Vent: I moved to Austin for the 'scene' but my friend just went to a small town in New Mexico

I spent 6 months and a lot of money setting up in Austin, thinking the networking would be non-stop. My friend picked Taos, New Mexico instead, and after a year, her cost of living is half of mine and her focus is way better. She's not fighting traffic to get to a crowded coffee shop just to feel like she's working. How do you even start researching smaller spots that won't kill your client base?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_julia1mo ago

Honestly, I read a blog about using census data to find towns with growing remote work populations.

ivan4621mo ago

Felt that hard, did the same thing in Denver. Started looking at places with good internet first, that's the real deal breaker. Checked which small towns had fiber and then looked up their local business groups online. Reached out to a few people in those groups before moving, just to ask about the vibe. Slower pace doesn't mean no work, it just means less noise.

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piper_garcia231mo ago

Yeah that internet check is smart, @ivan462. I did something similar but got too focused on speed and forgot about cell service. Moved to this spot in the mountains where the wifi was great but I had zero bars on my phone. Couldn't even get a two factor code to log into my bank. Had to drive 20 minutes just to make a call. Now I look at coverage maps for the actual house, not just the town.

flores.mark21d ago

My friend tried the mountain life and spent more time driving for cell service than enjoying the view. Piper_garcia23, that's the modern version of being stranded. Guess we all need to check for digital air pockets before we move.