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(Bob Daemmrich)
Tesla CEO and new Texan Elon Musk is now the richest person in the world
On an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" on Thursday, Austin transfers Joe Rogan and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk called their new city "utopian," a "boomtown" and a "mini California."
<p>Like many other West Coasters, the <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-elon-musk-richest-person" target="_blank">world's richest person</a> made the switch from California to Austin for business opportunities, <a href="https://austonia.com/technology/tesla-coming-to-austin" target="_blank">announcing this past summer</a> he would plant his newest Tesla Gigafactory just outside of the city.</p><p>Musk said he made the move after his team unanimously chose Austin as their new destination. </p><p>"Austin is a bit like mini California," Musk said. "I was asking people on the team, 'Where do you want to spend time?' and the No. 1 choice was Austin. I was like, 'What's number two?" There was silence."</p><p>As the "Texodus" continues, Musk said that Austin will be the next big U.S. city for growth and opportunity.</p><p>"I think Austin's going to be the biggest boomtown that America has seen in half a century," Musk said.</p><p>Rogan, who <a href="https://austonia.com/media/joe-rogan-austin" target="_blank">made the move</a> from California himself late last summer, called the city "utopian" and an escape from tighter governmental restrictions.</p><p>"I hesitate to talk about it because I talk about it too much, but it's very utopian," Rogan said.</p><p>While Musk believes that Austin is a "mini California," he emphasized that he hoped fellow transfers would work to keep the unique Austin spirit alive.</p><p>"I think we do need to make sure that people moving from California don't inadvertently recreate the issues that caused them to move in the first place," Musk said.</p><p>Both Musk and Rogan had disagreements over local government policies due to COVID-19, with Musk calling local government authorities "fascist" for their shelter-in-place order. In December, Musk followed his upcoming factory and announced that he would be<a href="https://austonia.com/elon-musk-texas-move" target="_blank"> making the move</a> to Texas. </p><p>Rogan seemed to agree that Austin was the new place to be, especially during the pandemic.</p><p>"There's something special going on," Rogan said. "It feels great to be a part of the escape from this wretched dreariness."</p><p>Musk's new $1.1 billion "Giga Texas" factory is projected to be finished later this year.</p>
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Californian revises his 'needlessly hurtful' Austin take, discussing what he could have done differently
08 February
(Jeremy Keith/CC)
A month ago, Californian Brett Alder became Austin's public enemy No. 1 after his not-so-flattering op-ed about moving to Austin was posted in Business Insider. Now, he's back to give the other side of his Austin move.
Alder once again posted an op-ed to Business Insider on Monday, this time writing about what he would do differently if he moved back again.
<p>Alder said he heard from people "all over the country" in response to his first op-ed and that Austinites felt the piece "seemed needlessly hurtful" and "unrepresentative" of their city. </p><p>"I never knew that that piece was going to blow up, that it would be read by people all over Texas," Alder <a href="https://austonia.com/californian-op-ed" target="_blank">told Austonia</a> after his op-ed published in Business Insider last month. "I didn't include the positive stuff, like how our neighbors left us brownies or invited us to New Year's parties, or things like that."</p><p>After speaking to Austinites "who will still speak to" him about ways he could have made his move more successful, Alder had two major takeaways: </p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Focus on the big picture when it comes to culture and geography</li><li>Allow more time for discovery if moving from California to Austin</li></ol><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
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</p><p>Addressing the first takeaway, he references a map showing Facebook connections across the U.S., Alder drew a divide between the western U.S. and Texas, saying Texas is a tightly bound state. To demonstrate, Alder said that while Seattle, Boise, Phoenix and Austin may appear to be the same on paper, "culturally and geographically, Austin is by far the outlier." He says it is more self-contained and therefore, "Texas culture has less experience integrating newcomers."</p><p><span></span>And on the second point, he writes about getting to know the area. Against the advice of his friends, Alder said he immediately bought a house due to feeling pressured in the competitive real estate market, as opposed to renting and sold his California house. Alder regrets purchasing his house so quickly and wishes that his family had a chance to get more of a lay of the land first, because thinking one area is something it is not can "taint your whole experience."</p><p>Alder also corrected one of the most contested issues in his piece—that the lack of public land left them feeling "cooped up"—saying there are a great many things to do around Austin if you have the right friends and know how to find them.</p><p>Because he had traveled to Austin many times before moving, Alder said he wasn't expecting to be affected by culture shock. For that reason, Alder said it is important for newcomers to leverage a social network of locals who can help during the transition between states.</p><p>"Some of the criticism I'm getting is that, 'How could Californians have not known this about Texas before you moved here,' and that's totally legitimate criticism," Alder said. "I think Texans understand their state and the advantages of their state much better than Californians do. I think that's a big part of it, and I think another part of it was a lack of fit."</p><p>In the end, Alder said he feels like Austin's "modified Texas pride" is what has made it a "national brand." His days were often filled with people who raved about the city—"Austin may be the most enthusiastic about their city by far,"—and if he did it again, he would look forward to the bluebonnets, "spectacular thunderstorms," and try and make it through the seemingly endless heat in the Lone Star State.</p><p><em>Reporter Claire Partain contributed to this story. </em></p>
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(Shutterstock)
The California exodus has made headlines for several years now, and even more recently, with thousands of West Coasters seeking tax relief, less-expensive real estate and a simpler lifestyle in Texas' capital city.
However, a California man's scathing review of Austin, which was published in Business Insider on Wednesday, reveals that some are less than satisfied with their move.
<p>In Brett Alder's piece, the sales executive cites "punitive, militaristic" public schools, "oppressive" heat, "reptilian brain terrible" Austin drivers, and a "monoculture" as some of the reasons he moved from California to Texas—and back again.</p><p>The one similarity? Alder said that the only thing Austin had in common with California was the one he tried to escape: a high cost of living.</p><p>Alder wrote his op-ed as a warning to Californians like himself who had visited the city but found it wasn't the right fit.</p><p>"I had visited Austin several times, and everyone was super cool," Alder told Austonia. "I attended great restaurants in Austin, I experienced generally good weather, so I guess I was surprised at some the things I didn't expect before going there."</p><p>In the op-ed, Alder admits that he upgraded his home in the move, doubling his square-footage and adding in a pool for relatively the same price. However, cheap housing was unable to mitigate sky-high living expenses. With a $400 monthly power fee, Alder said his family was still "uncomfortable" and that San Diego's water charges were "cheaper during a drought... from two states away." </p><p>Despite coming from sunny California, Adler also complained about Austin's heat and humidity. <br/>And the "annoying cold." While Austin's rain makes the "greenery look great," Adler said it did not make up for allergies, mosquitoes and quickly spoiling food.</p><p>To add to the heat problem, Alder said that lack of public land made the bunch feel even more "cramped and cooped up." Even Enchanted Rock was not immune to the family's distaste and was dubbed "Disenchanted Rock" after a weekend misadventure. Travel was also a no-go, as getting "anywhere interesting" involved flying expenses or several hours of driving.</p><p>Finally, Alder's general dislike of the people and culture was enough to drive the family back to the Golden State. Although he ran into Matthew McConaughey at a flag football game and met some "very wonderful, friendly people," many others he was less impressed with. Alder found service to be worse than anywhere he's been and said even the "car washes were lame." </p><p>Austin's general culture, according to Alder, was a "monoculture that doesn't even seem to be aware of its own blandness." Older, native Texans tended to fit seemingly negative stereotypes, and networking by "attending the local high school football game with the guys" was not his cup of tea. He disapproved of the area's public schooling as well and compared the school his three children attended to a "micro-managed military academy."</p><p>The post was actually posted to a medium blog by Alder in 2016 as a way of venting about his complaints and giving Californians advice. </p><p>Five years later, the piece was tweeted out and later picked up by Business Insider. Texans across the state were up in arms about the op-ed, with Austin Instagram account 365thingsaustin posting, "Headline should read: Culturally Unaware Douchebag Doesn't Make Friends in Austin, Blames City."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2926f780f9504db161b1d5b2df683bee" id="4f827"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p> Alder said in his interview with us, he actually has enjoyed some of the jabs Texans have given him.<br/></p><p>"A lot of people have blown me up in very clever, witty fashion, which I greatly appreciate," Alder said.</p><p>Alder said that the post was more of a reminder to himself to not move back to Austin than a diss at the city itself and that he would have included the positives if he knew it would get traction.</p><p>"I never knew that that piece was going to blow up, that it would be read by people all over Texas," Alder said. "I didn't include the positive stuff, like how our neighbors left us brownies or invited us to New Year's parties, or things like that."</p><p>Although Alder was ultimately against the <a href="https://austonia.com/california-transplants-in-austin" target="_blank">Californian Texodus</a>, many Californians have stated that the opposite is true. </p><p>Austonia spoke with multiple newer Austinites this month that said they really enjoyed their new way of life in Austin. California native Adam Prishtina said he was surprised at the upgrade in the quality of life his family was able to afford upon moving to Austin. </p><p>"We said, 'this is crazy,'" Prishtina said. "We should look at an opportunity to be able to live in a house with a front yard and a back yard, to just have room for the family to grow and expand."</p><p>Technical writer Joyce Fee said that her new Austin neighbors were both friendly and accepting to her and her partner.</p><p>"We were afraid because we are a gay couple and we thought, 'Oh, man, are we going to go to Texas and get murdered or something like that,'" Fee said. "I remember those first few months, the neighbors were so warm and welcoming, (asking), 'How y'all doing.'"</p><p>In hindsight, Adler said he understands some criticisms he is receiving and that ultimately his personal values may have gotten in the way of the best experience.</p><p>"Some of the criticism I'm getting is that, 'How could Californians have not known this about Texas before you moved here,' and that's totally legitimate criticism," Alder said. "I think Texans understand their state and the advantages of their state much better than Californians do. I think that's a big part of it, and I think another part of it was a lack of fit."</p><p>Whether Alder's experience truly was shaped by Austin's flaws or was just not the best match, the Californian's views on Texas' capital city are certainly not universal.</p>
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(TechCrunch/CC)
COVID-19 is still raging on, reaching the Texas House earlier this week, but Austin's tech sector is booming.
Here are some of Austin's most breaking stories, broken down into bite-size pieces, so you can be informed quickly.
<p><strong>Austin Convention Center receives first patients:</strong> The Austin Convention Center's alternate care site opened its doors on Tuesday and received its first three patients on Thursday. Following the surge resulting from holiday gatherings, hospital admissions for the virus have been on a steady incline, which puts other emergency patients at risk. With up to 200 spare beds to relieve hospital ICUs, Austin Public Health hopes the site will help control the overwhelming surge.</p><p><strong>Bumble files to go public:</strong> Austin-based matchmaker app is ready to get <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/business/2021/01/15/austins-bumble-files-paperwork-go-public/4175483001/?utm_source=SND&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=statesman" target="_blank">on the market</a>—the stock market, that is. Bumble filed its registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, estimating that the initial public offering could raise $100 million, and could hit the stock market as early as this year. Though it hasn't released the number of shares it plans to sell or the price range, keep an eye out for the ticker "BMBL" on the NASDAQ.</p><p><strong>Chencho Flores dies after COVID-19 complications: </strong>Lifelong Austinite and multi-talented musician Chencho Flores said a final goodbye to his home city on Jan. 10 after suffering <a href="https://www.austin360.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/01/14/chencho-flores-renowned-austin-conjunto-musician-dies-covid-19/4159208001/?utm_source=SND&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=austin360" target="_blank">COVID-19 complications</a>. The 91-year-old began playing music around the community in the 1940s, picking up guitar, accordion and eventually becoming known for his singing and MC abilities. He stayed active in the community with Conjunto Los Pinkys up until his death.</p><p><strong>COVID-19 in the House: </strong>State Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, tested positive for COVID-19 three days after the Texas lawmakers called this year into session, he <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/15/texas-house-member-coronavirus-quarantine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told the Texas Tribune</a>. Deshotel had received a test six days before he tested positive and said he had "no idea" how he contracted it, though he is now in quarantine. The news came the day after House members gathered for the start of 2021 session, which will not require members to get tested before they enter the chamber. Upon hearing the news, some House members, including Democrats Erin Zwiener and Michelle Beckley, said they would quarantine according to CDC guidelines.</p><p><strong>Digital Realty goes east: </strong>Joining an ever-growing list of companies making Austin home base, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-realty-announces-relocation-of-global-headquarters-to-austin-tx-301208446.html" target="_blank">Digital Realty announced Thursday</a> that it would be packing up and moving its HQ from San Francisco to Austin. Austin has become a choice destination for business owners with <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-oracle-hq?q=oracle" target="_self">Oracle</a> and <a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-gigfactory-site-plan?q=tesla" target="_self">Tesla</a> both announcing their move to the city last year. Digital Realty already has Texas roots: an office in downtown Dallas and more than 30 data centers around Texas. The company did not announce when they would make it to Texas but they maintain they will keep a strong presence in San Francisco.</p>
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