Anyone here lived or from the Southwest? LATEST: We Chose Austin

[theavrock]

So I am graduating in May and then I have a year off before law school. I haven't been able to get used to the weather in my first 26 years in Wisconsin so I'm not liking my chances of coming around with another year. So I have decided its time for a change.

Basically I want to go somewhere warm without crazy humidity, so the Southwest is looking pretty good. Cities we have in mind are Austin, Tucson and Albuquerque. We are looking for something at least as big as Milwaukee is and has the same sort of vibe as far as people and things to do.

I'm 26 and my lady is 25 so we are young and will definitely be looking for a place that doesn't shut down at 5 pm and has lots of things to do.

Also I will be getting a dog after graduation so somewhere that is dog friendly is a definite plus.

So does anyone out there in Brewer land have any thoughts? I would love to hear from people who have spent some time in the cities there, good, bad, ugly it doesn't matter.

[DHonks]

Besides U of A, I haven't heard many positive things about Tucson as a hip place. It's pretty much just the University, retirees, a new working class, and immigrants.

 

I live in the Phoenix area, and for the 5th largest metro area, it's a breeze to get around. I've always thought Prescott, AZ had a fun vibe, as it's got some snow, some warmth, and no humidity. It has been rated the top location to retire to several times in the last 10 years

[bullox]

Vegas has a couple of things to do. I like it.

 

A lot of people don't like the city for various reasons, but it can be a pretty decent place to live.

[InsomniacInkRoss]

Your post reminded me of this Michael Silver said:

...Austin and Madison are home to important and vibrant state universities, thriving social scenes and more intellectually curious and interesting people, per capita, than anywhere else in their respective states, by far.
Let's go a step further and declare this: In my all-knowing opinion, beyond Texas and Wisconsin, there is no other state in the union in which one city is so clearly a cooler place to live than all others.

 

Full mostly unrelated article here: LINK

 

Everything I have heard about Austin seems to fall in line with that, and its an awesome place for younger people. The South by Southwest (SXSW) festival alone should sell you on moving there. SXSW LINK

[blatzlight]

I lived in Tucson when I went you U of A and that is pretty much the city. Not really a place a ton of people stick around too. One of my best friend is from Albuquerque and he always talks about going back. I have visited Austin and would move there pretty quickly. The people are very nice, night life is awesome, there is a lake right there and the weather is supurb. Pretty much Madison but not quite as many lefties in a hell of lot better climate.

[homer]

Tucson sucks. I lived in Phoenix for four years and it's pretty cool (well, not in the summer) although I'm not into the car culture so it sort of got old for me. San Diego would be another option - great weather year round and lots to do. Plenty of walkable neighborhoods.

[OldHoss]

I lived in Albuquerque in '94 and '95. I'm sure the nightlife/culture has changed quite a bit since I was there, so I won't be much help there. But, here's what I can tell you:

 

I loved living there. I could hike, backpack, camp, climb or ski (seasonally) every weekend without driving more than 2 hours. Summer days are brutal if you can't get to the shade. But if you can manage to stay in the shade, it's not really that bad.

 

It'll definitely be a change of scenery. Albuquerque is the desert and there's not a lot of grass or greenery. It takes some getting used to and you'll either like it or you won't. I was one who liked it.

 

As far as dogs go, albuqureque was very dog-friendly when I lived there. However, you really need to think about the type of dog you're getting. With not a lot of grass and the hot summers, your dog is going to be inside the house a lot during the summer. Maybe not the best choice for a very active Lab or Retriever.

 

I liked Tuscon a lot, but then it reminds me of Albuquerque.

 

I've visited Austin, but never made it far from the downtown area. There was a lot to do there there, but for whatever reason, the architectural feel of the city didn't do anything for me -- but that's really all of Texas, for me. Couldn't see myslef living there. Maybe the areas just outside of Austin are better?

 

If you don't mind a smaller town and want some more greenery, check out Durango. I have some friends who still live there and love it. They say it's lost a lot of the dirty hippie vibe that turned some people off to it.

 

Also, don't rule out Salt Lake City, especially if you like to ski. If I had to do it over again, I would have liked to try to put roots down there. Vibrant city, good nightlife, great climate, great outdoor activities and not all that expensive.

 

Best of luck!

[UeckerAddict]

I live in Austin. I moved here, quite simply, because it is the best city that I have ever been to in this country, and I've been to a lot. Pros: Weather, best live music scene in the U.S., South x Southwest (Two weeks away!), Alamo Draft house (even Roger Ebert admitted that the Austin Alamo Draft houses are the best move theaters in the country), Lake Travis, best music and movie stores I've ever scene (I know the world has gone gaga over NetFlix, but I could never abandon the awesomeness of I Luv Video) Big 12 football, many movies being filmed here (common to see Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, and Richard Linklater around) and The Round Rock Express are 8 minutes out of town, meaning I get to see the Nashville Sounds a couple times a year. Plus, I can make the two hour drive to Houston when the Brewers are here. The one con is that job competition is stiff. Austin is still where it's at.

[theavrock]

Wow thanks for all the awesome responses! I'll try and respond with what I can.

 

First off from what I heard the Tucson climate is a little more moderated compared to Phoenix because of the elevation. Am I correct in that? Does it make any difference. Don't get me wrong I want somewhere hot without the snow and cold of Wisconsin, but then again I am from Wisconsin. Also Phoenix is probably a little bigger than we are looking for population wise, but maybe I could be swayed if you guys have some other things to say about it. Sounds like Tucson isn't really getting much love here anyways.

 

 

Secondly. OldHoss thanks for the comments on Albuquerque. From the way everyone talks about it, it seems like a very underrated city. Like you said I'm sure its changed some but would you classify it as a sleepy mountain town, a town that happens to be surrounded buy mountains or something all together?

 

 

As far as Austin goes, you guys have pretty much confirmed what I have heard about it. I love music and I know I would love that scene there. One concern that I have is one thing I am getting sick of in Milwaukee is that the whole social scene revolves around going out to the bars and getting hammered. Now I love to booze it up as much of the next guy, but is Austin that way as well? Also I have heard the traffic sucks and there isnt really good public transit. Any thoughts on that? Finally do you guys have any recommendations for neighborhoods and areas to look at for a couple our age?

 

 

Lastly. San Diego? Would love to but for some personal reasons its not an option. Vegas? Way too many vices that I have that could be further enhanced being there. Salt Lake CIty I hadn't really thought about. It would seem like there is more snow and cold there than I want? Also does it have the sun that the other places on my list do? As far as weather goes Im pretty picky. Lots of sun, low humidity, don't really want to see below 40 degrees.

 

 

Thanks so much! I knew Brewerfan would have good advice. Keep 'em coming guys!

[InsomniacInkRoss]

SLC weather averages and such: http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USUT0225?from=month_bottomnav_undeclared

 

I have a friend in SLC and it seems to be similar to Denver, you see a lot of sun, it might snow 6 inches, but then you get 40s or 50s the next day. There is a wildfire danger there though. There are just a handful of bars in SLC, really. You need to have a membership to the bar to be allowed to drink there.

 

Phoenix has the 2nd most kidnappings in the world, the WORLD. Granted, 99% of the time it's people who are involved in shady things, but, still.

 

I would not want to live within 4 hours of Las Vegas, for self preservation purposes.

[DHonks]

InsomniacInkRoss, Phoenix has kidnappings, but Tucson has more Mexican gang violence given its proximity to Nogales.

 

Tucson is like 5 degrees cooler than Phoenix, so that means it's only 113 in the summer, not 118 degrees. Really, it's no different.

[Nottso]

We rode the bike out to Tucson on our quest to find our retirement spot (still looking). I hated it. It's horrible. It's ugly, it's hot, and everything is the same shade of brown. The ground is brown, the plants are brown, the buildings are brown, the water (what little of it there is) is brown; everything is brown, and it's not even a pretty brown. It's just brown. It's also filthy, with more litter than anyplace I've ever seen. It was the most depressing place I've ever been, bar none, and I've been a lot of places. After leaving Tucson, we rode up to Phoenix (which was somewhat better) and hooked up with some old friends. We then rode across The High Country, which was absolutely gorgeous. What I learned was, that for me personally, I gotta have green. I need grass, and trees, and rolling hills, and creeks and rivers. I wonder if that wouldn't be true for anyone coming from Wisconsin. We really do live in a beautiful place, if it weren't for these wretched winters. Best of luck in your search.

[OldHoss]

I don't think I'd call Albuquerque a mountain town. When i think of mountain towns, I think of Vail or Aspen. While there are a good deal of outdoor enthusiests there, the hardcore skiiers all live north of Santa Fe, closer to Taos. However, the Sandias run though the eastern-most portion of the city: http://www.sandiapeak.com/ They're not the biggest or tallest chain of mountains. But they're good for day hikes. At the same time, there is no end to the hiking, camping, mountain biking, etc. within two hours of the city. I really enjoyed the San Pedro Parks Wilderness area, which was about 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive from the city.

The Mexican and Indian cultures are central to Albuquerque's identity. It's a very diverse, but very integrated city, at least from what I remember. Almost everything is adobe. It's really hard to explain what exactly Albuquequre is, but you'll know it when you see it. But there is definitely something that is very unique to Albuquerque. And like I said, I loved it.

If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Good Luck!

[homer]

Another neat spot is Flagstaff - although that might be a little cool for your taste. I've heard really good things about Santa Fe too - it's more artsy and bohemian than Albuquerque from what I understand. They filmed The Tau of Steve there.

[brewblue1]

I live in Albuquerque now. It's great! The climate is mild year round, with highs in the 90's in the summer and mid 30's in the winter. We usually get one or two good snow events here, which contributes to nice skiing and other winter sports. The summers don't feel so hot because of the dryness, it literally cools off about 10 degrees in the shade. The high desert landscape is beautiful, especially the starkness of the frontier on the west side of town. While not a "mountain" town, Albuquerque sits at 5280 feet above sea level, just one foot below Denver. Most of Albuquerque sits higher than that, with the northeast side of town rising over 6000 ft. The outdoors opportunities here are astounding due to the Sandia, Manzano and other small mountain ranges providing lots of challenging hikes or bikes or climbs. The Rio Grande flows through the center of town providing some nice easier hiking and biking opportunities in the bosque(forest) surrounding the river.

 

There are lots of GREAT restaurants in ABQ. The local New Mexican cuisine is addictive, I eat a breakfast burrito with red chile at least 3 times a week. There are a lot of fantastic Vietnamese restaurants, several amazing greek and italian places and of course, great Mexican as well. There are several very good micro breweries in town as well, my favorite being the Marble Brewery downtown. The nightlife here is a little slow, the downtown area being the only place that has clubs that stay open late, but the Nob Hill area is improving, several bars and restaurants have been opened in the last year, and the night life is beginning to improve.

 

ABQ has the Isotopes, the Dodgers AAA team. Isotopes Park is one of the best parks in the minors an is a GREAT place to watch a game! We also have a NBADL team and a minor league hockey team. There has been talk of trying to attract a WNBA team as well. The Uof NM Lobos provide some great sports as well. The Pit is one of the best basketball arenas in the NCAA.

 

The culture here is very good as well. The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra (I play trumpet with them) is a fine regional orchestra that gives weekly concerts. There is also lots of chamber music and the Opera Southwest. Like Santa Fe to the northeast, there are lots of art galleries, especially in Old Town Albuquerque. Popejoy Auditiorium brings lots of shows and events here, as does the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

 

ABQ is a very dog friendly town. Many bars allow you to take your dogs into the building, also many have nice porches for sitting outside in the summer. The outrageous number of trails for hiking make dogs very happy!

 

Albuquerque has begun to attract many large corporations. Verizon, Fidelity Mutual and Intel have their HQ's here and the Sandia Labratories is a large employer as well. Lions Gate Studios has begun to build a movie studio, New Mexico being a popular place to shoot now. "No Country for Old Men" was filmed here, many of the scenes filmed near where I live in town. The new Terminator movie was filmed here as well.

 

Kirkland AFB is located on the south side of town, sharing the runways with the ABQ International Sunport. Its a very easy airport to get in and out of.

 

A quick word about Santa Fe. While a beautiful part of the country and very culturally oriented, it really is a boring town. There is no industry there, the schools are failing and its full of rich snobs and aggresive "townies". I go there alot to work with the Santa Fe Opera and Symphony and can't wait to get out once I'm there. It is a great place to visit, but I could not stand living there. If you're into the arts, it is a nice place to spend a few days.

 

I might add things to this list as I think of more, but the bottom line is that ABQ is a great place to live. I love it here!

[theavrock]

Albuquerque seems to just keep sounding better. Brew blue, since you live there now, do you have any suggestions on neighborhoods that some mid-20 year olds would find fun? Something that doesnt shut down at 5 pm. What parts of town are less vibrant? ,

We are used to Milwaukee where stuff is walk and bikeable, so how is the city for getting around? Is there public transit, buses etc?

As far as nightlife goes is it more pubs/taverns or is it more club oriented? I hate the clubs and although my gf graduated as a dance major she only likes to go out to dance at the clubs every once in a while.

On that note, is there any sort of dance community at all? Its not necessary but a definite plus for her to find some dance opportunities where we end up.

Also how are the winters? Is it a snow and then melt sort of thing or do you guys get extended periods of cold, ice etc? I'll probably think of more but thats all I have for now.

Finally if any Austinites are reading this I'd love to hear more about your city in the vein of these questions.

[theavrock]

Bump? Any other opinions, suggestions?

[OldHoss]

Questions for brewblue

Any of these places still around:

Jack's Lounge & Liquor Store on Central, Fabulous Dingo Bar on Gold, El Rey Main?

I've been jonesing for two food items from Albuquerque: Blake's Lottaburger with heaps and heaps of green chiles and an order of Western Style Hash Browns and a Sweet Roll from the Frontier.

Wish I was there....

[TracyThom]

theavrock, where are you going to law school? Is that going to be a factor in your decision, or are you going to live somewhere just for a year?

[theavrock]

Law school is a mild consideration but not much of one. If I can get into UT I will go there, but I have to take the LSAT in June and that wil determine if my score is competitive there. I don't have an interest in going to law school in ABQ. So mainly it is just somewhere to live and enjoy myself for a year. I will have a degree in Env. Science so it would be cool to find something in that field, but I am a bartender right now and I have no problem just picking up a job slinging drinks somewhere for the year. I just can't stand the weather anymore and this is the time in my life to see something different.

[homer]

avrock,

I did something very similar after graduating college. I would recommend it to anyone. Go see the world while you're still young and unencumbered with a job, mortgage, family, etc.

[TracyThom]

Yeah, I envy you. I wish I would have done the same thing. I started my career 3 months after graduating college. I was 21 when I started my career. I never had time to enjoy my early 20s.

[Moneyv613]

Well I havent posted on here much lately, or much at all you could say, but I do often check up on the site to see what is going on with Brewer Nation back home. I thought I would maybe add my insight for what its worth, to this topic. I live in Las Cruces, NM and I absolutely love it. Its definitely not as large of a city as you are maybe looking at, somewhere slightly over 100k, I would guess. Its hard to tell as they keep building houses by the hundreds around here. I am 24 and with the school here and the art scene over in Mesilla, good times are to be had. The weather is great, not so cold like Albuquerque can be in the winter. If you get sick of the desert and the sunshine and the lack of trees you can be in resort towns up in the mountains like Ruidoso or Cloudcroft in a little over an hour. If you need more people you can be in El Paso in 45 minutes, Albaquerque in 3 hours, or Tuscon in less then five. We go up to Albaquerque from time to time to mix it up and hit up different casinos. Its ok, but there are definitely places you have to avoid and it is kind of dirty. Thats just my take on the subject. But I love the southwest and am extremely glad I moved down here. Plus the economy seems to be doing well down here. There are lots of government jobs to be had, so you have a real diverse city with people from all over the country.

[UndraftedFA]

I live in Tucson now. I think it has a bigger population that Milwaukee, but it reminds me more of West Bend, WI. I don't mind it, but I really don't love it. I am going to school and working full time, so I don't really have much of a chance to enjoy anything here.

 

I think it is kind of a hippy town. I am used to moving a a much faster pace than the locals (unless they are driving). I had a bunch of friends here who loved it, but moved away for one reason or another. I figured once I finish school I will give it a chance for a while, since I am dating a local lady. I have already told her that I would probably like to move back to WI though.

 

If you are in to mountains and hiking, rock climbing, etc., Tucson will be great. As far as city life, I don't think it feels much like Milwaukee.

 

My opinion is the weather is great 90% of the year. So much that it is boring. It is nice enough to drive my scooter year round. I think there is a stretch in mid-July to mid August where the weather is better than WI. I gets really hot before and after that, but it doesn't seem to be that awful for all that long. It is always nice to see a beautiful woman jogging in a bikini top and very short shorts in November!

 

Phoenix is a lot greener, and has much more of a bar scene. People in AZ seem to like one of the two cities and despise the other. Phoenix is kept looking a lot nicer than Tucson, but Tucson does have some nice spots too.

 

I think the law school is supposed to be pretty decent at the U of A.

 

I don't think Tucson is really a place someone can tell you you will love or hate. I think, like any place, it has things that are pretty crummy, and things that are awesome. Some days I love it here, and others I wish I could just pack up and go back home.

 

You will get that in any city though. I think it is great to try another city though. I might even encourage a city not much like Milwaukee, so that you can get a better judge of what you really do enjoy.

 

I miss things about home when I a here, and I miss things about Tucson when I go back home. Getting stuck in the snow in the middle of the road stinks, but the grass is so green (in WI) it looks fake to me in the warmer months. I think moving away to a different type of area really makes you appreciate more little things.

 

Edit:

 

Also about the weather:

 

The summer I moved here I visited in early July to pick an apartment out. It was so hot, that I questioned why I wanted to move here. The next summer I went home to WI, and I wondered how I could stand that weather. It was 80 degrees and I was sweating like a pig, getting bit by all kinds of bugs. It felt awful.

 

My point is that your body adapts very fast. It might feel horribe to start, but you get used to it fast. People would live somewhere if it was that awful.

[Nez]

If you DON'T want crazy humidity........

 

Don't pick Austin, TX.....You will need to change your underwear immediatly upon leaving the house in the summer time.