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It's been years since I've been there. What would someone from Austin offer to international tourists? Aside from a large festival or music gathering, why would someone fly there to visit? It's not sarcasm, I'm asking honestly.
I think it's been for a while. When I lived there, there was always random celebrities there. In a little restaurant I worked at, Francis Coppola and Steve Buscemi came in, Treat Williams. It's a nice little get away.
Wow, so much crap for Austin here. I've been there twice and thought it was a great place to visit. It doesn't have a Times Square, so to speak, but it's really more about the general atmosphere, which I've never really experienced in any other city -- this kind of bohemian-Texan hybrid. I liked about a hundred or maybe a thousand times more than San Antonio, which has an awesome riverwalk and like nothing else of any interest whatsoever.
The most hated city in this forum. I like it for what it is, small, neat little tech hub with nice people. I wouldnt' compare it to Venice Beach or whatever, but it can be fun.
It's actually been portrayed on this forum as the "end all, be all" or "the shining city on the hill" with very few people actually hating it or crapping on it up until recently. I think at this point, the hype of it is tired out so you're starting to see more negative comments. It's nowhere near as bashed as rust belt or other sunbelt cities on here.
It's actually been portrayed on this forum as the "end all, be all" or "the shining city on the hill" with very few people actually hating it or crapping on it up until recently. I think at this point, the hype of it is tired out so you're starting to see more negative comments. It's nowhere near as bashed as rust belt or other sunbelt cities on here.
Exactly. It's the perfect city image that it garners that rubs me the wrong way. I've visited Austin a handful of times right out of college and spent most of my time doing the types of things the city is most known for: live music venues and drinking alcohol -- and I liked it. Is it the #1 city in America -- in any aspect aside from growth rate -- I don't think so, personally, and I'm unsure why it gets so much hype while other equally deserving (or even lesser deserving) cities get no hype or even negative perceptions. That's not to say it's not a great city or fun city or likable city, it just means that its hype is a little overboard for what it really is, which in my opinion is a large "town" that caters well to people in college and young professionals. It's fun when you're young, but as I'm getting older I'm not sure the amenities its most renown for would still appeal to me as much as they once did, so without those being important factors it falls back within the realm of "pretty good" cities, as opposed to "amazing" cities.
To be fair, I could say the very same thing about the city I love and live in: Minneapolis. It's probably not the "it" city for those who are looking for nightclubs, pools/beaches, and a cosmopolitan vibe, but as a father of a young family, it's essentially perfect.
Exactly. It's the perfect city image that it garners that rubs me the wrong way. I've visited Austin a handful of times right out of college and spent most of my time doing the types of things the city is most known for: live music venues and drinking alcohol -- and I liked it. Is it the #1 city in America -- in any aspect aside from growth rate -- I don't think so, personally, and I'm unsure why it gets so much hype while other equally deserving (or even lesser deserving) cities get no hype or even negative perceptions. That's not to say it's not a great city or fun city or likable city, it just means that its hype is a little overboard for what it really is, which in my opinion is a large "town" that caters well to people in college and young professionals. It's fun when you're young, but as I'm getting older I'm not sure the amenities its most renown for would still appeal to me as much as they once did, so without those being important factors it falls back within the realm of "pretty good" cities, as opposed to "amazing" cities.
To be fair, I could say the very same thing about the city I love and live in: Minneapolis. It's probably not the "it" city for those who are looking for nightclubs, pools/beaches, and a cosmopolitan vibe, but as a father of a young family, it's essentially perfect.
I think Austin has its strong points and charm, but i can think of 15 cities I'd rather live in, including Minneapolis. Still, if I were 23 and super liberal and had an iron kidney, Austin would be great
I think it gets the hype because of it's location, for one. Blueberry in a tomato soup right? In Texas, it's known as a very liberal place to go party. How many places are there like that in the south? It seems isolated. Now, I know posters from Dallas and Houston will come with "we have way more bars than Austin, I don't get it." But it's not about having a lot of bars and a nice downtown district or a ton of Fortune 500 companies.
Austin appeals to hipsters who like the ability to drive 20 minutes and be under a water fall. That's something you can't get in every big city. Again, I will say, for me, I can think of 15 cities I'd rather live in, but there is certainly a charm to that city.
I LOVED Austin in the early 90's. Now, it's identity has somewhat changed and not as quirky as it used to be, and is a watered-down version of its former self.
Is Austin a huge destination? Plain and simple, no.
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