- After 10 years of living in Austin, my husband and I decided to move to the suburbs.
- It wasn't an easy decision, but we found that a lot of what we loved about Austin was disappearing.
- We hated that many of the city's unique small businesses were being forced out due to high rents.
Ten years ago, my husband and I traded the hustle and bustle of Chicago life for the slowed-down pace of southern living in Austin.
We loved that the city was less hurried, had a small-town feel, and prided itself on its motto, "Keep Austin Weird."
But after a decade of living there, we grew tired of watching the city change — its natural beauty has given way to apartment complexes, offices, and bars.
So, earlier this year, we made the tough decision to embrace life in the suburbs and move to a smaller town just 15 minutes south of Austin.
We still love the Texas capital, but here's why we believe this move was best for our family.
The city became more congested over the years
During our time in Austin, the city skyline grew before our eyes, with more and more buildings vying for space in a limited area.
Some of this can be attributed to the growing tech sector in Austin, with major companies like Apple and Amazon expanding into the city over the past few years and employing thousands of workers.
However, with more buildings, businesses, people, and apartments comes more traffic.
When we first moved to Austin, our doctors, places of employment, and outings all centered on downtown. By the time we left, we avoided driving to or through downtown at all costs due to the traffic congestion.
Even worse, the central expressway, I-35, was built in 1962 when the city had a population just north of 200,000. Now, with just shy of a million residents, the infrastructure doesn't support the number of people who use it daily.
Although construction on I-35 is set to start this year, the projected completion date of the expansion is years away — and traffic will likely get worse before it gets better.
The rising number of visitors hasn't helped either — millions of tourists visit Texas' capital each year, which can make Austin feel pretty crowded.
We felt big businesses slowly took away from what made Austin special
The Texas capital is known for its motto, "Keep Austin Weird," an ode to the eclectic mix of small businesses found throughout the city.
Slowly but surely, we've watched these small businesses disappear, taking the charmingly odd vibe of Austin and morphing it into the overpriced, polished feel of any other big city.
A perfect example is South Congress, or SoCo, a popular draw for locals and tourists. The street was once lined with offbeat stores with unique Austin offerings and welcoming shop owners.
Visitors could park for free and stroll the street, enjoying places like the iconic costume shop, a gallery featuring handmade bedazzled skulls, and an emporium of uncommon items.
However, it's gotten harder for small-business owners to survive. Some SoCo business owners told local ABC TV station KVUE that their rent increased by as much as 500% this year.
Even just walking through the neighborhood, it's easy to see how much the area has changed. Chains like Nike, Hermès, and Warby Parker now line the streets, and parking is no longer free.
We've found a better sense of community in the suburbs
In the past decade, the road one street away from our Austin home underwent extreme growth business-wise, and we started to hear more and more traffic from our house.
The open stretch of land that once led us to hill country was replaced with an ever-growing strip of bars. Our once peaceful neighborhood became a popular spot for bar crawls, and we regularly heard a lot of loud, late-night partiers.
We had a fantastic decade enjoying the city but knew it was time for us to start fresh in the suburbs. Fortunately, our tough choice of moving 15 minutes south of Austin paid off, and we've already begun building a strong community.
In our new neighborhood, we go on walks where we spot wildlife like deer and foxes. Our neighbors are welcoming and inclusive — they look out for each other. It feels like a stark contrast to the seemingly constant rotation of renters and Airbnbs surrounding us in Austin.
Times change, and so do cities, but I wish Austin had preserved what made it so unique.