20 Apr 2023
Austin is kind of terrible. It’s a dirty city, there are homeless people everywhere. Not just people choosing not to work and be nomadic but, mentally I’ll and most are clearly on drugs. Many lash out at people walking by, and there is very little police presence. We did a bit of research and found out that 294 police officers took early retirement in the last two years creating a huge deficit in police officers for the city. The article we read said the reason for this mass exodus was a result of the city of Austin having laws or policies on the books that prohibit officers from enforcing the law, without putting themselves at risk of liability or bodily harm. All of this makes for a relatively unsafe feeling in the city of Austin. Not to mention they’re currently dealing with a suspected serial killer in one of the most popular nightlife areas. Google it. Drinks and food were expensive and places to stay were expensive. Austin bills itself as the live music capital of the world. We found it very difficult to find live music especially during the week. If you’re looking for live music, my suggestion is to go to Nashville or Memphis, or any coastal town in Florida. We live in Grand Rapids Michigan and there’s more live music during the week here than there is in Austin Texas. We asked our Uber drivers what gives? They said the tech boom has priced musicians out of the city. They can’t afford to live there anymore. All in all, it’s safe to say I will never go back to Austin Texas at least for recreational purposes.