Are Austin residents pretentious? (Houston, Dallas: employment, college, living in)

[love roses]

I also think it's cooler to help in some capacity the whole year through and not just at Christmas and Thanksgiving.

[orbius]

Austin isnt called Plano South by some for no reason. You cant kill the spirit of Austin however despite some peoples best efforts. Austin improved after the 2000 tech bust and will improve again after this deep recession/depression when some of these materialistic yuppies vaminose. Shame they managed to destroy so many of the downtown neighborhoods however by driving property prices(and taxes) so high however.

[Biscuits]

Originally Posted by orbius

Austin isnt called Plano South by some for no reason.

That may well be the most random thing I have ever read on this board...

[mlassoff]

I have never heard anyone call Austin, "Plano South." But then, I don't get out much.

[TexasHorseLady]

I've never heard it called that, I've lived here for 40 years, and I DO get out much (it's my job)!

[AustinGuy]

Maybe the people who live in Plano call it that?

[Jennibc]

Isn't Austin and awfully big diverse, city to be lumping all its residents into one category? Aren't there pretentious people everywhere? I've sure never gotten that sense.

[coog78]

I think over the past few years, Austin has become more pretentious then, Dallas I dare say. It mainly seems to do with the influx of all the California transplants and their "Austin is the only place in Texas I would live" mentality.

Austin's cool, but it ranks far behind Houston and Dallas in nearly all respects except natural landscape (subjective, many prefer green to dry and rocky). Austin in the 90s felt much more liberal, diverse and tolerant. The smoke and mirrors are increasing.

[Biscuits]

Originally Posted by coog78

Austin's cool, but it ranks far behind Houston and Dallas in nearly all respects except natural landscape (subjective, many prefer green to dry and rocky)..

"Nearly all respects" also includes violent crime rate, teenage heroin fatalities, unemployment, families living below the poverty line, (all judged per 100,000 residents) etc...

You were including those as categories that Austin ranks far behind Dallas and Houston as well, weren't you?

[atxcio]

I've always said that people who enjoy Austin, enjoy it for what it ISN'T as much as what it IS. And it isn't Dallas or Houston, where (justifiably or not) many people would just rather not live. If people wanted to live in a huge metro with all the big-city amenities and problems, they'd probably just as soon pick one in another state with better weather, more interesting geography, etc.

I think that's why you get a lot of the "Austin is the only place in Texas where I would live" type comments. Sure, the sprawl outside of Austin is looking more and more like Dallas or Houston... but then, it also looks like any other major city in that regard. The bottom line is that Houston and Dallas are seen as unappealing to lots of people, an image they have a long way to go to shake off.