This week we’re in Houston, Texas. I’m doing my “supportive husband” duty since I felt that a two-week business trip so close to the holidays would be just too tough on my wife. Besides, after a busy summer of home projects this sounded like a good idea for a break.
In between the two weeks of work there was also a weekend that we saw as an opportunity to get to know other parts of the state of Texas. Of all the cities in Texas, the one that we didn’t know and that sounded somewhat interesting was Austin. Our eldest son Milo had mentioned it before as a possible place for them to move to in the future, so we thought that we could do a little research on their behalf.
When you visit a city or anywhere for that matter, you could use different set of “eyes” to view it. You could just look at it as a good weekend hang out or as a place to visit for it’s museums and arts. But when you look at a place as a potential place to live, then the level of scrutiny should be a lot deeper, and the set of questions altogether different. And as it happens, I thoroughly enjoy this process, so it was easy to volunteer.
Let’s start with the broad strokes first. This is Texas we’re talking about. Why would my (ultra-liberal) son even consider living in Texas? As a matter of fact, one of the reasons him and his wife would consider leaving Greensboro, NC is because they feel as if they live in a little island of “liberalism” within a very conservative state. Their voices are not even heard over the noise of conservatism. They have often talked about moving to the West Coast, which would more likely fit their personalities, but Texas? Well, I was quickly educated that one activity they thoroughly enjoy is attending live music concerts and it happens that Austin claims to be the “Live Music Capital of the World. That’s well enough, but we’re still talking about Texas and they would still be in a little island in the great ocean of Texas.
As we approached the city, we realized that it is a full-fledge city of almost a million and much larger than Greensboro. There is a downtown and a huge university smacked into downtown. The evidence of live music hits you quickly. Sixth Street and ancillary streets in downtown are brimming with bars and venues advertising for live music shows at night. Nearby, larger venues and outdoors spaces suitable for events abound. So, if live music is the criteria used for searching, this is its headquarters.
Austin is considered to be the most liberal city in Texas. This is ironic as it is also the capital of the state. But with around 140,000 students from several universities in the area, you’re bound to be influenced by the scores of young folks around and the many freethinking college professors that cater to them.
Another point about “dissecting the city” is that everyone looks at the area with their own set of eyes. It’s difficult to see a place through someone else’s eyes. We tried, but since we’re not much into the night music scene, we will only be able to report that there were signs that it was indeed a good place for live music. One thing that is important to us is whether there are good areas for walking and other outdoor activities. On that front we’re happy to report that Austin eats the cake when it comes to outdoor places to exercise. The Lady Bird Lake, which is one of three man-made lakes formed from the damming of the Colorado River, is right downtown. We saw many taking advantage of the cool weather to enjoy the lake on kayaks and rowing shells. And also scores of people walking and jogging in what seemed like interminable miles of trails around the parks and open areas just south of downtown and the lakes.
In conclusion, partly because of the time of the year we happened to be here (late fall), and partly due to our central location while visiting, I can safely say that we were impressed with Austin and all that it has to offer. I would easily consider a condo downtown with a view and access to the wonderful hiking trail system and lakes, and would happy to visit M&J if they decided to move here, even if we have to stay away during the hot summers and keep it a secret that we have a son that lives in the State of Texas.
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