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I think I'm moving to Austin, TX
To be clear, I'm a native Texan. But I'm tired of the goings-on of the county that I've always lived in. I feel like I've already done everything there is to do. I want to meet people that feel genuinely 'new' to me and have as many novel experiences as I can in a short period of time.
I'm planning on moving during January since that's when my lease is up at my apartment. What things should I expect? What should I seek?
My SIL said something that made me reflect (and would love to have other's takes):
I don't know for certain, I can't be a proper judge of the area, but if you're looking for a true demographic change crossing state lines will likely do that more for you, unless you go rural to rural, where the vibe is more samey, as opposed to different city vibes.
I have two progressive friends who have to live in Oklahoma, who will leave as soon as they can. Whatever Oklahoma is that Texas pretends to be neither want any part of it.
Did she mean "...pretends it is: a super rural, blue collar red neck state," by any chance? If that's what she meant, I would agree wholeheartedly. (Because Texas does pretend to be that and often isn't.) Point being that I wouldn't recommend someone who's seeking out Austin go anywhere in Oklahoma, even Oklahoma city.
Thats fair, and you've probably got it right. I think part of it is the "live and let live" libertarian-ish-ism, you know, the "Live free or die" types. As well as generally more-progressive policies for social safety nets than many/most of the neighboring states. Minority rights (women inclusive extra-sadly) are a problem, but that's also not abnormal for the region.
Texas is, best I can tell as a north easterner from the outside, the right-wing mirror of California: A heavily authoritarian, bureaucratic state, with all of the pros and cons that come with that (more cons if your state likes policing your bedroom, more pros if it's regulating health and safety).
A good example would be the way Oklahoma approaches marijuana legalization.
TBH if they're looking to get a different vibe I'd say 'head to any coast', but they might drown in the culture shock...no offense OP.
That quote… doesn’t make any sense to me. To be honest, if you’re a liberal type, Austin will be infinitely more suitable than anywhere in Oklahoma for sure.
I think this is generally untrue. Having been to most major cities in the US and living in Houston....they're all pretty similar? LA does not feel markedly different (excluding weather) than Houston does, or Boston does, large cities have almost all of the same trappings. Some will be better or worse on things like public transit, but you'll find at least politically and culturally, the people who like to live in urban environments are going to be similar, the people who live in the suburbs are going to be similar, and the people in the rural areas are going to be similar, across the entirety of the country. I'm not sure which states you meant, but crossing state lines to any of Texas' neighbors isn't going to feel very different.
To the OP....more power to you, but Austin isn't a city I would want to live in, it's perfectly fine to visit, but the cedar fever and the traffic keeps me from considering it as a serious place I'd want to settle down. But it has a nice food and bar scene, and UT is cool. Plenty of stuff to do. Not sure what part of Texas you were moving from. I think it'll be a marked improvement compared to say DFW, but likely not San Antonio, Houston is it's own kinda vibe compared to Austin, but they're fairly close I suppose. If you're still there the next time I visit we can grab a beer!
Honestly, I couldn't disagree more. While all big American metros are fundamentally big (lots of amenities), lean blue (mostly Democrats), and feel American, they vary wildly. The difference between an Atlanta suburb and a Manhattan neighborhood is massive. The diversity of food and people is totally different across regions and cities too. There are also cultural differences which any longtime residents can easily identify (try asking a Yuppie and a Southerner how their day went).
Comparing a suburb to Manhattan isn't and apples to apples comparison though. And no, the types of food and people are not that dissimilar across the major cities, I feel like you aren't talking to people that live there if you think that. I have a very large friend group strewn all over the country, LA, NYC, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Dallas, St. Louis......they are not that different. There are certainly going to be some differences, but the experience is honest to god pretty similar. America is a large melting pot and the cities are even more so. You can find Vietnamese food in Houston or Chicago or LA and if the place is good, the quality is going to be similar, as an example. It's ridiculous to think the way you are talking. "Southerner" is not a thing that someone living in San Antonio or Houston would identify as in the stereotypical way.
It isn't exactly apples to apples because the idea of "the city" varies significantly places to place. Some metros have rings of suburbs due to extensive highways while others are concentrated in smaller counties. Just along the west coast, Seattle covers 6,308.67 sq mi (16,339.4 km²) while Greater LA covers 33,954 square miles (87,940 km²). The cities have plenty of broad similarities, but the day-to-day experience is not the same due to differences in the built environment. Hobbies and other personal interests also differ with the natural environment (plenty of people move to Denver for the outdoors).
You're probably right that most residents of major Texas cities wouldn't identify as Southerners (they'd likely identify as Texans based on my experience). On the other hand, people in Atlanta most certainly do identify as Southerners. Though I was referring to some of the cultural differences between regions of the US. People everywhere are still people, but there are differences in things like eye contact and chitchat with strangers.
You're also right that most cuisines can be found in most major cities, but there are always significant differences in what's easily available. It's much easier to get good enchiladas in Texas than Boston. The quality bar for things like bagels, barbecue, empanadas, and sweet tea are gonna vary by region. In a sufficiently large metro, you can usually find what you're looking for, but the options might be limited depending on the city.
Austin is nothing like Oklahoma. Same for Dallas. Abilene would probably be a closer comparison, i.e. it's just kinda empty and feels endless 😅
Austin is pretty similar to Portland,OR or Seattle even. If you like eating out, concerts, live shows, etc, you will like Austin. It’s skews younger but still lots of families and family events. I have not been there for many years (also native Texan) but from what I’ve heard not much has changed except COL and the population has increased.
I’ve often considered visiting just to train at the best and also the second best Brazilian jiujitsu gym on the planet.
Lived in East Austin for decade. Happy to provide some perspective, but it's kinda hard to help the novelty/new people sort of stuff without your background.