Is Austin a southern, southwestern, or western city? (Houston, Dallas: scorpions, plantation)

[cBach]

Originally Posted by portlanderinOC

I guess I stand corrected. However, I always thought the cacti in Austin looked odd compared to the other flora in the region.
That being said, I did some extra research to find that there are naturally occurring cacti as far east as Houston. Does that mean Houston is the desert southwest? Didn't think so.

Being someone who's lived in Houston, I can honestly say Houston is very much a Southern city. Houston clearly has more in common with Atlanta than El Paso, especially in climate and the local architecture. Dallas is more prairie-esque, but still has a bit of that Southern flavour in some areas.
Also, as I pointed out in another post, Texas was part of the Confederacy, and there were plantations as far west as Midland. So yes, Texas does share the "controversial" history you have pointed out.
I also stated in another thread that Texas shares plenty in common with the South and the Southwest in a cultural sense. In other words, if you're from Texas and want to say you're in the South, then do so. If you think you're in the Southwest, do that. Own the label of your choice.
My mum grew up in Orange, Texas. I've asked several of her family members what they believe. One of them says that Texas is very much the Southwest and that Louisiana isn't the true South because it had French influence (which I know plenty of Louisiana folk will disagree with), but most of them agree that Texas is a crossroads for several major regions in North America.

What little southern influence Houston has is from Cajuns from Louisiana and you claim Cajuns aren't "southern" so by that logic Houston isn't either.

I admit southern Louisiana is different than other southern states because of the French influence, but northern Louisiana is very much the deep South.

[CarnivalGal]

I still say Texas (and Austin) is Southern. It's kind of hard not to when Confederate War Heroes Day is a state holiday (conveniently celebrated on MLK day as an alternative to people who don't want to observe MLK Day), and there is a statue commemorating Confederate Soldiers on the capital grounds here in Austin.

[scm53]

The confusion comes from the fact that Texas is five different states - one of them Southern.

NB - for you old timers, the guy used to be a member of Uranium Savages, Soap Creek regulars.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by mm57553

I still say Texas (and Austin) is Southern. It's kind of hard not to when Confederate War Heroes Day is a state holiday (conveniently celebrated on MLK day as an alternative to people who don't want to observe MLK Day), and there is a statue commemorating Confederate Soldiers on the capital grounds here in Austin.

Not exactly true. It's the day BEFORE MLK.

In any event, I'm from New Orleans and I see very little in common between Austin and the South.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

Not exactly true. It's the day BEFORE MLK.

In any event, I'm from New Orleans and I see very little in common between Austin and the South.

My mistake. However, I still think it's sickening that the state legislators would only agree to recognize MLK Day if Confederate Heroes day was made a holiday as well.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by portlanderinOC

That's because about 90% of people who live in Austin aren't from there. Generally, larger cities in the South don't have as much of a southern accent as those who live in the countryside anyway.
The thing with the sweet tea is becoming more common in bigger cities in the South, even in Houston iced tea comes unsweet by default. That being said, you can get sweet tea at almost any restaurant in Austin, hell even the In N Out there has it (the one's in California don't). Also Austin is home to Sweet Leaf Tea and Texas Tea brands. On top of that, my aunt lives in Windsor Park, and lives within a mile of 4 fried chicken places.

Texan accents may not have the drawl of a Mississippi or Alabama dialect, but they have a twang very similar to the Appalachia region of Tennessee and North Carolina, which would be considered southern.
As for the rebel flags, Hays High School in Buda is known as the Rebels, and had a confederate flag flying in their courtyard until it controversy forced them to take it down in the early 1990s.


Most of the cacti in Austin are not even native to the region. Go drive around rural areas outside of Austin, you will not find any cacti growing naturally, even in the Hill Country where it's drier. Austin has plenty of live oaks and deciduous trees that would not make me think of the Southwest. And last I checked Austin has a humid-subtropical climate. What place in the desert southwest has this climate? None!
And using the argument that there are a lot of Spanish names is just stupid. Louisiana has a lot of names that are French, does that mean it's 'not the South' because it's different in that regard?

The South is a big region, with many tinier subregions. Saying that Texas isn't the South because it certain characteristics that make it stand out is like saying Pennsylvania is not in the North because it's culturally different from Maine. When I drive through the nearby Hill Country, it almost makes me think of a drier, mini-Appalachia, especially culture wise. Many of the small town in THC feel southern in culture, not western.

I agree with what you said about Texas being its own region, it really is kind of it's own place. You can't really peg it into one region like you can with most states. Geographically, the eastern half of the state is more in the South, while the western part is more in the Southwest. Culturally speaking however, Southern culture in Texas goes about as west as Midland, only the Trans-Pecos region is more similar to the true Desert Southwest. Texas culture is based off of Southern culture, but it has a western bite to it too, which is what makes it Texas. Hell you can say that about any state.

You are responding to a post from 2009 written by someone who has not been active in City-Data since 2010.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by mm57553

My mistake. However, I still think it's sickening that the state legislators would only agree to recognize MLK Day if Confederate Heroes day was made a holiday as well.

Where in the hell did you get that? That holiday dates from 1973 - MLK Day dates from 1987.

Happy to relieve your upset stomach over nothing.

[portlanderinOC]

Originally Posted by cBach

What little southern influence Houston has is from Cajuns from Louisiana and you claim Cajuns aren't "southern" so by that logic Houston isn't either.

I admit southern Louisiana is different than other southern states because of the French influence, but northern Louisiana is very much the deep South.

I said one of my relatives thought that, I never said I did...

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by portlanderinOC

Most of the cacti in Austin are not even native to the region. Go drive around rural areas outside of Austin, you will not find any cacti growing naturally, even in the Hill Country where it's drier.

Driving North on MoPac today from Circle C I saw numerous clumps of prickly pear cactus growing in the wooded undeveloped areas along side the highway. It reminded me of this post. You can go walking in the woods and greenbelts all around Austin and find cactus in most of them.

Native Cactus grows all over Texas and even in tropical climates. Cactus is not just a desert plant.

I've seen some really cool looking cactus growing on top of a rocky a cliff above the ocean in the Virgin Islands, where they get tons of rain.

[creepy]

Western or SW, not southern. many think it is deep south but it has marked differences from the deep south.