I'm a New Yorker who visited Texas for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me about Austin.

Erin McDowellJan 19, 2022, 22:12 IST

I recently visited Austin and Waco in Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

I've lived in New York for three years and in New England for the majority of my life before that.
I recently visited Austin and Waco, and I was surprised by my misconceptions about both places.

I grew up in New England and moved to New York City three years ago. I recently visited Texas for the first time.

The author during her trip to Austin, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

I'm used to taking the subway to get around New York City, but Austin locals appear to mainly rely on cars and scooters to get from place to place.

Scooters in Austin, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

I was also surprised by the amount of traffic on the roads in Austin — it took a while to travel from one end of the city to the other, especially during rush hour.

Austin, Texas, highway and buildings.Erin McDowell/Insider

I was also surprised by the amount of traffic on the roads in Austin — it took a while to travel from one end of the city to the other, especially during rush hour.

Food trucks are a huge part of the Austin foodie scene.

Cosmic Taco food truck in Austin, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

Tex-Mex food really is all it's cracked up to be.

Tacos from Cosmic Taco.Erin McDowell/Insider

Getting out into nature seems to be a bigger part of city life than it is in New York, and the access to nature is better, too.

A view of the Austin skyline and the Colorado River.Erin McDowell/Insider

Apartments in Austin were much larger and affordable compared to one-bedroom apartments in New York City.

An apartment kitchen in Austin, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

There are tons of vintage pop-up markets and stores located around the city.

SoCo vintage pop-up market in Austin, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

Despite Austin being in a red state, I noticed a lot of pride flags and support for Black Lives Matter across the city.

A vintage store in Austin, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

Waco, which was only a two-hour bus ride from Austin, showed there's so much more to Texas than just city life.

A distant view of the Silos in Waco, Texas.Erin McDowell/Insider

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I'm a New Yorker who visited Texas for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me about Austin.

I grew up in New England and moved to New York City three years ago. I recently visited Texas for the first time.

I'm used to taking the subway to get around New York City, but Austin locals appear to mainly rely on cars and scooters to get from place to place.

I was also surprised by the amount of traffic on the roads in Austin — it took a while to travel from one end of the city to the other, especially during rush hour.

Food trucks are a huge part of the Austin foodie scene.

Tex-Mex food really is all it's cracked up to be.

Getting out into nature seems to be a bigger part of city life than it is in New York, and the access to nature is better, too.

Apartments in Austin were much larger and affordable compared to one-bedroom apartments in New York City.

There are tons of vintage pop-up markets and stores located around the city.

Despite Austin being in a red state, I noticed a lot of pride flags and support for Black Lives Matter across the city.

Waco, which was only a two-hour bus ride from Austin, showed there's so much more to Texas than just city life.