We loved living in Austin but left after 10 years. Big businesses and tech wrecked our favorite parts of the city.

The Texas capital is known for its motto, “Keep Austin Weird,” an ode to the eclectic mix of small businesses found throughout the city.

Slowly but surely, we’ve watched these small businesses disappear, taking the charmingly odd vibe of Austin and morphing it into the overpriced, polished feel of any other big city.

A perfect example is South Congress, or SoCo, a popular draw for locals and tourists. The street was once lined with offbeat stores with unique Austin offerings and welcoming shop owners.

Visitors could park for free and stroll the street, enjoying places like the iconic costume shop, a gallery featuring handmade bedazzled skulls, and an emporium of uncommon items.

However, it’s gotten harder for small-business owners to survive. Some SoCo business owners told local ABC TV station KVUE that their rent increased by as much as 500% this year.

Even just walking through the neighborhood, it’s easy to see how much the area has changed. Chains like Nike, Hermès, and Warby Parker now line the streets, and parking is no longer free.

We’ve found a better sense of community in the suburbs

In the past decade, the road one street away from our Austin home underwent extreme growth business-wise, and we started to hear more and more traffic from our house.

The open stretch of land that once led us to hill country was replaced with an ever-growing strip of bars. Our once peaceful neighborhood became a popular spot for bar crawls, and we regularly heard a lot of loud, late-night partiers.

We had a fantastic decade enjoying the city but knew it was time for us to start fresh in the suburbs. Fortunately, our tough choice of moving 15 minutes south of Austin paid off, and we’ve already begun building a strong community.

In our new neighborhood, we go on walks where we spot wildlife like deer and foxes. Our neighbors are welcoming and inclusive — they look out for each other. It feels like a stark contrast to the seemingly constant rotation of renters and Airbnbs surrounding us in Austin.

Times change, and so do cities, but I wish Austin had preserved what made it so unique.