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Although I agree that Houston's night life is probably more diverse, I don't know if I would agree that Austin's nightlife is still only geared towards college students.
I agree that Austin has a more lively downtown and nightlife scene, but it tends to cater to the same demographic of people that live there, primarily white college students in their 20s (preferably with dreadlocks). I feel like San Antonio has the best blend of liveliness and demographics, because it is more of a tourist city.
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R1070
For Texas Dallas and then Austin seem to have the best reputations for night life for straights and gays. I am new to Texas and have asked around about Houston and I always hear bad remarks. I would like to spend time there though.
I think that's the problem the OP was bringing up. The reputation, rather than reality. Revitalization of downtown Houston started in the late 90's, peaked a few years later, and the last several years the "scene" has apparently moved a mile west of downtown, around Washington Avenue (http://www.houston-nightlife-scene.com/washington-avenue-nightlife.html - broken link). I think many outsiders still have this idea of a downtown Houston from 15+ years ago.
Believe it or not, when I moved from Austin to Houston, Main Street in downtown Houston around 1999-2000 was almost like a replica of Austin's 6th Street as far as the nightlife crowds, sans all the live music and college-age people. I even had a few Austin friends in town one night, who commented as we where on Main Street "this looks just like 6th Street!" I wish I had taken photos or videos of it back then. For whatever reason, the "scene" has since moved about a mile west.
Quote:
Originally Posted by R1070
Austins culture seems to be centered around the cities core. In a place like Houston that has several areas, is there a particular part of the city outside of downtown that is the main bar/club scene?
I think it's Washington Avenue (http://www.houston-nightlife-scene.com/washington-avenue-nightlife.html - broken link). About a mile west of downtown.
Of course there are a few others, like Midtown, Upper Kirby/River Oaks, Uptown, and Montrose (http://www.houston-nightlife-scene.com/montrose-houston-nightlife.html - broken link) (weirder than anything I ever saw in supposedly "weird" Austin.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by wpmeads
Yes it is. Mainly around the Riverwalk. Also, I believe more people live in downtown SA than any other downtown in Texas.
I don't know, the Riverwalk to me is just too touristy. I was married in downtown San Antonio. Nice, but touristy. Do the locals really go to the Riverwalk much? Kind of like Bourbon Street in NOLA, which the locals generally avoid...
I agree that Austin has a more lively downtown and nightlife scene, but it tends to cater to the same demographic of people that live there, primarily white college students in their 20s (preferably with dreadlocks). I feel like San Antonio has the best blend of liveliness and demographics, because it is more of a tourist city.
Your probably right about San Antonio. My whole point about Austin is that every time I'm there, I see way more than just college kids downtown at night, at least, that's true for the south side around 6th and 4th street. If you go farther north to the Drag right by UT campus, the vast majority of the people wondering around are going to be college age. Downtown and the surrounding areas are going to be the main nightlife for anyone living in Austin. I guess a good portion of it is still geared toward college students, but that's seems to be changing. The more the city grows, the less and less of a college town it becomes. At least, that's been my prospective.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AK123
I don't know, the Riverwalk to me is just too touristy. I was married in downtown San Antonio. Nice, but touristy. Do the locals really go to the Riverwalk much? Kind of like Bourbon Street in NOLA, which the locals generally avoid...
The only thing is, I can't imagine where else San Antonians would go outside of downtown. there just doesn't seem much to do in SA outside of downtown (well, excluding theme parks). Based on C-D and personal friends living in the area, I haven't really heard of anything to suggest other wise.
I cannot possibly take anyone seriously who thinks that the nightlife in Houston outdoes Miami/South Beach and Los Angeles. I'm not saying that Houston doesn't have their share of nightlife, but to try to say that it's comparable to Miami/South Beach or LA is a joke. And you forgot Vegas. How convenient.
Have you even been to South Beach to make such a judgement?
Just because South Beach and Vegas are hyped by the media, it does not make them better. Some people will believe anything the media tells them and if a few celebrities go there they think that it is then validated.
Houston has a very good noghtlife and the downtown is good, but not great
Austin doesn't offer the same variety of nightlife as Houston. Downtown Austin's nightlife is vibrant, but the variety of clubs don't compare to what you can find in Houston. It's mostly geared toward the college scene.
Houston's downtown nightlife has actually went down compared to what it use to be; this applies to all Texas cities. You could go to Houston, Dallas or even smaller Texas towns like Waco and find scenes or crowds comparable to 6th Street Austin back in the 90s to early 2000s.
Austin is a college town and is limited in the nightlife department. Heck, College Station has a pretty wild and fun nightlife during school on the weekends
Austin is a college town and is limited in the nightlife department. Heck, College Station has a pretty wild and fun nightlife during school on the weekends
Yessir "We call it North Gate down here in Aggieland"
Yessir "We call it North Gate down here in Aggieland"
Yes, Northgate is a ton of fun... drinking at the chicken, Fitzwilly's, Duddlys Draw, Hurricane Harry's, The Tap, Fox and Hound... hot hot girls Great nightlife for the college crowd
They're talking stricty about the downtowns of these cities.
Hmm, the OP made it pretty clear that he believes L.A doesn't compare to downtown Houston:
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Originally Posted by worldlyman
I love meandering and traipsing around Hollywood-Highland, certain sections of Wilshire and some parts of the Sunset Strip...but they ain't no downtown Houston.
Having lived in Dallas, Austin, and partied in Houston and San Antonio until I was blue in the face, I can say that the clubs scenes in these cities are not as good as they used to be. Yes, they're still good, but if anybody honestly believes that Houston OR Austin are better than LA, they're hugely mistaken. All the Austin (and other Texas cities) pimping just makes me really hate Texas as a whole, even though CD is only a small representation of what people actually believe.
The OP has to have been kidding. No offense to Houston, I like that city and have had lots of fun there, but I personally did not find those videos to be all that impressive. Other sunbelt cities such as Miami, LA, Atlanta, Las Vegas, New Orleans, San Diego, Austin, and San Antonio easily surpass anything in that video.
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Great nightlife for the college crowd 
