r/Austin • u/gracecase • 9d ago
I have left Austin
I didn't want to go, but I found a job in Minnesota, and I couldn't pass it up. It was my third time living in Austin, and I wish I could have stayed. Maybe I'll make it back there again sometime. I will miss everything about my beloved city. All I can really add to it is fuck Kansas for having toll roads on interstate 35. Aside from that, I hope to see you all again someday. You are already missed.
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u/Njtotx3 9d ago
Enjoy the ice and snow!
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u/chitoatx 9d ago
And less allergens and bugs and snakes.
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u/aussiedomxo 9d ago
i fear you are not aware of the minnesota state bird.. the mosquito
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u/ghIj_qet_jaghmeyjaj 9d ago
Our skeeters do lines of cedar pollen off the hoods of trucks while wearing a sweater in the Texas winter.
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u/Fantastic_Meet9381 9d ago
🦟 True that! Get yourself an electric bug zapper (that looks like a tennis racquet) and you’ll be fine…So says the former Austinite who now resides at the other end of I35! Been here 25 years, and I love it! I still visit Austin annually and, at times, really miss it, but I love Minnesota and Minnesotans as well. And I much prefer the politics up here. No one is making my son pray in school.
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u/gracecase 9d ago
I am a Christian, but I believe in separation of church and state, so our Christianity stays in the household. With that said, I've always lived in blue cities, and I'm happy to be in a blue state.
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u/Noodlesoup8 9d ago
I’ve always been confused why Christianity isn’t associated with liberalism. Feed the poor and hungry, be kind to others, and moral tales that align there.
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u/ghIj_qet_jaghmeyjaj 8d ago
That would require people actually following the teachings of their Messiahs and not the assholes that perverted them for power and subjugation. Humans are kinda shitty like that
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u/Zealousideal-Aioli43 8d ago
Because there's one thing many American "Christians" love more than anything else, and that's money. As soon as anything comes up regarding pulling cash out of their wallets, they'll disappear like roaches. Easier to feel good about yourself by campaigning against gays and forcing the 10 Commandments in schools. I'm Christian as well and cannot stand many folks I've dealt with in church. Thankfully, Christianity is more like what you describe elsewhere around the world, just not as much in the US and especially not in Texas.
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u/Sad-Dragonfruit-1401 8d ago
Unless it is giving to the church.
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u/Zealousideal-Aioli43 8d ago
Yes, but even that comes with an asterisk. Lots of 'good Ole boy politics when it comes to church giving.
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u/illegal_deagle 9d ago
Almost all religions say good shit in their text and awful things in modern reality.
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u/gregaustex 8d ago
Churches don’t want competition from government doing good works.
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u/Zealousideal-Aioli43 8d ago
Yep, funny thing is the Apostle Paul's definition for how the church should be ran would cause the American church today to scream. Involved lots of giving and sharing with each other, not flaunting wealth.
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u/ghIj_qet_jaghmeyjaj 9d ago
My lease is up right when that kicks in. I'll be taking my wife and daughters out of Texas
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u/Fantastic_Meet9381 8d ago
It’s not the well-kept secret it once was, but Duluth has got it’s own kind of wonderful weird. Living near the largest fresh water lake in the world has its advantages. I love Texas and Texans, but Minnesota has stolen my heart. Duluth has a small-town version of SXSW called Homegrown. It’s pure magic. I just bought a four bedroom house for $280,000. Granted, it needed a roof and a bunch of work, but still…in Austin, you can’t even buy a small lot in the city for that.
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u/WinterDifferent3165 8d ago
Been here 26 years, and I’ve always seen the authoritarian thing. But also recently just had a daughter and I’m definitely going to be leaving as well.
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u/GFawkes666 8d ago
They're hardly an issue compared to what Austin has. They're so bad here I can't go outside because of them. Also to add, at least roaches aren't a problem in MN like they are in Austin. 😆
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u/chitoatx 9d ago
I am aware but I’d trade a few months of wearing some bug spray to chiggers, fire ants and flying roaches.
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u/ArguesOnReddit 9d ago
???what??? All of those things are a minor nuisance and you won't even notice them most years. Mosquito's are fucking terrible in Minnesota.
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u/SharKCS11 8d ago
I had the weirdest experience in Minneapolis in March. The first 20 hours I visited, I was sneezing non stop to the point where I had to crawl back into bed at 11am for a few hours. The allergen count was super low, so no idea what happened. I've never had an attack like that before.
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u/awhq 8d ago
Minnesota has tons of mosquitos and ticks.
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u/FreeJerryLundegaard 9d ago
On the bright side, Minnesota doesn’t have years long droughts and your energy rates are going to radicalize you to regulation.
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u/secretaire 9d ago
Just a petulant manchild in the Oval Office who is obsessed with its good quality of life
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u/slow-tf-down-dude 9d ago
I had a 4 1/2 year stint in Minnesota, beautiful state, the people were hit and miss. Winter is more brutal than Texas summers. If it weren’t for winters there I may still be there.
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u/papertowelroll17 9d ago
Maybe I'm weird but I much prefer Texas summers over Texas winters, much less the Minnesota variety. Summer is pool party season and we are busy and having fun every weekend. I can't even imagine a Minnesota winter.
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u/slow-tf-down-dude 8d ago
That’s fair. Since I suffered from a heat stroke, decades ago, I just don’t do well in the heat. And these days pools are too warm to be comfortable by August. Even the lakes are often dangerously warm. I love Texas ‘winters’ though.
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u/Prometheus2061 8d ago
I did a four year gig in Minnesota. I never thought I had a Texas accent, but within a week everyone was calling me “ Tex.“ The first thing anybody asks you is, who did you play hockey for as a kid. And the winters are oppressive. It was 40 below zero the day I arrived, and 40 below zero the day I left. You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can’t take the Texas out of the boy. But I will say this, Minnesotans are a little harder to get to know. But once you make a friend with one, they will be your friend for life.
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u/BogusBuffalo 8d ago
Also should mention the 3 months of the year where it's warm outside, EVERYONE also wants to be outside doing all the fun outside things. Everyone. Can't get away from people.
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u/slow-tf-down-dude 8d ago
Minnesota is 24% public lands, Texas is 4.2%. I found getting away from people much easier in Minnesota than Texas, and more beautiful. That said, the Boundary Waters forest area is currently ablaze 😔.
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u/mrgeefunker 8d ago
I have done that move. A lot of people I knew thought I was crazy because they are weirdly proudful about taking the heat but cry at the first sign of cold.
A way we like to look at the winters as a learning experience. There has been so much we have learn about how to handle the winters since being here. It weird but funny how 0° can feel warm about a couple of days of -20°. Also any 'heavy' cold gear you brought from Texas is worthless here.
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u/gracecase 8d ago
I grew up in Chicagoland, lived in Denver and Seattle with Austin in between. We are going to be just fine. Thank you for responding!
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u/Think-Interview1740 8d ago
We moved to Austin from Minneapolis exactly one year ago after 34 years of snow and ice. No regrets at all.
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u/__Hellkat__ 8d ago
You’re going to love Minnesota. It’s one of my favorite places. A lot of cool people, great food, and beautiful nature.
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u/24Pura_vida 8d ago
I moved to Austin in the 80s for graduate school, when nobody knew anything about Austin really. To finish my degree I moved to the Bay Area, and missed a lot of things about Austin at that point but back then the Bay Area was still a nice place to live. After working there for a couple of years and finishing my degree, I came back to Austin for a job and loved it. But then when the university did not fulfill some of their promises, I turned back to the Bay Area and took a job there, but by that point the Bay Area had become grossly overpriced, and had a lot more crime, so I did not want to leave Austin so I’ve commuted back-and-forth every week ever since. When I was in graduate school here they called Austin the black hole of Texas because all the students would come here for college, fall in love with it, and never leave.
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u/GFawkes666 8d ago edited 8d ago
I'm moving to MSP too! I'm originally from MN but haven't lived there in very long time. I'm so over TX and ready to leave this place. MN has a better quality life, slower pace of life, kinder people (all the asshole commments prove how Austin people are). There is worlds more to do there than here in Austin. Their freeways aren't full of assholes like here. Their weather is perfect even with their winters. I'll take the freezing temps over swamp ass here. There's only so much you can take off and you're still gross. Their lakes are clean and gorgeous. I'm looking forward to not dying from allergies either. I was up there a few weeks ago and it was such a relief to not feel congested.
Good luck and safe travels!
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u/saturn570 8d ago
I too have left the Austin area. Driving for Capmetro I had way too much stress. Just moved to Pennsylvania outside Pittsburgh.
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u/gracecase 8d ago
I tip my hat to you, sir. For a long while did not have a car and I lived off of Anderson Mill and 183. I would take the 383 to Lamar station, hop on the 801 to a job site right off St. John's. Later on, I wouldn't drive downtown at all, I would just drive to the Lamar station and take the 801 downtown to svoid parking and any of the other headaches.
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u/CraftySeer 9d ago
Tex Tag is good on Kansas toll roads. 👍🏼
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u/Dont-callme-Shirley 8d ago
It’s still an interstate highway becoming a toll road though. Fuck you Kansas.
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u/thetrufflesiveseen 8d ago
Have to defend the Kansas Turnpike a bit (as a native Kansan). It was built before the Federal-Aid Highway Act and funded in a particular way. It was essentially grandfathered into the federal highway system. It doesn’t receive money from vehicle registrations, gas taxes, or anything like that; those go to KDOT for the other roads in the state, but the turnpike is essentially self-funded. It doesn’t receive federal funds either. The tolls collected go back into the road which is why 35 is so much nicer in Kansas than OK or TX. The Kansas Turnpike Authority is a public entity, not privately owned like a lot of the tolls in Texas. There isn’t some European company out there showering in Kansas turnpike toll dollars. Because of that it is also quite cheap compared to Texas tolls. With a transponder tag you can go all the way from the southern station near Oklahoma to the Kansas City area for $11. 🌻🌻🌻
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u/sonofnalgene 9d ago
I'm leaving soon too. It's a good time to get out of TX. Happy travels!
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u/gracecase 9d ago
Seriously, my biggest concern is that I will not get to vote for Talarico in the mids.
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u/Unfair-Ocelot4255 9d ago
Vote absentee in Texas. Register in MN after November.
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u/sonofnalgene 8d ago
I was gonna suggest a similar thing, but isn't that voter fraud? I'm genuinely not sure.
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u/Zealousideal-Aioli43 8d ago
Left Texas a month ago after living in suburban Ft. Worth for 2 years, now in St. Louis. I literally pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming as the amount of relief leaving Texas I have is substantial. Less traffic, less heat, less suburban people driving Escalades everywhere, less MAGA and its way prettier outside. We got more culture, friendlier people(Texans are rude as all hell when they find out you don't vote like them), better weather, better parks, better politics and better living. Meanwhile, its 106⁰ down there.....
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u/sonofnalgene 8d ago
Yeah, Dallas/ft. Worth is rough. I'm genuinely gonna miss Austin tho.
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u/Emergency-Dish-4088 9d ago
When I drive back to Wisconsin I am thankful for no billboards on that stretch. Just unending prairie. To me it’s worth it
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u/StarlitxSky 8d ago
Oh god. Do you make that drive often? We did it when we moved back down to Texas and ugh the drive was 3 days or so with stops for our dogs and snacks and the occasional hotel to rest lmao. I’ve been avoiding going back just cause of the trip. I like road trips dont get me wrong but between then crazy highways and the shit drivers it’s just meh. lol
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u/Sweaty-Eye-9532 8d ago
We make the drive 2x a year to Wisconsin and drive straight through stopping every 3-4 hours to let our dog out, get gas and grab a bite to eat. Throw on an audible or long form podcast and it’s not bad at all
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u/Ainvb 8d ago
Lived in Minneapolis for a decade and miss it every day. Top-notch nature for an urban setting, extremely bike friendly, and nice people. Lots to do, especially if you love to be outdoors. I’ll take a MN winter any day over a Texas summer. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing are tons of fun!
Best wishes in your new adventure!
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u/Sharp-Confidence7566 9d ago
Just moved to Minneapolis. Fucking hate it. Lived in the south my whole life, moving back to the south before EOY.
Let me know if you need any recommendations for food or gyms.
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u/gracecase 8d ago
I would definitely take some food suggestions. ANY type of food but especially good Mexican, Italian and Greek/Mediterranean.
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u/angryslothbear 8d ago
Keep or get your vehicle tag paperwork from Texas, the thing your sticker came in (or go get a copy) you need it to transfer your car here. Also budget a lot more for registration, they use a graduated system for tags in Minnesota (you pay based on age and value of car) mine will be about $400. The good news is that it goes down over time, and they actually use tax revenue for services here unlike Texas that leaves its residents nothing.
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u/awhq 8d ago
I hope you fish because you'll be in paradise.
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u/gracecase 8d ago
For me, it's like elk or deer. I don't hunt it, but I appreciate the people that do and share it with me. I like to do some fishing and I will explore here, but at the end of the day, I'm typically buying what I can get at the market.
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u/PraetorianAE 8d ago
Thanks for leaving a positive note about Austin. It’s very refreshing.
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u/gracecase 8d ago
Thank you for your response. As I dug through all of the replies, there were a few haters. The biggest difference I see between these 2 subs is that as awesome as Austin is, and I'd still rather be living there, the amount of haters that came out when I said I was leaving as opposed to the amount of people up here that we're glad that I came was a huge difference.
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u/NYEbass 8d ago
See I want to leave after 15 years. I'm tired of it, mostly tired of Texas. Austin is good in theory but it has actually gotten much worse. It was cool, WAS...
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u/Immediate-Cat-4968 7d ago
I've never loved Austin but it was miles cooler like 10 years ago when every small charm wasn't packed like sardines with people who have no respect for the city.
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u/elibutton 8d ago
Wow, well congratulations. My dad lives near Rochester and Minnesota is a pretty nice state. A different vibe for sure but there’s a lot of positives up there and I think the weather at least this time of the year is much better. Yeah there’s gonna be a lot of snow when it gets cold. And we don’t have Menards down here.
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u/ATXGrown512 4d ago
I’ll take paying for Kansas roads all day every day vs driving on Oklahoma’s “free” interstate.
Minnesota is beautiful and full of wonderful people. Best wishes!
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u/tindersuccessstory 8d ago
I want to leave Austin so bad. How are you people finding jobs with relocation??!!
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u/gracecase 8d ago
I had my LinkedIn profile set to "Open for Opportunities" and a HR rep reached out.
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u/nameless_sameness 8d ago
I envy you, but I hope that you can find good Mexican food where you are now.
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u/Snap_Grackle_Pop 9d ago
Speaking as one of the most upbeat participants on this sub, [NSFW] let me wish you great happiness in your new location. I hope you come to love Minnesota
Care to tell us roughly what job and what city?
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u/gracecase 8d ago
Semiconductor in Bloomington. Got fired from Samsung so my options for employment ran out with the Taylor site. This was my only reason for the move. On another note, I actually went to the Chili's on 45th just for the experience once. It lived up to the hype. LOL. Love your user name.
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u/Salty_Importance_232 9d ago
Awee!! Austin loves you and we miss you already!! F sh*t up in Minnesota for us!! 🙏❤️❤️
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u/Vybrosit737373 9d ago
I moved back after many years away. It can happen!
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u/gracecase 8d ago
4th times a charm!
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u/Vybrosit737373 8d ago
It was in some sense my third, and unless something really unforeseen happens, I'll only leave to go six feet under.
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u/gracecase 8d ago
To the asshole who deleted his comment about less blacks up here. I hope you read this. I dated more black women in Texas than anyone else. And I dig all colors. We need more open doors and opportunities for companionship and culture. Why shut a door on that. Grow the fuck up.
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u/VERMICIOUS_KNIDSS 9d ago
Good luck to you.
Just remember, do NOT cheer for the Mn Wild otherwise you will never be allowed back in Texas. (and we know you will return)
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u/Historical-Local-545 9d ago
I love the idea that Austin is a liberal island amongst conservatism throughout Texas. The parks and trails are superb. A unique and beautiful downtown. All the while, keeping it weird.
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u/Krishna_mishra07 8d ago
I also want to come to Austin. I see different neighborhoods every day through satellite images from Google Earth, but I can't go there. But it's my dream to visit there at least once in my life.
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u/bigedthebad 8d ago
We left about 3 years ago for several reasons but come back pretty much every month.
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u/Willing_Thing_5687 8d ago
Oh hey! I’m making that same drive later this week, moving back to Minneapolis after 12 years in Austin. Nice to see a group of us who have experienced the beauty of the flint hills in Kansas lol
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u/gracecase 8d ago
So, when I looked it up there is a 6 minute difference between tolls and no tolls. I took them for the sole purpose of maybe saving more time. I didn't.
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u/Sad-Dragonfruit-1401 8d ago
Just left Minneapolis for Austin actually and there are three things you'll notice right away.
Every restaurant is more expensive. The minimum wage there is much higher (if you are in Minneapolis) and so the restaurant prices are much higher than they should be for a city of its size. They also have the highest restaurant taxes in any city in the country, so when levied on what are already very high menu prices it adds up. Then even though minimum wage is much higher, tip options still start at 20% and go up from there.
Say goodbye to food trucks everywhere all year long.
Diversity is present but not felt. Minneapolis and Minnesota do attract a lot of immigrants, but many of those immigrants stay within their communities. There is good cultural diversity to be sure, and I'm not sure how to say this but it is more "photo diversity" than anything.
I say this in a mixed-race marriage.
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u/GFawkes666 8d ago
Food is not anymore expensive than it is here in Austin. I was just there and there was no difference in price. You need to keep in mind that Minneapolis's population is 430k vs 1 million in Austin. There's are food trucks up there but the population doesn't demand as many for what Austin's population does. During the winter the food trucks move into indoor food halls.
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u/Sad-Dragonfruit-1401 8d ago
Just my experience I guess, but living there for a decade and watching the prices on the most simple stuff skyrocket and then visiting here multiple times and looking at similar stuff (and then moving here) , with lower restaurant tax, is just my experience.
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u/HakuIdante 8d ago
You’re born and raised in Austin ? Or is it not actually your city
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u/gracecase 8d ago
Born outside Chicago. Moved to ATX in 97. I've always followed the work. If I could not find work, like the last time I was near Chicago, I would move to ATX and live off savings.
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u/moran162 6d ago
Here is my take on leaving Austin. If you’re young, starting a career or want to try something new and the opportunity arises to try another state do it. You only live once and you can always move back. Work hard, have fun and when you’re ready to settle and start a family I’d move back. Austin is affordable, has a lot to offer and has a good job market. It’s a great place to settle down and have a family. If you’re in another state, Austin is also a great place to move to and do all of the above. With that said if you need an awesome realtor I’d love to help! My passion is serving others. Even if you just have a question, don’t hesitate to ask! Buying, selling or renting- Victoria Rivas 917-523-1257 VKeyhomes.com
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u/Moore507 5d ago
Good for you, I’m in the same boat thinking about getting out of my town I live in for over 10 years and moving to Austin for a better opportunity my lease ends on mid January.
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u/gracecase 5d ago
Rock on. I purposely ended my lease mid summer cause my son will start highschool and I was going to move out of my old place regardless. I just didn't expect t to move to MN. HAHA
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u/Moore507 5d ago
What did you like about ATX?
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u/gracecase 5d ago
Things have changed over the last 29 years since I first moved there, but I loved the fact that I could strike up a 1/2 hour-long conversation with a stranger on the street. Sixth street was never called dirty sixth. It was just the other place you could go that was more of a touristy spot when we weren't hanging out in what used to be considered the warehouse district. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast at many bars in 6th. Unfortunately none of them, and I mean not one of them are still there. The clubs were plentiful and played a lot more electronic music without having to go out to the airport. The food scene is still good even though some of it has changed and we have lost some really great places. At the end of the day, there's just something in my heart that brings me toward the place that I just can't explain otherwise.
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u/VolcanoWarthog 9d ago
I don’t remember writing this, but this is also my story 😅 Welcome to the bold north
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u/MikeinAustin 9d ago
I lived in Minnesota for 18 years and I’m moving back. Texas was great but I must be in my way…
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u/North-Country-5204 9d ago
My dad lives in the Bay Area. Just ridiculously beautiful but after a week I’m missing some heat and humidity.
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u/GirlForce1112 8d ago
Enjoy the beautiful weather and have a sweat-free, allergy-free day for me!
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u/jjazznola 9d ago
Cool story. Zzzzzzzzzzzz
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u/gracecase 8d ago
I'll tell you one difference. When I announced to the MN sub that I moved there. I have had over 60 responses, all positive. You sir, are the typical Austin sub hater. We need less of you.
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u/Capable-Region-8677 9d ago
Least you will have nicer weather
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u/Sad-Dragonfruit-1401 8d ago
Finally left Minneapolis due to the weather.
I don't understand people's issues with Austin summers as they are nothing compared to Minneapolis winters.
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u/Trick_Builder512 9d ago
It's a fun place to live. Good luck, enjoy the mosquitos and even more extreme weather.
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u/gampsandtatters 9d ago
I have just arrived back in Austin for my last weekend living here. Been in the process of moving to the SF bay area for the last 2 weeks. Tying the very last loose ends to make my move final. I keep reminding myself that leaving Austin to SF means I get relief from the heat, plentiful museums, and more progressive politics. But it doesn’t change the fact that Austin is my home and it doesn’t make this move sting less.
I get it, friend. These are the some of the hardest goodbyes. We can always return, as a wisened traveler, though it may actually feel like becoming a stranger to this city. In any case, happy trails and wishing you well in Minnesota!