I would be interested in hearing more as to why you think Austin has a better quality of life than San Francisco. Having moved to SF after three years in Austin, I definitely think my quality of life has improved. Reasons:
1. Austin has one weather throughout most of the year. It is not conducive to urban exploration unless one keeps hydrated often. The great thing about San Francisco is the micro climates and the fog line. It keeps each neighborhood different.
2. Austin like most Texan towns is spread apart. If you are not in downtown or close to UT, get prepared to drive. Of course the flip side is that Austin has great parking and clean streets. On the other hand, people like me who hate driving have an awesome experience in SF.
3. Food wise, I would argue that SF beats Austin handily. There are cultures in SF that have lived here for decades bringing with them their ethnic foods and creating specific hot spots of amazing food. I have not had the same experience in Austin but YMMV of course...
4. Austin is sold as one of the few young, culturally liberal areas in Texas. This is definitely true when you compare it against other places in Texas. However, its liberalism and culture pale when compared to San Francisco.
1) Yes, one weather is absolutely true. It's apparently fantastic if you own a convertible or motorcycle. Yes, you have to drink water, but I've never found it that big of a deal. It's possible to bike in Austin, but you have to have some serious nerves to get on some of the highways.
2) Depending on where you live, everything is only a 10-15 minute drive. I can go downtown, to the airport, or up to the university in that amount of time. However, if you live up in Round Rock or something you'll be driving a long way. And Austin traffic sucks.
Plus side though, we're getting an 85 mph freeway. When you drive, you drive fast. Speed limits range from 55-75 around Austin on the highways.
3) I don't know, I've found the trailer food to be unique. I didn't get to spend a lot of time SF though; I was only there for a day or two on business.
4) There's not as much art, but there is a lot of history in Texas. Austin probably isn't that great, but it's only about an hour or so to San Antonio. You could also go to Houston or Dallas with only a ~3 hour drive.
For the non-liberal crowd, there's a lot of red blooded Texans.
1. Austin has one weather throughout most of the year. It is not conducive to urban exploration unless one keeps hydrated often. The great thing about San Francisco is the micro climates and the fog line. It keeps each neighborhood different.
2. Austin like most Texan towns is spread apart. If you are not in downtown or close to UT, get prepared to drive. Of course the flip side is that Austin has great parking and clean streets. On the other hand, people like me who hate driving have an awesome experience in SF.
3. Food wise, I would argue that SF beats Austin handily. There are cultures in SF that have lived here for decades bringing with them their ethnic foods and creating specific hot spots of amazing food. I have not had the same experience in Austin but YMMV of course...
4. Austin is sold as one of the few young, culturally liberal areas in Texas. This is definitely true when you compare it against other places in Texas. However, its liberalism and culture pale when compared to San Francisco.