Texas or North Carolina?

SidePocket · July 1, 2009 1:31PM

Maybe the title of this thread will sound sports related and keep it here for a while.

OK, in between looking at Felicia's rips, I'd appreciate any input on the following -

Thinking of moving to either Austin, Texas or Wilmington, North Carolina. Never been to either town but I've been house hunting on the net and coming from Southern California the prices look great.

Anyone live in either place? Or visited for a while? Which would you choose and why?

samspop · July 1, 2009 1:35PM

I lived in Wilmington for (2) years in my college days. Great place!! Lots to do, climate is wonderful. No experience with Texas, but if you need more info, I have a friend that sells real estate down there.

BunchOBull · July 1, 2009 1:37PM

Both are great places. Wilmington is an amazing old coastal town with great weather. Austin is a neat city with history and night life...much more fast paced.

It really depends on what you value. If you want simple life with gorgeous views, Coastal Carolina is great. If you want cultural diversity, college sports, hopping night scene, Austin is one of the best.

If you want a combination of both, Charleston, SC is an amazing city.

SOM · July 1, 2009 1:37PM

If you hate Texas, you'll love Austin!

samspop · July 1, 2009 1:49PM

<< If you want a combination of both, Charleston, SC is an amazing city. >>

Once you get out of "Old" Charleston, the city itself is actually pretty rough. It is a wonderful place to visit, but you have to be careful where you plant your roots.

slantycouch · July 1, 2009 1:58PM

Just spent a weekend in Wilmington and had a great time. Definitely a "beach town" though. If you like that lifestyle, seems like a good place.

lsutigers1973 · July 1, 2009 2:27PM

Austin is awesome! If you are a fan of rock or country music, for some reason the big names all hover to Austin. Plus, the college chicks are hot.

billwaltonsbeard · July 1, 2009 2:39PM

I live in Austin. Awesome place, just for the weather alone. It gets really hot here, but very little humidity.

On the other hand, in NC, you'll be sweating buckets when it's 80 degrees

SidePocket · July 1, 2009 2:55PM

Bill, my daughter would be one of those hot college chicks!

Beard, how much rainfall in Austin? How's the winter? What do you think of Lake Travis?

lsutigers1973 · July 1, 2009 3:00PM

<< Bill, my daughter would be one of those hot college chicks! >>

My bad

bighurt2000 · July 1, 2009 4:20PM

Nothing good has ever come out of Texas but Ross.

James

bobbyw8469 · July 1, 2009 8:09PM

I'm from NC....Wilmington is nice...just buy extra insurance, and make sure you aren't near the ocean, just in case!

cwazzy · July 1, 2009 9:45PM

<< Nothing good has ever come out of Texas but Ross.

James >>

Technically Ross came out of Georgia and went to Texas.

BunchOBull · July 1, 2009 10:25PM

<< 

<< If you want a combination of both, Charleston, SC is an amazing city. >>

Once you get out of "Old" Charleston, the city itself is actually pretty rough. It is a wonderful place to visit, but you have to be careful where you plant your roots. >>

This is true. However, in spots, Austin has major disparity too. The west side of the city is not the same as the east side of the city.

BunchOBull · July 1, 2009 10:25PM

<< Nothing good has ever come out of Texas but Ross.

James >>

Haha, thanks James!

billwaltonsbeard · July 1, 2009 10:30PM

<< Bill, my daughter would be one of those hot college chicks!

Beard, how much rainfall in Austin? How's the winter? What do you think of Lake Travis? >>

I dont have actual rainfull numbers, but there isn't much during the summer months. During winter, it might dip below freezing for a few days in January or February, but overall pretty mild.

nightcrawler · July 1, 2009 10:59PM

<< Nothing good has ever come out of Texas but Ross.

James >>

A wild boast.

tunahead08 · July 2, 2009 12:00AM

If you move to Austin, just make sure that you love sitting in traffic. It's a cool town but the traffic is insane and no one there knows how to drive, especially in the rain.

saucywombat · July 2, 2009 12:06AM

Color me unimpressed by Wilmington "proper" - largely a series of busy highways lined by suburban Atlanta style strip malls. The downtown area is very small, especially the parts you feel comfortable walking around. It is in close proximity to the beach however.

As far as SC - check out Beaufort, Georgetown, Pawley's Island, Hilton Head, Bluffton, Mount Pleasant, Charleston (good suburbs include Daniel Island, James Island, Folly Beach, Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms), all these areas are in the vein of whaty draws people to Wilmington.

Texoma · July 2, 2009 12:25AM

<< Bill, my daughter would be one of those hot college chicks!

Beard, how much rainfall in Austin? How's the winter? What do you think of Lake Travis? >>

Sidepocket--we're having the worst two-year drought in Austin in the last 100 years. Winters are great--you can basically play golf 350 days a year. Lake Travis is great but parents with young kids can get tendonitis shielding their eyes from all the topless co-eds sunbathing at Hippie Hollow and Barton Springs! Oops--just saw that about your daughter!

Seriously Austin is one of the great cities in the world, libs and conservatives all get along pretty well. It's definitely the most liberal city in Texas and nothing boring about it. We put up "No Vacancy" signs since 1979 but nobody pays any attention! We live a few blocks west of the Capitol, there's lots of real estate "bargains" in the older neighborhoods right now. I was born here and they'll have to bury me here under an old scrub oak someday. I don't know many if any who ever moved here that don't love it.

billwaltonsbeard · July 2, 2009 12:29AM

<< I don't know many if any who ever moved here that don't love it. >>

I'll second that. It's very rare to meet someone here who was actually born in Austin. Most people have moved here for school or work and never left. I don't ever want to leave either.

BunchOBull · July 2, 2009 12:43AM

<< 
As far as SC - check out Beaufort, Georgetown, Pawley's Island, Hilton Head, Bluffton, Mount Pleasant, Charleston (good suburbs include Daniel Island, James Island, Folly Beach, Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms), all these areas are in the vein of whaty draws people to Wilmington. >>

If you were to end up in any of these places, I recommend taking up metal detecting. It's a fun hobby and there are many treasures to me found up and down that coastal stretch.

From a historical sense, Beaufort is one of the most undervalued coastal cities. If you love the outdoors, Beaufort is great.

I lived outside of Savannah, GA during college and loved every minute of it. Did the trek to Hilton Head, Charleston, even Myrtle Beach fairly often. Also went south to places like Brunswick, St. Augustine, and the Georgia isles. These places have something that the Gulf Coast just seems to be lacking.

Nathaniel1960 · July 2, 2009 12:44AM

NC for sure. Only two things in Texas....remember that. Not that there's anything wrong with it.

Goot · July 2, 2009 2:50AM

Me and some buddies went on a roadtrip to NC last year to surf the Outer Banks. We stopped and camped in Wilmington for a few days and I loved it. It's a lot like where I live, a small and friendly beach town. If it wasn't for out of state tuition, I could've definitely seen myself going there for school. I've never been to Austin, but a family friend lives there and they seem to like it just fine.

fuj · July 2, 2009 3:08AM

<< 

<< I don't know many if any who ever moved here that don't love it. >>

I'll second that. It's very rare to meet someone here who was actually born in Austin. Most people have moved here for school or work and never left. I don't ever want to leave either. >>

I worked in Austin for 6 months during the summer of 2000 and visited again 2 years ago. Both times I really enjoyed it and had some great times there. People were extremely friendly and there were lots of great restaurants. I can't speak for NC, but based on my experiences I would highly recommend Austin.

SidePocket · July 2, 2009 1:02PM

All right, now I've got some more towns to check out! And it sounds like both Wilmington and Austin are great places. They've got some great "discovery" packages available, $99 for 3 days and 2 nights. Gonna do that I think. Keep the comments and suggestions coming, this is great info!

gregm13 · July 2, 2009 9:47PM

<< Both are great places. Wilmington is an amazing old coastal town with great weather. Austin is a neat city with history and night life...much more fast paced.

It really depends on what you value. If you want simple life with gorgeous views, Coastal Carolina is great. If you want cultural diversity, college sports, hopping night scene, Austin is one of the best.

If you want a combination of both, Charleston, SC is an amazing city. >>

My wife and I absolutely LOVE Charleston. We would love to move there, however there are no jobs nearby for my profession (International Corporate Tax Manager). We've thought of moving to Charlotte, NC to be near Charleston....

Back to the original questions - I've been to Austin and everything previously said about the nightlife is true. I enjoyed visiting, however it's hotter than h*ll in the summer. I'm talking fry an egg on the sidewalk hot...keep that in mind. I had a chance to relocate to Houston last year but chose Wichita, KS instead (no bashing please...).

Rgs,

Greg M.

MBMiller25 · July 2, 2009 10:52PM

Just moved to North Carolina from Florida. Love the Charlotte area of NC. Been to Wilmington NC and Austin TX. many times, you would really enjoy Wilmington, just need to keep your eye on the storms (I.E. Hurricanes) in the summer months.

saucywombat · July 3, 2009 6:17AM

<< 

<< Both are great places. Wilmington is an amazing old coastal town with great weather. Austin is a neat city with history and night life...much more fast paced.

It really depends on what you value. If you want simple life with gorgeous views, Coastal Carolina is great. If you want cultural diversity, college sports, hopping night scene, Austin is one of the best.

If you want a combination of both, Charleston, SC is an amazing city. >>

My wife and I absolutely LOVE Charleston. We would love to move there, however there are no jobs nearby for my profession (International Corporate Tax Manager). We've thought of moving to Charlotte, NC to be near Charleston....

Back to the original questions - I've been to Austin and everything previously said about the nightlife is true. I enjoyed visiting, however it's hotter than h*ll in the summer. I'm talking fry an egg on the sidewalk hot...keep that in mind. I had a chance to relocate to Houston last year but chose Wichita, KS instead (no bashing please...).

Rgs,

Greg M. >>

I have a client who commutes to Charlotte and comes home on the weekends to Mount Pleasant where his wife stays all week.

Texas or North Carolina?

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