Texas is not as bass-ackwards as one might think

I am aware that there are people in this world who think that Texas is not as awesome as I think it is. Texas gets a bad rap in many TV shows and movies (if there's an obnoxious southern idiot, nine times out of ten it'll be a Texan), and George W. Bush really didn't help our image either.

But let this story show that we're not all kooks - the Texas Board of Education has voted down efforts by creationists to chip away at the theory of evolution. At least for the next 10 years, there will be no state mandate to include a discussion of the "strengths and weaknesses" of Darwinism in textbooks.

I have to say, I'm a little upset. I would have loved to have seen a mention of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in my kid's science book.


Edit to add: Hmm, looks like it's not a huge victory. They were able to stick on last minute amendments to include the text "analyze, evaluate and critique scientific explanations" instead of "evaluate strengths and weaknesses." Le sigh.

Job Search in Austin Texas

I heard on NPR the other day that the unemployment rate in Detroit was 22%. Holy crapsville! There's a debate going on at the Austin citydata forum on whether or not Austinites should continue to tout the region as a good place to move to, as we're starting to show signs of an economic slowdown ourselves. But when you compare our unemployment level (in the low 6%) to Detroit's Great Depression levels, and the fact that our houses are still gaining in value, it would seem like merely belching out the Texas State Anthem would have people running to our area. Luckily for readers of this blog, I have never mastered the art of on-demand burping, nor have I ever figured out how to upload videos to Youtube. You're safe.

Moving on, here are some job searching resources I would recommend for newcomers and old-timers alike. Good luck in your search.

• Austin Texas Craigslist - good for most professions.
  
• Indeed.com - It's a metasearch engine for jobs. For some fields, its great - especially those with specific job titles that don't show up in other fields. For others, (like my poor husband) it sucks. Try typing in "Austin Texas Architects" and you get all sorts of stuff for IT, engineering, and anyone else who applies that word to what they do (Cake Architect?). There's no way to filter it down to just Architect, plain and simple.
• So if you are an architect, go to the Austin AIA website instead.
  
• For fellow graphic designers, may I suggest the local AIGA website, the Austin Ad Fed, or Aquent.
• Medical professionals should try our largest hospitals, Seton or St. Davids, or a huge clinic in town, Austin Regional Clinic.
• Want a government job? How about a job at the University of Texas? Or work with our school district?
  
• Some of our big tech employers are Dell, IBM, Freescale, 3M, Apple, Hewlett Packard, AMD, Applied Materials, Cirrus Logic, Cisco, Hoover's, Intel, National Instruments, Samsung, Silicon Laboratories, Sun Microsystems.
  
• Film/tv production, gaming and animation jobs are here.
• You could also try our local newspaper, Austin Statesman.

Another good resource is the Texas Workforce Commission, which has career centers that offer job training, seminars and networking opportunities. I had to go there in order to get on unemployment last lay-off, and I was really impressed by what they have to offer.

Happy hunting, y'all.

Best Schools In Austin

It took me having my own kid to understand how important this topic is when looking for a new house. I don't know how to compare Austin's public school system to other cities, but I can help you with picking a region within the Austin area.

The schools that consistently score the highest on the TAKS tests are mainly located in West Austin, Northwest Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock, and Pflugerville.

West Austin is our more affluent part of town, so it should probably come as no surprise that the schools here are ranked so high. The schools in this neck of the woods are in either the Eanes or Leander School Districts. If you move here for the schools, you should be aware that the property taxes are higher out here, just due to the fact that you are buying a more expensive house. Critics of these schools say that there is not as much diversity as other schools, that the teachers "teach to the test," and for what you are paying in property taxes you could send your child to private school.

Austin's northern suburbs of Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville all have their own self-named school districts, and most of the schools in these areas also boast of their students' high TAKS scores. The downside of living in these communities is that the commute into Austin is pretty awful - think at least an hour each way during rush hour. While some thrive in suburbs, others would go crazy. If you would go crazy, please read on.

There is also a suburban area in Southwest Austin called Circle C, which falls in the Austin Independent School District. These schools also rank high on TAKS tests, and the commute into Austin is not as dreadful as coming from Round Rock (perhaps 30-45 minutes during rush hour).

For those who prefer to live in older, established neighborhoods in Central Austin, your best bet is to look into the following neighborhoods: Barton Hills (in South Austin), Tarrytown/Bryker Woods (Central Austin), Highland Park/ West Balcones (North Central Austin, west of Hwy 1), and Allandale/Brentwood (North Central Austin, east of Hwy 1). I'm going to be biased here: this is my preferred area. All of these neighborhoods have a shorter commute to downtown (5-20 minutes). These schools score fairly well on TAKS tests and have a much more diverse student population. My own personal opinion is that these schools don't "teach to the test" as much and offer a more well-rounded education. However, critics for these areas say you can buy a much larger house for a lot less money in the suburbs, and you won't have to deal with as many home maintenance problems.

I have a lot more information posted on my regular website, including rating lists and neighborhood descriptions. Remember when you are looking at houses to purchase, it helps to have the rating list nearby, and a way to figure out what schools a neighborhood tracks to. For these links, go here.

Hey AIG execs! Keep your 10% here in Texas!

Isn't all the hoopla over the AIG bonuses kind of like watching the Jerry Springer show? Who's going to throw the first chair?

I'm upset about it as much as the next taxpayer, but you've got to admit it's a bit of a distraction from the whole wasteland world economy thing we've got going on now. And now we're going to tax them 90%, leaving the rest for the state and local governments to gnaw on.

Anyway, note to anyone trying to hold onto their income ... we don't have state income taxes here in Austin! (Now property taxes, on the other hand...)

Austin Home Prices Holding Steady

Sales may be down in Austin - compared to last February they're down 28%, reports Austin Business Journal - but prices have increased 5% over the same time period.

“These statistics demonstrate how Austin-area home prices have held steady and continue to appreciate, despite volatile credit markets and difficult conditions in other states,” said ABoR Chairman Jay Gohil. “Compared to last month, we’re seeing the year-over-year gap begin to close on sales volume and hope consumer confidence will continue to rise to further spur the market.”

On one hand, Yeah! At least there's one investment in my portfolio that's not pulling a Titanic. On the other hand, BOO! There goes my argument in front of the Travis County Tax Appraisal Board this May.

Some people are saying it's because we never experienced the housing bubble that other parts of the country - and that our market is fairly priced. Or it could be the record low mortgage interest rates or tax credits available right now.

Or it could be because Austin is just 2 legit 2 quit and you can't touch us.

(God I hope that I'm not jinxing us)

Putting the current recession into context

We keep hearing about how this recession is the worst since the Great Depression, which of course conjures up images of bread lines and "Grapes of Wrath" style poverty-- not exactly a good confidence booster. I know I don't want to run out and buy a new car right now.

NPR had an interesting piece on the subject today, saying that it's important to note, no one is saying that it's AS BAD as the Great Depression. We're at a national unemployment level of 8.1% right now, (Austin's unemployment rate is at 6.4%) which is peanuts next to the Great Depression's 25% unemployment. Cashews and almonds too. (Food side note. Have you tried Ricky's Lucky Nuts? They are freaking tasty. I buy them in bulk at Central Market.)

The one thing that is similar between the two, they note, is that both recessions have a banking crisis at their core, as opposed to, say, the dot-com implosion of the early 2000s. Close to a third of American banks failed in the 30's, which completely shut down lending. We got a little taste of that this past fall and winter. Let's hope that the Obama administration's financial rescue package won't let that happen again, and we'll all be back to breathing easier soon.

Listen or read the NPR article here.

Barbecue in Austin

Legends of Texas
Barbecue by
Robb Walsh

We like our barbecue here in Austin. Outsiders might think that barbecue in Texas means beef brisket - and while that is a major component, there's also ribs, sausage, pork tenderloin, and even mutton and goat (cabrito) to discuss.

Maybe it's the free Salt Lick bbq I had for lunch today (sometimes my job is AWESOME), but I think I'm finally ready to tackle the issue of barbecue on this blog. I've been holding out because it's such a subjective, enormous task that just cannot be taken lightly by any self-respecting Texan. There are so many things to compare: type of meat, sauce or no sauce, proximity and/or ambiance, sides... I can feel the weight on my shoulders, let me tell you.

First off, if you're going to move to Austin and want to speak about barbecue with any authority, you MUST read the book "Legends of Texas Barbecue" by Robb Walsh. I wouldn't call it a just a cookbook, although it certainly has great recipes in it. It's more of a history of barbecue and discussion of the different types (it's not just brisket in Texas!) and regions (East Texas bbq is different from South Texas bbq) with the all-star favorite joints across the state. It's a fascinating book.

I don't think there's one perfect joint in Austin. Luckily that means you'll need to try them all. Anyway, here's my list of the best barbecue in Austin:

• The Salt Lick - technically not in Austin but nearby Driftwood, TX (though they have outposts in Austin City Limits - I've never been). This is where all Food Network & travel programs go, because it's so picture perfect and the food is really good. It's in a dry precinct (I know, say what?!) so you have to bring a cooler of your own beer. It's usually long wait on the weekends, but they have a huge outdoor holding section under the oak trees, often with a live band playing. Great place to bring out of town guests to. As for the food: I love their ribs. I'm a big fan of their sauce, which is slightly sweeter and has some soy sauce in it (the owner's wife is from Hawaii and influenced the recipe). Don't be fooled into buying the sauce in the bottle because it is god-awful. Their brisket is really good too, but I'm not into their sausage. Make sure you get the peach cobbler.
• Iron Works - My choice for good atmosphere within the city limits. It's near downtown and they have an outdoor porch overlooking a creek. It's a classic setup - and the food is pretty good.
• Ruby's BBQ - Great central location, and the food is great. My main reason for loving this place is the choice of sides. A lot of places only offer beans, potato salad and cole slaw. As I can't stand the latter two items, I'm usually stuck with beans. Ruby's has so much more - greens, mashed potatoes, awesome home fries, red beans and rice, mac & cheese... I dig the variety.
• Artz Ribhouse - A South Austin joint, crazily known for its ribs. I'm not a fan of beef ribs in general, and on yelp everyone seems to agree that the babyback pork ribs rule here.
• House Park BBQ - Near downtown, this is a small joint that's down and dirty: small menu, great smoky smell when you walk in. I like their chopped beef sandwich. Good for a quick lunch.
• Sam's BBQ - in East Austin. This is more like what you'd find in East Texas, which has more of a Southern influence. Read the above book for more details on the difference - I don't think I can explain it. The atmosphere is kinda grimy - maybe not the best place to take out of town in-laws (as I found out). They're open late.

Still to come: best road-trips for barbecue. Luling, Lockhart, Elgin, oh my!

How to have a baby in Austin

A few years ago I found a great mamas group when I was pregnant with my first child. Most of us met through the prenatal classes at Yoga Yoga and had a weekly gathering at a nearby coffee shop after class. There for a while we probably had about 30 members - and I'd guess that 90% of us had just moved to Austin, and probably 50% moved while pregnant. It was a tremendous resource for me -- I found out about all sorts of stuff that I had no idea existed before.

Using my totally unscientific sampling of the population that moves to Austin, I'm guessing there's bound to be a good percentage of you who are thinking of moving to Austin who also are growing a little human being inside of you. Never fear, because we have OBs here too! And hospitals! Or birthing centers with big bathtubs, if that's your cup of tea. We even have pediatricians for after the little one makes an appearance. Here's what you need to know:

Natural Mamas:
You might be a natural mama if you are interested in finding a doula, midwife, or birthing center. You want to give birth au naturel. Or if your kiddo is already here, perhaps your parenting style leans towards Attachment Parenting. Here are my recs:

• OB/GYN: Dr. Christina Sebestyen was recommended to me as someone who is supportive of a VBAC. She has midwives on staff, and her patients give birth at St. Davids Hospital, which at present is the only hospital in Austin that allows midwives to attend births. She's located in North Austin, so the drive might be a consideration for Southies.
• Birthing Center: Austin Area Birthing Center. Also in North Austin.
• Doula: Marcela Billig was recommended to me when I was looking into it.
  
• Pediatrician: Per the mothering.com community, try Dr. Christine Eady in Round Rock, Bee Caves Pediatrics in Southwest Austin, or Central Family Practice in Central Austin.

Middle-of-the-Road Mamas:
You might be a MOTR mama if you might give birth au naturel, but you'd like to reserve the right for the drugs if the shit hits the fan. You agree with some aspects, but not all, of Attachment Parenting. You dabble in natural remedies but if antibiotics are needed, you won't balk.

• OB/GYN: Women Partners in Health, in Central Austin.
• Pediatrician: I'm going to repeat some of the above recs, because I think they're good ones. Dr. Christine Eady in Round Rock, Bee Caves Pediatrics in Southwest Austin. I would love to go to Central Family Practice, but it would be out of network for my insurance.
  

"Hook Me Up to the Epidural NOW" Mamas:
You might be a HMUTTEN mama if you have known you'd get an epidural your whole life.

• OB/GYN: Consider checking out Austin Regional Clinic. They have offices all over Austin, and accept most insurances. They are probably the most widespread, all encompassing medical practice in town. If location plays a big role in your decision making process, this should be your best bet.
  
• Pediatrician: Again, Austin Regional Clinic is for you.
  

Austin Unemployment Rate - February 2009

Ok, so it's gone up. Austin's unemployment rate is now 6.4%, up from 5.2% a month ago. The state of Texas' average is at 6.8%, and the rest of the country is 8.5%.

I have no fun way to spin that.

So, instead, how about watching this video of my friend's toddler dancing to Flashdance?

In Burger News, or Go East, Young Man

Carl's Jr, a fast food chain that Californians know quite well, is about to build 50 freaking stores in the Austin region. Fifty!

According to those in the know, the California market has no room for expansion for the chain and they like the look of our college town, where they believe students will appreciate their better than average burgers.

I have to admit that when the first one opening up off of Slaughter Lane a few months ago, my college roommate (who also moved to Austin a few years ago) and I facebooked each other with excitement. During our freshman year at USC we must have eaten at Carl's Jr 3 times a week. Now that I've eaten one of these:

(otherwise known as a Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich) I can safely go back to not needing one again for another 5 years.

I've heard the groans from CA ex-pats: "What about In-N-Out?!!!" To which I say: Forget Carls. Forget In-N-Out. Try any of these fine local establishments instead:

• P.Terry's - a fast food joint that started in reaction to "Fast Food Nation"
• Top Notch - curbside service, great local atmosphere
• Frans or Dans - a local chain that split up when the owners divorced
• Nau's - an old drugstore counter cafe
• Casino El Camino - a bar on 6th Street with a loyal burger following
• Huts - a restaurant offering lots of options. Two for one on Tuesday nights.

Austin's house rental market is pretty dang awesome right now - That is, if you're a renter.

The Austin real estate market is not looking so good right now - not horrible compared to the rest of the country, but not a picnic either. We've seen a 36% drop in sales from a year ago. The last time sales were down so much was in January of 1998. Average and median prices of homes are down 6% from a year ago. Condo sales are even worse. Check out mo' better writing on the subject here.

So what's a seller to do when their house has been sitting on the market for 11 months? Rent it out.

With the increase of rentals on the market, rents are expected to fall slightly this year, about 5%. Pretty good time to move here and try out a neighborhood, don't you think?

Take my neighborhood quiz to find out a good neighborhood match for your personality, and then check out the houses for rent in that area on craigslist.