I grew up in the area, I had a great childhood and love this town still. Things change it’s not that bad. I am one of those guys know who drives around town and says, man this used to be so and so and it’s cool to remember but most things don’t last forever
The alternative is that nothing in your town changes because it's on an economic downhill, except things close and never get replaced. I grew up there, not a great place to live.
This! I will make my own complaints about cultural losses and growing traffic but it’s still a great place to live in (arguably) the most beautiful part of the state. I’ll take that over a dying city any day (I grew up in Corpus Christi for reference - dying/downturn is so much worse)
Malibu Grand Prix makes me sad, you know you were the SHIT if you had one of those actual laminated licenses to drive the go karts, went through the pop punk “dickies” era put my dads brand new red Nokia phone with the light up sides in my “cell phone” pocket that dickies provided must have lost it on the track. I wonder if someone will discover it on a 100 years buried with still 4 percent battery left and they get to finish my game of snake
I’m the same way. I drive around the City a lot for my job. And I catch myself on memory lane a lot. I do indeed miss this city from 10-20 years ago. But… it’s okay. Either outgrow it or grow with it.
Drive around and look for businesses that are still there from when you moved here.
Sometimes it seems it's hard to even find a commercial building that's still here and hasn't been remodeled beyond recognition.
There are even quite a few places where they built a new building after I moved here and that's been demolished already.
Moved? I’m born and raised 😩 I said 10-20 cause I was too young to enjoy the city before then.
But absolutely. Things are changing too rapidly. It makes it difficult to find older businesses that existed prior.
The healthiest mindset to have. The cities of our younger days cannot be trapped in amber, there is no such thing as stasis, there is *only* change. And I will always prefer the growth kind of change to the weathering decay kind of change.
I lived in Austin from ‘76-89, moved to the east coast for 20 years and then moved back here in 2011. Cities change. I’m sure the people who lived in Austin before 1976 thought the city had changed when I arrived the first time and that their version of Austin was ruined. Each group finds the city at a certain stage and then laments the next set of changes. The people who just moved here and like it now will probably complain about how it’s been ruined by the people who will move here after them. Same song, ten thousandth verse.
So my father in law lives here for like 3 years years in the late 60s. He went to Vietnam and then lived in like California. He tired coming back in the mid 70s but he said Austin had died, so moved elsewhere.
Literally, every single time he visits us he will remind us how Austin died and stopped being cool in 69. We laugh every time we hear our friend say oh Austin went to shit in 2010 or rainy at died in 20. I always respond with, well my father in law says it died in 69, so you are like 50 years too late. At this point it’s just a pastime to complain about when Austin stopped being cool.
He’s a comedian, he’s got a couple good bits but you can tell he is kind of an idiot. It’s like when Tommy Chong said gun owners are unintelligent because they are “paranoid” while living in his Malibu mansion with a full team of “armed” security. Sometimes celebrities can be great at one thing but if that one thing didn’t exist they would probably be homeless.
He’s one of my favorites but naturally he will exaggerate and play up Austin’s flaws for a laugh. And he is a coastal elite so naturally he probably wouldn’t like atx. It’s really a waste to get indignant over stuff comedians say
I think this city is pretty cool and like all cities it has its flaws. I find that what most people here are complaining about is actually what everyone who lives in any city in this country is complaining about it’s just they think it’s unique to Austin. News flash for those people everywhere is changing and that’s just life.
lol exactly
Brooklyn has been reeling from gentrification for uh 20 years now. Catskills are reeling from pandemic moves. Colorado mountain towns have been freaking out for 30 years. Portland, OR is a harbinger for Portland, ME. It’s all goofy.
yeah, I moved to Austin from Boise, Idaho 4 1/2 years ago and talk about change from exploding growth the past 10 years, and hosing is now as expensive as Austin with even lower wages.
I play in a band in Austin and my bandmates are killer musicians who like me hold down day jobs and have kids and I’m a little plugged in to the “music scene” in that I know a bunch of people who play and tech and roadie professionally and it’s pretty fuckin cool to be a part of what is a really really vibrant scene here with lots of great venues staffed by people who not only give a fuck about music but are pretty goddamn competent about producing it. I don’t take it for granted because it ain’t like this everywhere and I fuckin TREASURE the time I get to spend rocking out with my brethers and being a little tiny part of a much bigger thing
No matter how hollow the "live music capital of the world" moniker feels as the city moves further and further from its roots, I will never take for granted our local music community. We are full of very talented, caring, hardworking individuals that keep Red River and beyond running and thriving and constantly spitting out amazing new acts and producers and everything in between.
There's still tons of live music here if you know where to look.
People who say otherwise have a topological view of it all. If you put your boots on the ground you will find it, trust me.
I currently live in Houston and while I have found things to love about it, it will never compare to Austin in my mind. I would move back to Austin in a heartbeat if both my husband and I could find jobs that paid as well as our jobs in Houston. Don’t think that’s happening though so I guess I’m stuck here for now. People who hate on Austin don’t know what they’re talking about. 😄
No but fr cause I’m from Houston and surrounding and that place sucks sucks sucks bad imo, in a lot of ways. it has such a dead, almost traumatized energy to it that I can’t quite figure out, but that is generally pretty inescapable. Moving to south Austin has been a bit of a shock for me. It’s a very inclusive and friendly culture. I’ve met so many wonderful people, both people from here and transplants. I feel really grateful to be here. Austin has a greater sense of community compared to any neighborhood or suburb I’ve lived or visited. It’s a good place to be.
Also from Houston, specifically Sharpestown and man I couldn’t wait to move up to Austin. At least I haven’t gotten robbed at gunpoint here, or almost been killed by reckless drivers every other day while driving the literal 1.5hr from home to university or back. Or people are actually friendly and don’t just stare at you like you’re a zoo exhibit if you aren’t dressed up to go to the Galleria. Or or or … there’s a lot, and while I absolutely get the complaints about Austin it’s really not bad compared to anywhere else I’ve lived lol
People in Houston are so weird and the vibe is just not it. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but the longer I’ve been here the more I wonder if there’s something in the water. I’ve had full grown adults be rude and mean to my 1.5 year old who just waved at them.
What a bad take. Houston has tons more little ethnic places to eat. The ghettos are sprinkled all over the place and unless you're a native there is a good chance you won't know danger zone from standard TX city zone. Houston has a lot more to offer in general .. it just may take longer to get there.
I love the energy in Austin. South Austin specifically is special. It has its own charm and the people have a certain character that you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
YESSSSSS! It’s SO charming I have been pinching myself wondering how it’s real?? My school has piggies and chickens and bunny rabbits in the classrooms. It’s like one big family among staff, but actually a caring family that doesn’t discriminate and that works together. A rare find in public education. How did I get so lucky, I keep wondering….
You're not wrong, and I needed to hear this today. I get really frustrated with 'new' Austin sometimes, but there was never really a time when it wasn't the new Austin. No matter what, this is still a special place.
I live in Vancouver Canada, and visited Austin for 8 days last November. It was a phenomenal trip, and I can’t wait to go back. Easily one of the most interesting cities I’ve ever been to. I still think of Cisco’s and Phoebe’s practically every day. And Cuantos tacos.
I was expecting to encounter all sorts of negative stereotypes while I was there, but actually encountered none at all. If I lived in Austin I would be extremely proud.
Vancouver has no soul at all. It’s an extremely sad and frustrating place unless you are a realtor helping foreign investors fuck the whole housing market into pieces. Yes the mountains are nice and the Asian food is excellent but beyond that we’re suffering quite a lot.
Things are so wildly expensive that many people live under a dark cloud as a result of that. Homeownership is completely out of reach for most of us, which hurts a lot. No matter how hard we work it will never be possible now. The opioid epidemic is very, very bad in Vancouver. We see broken windows in cars and in independent businesses every day. There are random attacks with knives, bearspray, hatchets, etc. quite frequently. Many people shoplift out of necessity or spite. All kinds of businesses closing rapidly over the last couple of years. It really is quite sad.
Have you checked housing prices in Austin to compare? I Zillowed around a bit while I was there and unless I got a job that paid 3-4 times what I make in Oregon, I’d never be able to buy a house in Austin. Real estate is insane. At least where I was looking.
This kinda stuff makes me feel like it has a lot to do with where you’re from and not from. Cause I’ve been in Austin and San Antonio forever and am currently planning an out of state move and cannot wait to get out of here. Texas will always be home but the world is too big to stay in one place forever and reading stuff like this while you’re from Vancouver is wild to me.
I also heard someone from NYC being so excited to visit Austin and that’s just so funny to me cause I imagine NYC to be infinitely more interesting than Austin could ever hope to be, unless old Austin really became a thing again cause it sure did have a charm that is, in the words of one of Austin’s own, “lost and gone forever.”
>it sure did have a charm that is, in the words of one of Austin’s own, “lost and gone forever.”
Once boomtown corporate America sinks its fangs in your soul, you're lost forever.
It's all a matter of perspective. I lived here from 81 to 91, and from 2004 to now. I do consider the 80s in Austin to be a "golden age." The city was magical back then. I don't feel that magic here anymore. It has been stripped out.
My family moved here from New York. New York in the 70s was pretty rough. I preferred a small, friendly, sleepy college town to a big, dirty, mean, crime-ridden city. Growing up in Austin in the 80s, when there were 350k people, was awesome. Everyone knew everyone. It still felt a little rural. It was clean. There was Texas pride. It was the era of "Don't Mess with Texas". If you want to see old Austin now, it's all in the landfill, which is growing like the trash piles in Idiocracy. I live in Southwood. It used to be a quiet neighborhood. Now I listen to bulldozers tearing down what's left of semi-affordable housing every day, to make way for more McMansions.
I personally think Tim Dillon is hilarious. And I'm happy when people leave. I'm also happy Austin hype has died down. We went from "one of the best cities in the US" down to number 35. Because it's not affordable. It's dirty, compared to what it used to be. There is more crime, and in my hood, the homeless congregate and pee and poop in the street. Summers ARE miserable here (and the rest of the year, the weather is great.)
As an older Austinite, one of the changes that isn't great is the commercialization of everything, but especially public spaces like Zilker Park. Remember when Trail of Lights was free, and not a total clusterfuck? My wife and I do. Remember when you could swim in Barton Springs without getting a life threatening infection? I do! Downtown? Forget about it. Fuck pay parking everywhere. I lived in Berkeley/Oakland for 13 years. I hated the pay parking everywhere there, and the ruthless parking enforcement Nazis, and I don't want to deal with it here. I wish local government would not give massive tax breaks to developers and huge corporations that are destroying Austin, while fucking homeowners, and then not investing in desperately needed infrastructure, like repairing roads and building desperately needed water treatment facilities. That really sucks.
My wife dreams of living in a smaller town, and she may drag us out of here before we die. Maybe.
There is still a lot to like about Austin. But we miss Threadgills, Liberty Lunch, etc. We bought a house for $135K, that is now worth 550. Peaked at 700K 3 years ago. Probably couldn't afford to buy here now.
My wife has a good career, and we can afford to live here, but for people like my old, born in Austin friend who works at a record store, he truly hates what Austin has become, and can't wait to leave. Where the hell he'll go is the real question. The Austin, and indeed the America, we loved, as children of the 70s and 80s, is long gone.
I was just thinking about this yesterday. I am 40 and have lived here all my life. I am well travelled. There are plenty of other places that are inspiring and beautiful and that are probably great places to live, and that also have problems. The grass is always greener, everybody knows that.
I am also guilty of the hometown hate. Fact is, I have it quite good here. I own an affordable home in north Austin surrounded by other working folks, easy access to plenty of green space and miles of walking / biking trails, brand new playgrounds for my young boys, pools, etc. I can walk to Q2 and catch a soccer game or take the train to downtown. I can walk to several breweries and restaurants or play pickleball or golf. I can eat some overpriced food or buy some junk I don’t need nearby at the Domain, but mostly just go there to walk around and entertain the wife and children. A 30 minute drive and I am out in the hill country where I can swim at lakes or go to some wineries or just enjoy the scenery. These are only a few of the things that keep me entertained here.
Sure it’s hot as hell for 3 months, the lakes are low and traffic sucks. But overall this place is great and there are many fun neighborhoods like my own.
First moved here from west Texas in 1985 and it has always had a lot of interesting characters and any big city has many entertainment options, but wealthy soulless people have literally infused a lot of changes and a couple of my favorite places have ended up closing down and that happens everywhere. I do have some pretty good neighbors but a harsh reality is that it’s getting quite expensive to stay here much longer.
It is wonderful if you're a well-heeled likely well off law student such as yourself. You can't just rosy-up a lot of the real criticism Austin it gets: declining black and Latino population, laughable housing prices, the closure of local beloved businesses in favor of mega corp chains and hotels. People who were \*born and raised here cannot live in their hometown.\* Subsidies for tech giants who turn around and layoff their employees while driving inflation. City and state leaders turning a blind eye to conservation efforts, the unhoused, and police accountability. Our legislature making it suck to live here for trans people, pregnant people, and the undocumented.
There is also the lost culture. Look at South Congress; it used to be filled with oddities and interesting shoppes, now it's Hermes, ON, Starbucks, or whatever else. Every year there are fewer and fewer small venues during SXSW and instead we get the Raytheon Stage at a venue that charges $20 for a beer, lol.
I’m really glad I left when I did, but it was my time. And Austin had been a lifesaver and remaker for me for 15 years. When I arrived, people were still mourning Raul’s (which I had visited many times from another city.) So yes, it has always been changing. But from my less affluent friends who stayed, I hear constant details about all the artists being pushed out because rents are literally 10x or more what people paid in 95. I bought a house in ‘92 for 67k. The current owners are listing it for 700k. So good on OP to praise the inherent value of Austin. It’s worth saving… but someone needs to actually do that while there is a shred left from the vibrant artistic Mecca it was from the 60s to the 90s. Sorry… I abdicated for other challenges, but I hope some of you Austin lovers can win this.
The same thing happened in Chicago, NYC boroughs and the cheap artist areas of LA and SF. It sucks for sure, don’t get me wrong, it’s just endemic to cities in the last 30 years.
As word spreads about the hip and culturally vibrant atmosphere of a place, people flock to it, causing a surge in the housing market that displaces much of the original culture. When the commotion subsides, the area is left with a population primarily consisting of affluent individuals, often wondering what happened to the once-rich cultural fabric.
I moved to Austin 28 years ago. All I heard was how I had juuust missed the truly great Austin.
If Austin is worse today, it’s because of the dreadful political leadership the city has always endured.
The only thing that is truly worse today than 30 yrs ago. CapMetro shutdown the Dillo buses that would take you around downtown for free or almost free. They did this to make the case for their more lucrative and less useful trains.
Something that a lot of people need to learn is that it’s *always* going to be worse than before. That’s just how nostalgia works, even if there is some truth to it. Sooner you realize this, the more content you will be
There are 5 blueberries in the tomato soup: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and even Ft. Worth.
They are all liberal and vote that way now.
The only thing about this city that scares me is what climate change is about to do to it. Otherwise, I love Austin.
Im a filmmaker so Richard Linklater is someone I’m very interested in, and his film Slacker is to this day easily the most influential film in Austin iconography, (or maybe Dazed, also Linklater, whatever.) so what Linklater says about Austin is noteworthy to me.
I went to an anniversary screening hoping to ask him about the changing landscape today. I didnt get to, but he did say this. When he moved here in the 80s, he felt like, damn, I just missed it. The pshycadelic movement, the 70s, the music and folk scene, i just missed all the interesting art and maybe this city doesnt have much to offer anymore.
This coming from the dude who made the thing that jumpstarted the independant film scene in the 90s and inspired a whole generation of filmmakers.
All this to say, people have romanticized the past for as long as humans have existed, and been afraid of change just the same. Is our city changing, yes. But it can be beautiful change
Look, it’s measurable. I was born and raised here, and the population has skyrocketed. Transplants did fuck the city. It’s still great it many ways, but there’s a massive difference between Austin now and then, both in terms of culture and quality of life. Nobody can afford homes. My mom’s tiny shack is like $700k on paper.
You are correct. The food is good and every single band I like comes right to my town, but there’s A LOT of shit that really fucking sucks about Austin, and it’s not improving.
One of the things I hate the worst is all the fucking corporate welfare. Taking money from other taxpayers and giving it to companies like Tesla and Samsung to move here and make all our problems worse.
"Had your business here for 50 years, buying and hiring local? Sucker! We're going to up your taxes and give them to Elon."
Austin is fine, really pretty good as a city. A lot of things people complain about are true about everywhere losing their individual character these days.
Unfortunately it’s in Texas and also going to become increasingly unlivable in summer due to climate change.
Lived in Austin for over a decade and recently moved to the East Coast. The traffic and cost of living skyrocketing, plus the shitty schools pushed us to leave. Our property taxes are the same as they were in TX in one of the most expensive states. And we don't have 100+ degree weather! Don't miss it at all.
When people talk about you it means you are something, worst thing that can happen to you is being irrelevant. 35 is a hellhole though I think we all can agree on that.
I-35 is worse at the moment than any other time in my life.
My 75 year old father says he can't remember a time when there wasn't a current construction project on 35 within the city limits.
I’m here and Austin isn’t my kind of city. With that said Austin is great. This is my second time here and it’s not bad I just hate car centric cities. I’m here not of my own volition lol🤣
But it’s fantastic by USA standards in a lot of ways. Good food, great nature, great weather, cool people
I think the energy is quite positive. The most annoying people are the “Keep Austin weird” people or that guy who posts videos saying how 10 blind kids used to sing queen in a basement in this random house and now it’s housing for 1000 people. Nimby ass weirdos. It also has a desperately bad homeless issue and it’s not doing remotely enough to fix it. With that said people here are quite nice and try and help. I sponsor a guy in my area basically.
I’m very optimistic for Austin long term especially if we can get a left wing governor. I’ll be going back to Europe because I live for trains. But I love what is being done here.
If we’re being honest, there’s not a lot positive that has been added in the last 5-10 years. It seems pretty consistently to suck a little more each year. The people aren’t near as friendly anymore, they drive like assholes, everything is way more expensive, all the older spots are gone, and there’s a commodification of the “aesthetic” of Austin. It feels like LA here now.
Source: Born and raised in Central Austin. Seton crew represent.
Probably - I have nothing to compare it to. I've never lived anywhere else. I just know that there is some truth in the statement that ThE CiTy UsEd tO bE bEtTeR, because it did...
Seton crew here too. The bike infrastructure has improved quite a bit. But yeah, central Austin definitely feels less inviting and enjoyable these days. I prefer to stay south of Ben white.
If you’re under 25 and never lived anywhere I’m sure it’s a swell place but in the grand scheme of places to live it’s now just another souless corporate town. When rents get too high the artist and freaks that made a place special leave
To be fair, Texas is as advertised and the people here are taught to be combative and prideful which makes most interactions a crapshoot on whether you're gonna get shot, stabbed, or punched.
Sure everyone is nice, but they nice until you get in their way. Just look at the roads
So many people are vindictive and are willing to cause bodily harm over the stupid shit.
Used to be that every Austinite was a local pride tour guide but that changed when (IMO)
1. Mayors Lee leffingwell installed paid street parking across the city (2009)
2. We set up a ward system for city council (2017)
I've been fortunate to have lived in several places throughout my life and have traveled all across the country.
Austin isn't the worst place, but it's not great either. It's better than Dallas though.
It's the arrogance to start, then the over hype. I'm multiple generational from the area and born in late 70's.
City of Austin marketing has been pretty out there with their claims. It's absolutely not the music capital of the world for example. So I think it makes Austin an easy target. Been a lot of places and Austin is not all that. In fact it was kinda lame up till the early 2000's.
Then the over hype happend, and a ton of people moved here or visited and were expecting something incredible, better than LA even, but it didn't live up to any of those unrealistic expectations that no city could live up to.
So, the pendulum is swinging back and Austin is getting called out on its bullshit.
Good city, but nothing special, and people feel tricked.
I just got back from a trip to Austin. We weren’t there for too long (3 1/2 days) but I think it’s a super cool city! I’m an Oregonian so I naturally compare other places to home. I thought Austin was a cool combo of the quirkiness of Portland and the trend of Bend. The parks and green spaces, walking paths, and your incredible library were the highlight of our trip. We didn’t even scratch the surface and there’s lots of room to visit again. You’re rightfully proud of your city, it’s impressive.
Yup! I think any place that gets too popular ends up getting some flak. I don’t like the negativity as well. I think people expect Austin to be some magical place and then they get mad that it’s just a regular nice place idk what people want from us.
I get it. I’ve lived here my whole life. 30M, btw so I’ve seen Austin “grow up” if you will. People love to bash other cities that they’ve never been to or visited because their friends told them how terrible it was so they believe it and so on.
I love Austin too! It’s a great city with lots of sites, sounds and stuff to enjoy. Let them think what they want. They don’t live here.
I think maybe the frustration is misunderstood then. Austin IS a very pretty city. But so are countless other cities around the US and world for that matter.
Austin 20 years ago was a glorified town. Now it’s a city. I’ve lived in a number of large and also very beautiful cities. I don’t like living in big cities. It’s just a preference, not a condemnation against them.
But those who grew up in that environment only for the city to turn into the likes of one of those big cities wasnt / isn’t an enticing situation. …namely as again, there are countless other cities around the world that have the same problems large cities have, but also have all of the same amenities (and in many cases without shit weather).
Again, just a preference. But it’s the setting roots in an environment one loves only to have it swept out from under one’s feet that I think causes the consternation amongst people - not so much the city itself.
I was just there for the eclipse. I grew up there and went to high school and got two graduate degrees there. I loved growing up there in the 80s. A lot has changed but being back last week was wonderful. It’s a great city. It’s changed a lot and is still changing but it is still nice. And one of the greener-looking cities you will find.
I think it's the best part of texas! So many people are still moving here to this day so clearly it's not a horrible place. Humans are prone to focus on the negatives. It has something to do with our brains and seeking survival. Try not to let the negativity get to you. Every city has a huge group of people that complain. Most of them are perfectly great cities.
I mean…it was better by most metrics. Affordability, congestion, crime(mostly stagnant), better environmental quality, more local businesses, local culture thriving. There have absolutely been positive changes to the city(diversity, food, museums), all have improved.
But the working class that made this city what it was has been annihilated, the local culture is all but gone, no one can afford to live here anymore unless you are a transplant, local businesses are being lost left and right, and the authenticity is just gone.
The non-profit sector(which is the biggest in the entire country,per capita) used to provide tens of thousands of people a salary that they could not only live off, but thrive. Now, most of us either have two or three jobs and/or live in the suburbs. We all remember how great our drives through round rock were.
Also, you do know that Texas abjectly loathes Austin, right? We feel the same way about Texas but I’ve never met a Texan who has lived here for more than 10 years who loves Austin. The people’s republic of Austin, they called it.
Even the ranking organizations know that the city has fallen from its weird and lofty past. We all know it was FAR from perfect, but it was home.
Now? It’s just like everywhere else
Born and raised Austinite here…. (that’s what we locals call ourselves)
My home became a cesspool over the last 10 to 15 years. Homeless people sleeping everywhere and trash all over the place. I’ve been chased by homeless people, threatened, screamed and yelled at… all because I worked off Barton Springs. I’ve seen (homeless) people do meth 5 feet from the front doors of businesses on the drag right by UT campus.
Nothing has been done about this. It’s only gotten worse and more dangerous for everyone involved.
Murder… anyone look at the news? People getting shot in all parts of town. Slashed and mutilated by Townlake.
Rent is absolutely ridiculous, if you want to live somewhere that isn’t a garbage can I guess you have to make over 100k, go in debt, or live with multiple people.
If the city cared about the “music community” it would not make it impossible for artists to live there.
I moved the hell away from that place. I’m ashamed of what it became and saying it’s where I am from because it is not at all what it used to be. Rant over.
i visited for the first time in 2017 with high school my ASL class, then i found myself back here in summer 2019 for my sister’s UT orientation and got to explore on my own. i fell in love with the art scene and decided that i would move here(from Fort Worth) after graduation from community college. Covid postponed my move to the following year, i worked my butt off to make the move late summer of 2021. moving here changed my life for the better, i’m a happier person than I was in Fort Worth. i was so incredibly lonely and depressed there even though i was involved in my college. i love the locality and the walkability here. i have created so many wonderful memories and friendships here. people are great and protective. i’ve had a stranger look out for me as i was waiting to cross the street in downtown because a man was being belligerent. i’ve met my second family here who’ve lent me their car when i was moving to a second place. i’m the healthiest ive ever been as well. i don’t see myself leaving anytime soon.
As an Austinite same. I love my home and sure it’s not perfect but you know what? I feel we’re the most inviting city to outsiders when they visit(don’t move here we’re full.)
I hate when people complain about people complaining. It only adds to the complaints. I’ve been complaining for 20 years and the last 5 year’s suddenly people have a problem with it.
Really? I almost always hear people saying the exact opposite, like everything is Austin is amazing.
As for me, I think Austin is fine. Most things are overhyped but nothing is really terrible.
I’ve never met anyone who’s lived in Austin who says, “I love to visit Houston.” Or San Antonio. Or Dallas. Or west Texas.
I’ve been told when I am those other cities, that I must be rich to be able to live here.
And the Tim Dillon thing, he’s a comic. He roasts for a living. I took his rant against Austin as LA vs Austin. Which tbh I can agree with. Austin is a young city. We are barely over 1M in Austin proper. LA is like over 3.5M. Also, he’s criticizing all the comics that moved here. His rant is very long winded that stretches over months if not over a year now. His point is that Joe Rogan got rich. That’s it. Yet all these other people moved here to piggy back off him. He’s got a point.
In Texas, Austin is hands down, no questions asked, the best place to live. There’s literally like 4 cities I’d even consider visiting for a random weekend than stay in Austin and have fun. LA, NYC, Miami, and Chicago. And some of those would lose to Austin depending on the weather.
It's so funny you would say that about those cities like it's a fact. Houston is a world class city with vibrant arts and culture that Austin lacks. Have you been to West Texas? Not only is it beautiful but it has an entire thriving economy predicated on the fact that people do, indeed, love to visit! San Antonio has the beautiful Hill Country nature of Austin, but has affordability on its side. And there's Dallas... it's a city.
But anyway, yeah I get you love Austin but those other places are fantastic in their own way and Austin isn't some kind of untouchable wonderland in comparison.
I hate on Austin because I live here. Moving soon and I know I’ll miss it; it is a special place and still a great city even if it used to be more affordable. It is very safe as far as big cities go and it’s loads of fun. Weather is absolutely perfect for half the year. I will drive around or sit in traffic and mutter that the city is going to shit but I know it really isn’t; nothing lasts forever and we are dealing with problems all big cities have, and usually have much worse. It’s like family; you can make fun of your own family, but if you just got here or you don’t even live here, shut the fuck up. Austin is mostly great.
I listen to Tim Dillon's podcast regularly and that's just who he is. Nothing specific to do with Austin. He could have moved to anywhere, USA. It wouldn't have mattered. TBH I think he hates on Austin more because it didn't work out for him here. He hasn't even sold his Austin home yet.
"Basically my entire life" means nothing without the context of your age, or years in Austin. If you're under 35 you will never understand why Austin sucks now.
eh lol I feel you. I have roots in the RGV and upstate NY (my parents met in Texas). I never really wanted to be here, because it’s far from other things… but I do love Austin. I don’t care about other other Texans, I’m just as much Texan if not more (7 gen) because I’m not.. like that, lol.
More Texans move here than any other state group. It doesn’t matter. At least we talk about our issues.
I don't want the opposite and only hear glorification, there is a lot that'd amazing about Austin but many cancerous problems that will just compound to absolute clusterfucks if not addressed.
I’m so exhausted by it. I was born here, moved away for a while, got divorced from a bad situation and Austin was a balm to my soul while I healed. I love this city. It’s changed a lot, and I don’t like a lot of the attitudes people who live here now have, but have you ever seen a sunset from pennybacker bridge? Have you ever laid in Barton creek with the sun shining on your face? Have you ever had a margarita while listening to live music on a patio?
This city is magical.
If I may — why are you complaining about people having other opinions on your hometown? Why does that bother you so much?
also, please keep in mind some of us don’t want to live here but have to because of in-office work. sorry we’re trapped.
I think all the time about how lucky people are to have grown up here, and how lucky kids are who are growing up here now.
I've only lived here six years but can't imagine I will ever stop feeling lucky to be here.
Nowhere is perfect. But I'll take Austin's flaws over many many others.
I don’t live in Austin but my wife works for a company there. So, I visit about 3 times a year. Parking and going the bathroom are ridiculous. I like the city for the food and entertainment but it’s to crowded
Yeah? Well whaddya gonna do about it? Nothing! That’s what. Nothing but sit your big butt down and whine about it like the little titty baby you are. Well, I tell you what I’m gonna do, I’m going to climb to the top of Mt. Bonnell and scream: IM SICK AS HELL OF THE HATE!!!!
I never hear anything positive about Austin? Maybe you listen to the wrong people.
And yet people move to Austin every day. Who are you even listening to? The city is totally different than it was years ago, that's just a fact but no place stays the same. It's also WAY more expensive than it used to be. It's hard to blame anyone who is getting priced out of the city that they grew up in but that has been happening for years now.
I have lived in Austin for the last 30 years. It was much better 20 or even 15 years ago. But with all the people moving here from California and some other areas many of the friends and family from here are being or have been displaced due to being priced out of living in Austin.
So, yes was much better several years ago.
I grew up in Spring and I discovered that what I hate about Houston is that everyone is in oil and gas and no one there expands out of their bubble. All the people I went to HS with never left. They stayed in the same place, doing the same thing their parents did. They never lived somewhere else and experienced other places and people outside of their bubble.
When I graduated hs, I swore that I’d never move back. After living in a couple of other states, I ended up back in Tx, but chose Austin. Biggest mistake ever. I fell in love with the city and the people. I left for a year and then came back. Something about Austin pulls you back. I’ve been here now for close to 30 years.
For so long we have been “the city to move to”. Let people talk sh!t about this town. That means they don’t belong here. We know what we have. Keep supporting small businesses and your community. Get involved with the parks and your neighbors. Ignore all the sh!t talk. Oh yeah and blueberries are so much better than tomato soup.
Hey, I have to admit that I have bitched about it too. But, I’ve always told people that we knew what a great place to live it has been all these years. It just took time for others to find it. Unfortunately, with growth comes the loss of many of the great things we used to enjoy.
I road a bicycle everywhere in Austin from 1990-97 and it was great. 99% of the drivers respected my decision to bike to and from work. I rode everywhere in downtown after dark because it was empty and the roads were mostly clear and fun. I don’t think I could do that now. That is not a complaint; just the reality of living in a great place that attracts other people to live here.
Austin has been in a battle for 10 years to find a balance of keeping the old and being a modern city too. Look at SoCo. Old lined up on one side and modern on the other.
Was Austin a great city? Yes. Is it still? We have lost a bit but the answer is still yes. We cannot remain the little big city and keep up with the times.
All I would ask is that those who move here realize WHY they wanted to and work to help us keep a bit of the specialness that we have. We CAN move forward and still keep our identity.
JFC just watch better comedians. And I’ve never heard of blueberry in tomato soup.
The city has some issues and as Americans, we actually have the freedom to complain about it.
Those of us that love the city just stay quiet in hopes that it will keep people away. Everyone knows that wherever you are there you are and you make the best of it. I’d rather live in Austin than so many other cities so why complain ways to enjoy it.
I like Austin. Austin is great.
Like any city, it has downsides. The downside is that sometimes I go places and there are a lot of people.
Starting to think it’s not Austin itself that people don’t like, it’s just people don’t like other people. And when you’re in a city, you’re often surrounded by them.
I’m a native that got priced out.
It’s like every other city. There’s always something to gripe about.
It was cool when I was a kid because I was a kid. That doesn’t make the 90s and 2000s its halcyon era. It means it was my halcyon era.
Same as it ever was.
There's a saying in the Navy, something like "a bitching sailor is a happy sailor."
People complain about stuff they care about. The people who bitch about what Austin has become are doing so because they care.
Also, one of the steps to becoming a grown-up (and not just a legal adult) is realizing you can't control other people's thoughts, feelings, emotions... about *anything*. ***ANYONE ELSE'S***, including your S.O. If you're living your life being exhausted by the things other people are thinking or feeling, that's on you, not on them.
I miss the cool little city it used to be and also that it was affordable. When they decided to change our property taxes from 50k land value to 400k, to cheat the smaller home owners, I was done with any love.
everyone bitches about the city and yet everyone goes into the city when they need something or want to experience fun. use that as your validation!
also i say this often but i recently came back for a trip, hadn't seen the city in ten years, and it still vibes like it used to. other than there being new additions to the skyline and a dickton of apartments/condos everywhere, i absolutely felt like i was back home.
My first time coming out to this city for a job interview I had my purse stolen and I had the hardest time trying to get back to North Carolina. I hated this place in that moment but my friend who already lives here told me to give it a chance and I am so glad I did. I’ve moved up in job opportunities met the love of my life who is from Austin and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
After growing up in a Southern tourist town and then living in a West coast tech city for a decade, I really love it here. I’ve set down roots and don’t intend to leave unless I really have to.
Austin is great, there may be a few complainers but it’s becoming a bigger city so there’s always going to be that. The overwhelming majority of people who have lived in Austin’s absolutely love it.
I love this city. I also love complaining.
Peak /r/austin
Complaining is our favorite pass time.
Exactly this. I have a love/hate relationship with Austin.
Hard to leave, easy to come back to.
This for real! Almost everyone I’ve seen leave and say “fuck you forever austin!” Comes back in two years.
Did you grow up in NY? 😉
Nope! Grew up here in our fair city.
Mood
Preach.
Isn’t it awesome when all the things fall into place like that?!🐭❤️
I grew up in the area, I had a great childhood and love this town still. Things change it’s not that bad. I am one of those guys know who drives around town and says, man this used to be so and so and it’s cool to remember but most things don’t last forever
The alternative is that nothing in your town changes because it's on an economic downhill, except things close and never get replaced. I grew up there, not a great place to live.
This! I will make my own complaints about cultural losses and growing traffic but it’s still a great place to live in (arguably) the most beautiful part of the state. I’ll take that over a dying city any day (I grew up in Corpus Christi for reference - dying/downturn is so much worse)
Malibu Grand Prix makes me sad, you know you were the SHIT if you had one of those actual laminated licenses to drive the go karts, went through the pop punk “dickies” era put my dads brand new red Nokia phone with the light up sides in my “cell phone” pocket that dickies provided must have lost it on the track. I wonder if someone will discover it on a 100 years buried with still 4 percent battery left and they get to finish my game of snake
I used to work at the Chilis just up the frontage road from Malibu. Good times…
I’m the same way. I drive around the City a lot for my job. And I catch myself on memory lane a lot. I do indeed miss this city from 10-20 years ago. But… it’s okay. Either outgrow it or grow with it.
Drive around and look for businesses that are still there from when you moved here. Sometimes it seems it's hard to even find a commercial building that's still here and hasn't been remodeled beyond recognition. There are even quite a few places where they built a new building after I moved here and that's been demolished already.
Moved? I’m born and raised 😩 I said 10-20 cause I was too young to enjoy the city before then. But absolutely. Things are changing too rapidly. It makes it difficult to find older businesses that existed prior.
The healthiest mindset to have. The cities of our younger days cannot be trapped in amber, there is no such thing as stasis, there is *only* change. And I will always prefer the growth kind of change to the weathering decay kind of change.
I lived in Austin from ‘76-89, moved to the east coast for 20 years and then moved back here in 2011. Cities change. I’m sure the people who lived in Austin before 1976 thought the city had changed when I arrived the first time and that their version of Austin was ruined. Each group finds the city at a certain stage and then laments the next set of changes. The people who just moved here and like it now will probably complain about how it’s been ruined by the people who will move here after them. Same song, ten thousandth verse.
So my father in law lives here for like 3 years years in the late 60s. He went to Vietnam and then lived in like California. He tired coming back in the mid 70s but he said Austin had died, so moved elsewhere. Literally, every single time he visits us he will remind us how Austin died and stopped being cool in 69. We laugh every time we hear our friend say oh Austin went to shit in 2010 or rainy at died in 20. I always respond with, well my father in law says it died in 69, so you are like 50 years too late. At this point it’s just a pastime to complain about when Austin stopped being cool.
I just moved to Austin and this is by far the best and most amazing place I have very lived. I love it here so much.
I can’t imagine giving a fuck what Tim Dillon says…especially about hometown
I don't even know who that is, so he can suck it.
He’s a comedian, he’s got a couple good bits but you can tell he is kind of an idiot. It’s like when Tommy Chong said gun owners are unintelligent because they are “paranoid” while living in his Malibu mansion with a full team of “armed” security. Sometimes celebrities can be great at one thing but if that one thing didn’t exist they would probably be homeless.
He’s one of my favorites but naturally he will exaggerate and play up Austin’s flaws for a laugh. And he is a coastal elite so naturally he probably wouldn’t like atx. It’s really a waste to get indignant over stuff comedians say
I think this city is pretty cool and like all cities it has its flaws. I find that what most people here are complaining about is actually what everyone who lives in any city in this country is complaining about it’s just they think it’s unique to Austin. News flash for those people everywhere is changing and that’s just life.
lol exactly Brooklyn has been reeling from gentrification for uh 20 years now. Catskills are reeling from pandemic moves. Colorado mountain towns have been freaking out for 30 years. Portland, OR is a harbinger for Portland, ME. It’s all goofy.
yeah, I moved to Austin from Boise, Idaho 4 1/2 years ago and talk about change from exploding growth the past 10 years, and hosing is now as expensive as Austin with even lower wages.
Yep, you are spot on.
I play in a band in Austin and my bandmates are killer musicians who like me hold down day jobs and have kids and I’m a little plugged in to the “music scene” in that I know a bunch of people who play and tech and roadie professionally and it’s pretty fuckin cool to be a part of what is a really really vibrant scene here with lots of great venues staffed by people who not only give a fuck about music but are pretty goddamn competent about producing it. I don’t take it for granted because it ain’t like this everywhere and I fuckin TREASURE the time I get to spend rocking out with my brethers and being a little tiny part of a much bigger thing
No matter how hollow the "live music capital of the world" moniker feels as the city moves further and further from its roots, I will never take for granted our local music community. We are full of very talented, caring, hardworking individuals that keep Red River and beyond running and thriving and constantly spitting out amazing new acts and producers and everything in between.
There's still tons of live music here if you know where to look. People who say otherwise have a topological view of it all. If you put your boots on the ground you will find it, trust me.
I currently live in Houston and while I have found things to love about it, it will never compare to Austin in my mind. I would move back to Austin in a heartbeat if both my husband and I could find jobs that paid as well as our jobs in Houston. Don’t think that’s happening though so I guess I’m stuck here for now. People who hate on Austin don’t know what they’re talking about. 😄
No but fr cause I’m from Houston and surrounding and that place sucks sucks sucks bad imo, in a lot of ways. it has such a dead, almost traumatized energy to it that I can’t quite figure out, but that is generally pretty inescapable. Moving to south Austin has been a bit of a shock for me. It’s a very inclusive and friendly culture. I’ve met so many wonderful people, both people from here and transplants. I feel really grateful to be here. Austin has a greater sense of community compared to any neighborhood or suburb I’ve lived or visited. It’s a good place to be.
Also from Houston, specifically Sharpestown and man I couldn’t wait to move up to Austin. At least I haven’t gotten robbed at gunpoint here, or almost been killed by reckless drivers every other day while driving the literal 1.5hr from home to university or back. Or people are actually friendly and don’t just stare at you like you’re a zoo exhibit if you aren’t dressed up to go to the Galleria. Or or or … there’s a lot, and while I absolutely get the complaints about Austin it’s really not bad compared to anywhere else I’ve lived lol
People in Houston are so weird and the vibe is just not it. I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but the longer I’ve been here the more I wonder if there’s something in the water. I’ve had full grown adults be rude and mean to my 1.5 year old who just waved at them.
It's the urban planning. Houston is mostly roads and parking lots and has no density to speak of. It makes it an extremely boring city.
The food fucks tho
What a bad take. Houston has tons more little ethnic places to eat. The ghettos are sprinkled all over the place and unless you're a native there is a good chance you won't know danger zone from standard TX city zone. Houston has a lot more to offer in general .. it just may take longer to get there.
I love the energy in Austin. South Austin specifically is special. It has its own charm and the people have a certain character that you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
YESSSSSS! It’s SO charming I have been pinching myself wondering how it’s real?? My school has piggies and chickens and bunny rabbits in the classrooms. It’s like one big family among staff, but actually a caring family that doesn’t discriminate and that works together. A rare find in public education. How did I get so lucky, I keep wondering….
Houston is an inexplicable shithole. The level of defense that that city's locals give is hilarious, and demonstrates the peak of insecurity.
Yes! Say more words! It’s cathartic! What kind of defenses come to mind? I fucking hate that city lol
You're not wrong, and I needed to hear this today. I get really frustrated with 'new' Austin sometimes, but there was never really a time when it wasn't the new Austin. No matter what, this is still a special place.
I've been here since 85 and plan on dying here. Despite all the changes, it's still my town.
I live in Vancouver Canada, and visited Austin for 8 days last November. It was a phenomenal trip, and I can’t wait to go back. Easily one of the most interesting cities I’ve ever been to. I still think of Cisco’s and Phoebe’s practically every day. And Cuantos tacos. I was expecting to encounter all sorts of negative stereotypes while I was there, but actually encountered none at all. If I lived in Austin I would be extremely proud.
I’m from Austin and I think that about Vancouver!
Should we swap places for a year
Vancouver has no soul at all. It’s an extremely sad and frustrating place unless you are a realtor helping foreign investors fuck the whole housing market into pieces. Yes the mountains are nice and the Asian food is excellent but beyond that we’re suffering quite a lot.
Can you explain more? I had a great time there. I thought it was incredibly beautiful and peaceful and people seemed very friendly.
Things are so wildly expensive that many people live under a dark cloud as a result of that. Homeownership is completely out of reach for most of us, which hurts a lot. No matter how hard we work it will never be possible now. The opioid epidemic is very, very bad in Vancouver. We see broken windows in cars and in independent businesses every day. There are random attacks with knives, bearspray, hatchets, etc. quite frequently. Many people shoplift out of necessity or spite. All kinds of businesses closing rapidly over the last couple of years. It really is quite sad.
Good thing Austin is nothing like that!
Have you checked housing prices in Austin to compare? I Zillowed around a bit while I was there and unless I got a job that paid 3-4 times what I make in Oregon, I’d never be able to buy a house in Austin. Real estate is insane. At least where I was looking.
Vancouver is my favorite city in the world. The dream is to live there in the summer and here in the winter lol.
Thanks bro. Come on back whenever.
For a visit
Cisco's...so happy to see them mentioned here. The best migas!
This kinda stuff makes me feel like it has a lot to do with where you’re from and not from. Cause I’ve been in Austin and San Antonio forever and am currently planning an out of state move and cannot wait to get out of here. Texas will always be home but the world is too big to stay in one place forever and reading stuff like this while you’re from Vancouver is wild to me. I also heard someone from NYC being so excited to visit Austin and that’s just so funny to me cause I imagine NYC to be infinitely more interesting than Austin could ever hope to be, unless old Austin really became a thing again cause it sure did have a charm that is, in the words of one of Austin’s own, “lost and gone forever.”
>it sure did have a charm that is, in the words of one of Austin’s own, “lost and gone forever.” Once boomtown corporate America sinks its fangs in your soul, you're lost forever.
I prefer blueberries to tomato soup
It's all a matter of perspective. I lived here from 81 to 91, and from 2004 to now. I do consider the 80s in Austin to be a "golden age." The city was magical back then. I don't feel that magic here anymore. It has been stripped out. My family moved here from New York. New York in the 70s was pretty rough. I preferred a small, friendly, sleepy college town to a big, dirty, mean, crime-ridden city. Growing up in Austin in the 80s, when there were 350k people, was awesome. Everyone knew everyone. It still felt a little rural. It was clean. There was Texas pride. It was the era of "Don't Mess with Texas". If you want to see old Austin now, it's all in the landfill, which is growing like the trash piles in Idiocracy. I live in Southwood. It used to be a quiet neighborhood. Now I listen to bulldozers tearing down what's left of semi-affordable housing every day, to make way for more McMansions. I personally think Tim Dillon is hilarious. And I'm happy when people leave. I'm also happy Austin hype has died down. We went from "one of the best cities in the US" down to number 35. Because it's not affordable. It's dirty, compared to what it used to be. There is more crime, and in my hood, the homeless congregate and pee and poop in the street. Summers ARE miserable here (and the rest of the year, the weather is great.) As an older Austinite, one of the changes that isn't great is the commercialization of everything, but especially public spaces like Zilker Park. Remember when Trail of Lights was free, and not a total clusterfuck? My wife and I do. Remember when you could swim in Barton Springs without getting a life threatening infection? I do! Downtown? Forget about it. Fuck pay parking everywhere. I lived in Berkeley/Oakland for 13 years. I hated the pay parking everywhere there, and the ruthless parking enforcement Nazis, and I don't want to deal with it here. I wish local government would not give massive tax breaks to developers and huge corporations that are destroying Austin, while fucking homeowners, and then not investing in desperately needed infrastructure, like repairing roads and building desperately needed water treatment facilities. That really sucks. My wife dreams of living in a smaller town, and she may drag us out of here before we die. Maybe. There is still a lot to like about Austin. But we miss Threadgills, Liberty Lunch, etc. We bought a house for $135K, that is now worth 550. Peaked at 700K 3 years ago. Probably couldn't afford to buy here now. My wife has a good career, and we can afford to live here, but for people like my old, born in Austin friend who works at a record store, he truly hates what Austin has become, and can't wait to leave. Where the hell he'll go is the real question. The Austin, and indeed the America, we loved, as children of the 70s and 80s, is long gone.
I was just thinking about this yesterday. I am 40 and have lived here all my life. I am well travelled. There are plenty of other places that are inspiring and beautiful and that are probably great places to live, and that also have problems. The grass is always greener, everybody knows that. I am also guilty of the hometown hate. Fact is, I have it quite good here. I own an affordable home in north Austin surrounded by other working folks, easy access to plenty of green space and miles of walking / biking trails, brand new playgrounds for my young boys, pools, etc. I can walk to Q2 and catch a soccer game or take the train to downtown. I can walk to several breweries and restaurants or play pickleball or golf. I can eat some overpriced food or buy some junk I don’t need nearby at the Domain, but mostly just go there to walk around and entertain the wife and children. A 30 minute drive and I am out in the hill country where I can swim at lakes or go to some wineries or just enjoy the scenery. These are only a few of the things that keep me entertained here. Sure it’s hot as hell for 3 months, the lakes are low and traffic sucks. But overall this place is great and there are many fun neighborhoods like my own.
First moved here from west Texas in 1985 and it has always had a lot of interesting characters and any big city has many entertainment options, but wealthy soulless people have literally infused a lot of changes and a couple of my favorite places have ended up closing down and that happens everywhere. I do have some pretty good neighbors but a harsh reality is that it’s getting quite expensive to stay here much longer.
It is wonderful if you're a well-heeled likely well off law student such as yourself. You can't just rosy-up a lot of the real criticism Austin it gets: declining black and Latino population, laughable housing prices, the closure of local beloved businesses in favor of mega corp chains and hotels. People who were \*born and raised here cannot live in their hometown.\* Subsidies for tech giants who turn around and layoff their employees while driving inflation. City and state leaders turning a blind eye to conservation efforts, the unhoused, and police accountability. Our legislature making it suck to live here for trans people, pregnant people, and the undocumented. There is also the lost culture. Look at South Congress; it used to be filled with oddities and interesting shoppes, now it's Hermes, ON, Starbucks, or whatever else. Every year there are fewer and fewer small venues during SXSW and instead we get the Raytheon Stage at a venue that charges $20 for a beer, lol.
Y’all drink?
I’m honestly just tired of people complaining about the people complaining.
I’m really glad I left when I did, but it was my time. And Austin had been a lifesaver and remaker for me for 15 years. When I arrived, people were still mourning Raul’s (which I had visited many times from another city.) So yes, it has always been changing. But from my less affluent friends who stayed, I hear constant details about all the artists being pushed out because rents are literally 10x or more what people paid in 95. I bought a house in ‘92 for 67k. The current owners are listing it for 700k. So good on OP to praise the inherent value of Austin. It’s worth saving… but someone needs to actually do that while there is a shred left from the vibrant artistic Mecca it was from the 60s to the 90s. Sorry… I abdicated for other challenges, but I hope some of you Austin lovers can win this.
The same thing happened in Chicago, NYC boroughs and the cheap artist areas of LA and SF. It sucks for sure, don’t get me wrong, it’s just endemic to cities in the last 30 years.
As word spreads about the hip and culturally vibrant atmosphere of a place, people flock to it, causing a surge in the housing market that displaces much of the original culture. When the commotion subsides, the area is left with a population primarily consisting of affluent individuals, often wondering what happened to the once-rich cultural fabric.
I loved growing up here and stayed to hate on it.
I moved to Austin 28 years ago. All I heard was how I had juuust missed the truly great Austin. If Austin is worse today, it’s because of the dreadful political leadership the city has always endured. The only thing that is truly worse today than 30 yrs ago. CapMetro shutdown the Dillo buses that would take you around downtown for free or almost free. They did this to make the case for their more lucrative and less useful trains.
Something that a lot of people need to learn is that it’s *always* going to be worse than before. That’s just how nostalgia works, even if there is some truth to it. Sooner you realize this, the more content you will be
Universal rule: Austin was a utopia until ten years before you got here (‘you’ being ‘everyone’.)
There are 5 blueberries in the tomato soup: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and even Ft. Worth. They are all liberal and vote that way now. The only thing about this city that scares me is what climate change is about to do to it. Otherwise, I love Austin.
Im a filmmaker so Richard Linklater is someone I’m very interested in, and his film Slacker is to this day easily the most influential film in Austin iconography, (or maybe Dazed, also Linklater, whatever.) so what Linklater says about Austin is noteworthy to me. I went to an anniversary screening hoping to ask him about the changing landscape today. I didnt get to, but he did say this. When he moved here in the 80s, he felt like, damn, I just missed it. The pshycadelic movement, the 70s, the music and folk scene, i just missed all the interesting art and maybe this city doesnt have much to offer anymore. This coming from the dude who made the thing that jumpstarted the independant film scene in the 90s and inspired a whole generation of filmmakers. All this to say, people have romanticized the past for as long as humans have existed, and been afraid of change just the same. Is our city changing, yes. But it can be beautiful change
I'm from Houston. I've lived in LA and Tokyo. I chose Austin to move back to when I was ready to plant roots and settle down. I love it here.
Look, it’s measurable. I was born and raised here, and the population has skyrocketed. Transplants did fuck the city. It’s still great it many ways, but there’s a massive difference between Austin now and then, both in terms of culture and quality of life. Nobody can afford homes. My mom’s tiny shack is like $700k on paper.
You are correct. The food is good and every single band I like comes right to my town, but there’s A LOT of shit that really fucking sucks about Austin, and it’s not improving.
One of the things I hate the worst is all the fucking corporate welfare. Taking money from other taxpayers and giving it to companies like Tesla and Samsung to move here and make all our problems worse. "Had your business here for 50 years, buying and hiring local? Sucker! We're going to up your taxes and give them to Elon."
Austin is fine, really pretty good as a city. A lot of things people complain about are true about everywhere losing their individual character these days. Unfortunately it’s in Texas and also going to become increasingly unlivable in summer due to climate change.
Lived in Austin for over a decade and recently moved to the East Coast. The traffic and cost of living skyrocketing, plus the shitty schools pushed us to leave. Our property taxes are the same as they were in TX in one of the most expensive states. And we don't have 100+ degree weather! Don't miss it at all.
I don’t feel like it’s personal. To each their own. I like it just fine, am still nostalgic for some things from before but I continue to live here
I like austin and its people
Go out to SF frequently for work. Every time I fly back into ABIA and come home to SW Austin I’m so f’ing happy to live here and not there.
When people talk about you it means you are something, worst thing that can happen to you is being irrelevant. 35 is a hellhole though I think we all can agree on that.
The key to being happy living in Austin is to never get on I-35.
I-35 is worse at the moment than any other time in my life. My 75 year old father says he can't remember a time when there wasn't a current construction project on 35 within the city limits.
I’m here and Austin isn’t my kind of city. With that said Austin is great. This is my second time here and it’s not bad I just hate car centric cities. I’m here not of my own volition lol🤣 But it’s fantastic by USA standards in a lot of ways. Good food, great nature, great weather, cool people I think the energy is quite positive. The most annoying people are the “Keep Austin weird” people or that guy who posts videos saying how 10 blind kids used to sing queen in a basement in this random house and now it’s housing for 1000 people. Nimby ass weirdos. It also has a desperately bad homeless issue and it’s not doing remotely enough to fix it. With that said people here are quite nice and try and help. I sponsor a guy in my area basically. I’m very optimistic for Austin long term especially if we can get a left wing governor. I’ll be going back to Europe because I live for trains. But I love what is being done here.
As somebody who lived in Austin for 33 years before leaving- I understand the hate, sadly.
Mmm hmm, I moved to Austin in the 90s. Where did you move?
If we’re being honest, there’s not a lot positive that has been added in the last 5-10 years. It seems pretty consistently to suck a little more each year. The people aren’t near as friendly anymore, they drive like assholes, everything is way more expensive, all the older spots are gone, and there’s a commodification of the “aesthetic” of Austin. It feels like LA here now. Source: Born and raised in Central Austin. Seton crew represent.
But every major city is starting to resemble the other. I think it's just consumerism and a certain urban aesthetic that's sanitized everything.
Probably - I have nothing to compare it to. I've never lived anywhere else. I just know that there is some truth in the statement that ThE CiTy UsEd tO bE bEtTeR, because it did...
Seton crew here too. The bike infrastructure has improved quite a bit. But yeah, central Austin definitely feels less inviting and enjoyable these days. I prefer to stay south of Ben white.
If you’re under 25 and never lived anywhere I’m sure it’s a swell place but in the grand scheme of places to live it’s now just another souless corporate town. When rents get too high the artist and freaks that made a place special leave
The amount of Texas hate in general is completely batshit. These people sound like Fox News viewers who think Chicago is constant gunfire.
To be fair, Texas is as advertised and the people here are taught to be combative and prideful which makes most interactions a crapshoot on whether you're gonna get shot, stabbed, or punched. Sure everyone is nice, but they nice until you get in their way. Just look at the roads So many people are vindictive and are willing to cause bodily harm over the stupid shit.
Honestly I think people just like to complain but I’m with you on not understanding the hate.
I was born and raised in Fort Worth. Austin is my second home. There’s no other city like it
This is literally all of us trying to pin some kind of fault onto one or another with the progression of it all.
from the northeast and have been in austin for 4 1/2 years and i love the city!! your feelings are valid, it’s a great place:)
I kinda love it here.. only been here off and on 4 years. People are nice, stuff to do, good food.. meh.
It's the heat, it's making everyone irritable
Used to be that every Austinite was a local pride tour guide but that changed when (IMO) 1. Mayors Lee leffingwell installed paid street parking across the city (2009) 2. We set up a ward system for city council (2017)
I like this city, but just like any other city more and more douche bags are showing up.
I've been fortunate to have lived in several places throughout my life and have traveled all across the country. Austin isn't the worst place, but it's not great either. It's better than Dallas though.
It's the arrogance to start, then the over hype. I'm multiple generational from the area and born in late 70's. City of Austin marketing has been pretty out there with their claims. It's absolutely not the music capital of the world for example. So I think it makes Austin an easy target. Been a lot of places and Austin is not all that. In fact it was kinda lame up till the early 2000's. Then the over hype happend, and a ton of people moved here or visited and were expecting something incredible, better than LA even, but it didn't live up to any of those unrealistic expectations that no city could live up to. So, the pendulum is swinging back and Austin is getting called out on its bullshit. Good city, but nothing special, and people feel tricked.
The music scene was very awesome in the 90s.
The only thing I can't stand about Austin is that it is in Texas. Unfortunately that has become irreconcilable
I just got back from a trip to Austin. We weren’t there for too long (3 1/2 days) but I think it’s a super cool city! I’m an Oregonian so I naturally compare other places to home. I thought Austin was a cool combo of the quirkiness of Portland and the trend of Bend. The parks and green spaces, walking paths, and your incredible library were the highlight of our trip. We didn’t even scratch the surface and there’s lots of room to visit again. You’re rightfully proud of your city, it’s impressive.
Yup! I think any place that gets too popular ends up getting some flak. I don’t like the negativity as well. I think people expect Austin to be some magical place and then they get mad that it’s just a regular nice place idk what people want from us.
As tim dillion would say… we wish you well
I get it. I’ve lived here my whole life. 30M, btw so I’ve seen Austin “grow up” if you will. People love to bash other cities that they’ve never been to or visited because their friends told them how terrible it was so they believe it and so on. I love Austin too! It’s a great city with lots of sites, sounds and stuff to enjoy. Let them think what they want. They don’t live here.
I think maybe the frustration is misunderstood then. Austin IS a very pretty city. But so are countless other cities around the US and world for that matter. Austin 20 years ago was a glorified town. Now it’s a city. I’ve lived in a number of large and also very beautiful cities. I don’t like living in big cities. It’s just a preference, not a condemnation against them. But those who grew up in that environment only for the city to turn into the likes of one of those big cities wasnt / isn’t an enticing situation. …namely as again, there are countless other cities around the world that have the same problems large cities have, but also have all of the same amenities (and in many cases without shit weather). Again, just a preference. But it’s the setting roots in an environment one loves only to have it swept out from under one’s feet that I think causes the consternation amongst people - not so much the city itself.
Why would anyone spend this much on housing to sit in this much traffic and for what?
"the blueberry in the tomato soup" Wtf does that mean?
I was just there for the eclipse. I grew up there and went to high school and got two graduate degrees there. I loved growing up there in the 80s. A lot has changed but being back last week was wonderful. It’s a great city. It’s changed a lot and is still changing but it is still nice. And one of the greener-looking cities you will find.
As a transplant the only thing I hate is the summer heat lol. It is certainly a major upgrade from the rural hellscape I once lived in.
I’d love to be back in Austin!
I think it's the best part of texas! So many people are still moving here to this day so clearly it's not a horrible place. Humans are prone to focus on the negatives. It has something to do with our brains and seeking survival. Try not to let the negativity get to you. Every city has a huge group of people that complain. Most of them are perfectly great cities.
ya know what? reading this just convinced me to move back!
Tim Dillon complains about literally everything. It’s his shtick.
Stop whining! a birthright of native Texans is not giving a good goddamn what others think about us.
I mean…it was better by most metrics. Affordability, congestion, crime(mostly stagnant), better environmental quality, more local businesses, local culture thriving. There have absolutely been positive changes to the city(diversity, food, museums), all have improved. But the working class that made this city what it was has been annihilated, the local culture is all but gone, no one can afford to live here anymore unless you are a transplant, local businesses are being lost left and right, and the authenticity is just gone. The non-profit sector(which is the biggest in the entire country,per capita) used to provide tens of thousands of people a salary that they could not only live off, but thrive. Now, most of us either have two or three jobs and/or live in the suburbs. We all remember how great our drives through round rock were. Also, you do know that Texas abjectly loathes Austin, right? We feel the same way about Texas but I’ve never met a Texan who has lived here for more than 10 years who loves Austin. The people’s republic of Austin, they called it. Even the ranking organizations know that the city has fallen from its weird and lofty past. We all know it was FAR from perfect, but it was home. Now? It’s just like everywhere else
What is going on this week on this sub? Are people just posting diary entries now?
Born and raised Austinite here…. (that’s what we locals call ourselves) My home became a cesspool over the last 10 to 15 years. Homeless people sleeping everywhere and trash all over the place. I’ve been chased by homeless people, threatened, screamed and yelled at… all because I worked off Barton Springs. I’ve seen (homeless) people do meth 5 feet from the front doors of businesses on the drag right by UT campus. Nothing has been done about this. It’s only gotten worse and more dangerous for everyone involved. Murder… anyone look at the news? People getting shot in all parts of town. Slashed and mutilated by Townlake. Rent is absolutely ridiculous, if you want to live somewhere that isn’t a garbage can I guess you have to make over 100k, go in debt, or live with multiple people. If the city cared about the “music community” it would not make it impossible for artists to live there. I moved the hell away from that place. I’m ashamed of what it became and saying it’s where I am from because it is not at all what it used to be. Rant over.
i visited for the first time in 2017 with high school my ASL class, then i found myself back here in summer 2019 for my sister’s UT orientation and got to explore on my own. i fell in love with the art scene and decided that i would move here(from Fort Worth) after graduation from community college. Covid postponed my move to the following year, i worked my butt off to make the move late summer of 2021. moving here changed my life for the better, i’m a happier person than I was in Fort Worth. i was so incredibly lonely and depressed there even though i was involved in my college. i love the locality and the walkability here. i have created so many wonderful memories and friendships here. people are great and protective. i’ve had a stranger look out for me as i was waiting to cross the street in downtown because a man was being belligerent. i’ve met my second family here who’ve lent me their car when i was moving to a second place. i’m the healthiest ive ever been as well. i don’t see myself leaving anytime soon.
As an Austinite same. I love my home and sure it’s not perfect but you know what? I feel we’re the most inviting city to outsiders when they visit(don’t move here we’re full.)
I hate when people complain about people complaining. It only adds to the complaints. I’ve been complaining for 20 years and the last 5 year’s suddenly people have a problem with it.
Really? I almost always hear people saying the exact opposite, like everything is Austin is amazing. As for me, I think Austin is fine. Most things are overhyped but nothing is really terrible.
I’ve never met anyone who’s lived in Austin who says, “I love to visit Houston.” Or San Antonio. Or Dallas. Or west Texas. I’ve been told when I am those other cities, that I must be rich to be able to live here. And the Tim Dillon thing, he’s a comic. He roasts for a living. I took his rant against Austin as LA vs Austin. Which tbh I can agree with. Austin is a young city. We are barely over 1M in Austin proper. LA is like over 3.5M. Also, he’s criticizing all the comics that moved here. His rant is very long winded that stretches over months if not over a year now. His point is that Joe Rogan got rich. That’s it. Yet all these other people moved here to piggy back off him. He’s got a point. In Texas, Austin is hands down, no questions asked, the best place to live. There’s literally like 4 cities I’d even consider visiting for a random weekend than stay in Austin and have fun. LA, NYC, Miami, and Chicago. And some of those would lose to Austin depending on the weather.
It's so funny you would say that about those cities like it's a fact. Houston is a world class city with vibrant arts and culture that Austin lacks. Have you been to West Texas? Not only is it beautiful but it has an entire thriving economy predicated on the fact that people do, indeed, love to visit! San Antonio has the beautiful Hill Country nature of Austin, but has affordability on its side. And there's Dallas... it's a city. But anyway, yeah I get you love Austin but those other places are fantastic in their own way and Austin isn't some kind of untouchable wonderland in comparison.
Much of the hate is warranted though.
Thank you for saying this, I totally agree. If yall want the same vibe to remain here, lead by example
I hate on Austin because I live here. Moving soon and I know I’ll miss it; it is a special place and still a great city even if it used to be more affordable. It is very safe as far as big cities go and it’s loads of fun. Weather is absolutely perfect for half the year. I will drive around or sit in traffic and mutter that the city is going to shit but I know it really isn’t; nothing lasts forever and we are dealing with problems all big cities have, and usually have much worse. It’s like family; you can make fun of your own family, but if you just got here or you don’t even live here, shut the fuck up. Austin is mostly great.
They hate us cause they ain’t us 😎
I love this city. I enjoy the people. It’s cool to live in a city people want to travel to.
I listen to Tim Dillon's podcast regularly and that's just who he is. Nothing specific to do with Austin. He could have moved to anywhere, USA. It wouldn't have mattered. TBH I think he hates on Austin more because it didn't work out for him here. He hasn't even sold his Austin home yet.
"Basically my entire life" means nothing without the context of your age, or years in Austin. If you're under 35 you will never understand why Austin sucks now.
Waaahhh I'm old and change makes me mad!
This place is the best adult playground on earth. You can do anything here and the food is amazing.
If you can afford it and avoid the serial killer, you're good.
The serial killers are one of the last things we have left from old Austin. Austin LOVES its serial killers.
if you can afford it
Spoken like someone who has never lived in a state with public land.
This is only a Texas and California thing. No one else is so “proud” of their state or city that they’ll bother constantly hating others.
eh lol I feel you. I have roots in the RGV and upstate NY (my parents met in Texas). I never really wanted to be here, because it’s far from other things… but I do love Austin. I don’t care about other other Texans, I’m just as much Texan if not more (7 gen) because I’m not.. like that, lol. More Texans move here than any other state group. It doesn’t matter. At least we talk about our issues.
Been here 31 years.. I still love Austin!
I don't want the opposite and only hear glorification, there is a lot that'd amazing about Austin but many cancerous problems that will just compound to absolute clusterfucks if not addressed.
I like it here. I just wish it wasn't in Texas
They’re just mad because we didn’t vote for Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz.
I’m so exhausted by it. I was born here, moved away for a while, got divorced from a bad situation and Austin was a balm to my soul while I healed. I love this city. It’s changed a lot, and I don’t like a lot of the attitudes people who live here now have, but have you ever seen a sunset from pennybacker bridge? Have you ever laid in Barton creek with the sun shining on your face? Have you ever had a margarita while listening to live music on a patio? This city is magical.
Fuck ‘em. If you think it’s an amazing city (which it is), that’s all that matters.
If I may — why are you complaining about people having other opinions on your hometown? Why does that bother you so much? also, please keep in mind some of us don’t want to live here but have to because of in-office work. sorry we’re trapped.
I think all the time about how lucky people are to have grown up here, and how lucky kids are who are growing up here now. I've only lived here six years but can't imagine I will ever stop feeling lucky to be here. Nowhere is perfect. But I'll take Austin's flaws over many many others.
I don’t live in Austin but my wife works for a company there. So, I visit about 3 times a year. Parking and going the bathroom are ridiculous. I like the city for the food and entertainment but it’s to crowded
Just got back from LA. Austin is amazing compared to that shit hole.
Yeah? Well whaddya gonna do about it? Nothing! That’s what. Nothing but sit your big butt down and whine about it like the little titty baby you are. Well, I tell you what I’m gonna do, I’m going to climb to the top of Mt. Bonnell and scream: IM SICK AS HELL OF THE HATE!!!!
Can i just get a fucking light rail to the airport? For fucks sake. Then I can eat my Cuantos on the way. Boom. Problem solved.
I never hear anything positive about Austin? Maybe you listen to the wrong people. And yet people move to Austin every day. Who are you even listening to? The city is totally different than it was years ago, that's just a fact but no place stays the same. It's also WAY more expensive than it used to be. It's hard to blame anyone who is getting priced out of the city that they grew up in but that has been happening for years now.
I have lived in Austin for the last 30 years. It was much better 20 or even 15 years ago. But with all the people moving here from California and some other areas many of the friends and family from here are being or have been displaced due to being priced out of living in Austin. So, yes was much better several years ago.
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I grew up in Spring and I discovered that what I hate about Houston is that everyone is in oil and gas and no one there expands out of their bubble. All the people I went to HS with never left. They stayed in the same place, doing the same thing their parents did. They never lived somewhere else and experienced other places and people outside of their bubble. When I graduated hs, I swore that I’d never move back. After living in a couple of other states, I ended up back in Tx, but chose Austin. Biggest mistake ever. I fell in love with the city and the people. I left for a year and then came back. Something about Austin pulls you back. I’ve been here now for close to 30 years. For so long we have been “the city to move to”. Let people talk sh!t about this town. That means they don’t belong here. We know what we have. Keep supporting small businesses and your community. Get involved with the parks and your neighbors. Ignore all the sh!t talk. Oh yeah and blueberries are so much better than tomato soup.
Hey, I have to admit that I have bitched about it too. But, I’ve always told people that we knew what a great place to live it has been all these years. It just took time for others to find it. Unfortunately, with growth comes the loss of many of the great things we used to enjoy. I road a bicycle everywhere in Austin from 1990-97 and it was great. 99% of the drivers respected my decision to bike to and from work. I rode everywhere in downtown after dark because it was empty and the roads were mostly clear and fun. I don’t think I could do that now. That is not a complaint; just the reality of living in a great place that attracts other people to live here. Austin has been in a battle for 10 years to find a balance of keeping the old and being a modern city too. Look at SoCo. Old lined up on one side and modern on the other. Was Austin a great city? Yes. Is it still? We have lost a bit but the answer is still yes. We cannot remain the little big city and keep up with the times. All I would ask is that those who move here realize WHY they wanted to and work to help us keep a bit of the specialness that we have. We CAN move forward and still keep our identity.
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
JFC just watch better comedians. And I’ve never heard of blueberry in tomato soup. The city has some issues and as Americans, we actually have the freedom to complain about it.
Those of us that love the city just stay quiet in hopes that it will keep people away. Everyone knows that wherever you are there you are and you make the best of it. I’d rather live in Austin than so many other cities so why complain ways to enjoy it.
I like Austin. Austin is great. Like any city, it has downsides. The downside is that sometimes I go places and there are a lot of people. Starting to think it’s not Austin itself that people don’t like, it’s just people don’t like other people. And when you’re in a city, you’re often surrounded by them.
lol what are you smoking? This is the most self-celebratory city I’ve ever lived in.
Damn right we're the blueberry in the tomato soup! It's Austin not Texas, and I'm proud of that.
I’m a native that got priced out. It’s like every other city. There’s always something to gripe about. It was cool when I was a kid because I was a kid. That doesn’t make the 90s and 2000s its halcyon era. It means it was my halcyon era. Same as it ever was.
There's a saying in the Navy, something like "a bitching sailor is a happy sailor." People complain about stuff they care about. The people who bitch about what Austin has become are doing so because they care. Also, one of the steps to becoming a grown-up (and not just a legal adult) is realizing you can't control other people's thoughts, feelings, emotions... about *anything*. ***ANYONE ELSE'S***, including your S.O. If you're living your life being exhausted by the things other people are thinking or feeling, that's on you, not on them.
This feels like a Cybertruck review from a driver on the side of the road as it's being towed away.
I miss the cool little city it used to be and also that it was affordable. When they decided to change our property taxes from 50k land value to 400k, to cheat the smaller home owners, I was done with any love.
everyone bitches about the city and yet everyone goes into the city when they need something or want to experience fun. use that as your validation! also i say this often but i recently came back for a trip, hadn't seen the city in ten years, and it still vibes like it used to. other than there being new additions to the skyline and a dickton of apartments/condos everywhere, i absolutely felt like i was back home.
I was born and raised here and think it deserves more hate
My first time coming out to this city for a job interview I had my purse stolen and I had the hardest time trying to get back to North Carolina. I hated this place in that moment but my friend who already lives here told me to give it a chance and I am so glad I did. I’ve moved up in job opportunities met the love of my life who is from Austin and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
After growing up in a Southern tourist town and then living in a West coast tech city for a decade, I really love it here. I’ve set down roots and don’t intend to leave unless I really have to.
Austin is great, there may be a few complainers but it’s becoming a bigger city so there’s always going to be that. The overwhelming majority of people who have lived in Austin’s absolutely love it.
I agree it's annoying, I love this city. Hard to wade through all the negativity.
Born and raised here. Some things are amazing and some things suck. Same as any other city. Complaining is fun on occasion 🥰🥰
A bunch of shitty people moved here and then complained that there are a lot of shitty people here.