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Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 10:54 am
by japmn_Archive
connor wrote:I have an interview in Austin next week which means, if I get it, me and my girlfriend have to figure out how we're going to move two apartments worth of crap and two automobiles across the country. I grew up there and can think of few better cities in this country.
Having said that, Austin has a pretty severe downside: jobs. There aren't many. And all of the "cool" ones are snatched up by the 40,000-odd UT students. Expect to send out, likely, 50 resumes or so for a $14 an hour job (if I don't get this one particular gig, I doubt I'll be moving back).
It's not like Brooklyn where you can just move there and come up with a $17-$20 hour job in a couple of weeks. So be warned.
Also, the traffic is fucking awful. Fucking unbearable.
And if you're a single guy, be warned: although the women there are unbelievable, it's
technically a sausage fest.Still, it's a wonderful place to be. And I disagree about the "island effect." Yeah, the surrounding big cities are kind of lame, but there's that whole "nature" thing Texas has going for it. You'll have to drive a ways, but shit: that's what barren Texas highways are for. So you got that and an airport.
I don't want to scare you off. Just know what you're getting into.
EDIT: I should point out that there's a small but decent chance that Texas might become a "blue state" this year.
I agree with all of this except the sausage fest part because it doesn't matter. The girls that are there put out.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:12 pm
by chet_Archive
I'm not worried about the ladies, but now the job thing concerns me.
Will I have a better shot of getting a job now that the college kids are out of town? Any tips?
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:22 pm
by chet_Archive
Oh yeah, thanks for all the help guys!
Notes have been taken, adventures will be had, women's hearts will be broken, and pictures will be posted.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:43 pm
by connor_Archive
chet wrote:I'm not worried about the ladies, but now the job thing concerns me.
Will I have a better shot of getting a job now that the college kids are out of town? Any tips?
Ehh, actually, late winter/early spring is when the UT kids start sending out the resumes. Just get them out there quickly.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:18 pm
by Omar Bagh Dad-A_Archive
Am I the first from Austin to respond?
Austin is a liberal island in a sea of conservative texans. But there is a lot to do in Texas. Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston all have amazing museums (something that Austin doesn't and probably never will have). There is also incredible barbecue and mexican food all over the state and in almost every small town. West Texas is beautiful. New Orleans isn't too far away. San Antonio is actually a very cool sleepy town that is kinda like what Austin used to be. The coast isn't too far away if you ever feel like surfing.
It's probably the easiest place in the world to get gigs in clubs and have people actually show up.
It would be cool to live close to downtown, it's cheaper on the east side.
It is painfully hot here and can get oppressive.
For jobs... maybe tech industry? Dell? Apple? Video games? I don't know, but it seems to be relatively good compared to other cities in the US right now.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:24 pm
by connor_Archive
Omar Bagh Dad-A wrote:The coast isn't too far away if you ever feel like surfing.
I have seen only a handful of surfing-attempts in the Gulf Coast. All were pretty pathetic.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:37 pm
by chet_Archive
Oh crap, now you guys have me second-guessing myself.
Is it really that hard to get a job there?
I don't have a place there yet, but will I get stuck if I get an apartment and don't have a job yet? I didn't think it was THAT hard to get a job there.
I guess I just have to hustle.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:43 pm
by FuzzBob_Archive
connor wrote:Omar Bagh Dad-A wrote:The coast isn't too far away if you ever feel like surfing.
I have seen only a handful of surfing-attempts in the Gulf Coast. All were pretty pathetic.
Oh; I forgot to mention that Corpus Christi is a shithole. Forget the kind of pristine natural white sand beaches you see on Florida's Gulf Coast. Corpus' sand is trucked in, gritty, gooey, and looks like it's been stained by bunker C fuel more than once. (A shipping port is nearby.)
Omar Bagh Dad-A wrote:San Antonio is actually a very cool sleepy town that is kinda like what Austin used to be.
The only cool thing about San Antonio is the Hispanic community. Otherwise, it's Breauxville. Even the Riverwalk sucks-- there are
creeks that size in Pennsylvania.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 3:01 pm
by jordanosaur_Archive
Go to Lockhart. Immediately. First, go to Kreuz, and then after you have taken a nap in your car go to Smitty's.
http://www.kreuzmarket.com/index.shtml
http://www.smittysmarket.com/
After that, go back into Austin and make sure to get pork ribs at the Iron Works, brisket at Rudy's (good sauce too), and hot sausage at Stubb's. Repeat said procedure every weekend. Check in with your physician once every few weeks to make sure nothing is blocking your heart, and possibly eat some extra migas to ensure you are eating something remotely healthy.
Austin is a great city. You will have a good time down there. I agree with the above posting regarding the rest of Texas being a complete (and scary) shithole, so if you need to get out of town either find a car that can get you out of state or book a flight.
Moving to Austin help!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 3:18 pm
by japmn_Archive
chet wrote:Oh crap, now you guys have me second-guessing myself.
Is it really that hard to get a job there?
I don't have a place there yet, but will I get stuck if I get an apartment and don't have a job yet? I didn't think it was THAT hard to get a job there.
I guess I just have to hustle.
I'll put it this way, Everyone I have ever known in Austin has had to work at Thunder Cloud sandwich shop at least once. Sound jobs are next to impossible because everyones friends are grandfathered into the jobs. The UT students never leave. They just keep coming. I lived there when in my early/mid twenties. Now that I'm 30 I think my patience for Austin has worn thin.
I had a great time BTW.