General Discussion

surfered

(7,155 posts)

44. The people who work here, can't afford to live here.

Sat May 3, 2025, 05:29 PM

May 3

There are few long term rentals as short term can charge so much more. There is labor shortage and a few businesses have closed due to that even though they’ve raised the starting pay to $14-15 an hour.

The commute from the mainland is difficult. From one direction there’s a wait for the ferry. The other route is by causeway but takes an hour, so $14 an hr nets you $11 counting the round trip commute.

It used to be affordable living here but demand for beach living has changed that.

The demographic has changed. We used to be 66% Democrat and 33% Republican. That has been reversed.

We have a small high school (40 seniors). Driving thru their parking lot in the old days, you would have seen bicycles and rust buckets. Now, it’s BMWs and Land Rovers.

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Boomerproud

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I moved to this little beach town 55 years ago. [View all] surfered May 2 OP

Fascinating malaise May 2 #1

Forecast to be an above average year and I am getting to old for the aftermath surfered May 2 #4

The water is very warm close to me malaise May 2 #8

Water temp in the Central Gulf is 78 and it's only the first of May surfered May 2 #11

Uh-oh. That's not good. calimary May 2 #29

Amen. ❤️ littlemissmartypants May 2 #15

I moved from Houston to Austin just to avoid the flooding and hurricanes. ananda May 2 #16

If it is any consolation last year's forecast misanthrope May 3 #32

I've always thought of you as a youngstah. cachukis May 2 #2

Still surfing, but there is no doubt that I am slowing down. surfered May 2 #3

It's the mindset. Keep at it. cachukis May 2 #5

Mindset? Trueblue Texan May 3 #35

You are only as old sdfernando May 2 #17

My trouble is, I feel my mind is young.... Trueblue Texan May 3 #36

Time goes by so fast Tickle May 2 #6

I got my draft notice when I was in AF basic TexLaProgressive May 2 #7

You must be even older than me. Carla was in 1961. Celia hit us in 1970 surfered May 2 #9

Celia created $930 million in damages littlemissmartypants May 2 #19

Thank you. It was a weird time. I hope your Dad was ok! surfered May 2 #20

You're welcome. He did lots of search and rescue helicopter rides but he made it home, thankfully. littlemissmartypants May 2 #23

Me too. surfered May 2 #24

I just read this obit... littlemissmartypants May 2 #28

Yes that first Army haircut was brutal surfered May 3 #33

If you have Netflix... llmart May 3 #43

I was 11 living 150 miles from the Gulf. It tore shingles off the house TexLaProgressive May 3 #31

Suddenly an old man... Easterncedar May 2 #10

Life is like a roll of toilet paper. It goes faster towards the end surfered May 2 #14

Now THAT'S a good one. calimary May 2 #30

Never heard this. Sounds about right. Prairie_Seagull May 3 #34

Hook 'em Horns! momta May 2 #12

Class of '69 surfered May 2 #13

I was born in Austin. My dad managed the 2-J's restaurant on Lamar in the 60's. momta May 2 #18

I graduated from the "old" Austin High in '65. I ate a lot of burgers from 2 Js surfered May 2 #22

Love life! WVreaper May 2 #21

Life is a crap shoot. It's all about the luck. I was lucky. surfered May 2 #26

i feel that i am a 6 years old trapped in a 67 yo mans body. how the heck did i get this way?! AllaN01Bear May 2 #25

I know the feeling. It happened so fast surfered May 2 #27

I know EXACTLY how that one goes DFW May 3 #38

What a charmed life you have lived. 1WorldHope May 3 #37

"...from a kid to a geezer in a wink of an eye". ReRe May 3 #39

You're welcome surfered May 3 #40

Est. 1552? Bullshit. I got news for you. Right on Amerigo Vesupcci's map. --- glorious living black and white 3Hotdogs May 3 #41

Short term rentals are killing these small towns. LisaM May 3 #42

The people who work here, can't afford to live here. surfered May 3 #44

Yes, we spend time in an island town. Same story. LisaM May 3 #45

And too expensive for a family just starting out surfered May 3 #46