
Ask HN: Advice on Southern tech cities - sputknick
I&#x27;m looking for advice on Southern cities for tech jobs. How accurate is my assessment of the below cities, and are there any good Southern tech cities I missed? I would ideally like to be in an area where I can work on emerging technologies: blockchain, AI, cloud architecture. Other considerations: commute time, number of available jobs. I&#x27;m currently a Product Manager at a software company in Seattle. My wife is unhappy here, so I&#x27;m looking to move to the South and we are considering a few cities:
Austin Tx: Currently #1 on our list, strong tech scene, good quality of life. Houses are a little pricey. 
Raleigh NC: Currently #2 on our list, strong tech scene, good quality of life, tech companies seem to be more spread out than Austin, making it harder to buy a house and guarantee a short commute. 
Houston Tx: Cheaper houses, more jobs, but it seems more &quot;corporate&quot; than Austin. Also longer commutes.
Atlanta GA: Similar to Houston, corporate jobs, long commutes.
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CuriouslyC
The Raleigh/Durham area heavily research oriented, so it's better than Austin
for data-science work IMO. There isn't really a big web company scene here,
there are lots of developer shops and B2B IT service companies though.

If you get a house in south Durham, your commute will be between 5-30 minutes,
averaging about 20 minutes. Public transit is not really an option and nothing
is walkable, but parking is plentiful (except at the universities).

The area is pleasantly low-density, with lots of parks, hiking, boating,
rafting and similar outdoor activities.

Cost of living is lower than Austin for a similar commute and quality level.

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sputknick
That's really helpful, thank you! I've been to Raleigh a few times, like it.

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JSeymourATL
Austin seems to make everyone's short list these days. Don't overlook
Nashville/Franklin for great quality of life. If you've got the chops to work
on emerging tech, more companies are open to remote/virtual hires. >
[http://www.businessinsider.com/us-news-best-places-to-
live-i...](http://www.businessinsider.com/us-news-best-places-to-live-in-the-
south-2016-3/#1-austin-texas-24)

