Austin's urban growth.... (Houston, Dallas, San Marcos: fit in, credit, organic)

[Bp25]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Al

My sister has lived in DFW since 1994. I have visited many times. I've never liked it, other than catching a Rangers game.


Everywhere you look are chain restaurants and big box retailers. Every house seems to be made of brick and neighborhoods are walled in with brick. Everything feels so sterile. Even the church-goers feel fake with their big hair and too much makeup.


I don't hate Dallas. If people love it, more power to them. It's just not for me.

Sounds like you are describing newer Dallas suburbs like north Plano or Frisco, not Dallas proper. That is not any different from Austin suburban neighborhoods like Avery Ranch.

I've moved from Plano to west Austin and I love the rolling hills and lakes and parks. I can't say I love the traffic or panhandlers or people constantly running red lights. You may not like Dallas northern suburbs but the city governments there know how to run a city.

[ringwise]

Originally Posted by ClaraC

My impression of Dallas from having family there and visiting frequently is that it is very focused on money and appearance, and it is full of strip malls with chain restaurants and brand new cars and nowhere nice to hike.

Before moving to Texas, I was told:

If cities were shoes, Dallas would be Prada pumps, Fort Worth would be cowboy boots, Houston would be work boots, and Austin would be birkenstocks.

Having lived here, I can say this pretty much sums it up. Not sure what San Antonio is, though. LOL

[CT_ATX]

Probably a little of both seems to be the strategy so far. Build upscale condos, but preserve the landmarks and music venues that are already there. Create a foodie culture, but center it around taco and bbq trucks. I'm sure more upscale things will sneak in, but it seems there is still a strong culture for patios and dive bars to compete.

[hornraider]

San Antonio and Ft. Worth seem to be the most authentic Texas cities. Lol at all the old Dallas stereotypes of fake and plasticness, when most of the folks I see moving into Austin these days are exactly that.

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by ringwise

Before moving to Texas, I was told:

If cities were shoes, Dallas would be Prada pumps, Fort Worth would be cowboy boots, Houston would be work boots, and Austin would be birkenstocks.

Having lived here, I can say this pretty much sums it up. Not sure what San Antonio is, though. LOL

Espadrilles!!!

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by hornraider

San Antonio and Ft. Worth seem to be the most authentic Texas cities. Lol at all the old Dallas stereotypes of fake and plasticness, when most of the folks I see moving into Austin these days are exactly that.

My son and his lifelong best friend, in their 40's, say San Antonio reminds them of Austin back when they were growing up.

[homeinatx]

This thread has degenerated into yet another Texas cities pissing match. I agree that the Texas cities have more in common in with each other than with other cities. Scale is one of the huge differences, but there are other perhaps measurable differences in character. Here are some facts with implications.

1. Largest employers

Houston: Memorial Hermann
DFW: American Airlines
Austin: U.T. Austin/Dell

2. Biggest Companies

Houston: Phillips 66, Conoco Phillips
DFW: Exxon Mobil, AT&T
Austin: Whole Foods, Dell

3. Largest and most iconic annual events

Houston: Houston Rodeo
DFW: Texas State Fair
Austin: South by Southwest

Of course, the above listed do not tell the whole story, but they give some indication of the economies, values, dominant cultures in the three places. . .

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

...
Yet, is the city planning on adding some world class museums, theater, opera?
...

No, but I'm sure City Council will want to build some public transgender bathrooms real soon. They have to keep their priorities and sensibilities stroked.

Our leaders think success is proven based on how they feel about things, and what they say about problems. Like "affordability". It doesn't matter that they fail to execute growth in a competent, common sense way, or that bad policy actually created the unaffordability. They want to do something and will talk about it. But won't ever fix it.

Our city leaders, and the activists who bully them, have utterly failed at succeeding. By that I mean the city has succeeded in promoting "Austin" as a brand, as a destination to both live and visit, and as a city with some progressive ideals. But once you're here and get a handle on how things actually operate, it's a real mess. Run by a bunch of real dumb dumbs.

I have a cabin on a creek in Wimberley, a home in suburban SW Austin, and now a downtown apartment to test for a year before I decide to buy a downtown condo. Last night I walked to Blues on the Green. I love the fact that I can just walk to Zilker. But once there, it was an overcrowded mass of humanity. It sounds good on paper, "free music in Zilker Park", but, like the city itself, the event is loved to death and there are so many people it kills the buzz. Maybe next time I'll go plant a blanket closer up, like you have to do at Zilker Hillside Theater.

I finally left, walked east on Barton Springs, where the road was partially closed, and I continue east over to Uncle Billy's, and observed just a massive gridlock of cars stuck with no way out of the hell hole that was Barton Springs drive. Again, Austin is good at attracting people to the city and its events, but most of those people in the cars looked like regular non-party goers who simply made the colossal mistake of following GPS guidance. You really can't trust that streets in central Austin will be passable. Why? Because the city is not well managed or operated.

This is just one example. Austin is like those idiots who promoted and sold that ridiculous concert on an island a few weeks back. Create buzz? Check. Attract attention? Check. Execute and deliver? Uh, not even close.

Steve

[Rynldsbr]

Originally Posted by cBach

This post should serve a warning to all those that value Austin's uniqueness. You are going to have to fight to preserve what this city is all about. The mindset of people coming here is of the OP. They want to change us into SF, LA, Houston, or G0d forbid, Dallas.

Too late.

Originally Posted by DTXman34

...Face it. Your city is not as progressive or as unique as you think it is.

OMG!!! Off with your head!

Originally Posted by Longhorn Al

I did say DFW. And I'm not comparing downtown Austin to those places. Just Austin as a whole.

Austin is not a "whole". Austin is only Austin. Then there are the "others". The ones who are blamed for all the Austin traffic, taxes, gentrification, and social decline. Austin itself consists only of natives, with pure spirits, living in the epicenter of everything wonderful.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

My son and his lifelong best friend, in their 40's, say San Antonio reminds them of Austin back when they were growing up.

I worked with an Austinite who said Ft. Worth reminds him of what Austin used to be "before the hipsters took over".

I don't know about all that... and many people tend to forget that Ft. Worth for a long time was actually LARGER than Austin. But I'll just take his word for it.