Going Vacation Home Shopping in Austin

[David Frederick]

I've been visiting happenin' live music places for the last couple of years since I retired. I've been to NYC, Nashville, and Austin. Where I live there is rarely any live music that is interesting enough to get me off the couch and my own band rarely plays more than once a month. I decided to see what I could find in one of these areas within my limited budget for a vacation home to spend a few months a year.

 

NYC was the best but too expensive. I went Nashville last week and property was reasonable but,even though I loved it for a few days, I think the music scene is a bit one dimensional for an old funk/hard rocker like me(I stayed in the downtown Broadway area so I probably missed a lot).

 

I loved Austin when I was there two years ago. Within a three block area I could see everything from metal to jazz to bluegrass so I'm flying back there and try to find something out in the country in that area. I'm real excited and had to share. David

[Riffster]

...(I stayed in the downtown Broadway area so I probably missed a lot).

 

I loved Austin when I was there two years ago. Within a three block area I could see everything from metal to jazz to bluegrass so I'm flying back there and try to find something out in the country in that area. I'm real excited and had to share. David

 

Going to the Honky Tonk area in Nashville is not the place to go in Nashville if you are a rocker, I probably could have have given you some advice.

 

If you only stayed on that side of town you missed a lot but I understand, a lot of music venues are spread around town.

 

My wife and I went to the Exit/In last night and we had a great time, the 3 bands that played there were great.

 

Austin is great too, my wife and I considered relocating there but we would lose too much money in the process.

 

Real estate taxes are definitely higher in Texas than what we pay here in TN, even in Davidson County where Nashville is located. But then again you are coming from NY so real estate taxes down here may be laughable to you.

[ChanMan]

Yep. Nashville is very musically diverse, but you have to know where to look. Country is easy to find :)

[David Frederick]

Yep. Nashville is very musically diverse, but you have to know where to look. Country is easy to find :)

 

You got that right about the country. Some of it very good too. I was surprised to find many live bands and single acts playing at lunch time and most of the musicians were very friendly. I saw a girl bass player and drummer in three different bands and three different bars. I did get down to a bad *** blues jam on Printers Alley. I tried to stay within drunken crawling distance of my hotel. Cool place.

[ChanMan]

I tried to stay within drunken crawling distance of my hotel. Cool place.

 

 

You, sir, are a wise man :D

 

 

I hear Austin is a great town... let us know how it turns out and post up some pics of your new place!

[shaved_ape]

Austin is a cool spot. I am from Dallas and not necessarily a huge fan of Austin but I know the scene down there is active. Supposedly austin is the safest city to move to financially.

 

My only warning is that from 1991-2001 *roughly* the music scene and the whole scene in Texas was in Dallas, mainly because of Reverend Horton Heat and Pantera. Trends in Texas seem to travel in 10 year increments and 10 years is almost up in Austin. That is not to say that it will not stay in Austin but it should wind down soon.

 

If I were to bet any money on where the scene will be next I would say San Antonio, it's not a far drive to Austin in case the scene stays out there for a little longer, but I am only warning you that if you spend a lot of money and energy moving down there, it could possibly wind down soon.

 

But you should like Texas, I can't stand the weather, almost quoting SRV but when it gets hot out here it gets hot and morbidly humid. Traffic in Austin is bad day and night.

 

But after that, those are the only warnings I will heed.

[David Frederick]

Austin is a cool spot. I am from Dallas and not necessarily a huge fan of Austin but I know the scene down there is active. Supposedly austin is the safest city to move to financially.

 

My only warning is that from 1991-2001 *roughly* the music scene and the whole scene in Texas was in Dallas, mainly because of Reverend Horton Heat and Pantera. Trends in Texas seem to travel in 10 year increments and 10 years is almost up in Austin. That is not to say that it will not stay in Austin but it should wind down soon.

 

If I were to bet any money on where the scene will be next I would say San Antonio, it's not a far drive to Austin in case the scene stays out there for a little longer, but I am only warning you that if you spend a lot of money and energy moving down there, it could possibly wind down soon.

 

But you should like Texas, I can't stand the weather, almost quoting SRV but when it gets hot out here it gets hot and morbidly humid. Traffic in Austin is bad day and night.

 

But after that, those are the only warnings I will heed.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm not too worried about being in the latest cutting edge Texas hot spot for breaking into the bigtime. I'm old and realistic about my talents and ambitions. I think of Austin as more timeless like Nashville or Greenwich Village than a current hot spot like Seattle or San Francisco or as you mentioned Dallas a few years ago. I was there two years ago and next to NYC it is the coolest music place I've ever been. I know it's been a great music town since the late 60's at least and I'm sure it won't die before my old *** does. I'm not spending a lot of money or moving there. Just a small vacation place to spend a couple of months a year. Oh Yeah and even though it may not be the current hot spot, I bet Dallas still has a pretty cool music scene. David

[jaxson50]

Austin has a good scene, you should try San Diego out to...maybe spend a week in January down in the Palm Springs Calif. area if you like golf and sun...there is a good music scene in both places, but the living cost maybe a bit higher then Austin.

[rocketman]

Austin is a great place. If you can find a place to stay near 6th street then I'd highly recommend it. Don't forget to check out SRV's statue and the bat bridge (not sure about the bats this time of year though).

[NeoConMan]

North and west of Austin is cool.

If you're thinking of semi-country living, the Texas Hill country is hard to beat.

I've always said I have no need to ever go east of I-35.

Spent lotsa years all over Texas, most of my family is there.

 

 

In town, I dunno.

College town, and about as liberal as it gets in Texas.

There's a sizable contingent in the area that would fancy making Austin the California of Texas.

If you're not a hard-core Right-winger like me, you'll probably find that there's still a good balance there.

 

 

Music scene?

I can tell you that even in the lean years, Austin is hard to beat.

Houston and Dallas are huge towns with a roller-coaster music scene.

Austin goes from good to great and then back to good, without ever getting bad.

Been that way since the early seventies, I know this for a fact.

[Shnate McDuanus]

NYC is nice to visit, but a b*tch to live in.

And every time you visit, bring your wallet and everything you can fill it with--you'll need the large bills.

Trust me, I lived there for the first seventeen years of my life.

[NeoConMan]

If you're retired it might not be a big deal, but Texas has no state income tax. B)

[David Frederick]

NeoConMan, Thanks for the info. I'm a slightly right of center independant so I should be fine and a "good" music scene as opposed to "great" is just fine for me. How are the gun laws in Texas? I'm a retired Peace Officer, hunter and gun nut (that's why I lived in AZ even while working in CA). A doctor that I worked with at my job told me the same thing about the North West hill country. The places I had planned to look at are on the East side( Thrall,Cedar Creek, Leander} because of the prices but I'll do a little more research. I leave tomorrow.

 

Rocketman,

My hotel is at 6th and Guadalupe, a couple of blocks from Congress so I should be close to the scene.

 

XDemon,

I hear ya on the money issue in NYC. That's the only reason I ruled it out. My pension is not that good.

 

Thanks everybody. David

[NeoConMan]

NeoConMan, Thanks for the info.

I'm a slightly right of center independant so I should be fine

Right on! B)

 

 

 

How are the gun laws in Texas?

None better in the USA.

Arizona would be a close second.

 

 

 

 

I'm a retired Peace Officer, hunter and gun nut (that's why I lived in AZ even while working in CA).

Cool.

I was born in CA - got out when I was still an infant.

Went back 35 years later, saw that I missed nothing.

[WahKeen]

I lived in Austin for 14 years, and it's definitely a libby town . They have a popular bumper sticker that's says ' keep austin weird' . That it really is.

[Riffster]

The number of Mom and Pop's and One-Off Restaurants in Austin is impressive, a lot of good stuff to choose from.

 

South Austin is the origin of the "Keep Austin Weird" if I remember correctly. meaning support local business.

 

Just by looking at the layout of the city on a map you can tell traffic is a b!tch.

 

If you like beer I recommend the Ginger Man nice clean bar with tons of beer to choose from. Not too far from 6th and Guadalupe. They moved one block a couple of years ago, so if it looks closed you are at the old location.

[David Frederick]

The number of Mom and Pop's and One-Off Restaurants in Austin is impressive, a lot of good stuff to choose from.

 

South Austin is the origin of the "Keep Austin Weird" if I remember correctly. meaning support local business.

 

Just by looking at the layout of the city on a map you can tell traffic is a b!tch.

 

If you like beer I recommend the Ginger Man nice clean bar with tons of beer to choose from. Not too far from 6th and Guadalupe. They moved one block a couple of years ago, so if it looks closed you are at the old location.

 

 

Mmmmmm! Much beer, close to hotel, Dave like. LOL

[Jon S.]

I went to Austin a few years back to play at SXSW, and completely fell in love with the place-I didn't want to leave! The weather was great, and there was a lot of good food. Also, there's a hat shop on 5th(or 6th) Ave that had every random hat in every random size you'd ever want!