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Not only is Phoenix noticeably warmer, sunnier, and drier than Austin from November-March, it's also a much less menacing place for seasonal allergy sufferers. Most of the major Texas cities, but in particular Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio have to be the most aggregating cities in the entire country in terms of seasonal allergies. I think it has something to do with the geographic location of these cities--prairies to the north, swampland to the south/southeast, deserts to the west, and forests to the east. FWIW, allergists are a dime-a-dozen in Texas, so that alone should speak volumes. Definitely something to consider if you suffer from seasonal allergies.
Also, coming from Seattle, OP, you will notice that Austin, especially outside of its core, is actually quite Southern in culture--lots of Texan/Southern accents, Evangelical Protestant churches, Christian billboards, workplace preachers, Bible verses everywhere (signs, social media, etc.), and so forth. IMO, the culture of Texas is a subset of Southern culture, despite what others will have you believe.
Furthermore, native Texans and Southern transplants, especially in suburban Austin, don't particularly care for "Yankees" or "Lefties" all that much, the latter of which you'd be considered. Even though people say Austin is where a bunch of Californians and East Coasters go for bigger/newer/cheaper housing, I disagree. Austin, especially in the fringe areas of the metro area, is very backwards. There's still too much "Bubba talk" and "Bible thumpers" for me to truly like it there.
Lastly, Austin's core has this very odd Bohemian vibe, consistent with Portland, albeit with a strong Texan/Southern slant. Believe or not, Portland actually stole the "Keep Portland Weird" slogan from Austin's "Keep Austin Weird" slogan, if that tells you anything. Compared to Phoenix, Austin is definitely much more of a place for quirky folks with alternative tastes/styles. Needless to say, Austin isn't the place for someone who drives a Range Rover with tinted windows and attends pool parties on the weekends such as myself, LOL. That should be sufficient enough insight.
If any of that matters, we have none of those issues in Phoenix. Phoenix--and Arizona in general, for that matter--has a classic live-and-let-live Western vibe--very casual; polite (e.g., you'll rarely hear a car horn here); open-minded; tolerant, even if not approving; and although people can seem aloof, they're usually pleasant if you talk first. No one here cares what religion you are, who you sleep with, or where you're from. Almost everyone here is from somewhere else, but in particular California and the Midwest, although the Pacific Northwest is well-represented, too. IME, most of the people in Texas are from neighboring states (OK/LA/AR) or other parts of Texas. IMHO, the culture, people, lifestyle, and weather of Arizona make it an easier, more desirable place to live for West Coast, Midwest, and Northeast people.
Last edited by 8to32characters; 07-01-2014 at 01:55 PM..
Depends on what kind of snowbird you are. Phoenix has generally more consistently pleasant winter weather. While the temperatures are mostly temperate, blue northers blow in and Austin will freeze half a dozen times in the winter, maybe more. It will rain and very occasionally snow. The cold never lasts more than a couple of days. If you like to golf, Phoenix wins by a long way.
That said, even though it is much smaller than Phoenix, Austin - not the suburbs of Austin- but the city itself is a lot more urban than Phoenix. Downtown Austin beats downtown Phoenix or Scottsdale or Tempe badly. People actually live there. There are literally hundreds of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, theaters, live music venues in around two square miles. The streets hop day and night like nowhere in the Phoenix MSA. Public transportation sucks in both places, but it would be easier to live in Austin without a car, if you pick your spot carefully. Food is also considerably superior in Austin at every price point from the largest and best food truck scene outside of LA to any number of destination dining establishments and the best beef BBQ in the world. Phoenix is mostly dominated by chain and fast food establishments ( there are a few exceptions, but there is nothing like the culinary scene in Austin in Phoenix), even more so than the Austin suburbs.
Austin is also significantly more politically liberal than Phoenix. It was the third city in the US to pass a gay rights ordinance back in the early 1970s. While race relations are not perfect, and Austin is not great for African Americans, there is NOTHING like the vicious anti-Hispanic racism which has regrettably come to define Phoenix and Arizona politics in the last decade. Someone like Sheriff Joe Arpaio would be laughed at in Austin and then run out of town, not re-elected repeatedly. Austin has a much better educated population than Phoenix, and consequently even though its MSA is much smaller than Phoenix's, it has many more independent bookstores, art galleries, and equivalent if not better high cultural amenities; ballet, symphony, opera. It has a sound and a vibe, whereas Phoenix to me is relentlessly kinda bland - Irvine CA in the desert.
Phoenix has much more spectacular scenery. While hilly and very hilly for Texas, Austin has no mesas or buttes or painted deserts as a song would have it, and while you can sail or swim in Lake Travis in January, you will get a few days of below freezing temps. For winter weather and proximity to some of the most gorgeous scenery in the country, I would choose Phoenix, but for all the man made stuff - culture, cuisine, the arts, a social world, I would choose Austin. What are your priorities?
It strikes me a slightly weird comparison. Phoenix has always struck me as a much more naturally beautiful but more boring and less cosmopolitan and sophisticated version of DFW, which I don't find that sophisticated or cosmopolitan to start with, and Austin is what Tucson should aspire to be.
Visit both places in January, they are very different. Depending on what you want out of your snowbirdness, I think this decision could be easy.
Depends on what kind of snowbird you are. Phoenix has generally more consistently pleasant winter weather. While the temperatures are mostly temperate, blue northers blow in and Austin will freeze half a dozen times in the winter, maybe more. It will rain and very occasionally snow. The cold never lasts more than a couple of days. If you like to golf, Phoenix wins by a long way.
That said, even though it is much smaller than Phoenix, Austin - not the suburbs of Austin- but the city itself is a lot more urban than Phoenix. Downtown Austin beats downtown Phoenix or Scottsdale or Tempe badly. People actually live there. There are literally hundreds of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, theaters, live music venues in around two square miles. The streets hop day and night like nowhere in the Phoenix MSA. Public transportation sucks in both places, but it would be easier to live in Austin without a car, if you pick your spot carefully. Food is also considerably superior in Austin at every price point from the largest and best food truck scene outside of LA to any number of destination dining establishments and the best beef BBQ in the world. Phoenix is mostly dominated by chain and fast food establishments ( there are a few exceptions, but there is nothing like the culinary scene in Austin in Phoenix), even more so than the Austin suburbs.
Austin is also significantly more politically liberal than Phoenix. It was the third city in the US to pass a gay rights ordinance back in the early 1970s. While race relations are not perfect, and Austin is not great for African Americans, there is NOTHING like the vicious anti-Hispanic racism which has regrettably come to define Phoenix and Arizona politics in the last decade. Someone like Sheriff Joe Arpaio would be laughed at in Austin and then run out of town, not re-elected repeatedly. Austin has a much better educated population than Phoenix, and consequently even though its MSA is much smaller than Phoenix's, it has many more independent bookstores, art galleries, and equivalent if not better high cultural amenities; ballet, symphony, opera. It has a sound and a vibe, whereas Phoenix to me is relentlessly kinda bland - Irvine CA in the desert.
Phoenix has much more spectacular scenery. While hilly and very hilly for Texas, Austin has no mesas or buttes or painted deserts as a song would have it, and while you can sail or swim in Lake Travis in January, you will get a few days of below freezing temps. For winter weather and proximity to some of the most gorgeous scenery in the country, I would choose Phoenix, but for all the man made stuff - culture, cuisine, the arts, a social world, I would choose Austin. What are your priorities?
It strikes me a slightly weird comparison. Phoenix has always struck me as a much more naturally beautiful but more boring and less cosmopolitan and sophisticated version of DFW, which I don't find that sophisticated or cosmopolitan to start with, and Austin is what Tucson should aspire to be.
Visit both places in January, they are very different. Depending on what you want out of your snowbirdness, I think this decision could be easy.
You clearly have never spent time in Phoenix. Nothing you've said here about cosmopolitan nature or the foodie scene of Phoenix can be backed up with facts. Noone argues that the Phoenix core has got decades to go to catch up with itself. But metropolitan Phoenix is known for its flashy excess. It's got some of the best collections of elite shopping in the country, and yet somehow an Austin homer is an expert about it's supposed sub-par food scene. I will never get over what people will say to promote where they live on this site.
Depends on what kind of snowbird you are. Phoenix has generally more consistently pleasant winter weather. While the temperatures are mostly temperate, blue northers blow in and Austin will freeze half a dozen times in the winter, maybe more. It will rain and very occasionally snow. The cold never lasts more than a couple of days. If you like to golf, Phoenix wins by a long way.
That said, even though it is much smaller than Phoenix, Austin - not the suburbs of Austin- but the city itself is a lot more urban than Phoenix. Downtown Austin beats downtown Phoenix or Scottsdale or Tempe badly. People actually live there. There are literally hundreds of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, theaters, live music venues in around two square miles. The streets hop day and night like nowhere in the Phoenix MSA. Public transportation sucks in both places, but it would be easier to live in Austin without a car, if you pick your spot carefully. Food is also considerably superior in Austin at every price point from the largest and best food truck scene outside of LA to any number of destination dining establishments and the best beef BBQ in the world. Phoenix is mostly dominated by chain and fast food establishments ( there are a few exceptions, but there is nothing like the culinary scene in Austin in Phoenix), even more so than the Austin suburbs.
Austin is also significantly more politically liberal than Phoenix. It was the third city in the US to pass a gay rights ordinance back in the early 1970s. While race relations are not perfect, and Austin is not great for African Americans, there is NOTHING like the vicious anti-Hispanic racism which has regrettably come to define Phoenix and Arizona politics in the last decade. Someone like Sheriff Joe Arpaio would be laughed at in Austin and then run out of town, not re-elected repeatedly. Austin has a much better educated population than Phoenix, and consequently even though its MSA is much smaller than Phoenix's, it has many more independent bookstores, art galleries, and equivalent if not better high cultural amenities; ballet, symphony, opera. It has a sound and a vibe, whereas Phoenix to me is relentlessly kinda bland - Irvine CA in the desert.
Phoenix has much more spectacular scenery. While hilly and very hilly for Texas, Austin has no mesas or buttes or painted deserts as a song would have it, and while you can sail or swim in Lake Travis in January, you will get a few days of below freezing temps. For winter weather and proximity to some of the most gorgeous scenery in the country, I would choose Phoenix, but for all the man made stuff - culture, cuisine, the arts, a social world, I would choose Austin. What are your priorities?
It strikes me a slightly weird comparison. Phoenix has always struck me as a much more naturally beautiful but more boring and less cosmopolitan and sophisticated version of DFW, which I don't find that sophisticated or cosmopolitan to start with, and Austin is what Tucson should aspire to be.
Visit both places in January, they are very different. Depending on what you want out of your snowbirdness, I think this decision could be easy.
This "vicious anti-hispanic racism" you mentioned, did TV make you an expert on that, or was it an NPR piece about one particular county sherrif with no jurisdiction in Phoenix city limits or any other Arizona county elected by old Californian transplants who loves the most sensational spotlight?
If you like Seattle, then you'd probably prefer Austin over Phoenix as a snowbird destination. There are lots of outdoor activities, live music, and festivals. If you can afford it, you can live in a very walkable neighborhood which is nice. For sports, yes you only have UT (and F1, if that counts for you)... but San Antonio is close enough (1hr or so drive) that you could catch the Spurs regularly -- something that I highly recommend. Although being a Spurs fan involves many more games after May!
Phoenix wins on more variety of outdoor destinations within weekend-trip driving distance, though. The one problem with Austin is that you'd have to drive a long way to get to anything geographically different than the Texas Hill Country... like real mountains. You can drive to the beach in 3 1/2 hrs though, of course they are Texas beaches so not as nice as other places. But the water is more comfortable Oct-May than anything on the west coast.
If you like Seattle, then you'd probably prefer Austin over Phoenix as a snowbird destination. There are lots of outdoor activities, live music, and festivals. If you can afford it, you can live in a very walkable neighborhood which is nice. For sports, yes you only have UT (and F1, if that counts for you)... but San Antonio is close enough (1hr or so drive) that you could catch the Spurs regularly -- something that I highly recommend. Although being a Spurs fan involves many more games after May!
Phoenix wins on more variety of outdoor destinations within weekend-trip driving distance, though. The one problem with Austin is that you'd have to drive a long way to get to anything geographically different than the Texas Hill Country... like real mountains. You can drive to the beach in 3 1/2 hrs though, of course they are Texas beaches so not as nice as other places. But the water is more comfortable Oct-May than anything on the west coast.
FWIW, there are way more Seattle transplants--of the young, old, AND snowbird variety--in Phoenix vs. Austin.
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