton creek trail. Reimer's Ranch way out in west Austin has pretty good trails, awesome rock climbing, and you can swim in the river there if the water is up.

If Austin gets any rain the kayaking gets good and there was a whitewater park just built in San Marcos if your friend is into boating. Below the dam east of town there is a 4 foot wave all afternoon in the summer.

Hyde park is your best bet for cheap near campus housing. If you want to pay a premium you could go for west campus. A little farther north around 45th and 2222 you can get some relatively cheap housing too.

**rideit** · 08-03-2006, 05:59 PM

Oops, Terrytown would be a good choice, too.

**AbsolutStoli** · 08-04-2006, 11:02 AM

i saw some show about what sorta house you can get for what sorta money, and austin was one of the cities they picked and the RE is so cheap compared to around here and cali.

i was kinda wondering what its like to live there. i mean, im guessing its going to be a tough adjustment from living around NYC for the past 18 years. and not having the ocean within an hours drive is also something i dont like. but everyone thats lived there says its great.

is there anyone that moved there from nyc? and hows the job situation around there? are companies hiring?

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