A few days ago I listed some of the things I don’t miss about Manhattan. After taking a moment I’ve realized what it really comes down:
I felt coordinating my life in New York was unnecessarily complicated. There were always so many logistics to consider.
I know that makes me sound whiny. “Oh poor me, I had to plan around mass transit. Oh, boohoo, I had to battle crowds.”
But here’s the thing – I really dislike when things are difficult. Well, I don’t like when routine things are difficult. Meeting up with friends. Buying milk. Deciding on a restaurant. Finding something fun to do on a Saturday night that didn’t always revolve around alcohol. In NYC there were so many variables to consider. In Austin, it’s simpler. Way fewer variables.
Plus, it’s easy to find things to do. Obviously there was (is) always something happening in NYC, but finding it was never easy…at least not for me. Then again, maybe I wasn’t cool enough.
Austin is great about publicizing what’s going on around town (thanks do512 and Austin Culture Map). Since living in here, I’ve never had any difficulty finding a new restaurant. There’s always a class to take. Or a meetup to attend. And Austin is great about publicizing its happenings.
What’s even better is that half of the events/activities are free so you’re able to minimize your risk. I know I hated paying $35 for something that sucked. But when it’s free you don’t feel like you getting ripped off if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
And even when there isn’t something formal happening, there’s informal stuff to do. Hoping on my bike and going for a ride around Lady Bird Lake. Climbing. Hanging out in a coffee shop.
And probably because I can avoid driving during rush hour, getting around is easy. I can walk. I can take a ride share. I can drive. I can ride my bike. There aren’t as many logistics which makes everything easier. For example, last night I attended a free yoga class at a new yoga studio (thanks Stretch Yoga). From there my friend suggested we hit up a holiday pop-up shop that featuring local artists, free drinks, and s’mores that happened to be just down the street from the yoga studio. Minimal additional effort was required on my part so, why not?
Back in NYC, that pop-up shop would have been two subway stops away from the yoga studio, which would have meant we needed to walk to the subway (in the cold may I remind you). Then wait for the train. Take the train. Walk from our destination subway station to the pop-up shop. $5 for drinks (because nothing is free in NYC) plus any purchases. Then the commute back home, so another 30-45 minutes instead of a 15 minute drive. See? Logistics.
Because it’s a smaller city, the logistical considerations are greatly reduced which makes everything feel so accessible. The lack of logistics is energizing.
And I’m loving all the access to new experiences 🙂