KnowYard Community

I found a garage apartment behind someone's house for $950/month. Private entrance, quiet street, great neighborhood. Wouldn't have found it on any apartment website.

the culture observation during the trial is KEY. if the higher belts are smashing white belts with no teaching or adjustment, the culture is bad. at a good gym, upper belts help lower belts improve during rolling. watch for this

Barton Springs at 6 AM in August is the best thing in Austin. 68 degrees, nobody there, the sun is just coming up. It resets your entire day.

Valentina's Fat Boy taco is life-changing. Brisket, egg, cheese, potato, salsa in a flour tortilla. It shouldn't work that well but it does.

moved to austin for work. drive back every sunday for barbacoa. not joking

Pho Binh pho at $12 for a bowl that size is still a steal in 2026. In New York that same bowl is $22.

Any medical facility. Not as a doctor — as everything else. Phlebotomy cert takes 4 months and pays $18-22/hr. Medical billing is similar. Hospitals are desperate for support staff.

Veracruz migas taco is the correct #1. There is no debate. The tortilla alone is better than most restaurants' entire menu.

The November through February window is why people stay. Those 4 months of perfect weather make you forget the suffering. Then June hits and you remember.

The noise complaint issue is infuriating. You buy a condo next to Mohawk and then complain about the noise? You knew what was there. The venue was first.

Red River district is the beating heart of Austin music. If you only go to Dirty 6th and complain about the music scene, you went to the wrong street.

Following this thread. Want to see what other locals think.

Ocean Palace dim sum is the Sunday morning tradition. Three generations of my family go every other week. Get the egg tarts fresh from the cart.

Yordan Alvarez is the most terrifying left-handed hitter in baseball. Pitchers would rather face anyone else in the lineup.

Allergies. Cedar fever in winter is not a joke. I never had allergies anywhere else. Moved here and now I want to die every December through February.

Facebook marketplace for house rentals. A lot of smaller landlords don't list on Zillow or Apartments.com. Some of the best deals are private listings from owners.

Always check Instagram before going to a specific truck. I've driven across town for a truck that was closed for "personal day" three times. Austin truck culture.

Older suburbs that haven't been "discovered" yet by flippers. The apartment complexes built in the 90s-2000s that are well-maintained but not trendy. Those are the sweet spot.

$387 for 1600 sqft sounds high even for summer. What rate are you paying per kWh? Anything over 14 cents and you need to shop around when your contract is up.

At $110K combined you can make $350K work but it will be tight with Texas property taxes. Run the real numbers including tax, insurance, and a maintenance fund. Not just principal and interest.

Pro tip: keep a small towel in your car. After walking from the office to the parking lot in August, you'll need it before you can grip the steering wheel.

My church potluck sweet tea made in a 5 gallon cooler with approximately 4 pounds of sugar. Nothing in a restaurant comes close.

Paper plates = no insurance and possibly no registration. And they drive like it because they know they can't be traced. Biggest problem on Texas roads right now.

Pflugerville is the most underrated suburb in Austin. Cheaper, more diverse, and the 130 Toll into east Austin makes the commute reasonable.

The driving thing never stops being true. I live half a mile from a CVS and still drive there. It's 105 outside man I'm not walking.