I recently moved to Austin, Texas, which is definitely a change of pace from Montreal! Despite the many differences, however, Montreal and Austin actually have a lot in common. You’re probably saying, “What? As if!”, so allow me to explain myself.
Montreal and Austin are both known for their indie music scenes. Montreal has Pop Montreal, while Austin hosts SXSW (South by Southwest), but the basic premise of each of these yearly festivals is the same: lots of up-and-coming artists vying for attention, plenty of indie rock performances, and lots and lots of rockstars taking the streets by storm. As this list of rules from local pizzeria The Onion indicates, sometimes Austin locals aren’t particularly fond of SXSW, but in general, the whole music-friendly-city thing definitely applies.
"The Onion rules" by Flickr user adactio
Just like in Montreal, Austin’s got a super low cost of living, coupled with a large student population (which may or may not actually drive the low cost of living). Rent is affordable, food is plentiful and cheap, and there’s tons of free stuff to do throughout the year (SXSW not, sadly, being one of them).
Unlike in Montreal, however, the weather in Austin is awesome! When I first arrived at the beginning of November, temperatures were still in the 80s (that’s about 26 Celsius, for my Canadian friends), and when I first moved into my apartment I was more tempted to use the central air-conditioning than the heater. Pretty much every apartment complex in the city boasts a pool, and while it wasn’t quite warm enough to dive in, I was definitely tempted to lounge poolside and soak up some rays while composing this blog!
According to the Insiders Guide to Austin (which I bought just prior to my move), the mean temperature here is 68 degrees, with the mean low around 58 and the mean high around 79. Of course, having said all of that, the radio was announcing the possibility for up to 5 inches of snow today, so I’m not entirely convinved that it doesn’t snow here, just yet. (Unfortunately for me, I gave away all my sweaters before I moved, certain I’d never need them again!)
A message you'd never see in Montreal ("Snowing in Austin" photo by Flickr user aaronisnotcool)
Another parallel to Montreal is Austin’s reputation as a highly literary city. Known for its most famous literary influence, the criminal-turned-short story writer O. Henry is Austin’s main claim to fame. It was here that the author began writing such tales as “The Gift of the Magi,” while working in a land development office. The town’s greatest literary hero was ultimately accused of embezzlement from his employers and served three years of a five-year prison sentence for his crime. In addition to O. Henry, Austin was also home to James A. Michener, who donated a significant amount of money to the University of Texas at Austin upon his death in 1997, which now founds the Michener Center’s highly selective MFA in Creative Writing. With an overall ranking of 4 in this year’s Poets & Writers Magazine guide to MA programs, the Michener Center is one of the best writing programs in North America.
In addition to its thriving artistic community, Austin is also home to an Internet tech hub that rivals that of San Francisco. Home to Dell Computers, Austin360, and Door64 (among others), this town’s full of geeks, nerds and people who demand free wifi wherever they go. If that sounds a bit like Montreal’s Ile Sans Fil initiative—which has been bringing free wifi access to Montrealers via one of their favorite pasttimes, sitting in cafés—that’s just another similarity between the two cities. Are Austin and Montreal long-lost sisters or what, man?
In short, Austin is a great city for anyone involved in the arts, despite its location in a state that is predominantly known for its guns ‘n’ ammo, shoot first/ask questions later approach to, well, everything. Austin is the capital of Texas, and although this sometimes makes for an uptight, governmental side (see: psychotic Austin drivers), it also has a very friendly, laid-back attitude that could make a groovy San Franciscan feel right at home.
Next week: Why “Keep Austin Weird” is the city’s unofficial motto!
