Austin is losing some of its quality of life appeal as it attracts Silicon Valley giants. : (Bloomberg)—Three years ago, Brin Chartier went to Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest festival and decided she wasn’t going to leave. The then 27-year-old found a job at a tech startup and moved there the following year. “I fell in love,” she said. Lots of cities are trying to fashion themselves as the next Silicon Valley, but Austin is truly having a moment. Its economy, population and list of high-profile employers have all ballooned in recent years.