Austin or San Antonio (Houston: real estate, crime, living in)

[timmy38]

Hi all, I'm sure this has already been discussed, so if there is a link someone
can attach that would be great otherwise my question is, is San Antonio just as fun to live in as Austin seems to be. I' had been planning to move to Austin
because of the things I hear about it but I have a friend who just moved to San Antonio and wants me to come live with her. What do you all think? I's there really much difference between the 2 cities? I love beautiful scenery, parks, outdoor activities, arts, music, liberal etc..If I could get these things from San Antonio too then I would consider moving out there instead. Thanks.

[orngkat]

I grew up in San Antonio but have lived in Austin for many years now. There are differences. A much larger Hispanic population flavors the culture there. You either like that or don't. San Antonio has always nurtured its heritage and arts so there are more old buildings, museums etc. It is a more conservative place. I have always found it to have more lush greenery than Austin. Real estate and restaurant food is slightly cheaper.

[mimimomx3]

San Antonio, being the larger city, has more job opportunities. It's got the bigger city vibe too, better roads (well, in comparison to Austin anyway!) and just that bigger city vibe.

[love roses]

I think San Antonio is just as fun. They are 2 completely different places though. San Antonio is larger and is in the Southern part of the Hill country, has parks, arts, music, etc...It may be a little more conservative but probably not much. Agree with the other posters too.

[atxcio]

Go live with the girl. If you want to visit Austin, it's just down the road.

[timmy38]

Thanks guys. I'm still torn but this is helping me.

[datacity]

As someone who has lived in both cities and visits the other regularly, IMHO both are great, but they do have their differences.

If I could live in "Austin" and by that I mean within 10 minutes of downtown so that I can enjoy the multitude of activities, characters and culture you read so much about and many so fondly remember of from a smaller Austin, I would do so in a heartbeat. It also feels like a better fit for single or married persons without children, although Austin is great for children.

San Antonio is a bit bigger and has more of the Mexican influence, but that is part of its charm. Again, the best part of being there is if you can live within 10 minutes of downtown. Then, you are closer to the city and its history... and I guess the touristy stuff like the riverwalk! Of course for children, in addition to natural areas to play and explore, there are more artificial places to visit (e.g. Sea World, Fiesta Texas), not that there is anything wrong with that!

If you live more than 15-20 minutes away from either downtown, you really are in a suburb and both cities' suburbs can be somewhat interchangeable.

It is good to have a choice and wherever you choose to live, the other is a quick drive down or up. That makes living in either city a great bet and I think they are the two best areas of Texas, no offense to DFW, Houston or anywhere else.

[Ryehenry]

Well I live in Austin, and to be honest I prefer it that way. My wife (currently in the military) live is San Antonio so I make the drive quite often.

So far everything that everyone has said I agree with. But I like Austin for the size, its a bigger city but not too big. Not only that Austin in not much of a drive to anywhere if it be San Antonio, Corpis, etc.

My full honest opinion on the difference of the two is attachment. People "seem" to be a bit closer to each other here in Austin than in San Antonio, but that maybe due to the size difference. But I could be wrong, it just seems that way.

But I'd say go live with your friend for it will help both of you out and make things easier. They are both great places, and when you want to do something in Austin its a stone throw away!!

[spanko75]

I live close to Austin now, and have lived in SA in the past. My opinion is SA hands dowm, its bigger, there aren't as many wierd people and downtown San Antiono seems cleaner. Your about 2 hrs away from the Gulf, the history is rich, you have multiple options as far as finding something to do. The cost of living is much better as well.

[TexasBlonde]

I grew up in Austin, but also lived in San Antonio for several years. In my opinion, I love Austin a lot better (not to say that San Antonio wasn't great though). In my opinion though, Austin has much more of a "community feel" because San Antonio is SO spread out and there are so many different areas (it takes quite a ways longer to get from one end of the city to the other) versus Austin where everything is relatively closer. I also think Austin is a lot cleaner (primarily downtown Austin), safer (the crime in Austin is lower than San Antonio) and I find the people to be friendlier (although, there are some very nice people in San Antonio as well). Also, since you mentioned you love the outdoors and parks..I definitely think Austin is better for that as well. San Antonio, being larger and more spread out than Austin, has more of a "big city" feel with less parks/outdoor activities.

San Antonio and Austin are relatively close to each other though. So, you could always just visit your friend frequently (down in San Antonio) or move to San Antonio but move back to Austin if you didn't like it. San Antonio is not a bad city though, but when comparing it to Austin, I prefer Austin much more.