usa :: austin :: general

[whorishconsumer]

Monstrously bored.

Who lives here?

[keri]

WTF is wrong with you, Austin is a great city.

good stores, great food, beautiful scenery, the college, great theater......

[whorishconsumer]

let me clarify:

i am currently bored. i live in austin. hence i posted this forum asking who on here is also living in austin.

[kidicarus]

I live in Austin, although I'm in Kyoto, Japan this semester. Austin's okay (I'm finishing my graduate degree at UT), although I beg to differ with Keri re: "great stores."

[keri]

you dont like book people?

are you on crack?

[red]

keri: defender.

[kidicarus]

You're brainwashed. How is Book People any different from, e.g., Barnes & Noble or Border's? So it's locally owned, great. How about the fact that Austin is one of the nation's biggest university towns and there are approximately two used book stores in the entire city, both way out in the middle of nowhere.

[kidicarus]

The only kind of shopping that's good in Austin, admit it, is grocery shopping.

Don't get me wrong, I've had a nice time living in Austin. I just think that as a city it doesn't have very sophisticated tastes.

And also (now I'm really going to get the hate) I think it's reputation of love music is WAY overblown. It's great if you like indie rock, but if you're into any other kind of music there's not much happening.

[keri]

^I'll agree that it's not a very sophisticated city, but I'm not a very sophisticated person, I take a little pleasure in the simpler things, i dont need a lot of fancy shit to be happy. I like book people so much cause it's a nice store, with a nice atmosphere, and is fraking huge. and man.

It's a nice, fairly quiet city, with decent history, a beautiful lake, my favorite bar, my favorite bookstore, and my favorite motel 6 (long long long story, haha). It's too bad that you think like that.

"doesn't have very sophisticated tastes" that's what assholes who think they're better than someone say when they think they're going to be tricky and do a veiled insult.

[ayn]

i lived there for 5 years before i moved out here, still have a house there in north austin... love the mexican martinis at Trudy's, central market and huge whole foods on 6th... summers are way too hot for me though...

draughthouse is a cool place to hang out...

[airportlobbytx]

I'm from and live in Austin. The appealing thing about the city isn't the shopping or the architecture, it is just the general quality of life. People are pretty nice, tend to be pretty well-travelled and cool. There isn't the fear of crime you get in a lot of other southern cities. You can afford a house. Good looking girls. We get a lot of good shows (mostly RnR). You can buy most shit you want - decent record stores, some clothes (Factory People is good and and there is a Barneys Coop opening, but there isn't an inordinate amount of pressure to dress like a trended up douche), good video stores, etc.

It's a great town for doing all the little things - hanging out with friends and getting drinks, running or riding bikes, working close to home, going swimming, eating watermelon, etc. Austin isn't New York or LA, but it has it's good qualities, definitely. And it won't wear your ass out like some cities.

(One side note, even though I was raised on Book People, I have to admit it is mediocre. It's lacking in the two areas in which I'm most interested in - fiction and art. I just go to Borders. Also, there are like ten Half Price Bookstores, which are really good. There is one at 2222 and Lamar, that's fucking huge (this is central) - it used to be on the drag, but rent drove it out recently. Half Price is really good, though)

[kidicarus]

Geez, you're so defensive. Believe me, if I wanted to insult you, you'd know it.

Anyway, I guess I should've known better than to disagree with someone who's sig is "shut up."

[airportlobbytx]

What are you getting your degree in Icarus?

[kidicarus]

Airport -- I'm finishing my Master's in Architecture. One semester to go! Really, I couldn't agree more with your description of the city. Don't get me wrong -- I like Austin! I just wish there were some better restaurants, etc. Good news about the Barneys Coop. Where is it going to be? I'm a little out of the loop since I'm in Japan this semester.

[Larry Bird]

austin is nice to visit rip sound exchange

any of you ever camp and jump off those big cliffs at lake travis? fun times.

[airportlobbytx]

Larry - you're talking about the Paleface cliffs (I forget what the official name is), I think. That is a resevoir lake and they release water dowstream as the Valley needs it, so the water level gets really low around August, making those jumps really fun.

LNG - try SXSW - it's more fun than ACLU, there isn't the heat, the douchey frat kids, jam bands, etc. There is also a ton of free stuff, shows drinks, etc. Except for a couple of spots, most non-frats, thugs and tourists don't really hit 6th. Next time you come, hit me and I can list some cool spots.

KI - I agree with you. Every now and then I start to really want certain things I can't get here (mostly history, a definite sense of place, and good art). But then when I go away, I tend to miss the ease and general pleasantness of Austin. I think the Coop (and a Neiman) will up North on Mopac this Spring. After my batchelor's, I though about the master's in archetecture degree, but wound up going the easy route and attending law school. Last fucking semester!

[LIVENUDEGIRLS]

I actually go for the jam bands

[Tommyhibbs]

I was smart and went to the good school but I'm from Austin. I agree with everyone else about the city. When I first moved her I loved the music scene and being able to go to one good show every week but after about a year of that I got burned out. I think the city is growing and definitely improving but it will never be LA or NY.

[Peter Lawford]

i just moved here from houston, UT.

can somebody PLEASE tell me where the hell im supposed to shop here???

[ayn]

by george on the drag at UT (guadalupe), factory ppl on south congress...

[Larry Bird]

check out waterloo records for music. a++

[Peter Lawford]

^^^ thanks.

ill def check out factory people, and i drove by waterloo yesterday. i went by upstairs and was dissapointed, but antoines records/buffaloe exchange are dope.

[billbixby]

i moved from austin years ago, its still my favorite place on earth. not a shopping city by any means, i dont know why youd fool yourself about it, either. best thing to do is make friends and take advantage of the lax drug use policies, and beautiful parks and swim holes, etc. the place to shop now looks like factory people on congress, if you are really dying for some "labels".

[billbixby]

also, drug dealers not to trust

Guitierrez

Pete

the Israeli twins

Flapjack

Ramon

[Larry Bird]

also, drug dealers not to trust

Guitierrez

Pete

the Israeli twins

Flapjack

Ramon

also,

colton P. ( but not to worry, he just got sentenced to 55 years for murder)

[whorishconsumer]

Jeff's a good guy, so I give props to Upstairs and Downstairs. Factory People, as was stated before. Gomi has some dope stuff. By George closed out their Men's section due to Barney's. Barney's is so far north, who wants to go there? It's a housewife Mecca, that shopping center.

For drinks its either Draughthouse at 43rd and Medical or Deep Eddy's Cabaret on Lake Austin.

[Larry Bird]

^^^^

where's barneys at? is the selection decent? i'll be in san marcos in a few weeks to see my lovely sister, and will probably spend my nights in austin.

[ayn]

Barney's at the new Domain Crossing place up north. and I miss Draughthouse...

I think I will be in Austin for a weekend in late April...

[whorishconsumer]

Haven't been to the Domain, so I can't say what they got. Not sure I care to go.

Sorry you have to visit San Marcos.

[whorishconsumer]

I guess it's no surprise you live in the Bay Area, ayn.

I'm from Marin County.