Internship Series: III. Location, Location, Location

This may or may not be a factor for everyone. There is not an abundance of job opportunities in El Paso though, so location is a blank slate for me. The first time I was faced with the issue of location was about five years ago when deciding where to attain my degree. There are hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States, and it would not be accurate if I told you that the city of Austin was not a factor in my decision to attend the University of Texas. (I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I was homesick for Austin.) Being adults now and having the freedom of choosing the first place we want to be after graduation, this issue seems to be relevant all over again.

As my usual tradition though, here are the tidbits for the week:

The Final Four: Suffering & Redemption

This Final Four is unlike any other in the history of the Dance. First of all, this is the first time there has been neither a #1 or a #2 seed. Then you have to consider that this is the lowest combined winning percentage and lowest average seed ever. What strikes me most of all is when you consider the path that each of these teams took this year in order to get to this point, you realize that what each of these teams has done in the past month is truly remarkable. Check it out:

Kentucky: I know it is a stretch to say that Kentucky had a lot of barriers to overcome, but after comparing them to last year’s roster and noting that this team started 7-6 in conference, it is apparent that this team has definitely kicked it up a notch since losing at Arkansas in late February. Also, kudos for avenging that loss to North Carolina in December.

Connecticut: After starting the season at a sizzling 10-0, Kemba & Co. seemed to be fizzling during Big East play, eaking out a 9-9 conference record and getting only a #9 seed in the Big East Tournament. What ensued could not have been predicted. Winning the Big East Tournament plus four games in the NCAA Tournament, Kemba Walker has erased doubts in the minds of fans around the country, especially this one who thinks the Huskies have enough focus and athleticism to make them his pick to win it all.

 

Brad Stevens, in his 4th season at Butler, is the youngest coach to reach two Final Fours.

Butler: Butler stunk at the beginning of the year. With a 14-9 (6-5) conference record, any chance of an at-large bid was zero. With a vengeance, they stormed back to win the Horizon, and with their usual discipline and scary execution and poise, find themselves back in the Final Four. Brad Stevens now finds himself the youngest coach to reach the Final Four twice. Not bad for a guy whose first job was in the marketing department of Eli Lilly.

Virginia Commonwealth: This team has been good over the past couple of years. I remember watching studs like Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders upset the big boys over the past ten years. Nothing compares to this year though. After a fourth place finish in the Colonial and falling in the title game to Old Dominion, the committee put this squad in the new play-in games called the “First Four.” Nobody could have predicted this run from any team who would have an extra game to play in order to reach the National Semifinals.

With all these teams focused and playing with a chip on their shoulders, it is a testament to what determination and camaraderie can provide. It is clear to see that these teams are not the biggest or most athletic, but they certainly have played the best and smartest basketball during the month of March. It will be a pleasure watching these ball clubs fight for the National Championship!

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson was arrested in November at the Sierra Blanca checkpoint in Hudspeth County. His penalty? To sing “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” with his guitar in the courtroom. (What strikes me as hilarious is that I drive through that checkpoint every time I drive to Austin. I never thought Willie would be the guy that would actually get busted there.) Anyways, this is a simple song with very poetic lyrics by Fred Rose; if you have not heard it, here it is.

The Price of Chocolate

Hershey announced that it is raising its prices by nearly ten percent! The justification for this increase in price, Hershey says, is due to the increase in costs.

Hershey is famous for its “nickel bars” during the earlier portion of the 20th century, as one of the company’s goals was to make chocolate affordable to the working class. Hershey was able to maintain the price of the nickel bar until around 1970, varying the size of the product as the price in cocoa fluctuated.

Gibbs to Facebook?

The New York Times reported that former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is being sought after by Facebook to take a role to help “manage the company’s communications.” Allegedly, Facebook is trying to get the deal done before its planned IPO next year. Gibbs was said to have been committed to helping President Obama’s reelection campaign before seeking a position in the private sector, but Facebook is said to be possibly offering him a cash salary as well as shares in the company. The article said that Facebook is worth $60M, “could be the largest offering in history,” and McCombs students are very aware how a company’s stock prick behaves during an IPO…

Anyways, back to the internship!

Location, Location, Location…

As I said previously, when making the decision of where to attend college, the actual city of Austin made a huge difference to me; after all, there are outstanding accounting programs in Provo and Champaign too. A combination of proximity to home, proximity to other major cities, lifestyle, and dedication to football combined to make a huge difference to me.

Now seeking a location for which to practice my profession, I have selected the firm of my choice, and now it is only a matter of location. In this segment, I am not going to advocate a city over another, but merely share my thoughts on living in these cities; however, I am certain that it will be apparent that I choose a place to live based on both Goliath and minute points.

What I Miss about El Paso

Lest we forget my hometown is the 19th largest city in the country in terms of population, and if you add the population of Ciudad Juarez, then you have a metropolitan population of nearly 2 million people—about the same size as Dallas-Fort Worth. Unfortunately, the economy does not function quite as well as DFW, but there are some good reasons to live in El Paso:


You can see the iconic Star on the Franklin Mountains as you drive on I-10.

(1) Weather & Scenery—Some may disagree with me, but I have grown to become quite fond of the desert landscape. The dry heat is also a nice change from the humidity. There is nothing quite like being able to enjoy a nice summer night in El Paso with temperatures in the 70s, and that does not even compete with the ability to wear shorts in the middle of February. And nothing can compete with the fiery sunset against the backdrop of the Franklin mountains.

(2) Food—El Paso has the best Mexican food in the country—hands down. When I go to El Paso, I make sure to hit up Leo’s, Forti’s, or Carlos & Mickey’s before I even head to my house. There’s nothing quite like the flavors you can get from these local restaurants that have been open for generations. It is safe to say that I crave enchiladas and chile rellenos from El Paso just about all year.

(3) People and Culture—El Pasoans are very open by nature, I feel. There is very much the small-town feel in which there is no shame in stopping to chat with someone for a couple quick minutes. Additionally, the city of El Paso is very old and diverse; among other things, there are three Spanish missions, the Tigua reservation, and Fort Bliss. (El Paso will challenge your history teacher by claiming that Juan de Oñate celebrated the first Thanksgiving nearby in 1598.) This richness adds to the diversity of the city, making it a very pleasant place to spend some time.

What I Miss about Austin

It is hard for me to stomach even saying this phrase, but nothing lasts forever. During my internship, I realized how much I would miss this city upon graduation. To name a few things that really stuck out to me:

(1) Kerbey Lane—I admit it: I love those overkilled pumpkin pancakes and that Early Bird Special I so much enjoyed while studying for Intermediate Accounting. The best food ever? Not better than menudo in the Lower Valley of El Paso, but it just screams Austin!

(2) CapMetro—The public transit system in Austin is like no other. There is nothing better than having an easy to access bus system that is easy to use. I have been able to survive in Austin for just over three years sans a car, and with gas prices and insurance to pay, that has been better than it sounds!

(3) Scenery—As much as I miss the desert, there is nothing like driving down Mopac under the shade of foliage. There is nothing quite like sitting at Auditorium Shores in the middle of the summer listening to music by the riverside. It sounds trivial, but it truly distinguishes Austin from many other mammoth cities.

(4) The Life—Whether you like football or not may be an issue, but finding something you do like should not be. With the colossal Texas Athletic Program, any sports fan’s mouth should be watering. Furthermore, Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. Whether it is just a random night out or one of the many festivals (like ACL or SXSW), you can always hear some music playing. I mean, we’re talking about a town that has a statue erected to Stevie Ray Vaughn…

(5) The Attitude—It is sometimes hard to explain to people who have not experienced it, but you can definitely feel the open-mindedness of the Austin community. In addition, the city’s discreet but serious commitment to the environment contributes to keeping the city a great place to live.

Why I am Choosing Dallas Next

While nothing is set in stone, my next destination seems to be Dallas, Texas. While I was not in Dallas really long enough to “miss” anything, here are some of the things I really liked and noted about Dallas while I was there:

(1) Industry Diversification and Opportunity—I admit that El Paso and Austin are not as well set up for this as much as Dallas is. Dallas is home to a multitude of different types of companies (Southwest Airlines, JCPenney, Dr. Pepper-Snapple, for example). Also, I have the opportunity to live in a substantially large city. That is, I feel that as part of my development as a business professional, I need to learn how to operate in a major city the size of DFW, with several interstates and nearly 2 million people. Am I saying it is necessary to live in a huge city to do well? No. What I am saying is that exposure to living here will broaden my outlook, showing me yet another way of doing things.

(2) 92.5 FM “Lonestar”—In the long commutes that Dallas-Fort Worth sometimes gives me, there is nothing better than a station I can count on to play either the Beatles or Led Zeppelin within a given span of time. Although I love KVET here in Austin, I will admit that classic rock is definitely my favorite genre, and this station just seems to deliver for me.


As if I didn't need any more coffee, the location near SMU is open 24hrs.

(3) Café Brazil & Gloria’s—Okay, you get it: I obviously love food. The coffee bar at Café Brazil makes my day with its selection of nearly eight different choices. Gloria’s, on the other hand, does quench my cravings for Hispanic food, unlike most places in Austin. If the rest of their menu is on par with their chiles rellenos and carne adobado, then the restaurant should strongly consider just giving me my own line of credit there.

Final Thoughts

Picking a place you want to live for an extended period of time is never easy. An array of different factors definitely account for making this sort of decision. It is not just salary or profession that account for this decision but, rather, the interplay between all of them. If you are a third-year, it may be difficult to truly gauge and make a great decision right now—it is a hard decision for me right now, and I actually spent three months in Dallas. (Moving to a different city without family can be especially difficult to project for me.) However, the experiences I will get living in a different city will certainly help me grow and learn many new things. Thus, while city of choice is not the end all-be all, it is definitely something I would actively consider—as opposed to just letting conveniently fall into place—when deciding where to intern or practice full-time.

3 thoughts on “Internship Series: III. Location, Location, Location”

  1. Paul, I will be starting the MPA Program this July and will be moving from Chicago to Austin in early May. In your latest internship blog you mentioned that you survived living in Austin sans a car via the CapMetro. Having lived in Chicago without a vehicle, I have grown to rely on public transportation. Can you suggest areas to live in Austin that are either within walking distance to UT or close to public transportation? Thanks!

  2. Hi Steve,

    Are you planning to come look for housing or are you going to do everything online? If you want to be REALLY close to campus, there are apartments available in west campus. The good thing about living in west campus is that you can walk to the business school in 10 minutes or so and bike here in only 5 minutes. You will not need to take a bus. Two things about west campus: 1) It is full of undergraduates and very loud 2) pretty expensive

    Another area to look at is north campus. I bike through north campus on my way home, and I pass by dozens of “for rent” signs every day. Anything between campus and 33rd street and Speedway is pretty walkable–probably 20 to 25 minutes to the business school. The campus shuttle runs down Speedway, all the way to 45th street (and beyond).

    I live in Hyde Park, which is just north of north campus. It is definitely not walkable, but accessible by bike and Capital Metro.

    I do not know anything about east campus. If anyone has any insight into living in east campus, please chip in.

    Also, you may be interested in a recent post of mine about the bike commute to campus. Here is the link:

    http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/mpa-students/2011/02/07/life-without-a-bike/#more-1502

  3. Hey Steve, West Campus and some parts of North Campus are walkable for sure. (I walk from North Campus everyday.) UT and CapMetro also have certain shuttle services that cover West Campus, North Campus, East Campus, Riverside, and the Lake that are in addition to CapMetro’s regular routes. I personally like North Campus because it’s quieter and in walking distance, but an area like Riverside is popular because it is much more affordable. I’ll cover this subject in more detail in my next installment.

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