Austin vs. Tampa
by Joe · 55 things on Twos
- As someone who has lived in both Austin and Tampa for an extended period of time, these are my personal takeaways
- Tampa
- Pros
- Great weather year round
- I genuinely believe that Tampa's weather is great year round. Sure the summers get a little hot, but nothing unmanageable.
- The winters are AMAZING - 80 degrees, sunny, and great vibes
- Food is good overall - (burgers, mexican, chicken)
- Cuban food is GREAT. Best sandwiches for cheap that I love
- Cost of living is perfect. Get lunch for $8-10, dinner for $16-20 and everything in between.
- Rent is very affordable (i'm living in a 2bdr Tampa Heights for $1000 pp)
- Very very happy with this part of town and the walking proximity to everything
- WATER
- River, Ocean, Marsh - so much beautiful natural water that really sets the tone
- Invigorating job market. Lots of new companies are coming to Tampa and have hiring needs. Especially Tech.
- Great group of guys to start hanging out with immediately
- PRO SPORTS
- All of them
- Champa fuckin bay
- Restaurants on the water
- Bigger pro then you'd expect
- Cons
- Going out is not as fun as it is in Austin
- Little bit of a younger crowd
- Distance to the beach is not an ~everyday~ opportunity
- A lot of the typical weekend activities revolve around getting hammered
- At least in my experience
- Not the best grocery store options
- Austin
- Pros
- Food is GREAT - can't go wrong. Favorite food in the USA
- Different bar districts allow for more unique going out experiences
- Live music capital of the world
- Great entertainers, concerts, events
- Nature hikes/experiences are nice
- Can connect you with a good group of people
- SXSW
- So much freaking fun
- ACL
- Cons
- Homeless
- Jeez it's getting out of control
- Winters get SURPRINGSLY cold
- Beach is nowhere near an option. 6 hours to the nearest beach
- Very liberal mindset
- Covid lockdowns
- Far away from the east coast
- Seems like EVERYONE is moving to ATX
- Very very very very high rental rates for the nice areas of town. I'm sure you can find something but walking is a such a nice thing to be able to do and it might be hard to come by in ATX
- Not many (if any) restaurants on the water
- All of your friends will want to visit and stay with you
- Could also be a pro, but it becomes a little exhausting
- Expensive
- From food to drinks, it's pretty damn pricey in ATX