Pay Austin a visit if you are planning to move back after living or having vacationed here in the past. Moving back to Austin requires a bit of a refresher course. Austin has changed greatly over the last decade and is continuing to evolve. The skyline alone has expanded quite a bit with skyscrapers now eclipsing one another annually. The landscape, population and job growth within the city have been taking turns outpacing one another for the last 10 years. Growth lends itself to convenience in some ways, adding greater variety in local eateries, retail stores and entertainment venues. The inconvenience comes with the reality that it is going to take you longer to get from point A to point B. Yes, Austin has been experiencing growing pains, and its residents along with it.

The New Austin

The Larger Austin Gets the Smaller it becomes

The new Austin has small town charm with an urban twist. The mindset of thinking local used to just apply to Austin based businesses, but now it is also about neighborhood convenience. The mixed-use concept has paved the way for neighborhoods to be self-contained. Neighborhood amenities have become a more desirable and more of a necessity. In a way, the bigger Austin gets, the more intimate it has become. Residents are interacting more within their community not only through local websites like Nextdoor, and Facebook,  but also by shopping closer to home because traffic has increased.  Residents are opting for smaller flight paths when they can.

Austin is new to everyone whether you are moving back or have never lived here before.

The advice I give clients who have left Austin and plan to move back is to explore it like you have never lived here before. Moving back to Austin is more like moving to a new city for the first time. The old watering hole may have moved locations or you may discover a new favorite. Influences from both coasts like Shake Shack and In-N-Out Burger offer a taste of home for some. Others may discover a location that was not on the radar, has now become a trendy, sought after, part of town. The joy of moving to Austin is in the discovery just like it was the first time.