tboyd1

Even thought there is a great deal of pride in Texas in Austin, it is by far the least “Texan” of all the cities in Texas. Fewer people wear the traditional texas garb, and the local accent is not a southern as the rest of the state. I attribute this mostly to the fact that many out-of-state visitors have taken up residence here due to its beauty and sophistication.

It is also a considerably more liberal area within the state and does not reflect the political or social norms of the rest of the state. It is more like San Francisco or Seattle in that it offers more acceptance to things, actions, and people who fall outside the “Texan” norm.

Austin is also a bastion of all things high tech. Major employers include IBM, Freescale (formerly Motorola), Lockheed, and many, many other companies in the high tech industry. This, coupled with the University of Texas, as well as six other higher education schools in the area, it has a very educated population.

It is a beautiful little city with a great deal to offer everyone. And while Austin is a nice town with a great deal of amenities, it is also crowded with a poor road system when compared with Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio—no loops or major east-west thoroughfares. The main north-south thoroughfares are usually fairly crowded and turn into parking lots during rush hour.

Traversing the city can be a challenge and a source of frustration for those trying to get anywhere quickly.

However, I highly recommend it as a vacation spot, school destination, or place to which to relocate.

Many people live here because it is away from the hustle and bustle of Austin. It is also considerably more conservative in political and social makeup than Austin.

Traffic can get heavy during rush hour, but is no where near what Austin is and everything is pretty close together. There is major shopping in the area (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Petsmart, Office Depot, etc.) and is close to larger towns and major employers in Round Rock and Austin. Housing is also more reasonably priced than in Austin.

School are tolerable and do not appear to have the large gang and drug problems experienced in the larger cities (although I’ve heard there are some).

We enjoy living here because it IS quieter and slower than in Austin.