California vs. (Austin) Texas, thoughts?

Hey guys, quickly wanted to get any input from members living or having experience with Cali or Texas. What you'd summarize your experience as, favorite things, least favorite ect. Planning a move for college and both seem sort of alluring. I was thinking the Austin area seems really cool. It has music, tech, good local economy, intellectual in general....thought I read some news article about Austinites having the best personalities or something? lol. I absolutely love hot weather, so Austin seems like a pretty good deal.

California....was thinking maybe around San Fran? Seems like it has nice weather, not as hot though which is a bummer for me. I eat organic so I thought I read a lot of it is cheaper over there since a lot is grown in Cali. Haven't researched a ton into California since, well, there are a lot of cities I could live lol. Austin for some reason really seems to strike a chord with me.

But in any case, anything you'd think I'd find of value please lemme know.

Well, if I was young and wanting to attend college.

I would head to Austin for sure.

It has a pretty good music scene and seems to be a nice place for young people.

Use to watch "Austin City Limits" and thought the place must be a cool laid back place.

I've never lived in California, only visited it a few times, but coming from Texas I can tell you that Austin is indeed, a nice enough place.

The only problem with living in TX is that I often find myself surrounded by rednecks. Hell, if our governor has his way, we may secede from the union. Now is that crazy or what?

Not all texans feel this way however and Austin is probably the most progressive city in the state, outside the governors' mansion.

I have been to San Francisco and I really enjoyed the city. It too has good weather and great diversity among its' people. A tough choice if you ask me, which you did.

Good luck, wherever you go!

It really depends on where you are coming from. I'm from California and i'd pick san fran any day. I didn't live in Austin but I lived an hour away from the city. The city is nice and San Antonio is about two hours away. In California, you'll get mild temperatures, rolling hllls, the ocean and lots of cheap fruits and vegetables. (depending where you get them.) There is also low humidity and you can go visit the Redwoods or go down to So Cal whenever you want. The people there are also more forgiving than Texans, but there is hardly any work in California.
Austin is a nice city, but it is on flat land. There's not much scenic beauty except a few storms and some pretty sunsets. It's very hot and humid practicially all year there and there are alot of big bugs. Calfornia doesn't have bugs this size. There isn't much farm land (no orchards and very few fields that I saw). There is mostly Longhorns outside the cities and Pecan trees in the city. The nearest cultural area (besides Austin) is San Antonio. It's about two hours away and it's a nice city. I think Dallas is about three for four hours away and houston's just as far. I never considered a Texas drive very scenic and it always took forever. The people in Austin are very conservative but not as conservative as some of the other towns. Where I lived I would get dirty looks if I wore a tank top (and not even a spaghetti strap) instead of a t-shirt and shorts. Also, when I was there, I noticed Texans are very big compared to people else where. My husband said it's because no one wants to go outside but stay in the a/c. I agree, I didn't lose any weight until I moved back west. The food in Texas is pretty good.
Traffic in Austin is pretty bad. We once got stuck in traffic for more than two hours and we only moved 11 miles. Not a good idea if you have a baby in the car. Traffic does mellow out once you get near the outskirts. California is just as bad, and might last longer because alot of cities near San fran meld together. The only difference is in California if your a/c dies you can roll down the window and enjoy the mellow sea breeze.

Explanation: From OL's POV [I'm an Aussie OK!] Texas seems prone to twisted winds from Tornados to Hurricanes!

And California is DIRT BROKE and has that Broken Dirt Earthquake problem forever submerged within its landscape!

Personal Disclosure: I'd recommend neither and I offer up Phoenix Arizona and Albuquerque New Mexico as much safer alternatives!
Both seem to have quite decent education facilities ect!

P.S. I was going to recommend St George Dixie in Utah, but then I remembered about the nuclear fallout issue!!! :shk:

I have lived in Austin (for about 3 years) and visited California on numerous occasions. I would by far, suggest Austin, Texas. Austin is one of my favorite places on earth. The weather is amazing, the people are great and the scenery is beautiful. If you like nightlife, Austin has 6th Street, which is similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The street is lined with bars and clubs and every night (I think it's every night), they block the street off, kind of like a huge block party, only larger (about 10 blocks, if I remember right). Also, they always find reasons to throw a celebration, such as Eeyore's Birthday or SXSW. Austin is also known as the "live music capital of the world". If you like the outdoors, Austin is sprinkled with parks that are absolutely amazing and with the pristine weather, almost all year around, the outdoor activities are boundless. I have been all around the world and still Austin, TX remains as one of my favorite places. Hopefully one day, I can move back. Just my 2 cents.

--airspoon

p.s. - everyone who I've talked with that has either visited or lived in Austin, just raves about the city.

[edit on 9-5-2010 by airspoon]

California, I love the place, used to spend my summers there.
I live in Texas and hate it...I'm not in Austin though but have a few people I know that live there, and says it rox!