Once again Forbes magazine has ranked Austin as the Best Big City for Jobs followed by 3 other Texas Metro Cities leaving 4 of the Top 5 ranked, cities in the Lone Star State!
Being from Austin we keep hearing Austin toping the charts of many polls and ranking reports so this isn't quite news to me, however it is continued reassurance that Austin continues to distance herself from the woes of our national economy.
Every time I hear Austin ranking at the top of a new poll I do get a bit worried. Yes, I am a Realtor® and my success relies heavily on the growth of the metroplex, however as a loyal and proud Austinite I also recognize the changes this means for my humble little 'town'. I am not a born Austinite, but this town is all I've known since I was 10 years old. Austin is where I consider home! With the love of my hometown I see the changes that have taken place and that will continue to take place. The big developments changing our skyline, the natural habitats that are so dear to the hill country's ecology that surrounds our city slowing losing the fight against the big developer.
With the growth comes consequence and I hope the people who have decided to move to Austin based on what they've read or heard come here and appreciate it for what it truly is and not for an opportunity to take advantage of it's blossoming state. There are a lot of opportunities to capitalize on, many of which could change the feeling and the scene that is Austin. This is a city where people treat pets with the same humanity they treat themselves (Which means they get to attend happy hours and sit on sunny breakfast patios) This is a city where people will still allow you to merge into traffic and also wave thanks from their rearview when you let them over. This is a city where the almighty food trailer is respected and expected to be incredible. This is a city where you can throw your 2-day dirty hair in a barrette and go have a michelada at 2pm. This is a youthful, liberal town centered on creativity and passion. This is not city where tangible items create you or where The W is the place to be any day of the night. This is a city where live music is the heartbeat. A heartbeat that is threatened with every new downtown condo high rise. You see, many (not all) of the people who soaked up the condo's are now the ones complaining of late night noise pollution from clubs that have been the historic backbone of Austin. These people who moved here because they read or heard how incredible it would be to live here are the very ones changing the scene and the course of what Austin is known for.
We are expected for 1 million more in the next decade. Im not sure Austin can handle this expected growth without some drastic changes. Our most notable issue is traffic. We dont have enough roads. We dont have proper public transportation and the rail system launch was a complete joke. Many generational Austinites have refused to vote for road improvements or light rail thus spinning Austin into a downward spiral of catchup. I hope city council and all the regional mobility authorities can get a well rounded and comprehensive plan in place and started prior to the end of this decade. Otherwise I bet we will begin to see Austin's chart toping reputation decline...
Rankings information from "Texas Rising", From the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
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