Texas Monthly dubs Austin its 2023 'Bum Steer of the Year'

https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/2023-bum-steer-of-year-austin/

All fair points.

If I didn't have such a good social group here, I'd probably move back to San Antonio. Much more affordable and laid back, which I like.

Sadly, I work in Tech and am part of the problem.

Name a city that has stayed the same. All of Texas has had a massive influx. I hate it, but it is what it is.

"The Austin of 2022 isn't just different, it's unrecognizable."

At least the tech bros live here. On the east side, the weekenders absolutely make Austin feel like a theme park.

If you have a 17/18 year old you were barely young in Austin in this millennium.

Austin changes every day, and the golden era was always the year you moved here. Something's are better, something's are worse. It's still a vibrant city with the best downtown of any Texas city, outside Houston on a game night. San Antonio is also vastly underrated
We have younger kids and still prefer Austin to the lake and the Hill Country but do spend a few weeks a year in Port A

It's a great place to build a Tech business, the talent is still top notch at a good price but the music scene is all but forgotten

Wife and I moved back to Texas because she got a job and helped build a specialty vet hospital. We originally lived in Wimberley (11 yrs) but the commute brought us into town (Brentwood) in 2012. We love the town and though we are far from old time Austinites, it's changed. We have our favorite restaurants east of 35, south of river, and Domain. We're retiring and out of here in next 1-2 years, primarily because we're done with the cold weather but it's also getting so big. Austin catches a lot of s*** on TA from the demagogues. I think you could enjoy life here as an R or L. I would still choose it over my hometown of FW.

When I interview people, that's the biggest selling point. We've been able to work here in semiconductors for more than thirty years. All the years have been golden. When I first moved here, it was a college town in the hill country with no good jobs, lots of fun though. The 80's were fun but mostly spent in college with many visits to Austin. The '90's were the DINK years. First kid showed up in '01, last in '06. We live in the hills and can walk to a shopping center with a few good places to eat and an HEB. The feeling is remote hill country rural. Each year has been better than the previous. It has been a great place to raise kids. It would be difficult to leave, everyone we know lives here.

The article has fair points, but also ignores a lot. It complains of crime, and homelessness, but yet the city residents and its electe(D) officials play a large role in why it is as bad as it is now. Article then presided to take cheap shots at Elon and others for moving here, yet them moving companies here provide tons of jobs, and other financial opportunities that they would otherwise not be afforded.

Also, what other town in TX hasn't changed, or grown? Anywhere worth living has seen an increase in population. The problem is yes, rent and housing is rising, but the cities decision to not enforce laws/criminals, as well as embracing homelessness is one huge reason why you are seeing the suburbs around town boom. Those 3 bed/bath houses downtown are now being rented out by 8 different individuals with no job living off the govt. I'd gtfo too if I was a local. They are building their little surf town because nobody wants to drive downtown, or live downtown anymore if they don't have too.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you....