Sold the house in s. Austin in June and made a killing (bought at $108k in '93). The wife and I could've moved anywhere (retired). Liked Colorado but was finding it hard to move to a blue state plus the winters are too cold for this Texas boy. Florida was a possibility but too far away from the wife's grandkids and daughter. I liked Destin or somewhere in Florida along the gulf coast. So decided to stay in Texas (and do our part to keep it red).
Houston: nope. Too much sprawl/too much traffic/too humid/> air pollution
Dallas: nope. Been there done that ('80's). Too big/traffic/too cosmo for me
S.A.: maybe. Got use to SA having driven over there alot (from Austin) during the 90's and 2000'sfor work. Getting around the city much easier than H or D town. Good restaurants and getting better. Close to the hill country (have-motorcycle-will-travel). Several hrs. to the beach.
Fort Worth: Probably gets my first place vote for what others have said about it above.
Bastrop: where we decided to settle into. Close to wife's daughter and grandkids, I'm close to my hometown of College Station and 2 of my siblings (the other in Houston), close enough to Austin to restaurants, concerts, friends, can still get to the beach in 3-1/2 hrs, quaint fun little downtown with a nice riverside park (and bar!), and has just about everything one needs (except a Costco or Sam's Club).
So far, so good.
