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Suggestions on locations (Austin vs Bay Area, CA)

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  • Suggestions on locations (Austin vs Bay Area, CA)

    Hi,
    Looking for thoughts/suggestions from fellow immigrants here on this topic. I am an immigrant myself (from India) and working in technology sector. Been through the long journey or H1b and then Green Card. I am currently in Colorado and wondering about relocating to Austin, TX or Bay area, CA for other opportunities in tech sector.

    Hence thought of getting opinions/experiences from folks here b/w the two locations regarding various factors. I am aware of sky high housing costs in Bay Area. Curios on various other factors such as

    1) Affordability w.r.t other stuff.
    2) School zones in general (say " good school zones are less in ___ location but location is great for this __ factor").
    3) Weather (say "Austin too hot for anything or only hot during daytime and great in mornings/evenings").
    4) Access/opportunities for social events/religious events (temple)..
    5) Access/ presence of parks ("say lots of parks in this city/town and so getting house within walking distance of parks is relatively easier"). Similarly access to trails /weekend fun activities for family.
    6) Other points of view for each location - Eg: job options in future, Trump factor, general immigrant population/access to Indian stores, crime rate, etc.

    Thanks much!
    --

  • #2
    are you married? do you have kids?

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    • #3
      Originally posted by inadmissible View Post
      are you married? do you have kids?
      Yes, kids are young. Hence access to park, good schools, etc are important

      Comment


      • #4
        I'll start with some things. This is my opinion only, and reflects my experience living here in the Bay area for the last 12 years.

        Housing is expensive only if you rent. Otherwise, property taxes (as a proportion of home value) is much less here, 1% with assessed values increases capped at 2%pa. In Austin the total property taxes range from 1.8% to 3.3% depending on school district. Property gets reassessed every year in Texas, I don't think there is any cap in increases. When you buy a home only the tax-deductible interest and taxes and non-deductible insurance are your expenses; the principal payments are akin to taking money out of one pocket and putting it in another

        Groceries and restaurant food here is not expensive. I used to live in the Midwest and the prices are no different. However, prevailing wages here are so much higher so your purchasing power is so much higher. I don't know what food costs and wages are like in Austin, but here you can easily afford to eat out and drink beer

        Some bay area school districts are better than others. Perhaps San Francisco city has the worst schools. I live in a neighborhood with an excellent elementary school, and decent middle school, and a poor high school. I know in some cities like Menlo Park, Albany, San Rafael you can expect each and every school to be excellent. Preschools are expensive here, perhaps $1,600 to $2,000 per month for a good montessori school, $1,200 for a not very good preschool. You'll have to figure out what care/schooling resources your family needs. Perhaps you have parents or a stay-at-home spouse to care for kids and tutor them after school, perhaps you will insist on sending them to a boarding highschool elsewhere regardless of how good your neighborhood schools are

        The bay area has a very wide range of climates throughout different locations. You can live in the redwood forests of Marin or the dessert in Livermore. I live in one of the cities along the bay where the climate is very moderate, I don't have air conditioning, and my heating expenses are very very low. Overall I spend a very small fraction on energy as I did living in the Midwest

        There are lots of temples here. It isn't just about the number of temples, but the fact that there are so many different temples and social organizations catering to specific cultures/faiths. Google maps shows 2 gurdwaras in Austin and 8 in the bay area. There is specific tamil speaking hindu temples here, tamil AM talk radio 3hrs a day 3 days a week, a 24/7/365 hindi music FM station. I'm serious.

        There are plenty of parks here where I live. Most people are accustomed to riding bicycles or walking places. There are dedicated bike paths on the roads. It is safe to be out and about at night. I am a five minute drive to the bay where the kids can play on a beach or walk the trail along the water. I am a five minute drive up the hills where we can walk in forests full of redwoods, with stunning views of the bay. Living near the water has a cathartic effect, and may have cultural significance for you. When the sun sets the bay reflects the pink and gold colors of the sky, it looks amazing from the kids bedrooms upstairs at the back of the house

        I think this is where the jobs are, but you should look into that yourself, specifically for your specialty. We each only need one job at a time but it is good to be where there are many job offers because it keeps your employer on their toes - employee retention is a serious concern here. It is good to have other people we can talk to about our jobs, people we can coach and mentor. Sentiment here towards immigrants is very positive. 30% of the bay area population is born abroad (38% in Santa Clara county). Everyone is accustomed to having an immigrant boss and landlord. Many people here view immigrants as job creators, not job stealers. I feel like a full fledged citizen here and not an outsider, and it is always a cultural shock for me when I leave California. People here in the Bay area hate Trump and love immigrants, I suppose so do the people who live in Austin. The difference in Austin is that is only true in Austin, an island of blue in a sea of red. Here much of California is the same, except perhaps the most rural and impoverished parts of California. People in California are keenly aware that this recently used to be Mexico. There isn't much of that flag waving jingoism

        I think you should take the family on long weekend trips to both Austin and the Bay area and see where you feel most at home
        Last edited by inadmissible; 04-20-2017, 03:53 PM.

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        • #5
          Thanks for excellent answer "inadmissible".

          Hope to hear from couple more folks as well.

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