Is Dallas a better place to live than Austin? (Houston: how much, motel)

[artsyguy]

A lot of people I know consider Fort Worth and those small country hick cities between Fort Worth and Dallas, to be The Dallas Area.

Other people consider The Dallas Area to be the white rock lake area, uptown, deep ellum arts area, cedar springs gay area, Robert E Lee Park, and any of the other state parks that surround the entire Dallas areas (Cedar Hill, Lake Lewisville, and Ray Roberts).

From what I remember the Dallas area is pretty huge and very diversified, and some areas are actually far more intensely artistic than anywhere in Austin. Even up north is a city called Denton where the arts and music scene is huge because of the university there.

Originally Posted by kilgore trout

99% of people who have lived in both places will tell you that Austin is more liberal, artsy, and "outdoorsy" than Dallas. Dallas has cheaper cost of living, great malls, good housing developments, and good (albeit generally chain) restaurants. One is not inherently better than the other, it just depends on your tastes.

[Lakewooder]

Similarly, I don't think many of the residents of Central Dallas would want to live in the right-wing Williamson County area of Austin.

[artsyguy]

Exactly true. From what I remember the Dallas area is too huge for it to be called not artistic, non-liberal, uncultured, completely conservative and materialistic.

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Similarly, I don't think many of the residents of Central Dallas would want to live in the right-wing Williamson County area of Austin.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

The only mall Dallas really has is North Park. And it is in a class by itself. The Galleria is technically in Dallas city limits but it is OUTSIDE of LBJ.

True. If you stuck Northpark Mall in Austin, it would instantly be the best art gallery in Austin. I do miss Northpark. Other than that, Austin has what I need covered.

[azriverfan.]

I'm a Californian who lives in Phoenix. I have spent time in Austin and Dallas. Austin is a lot of hype in my opinion. It's TINY. It doesn't feel like a large city at all. It just feels like a big college campus with some IT companies nearby. Their airport is tiny. Their freeway system isn't fully developed. And while it has some nice nightlife, it still lacks volume in regards to restaurants, shopping etc. I think it's outdoors aspect is blown way out of proportion as well. It's basically a lake town which is fun but its not like living in Seattle, Denver or Phoenix in which you have lakes AND mountains that you can rock climb, mountain bike and snow skii on. Austin's "mountains" are really just hills that you stare at. The nice thing about Austin is that it doesn't feel like Texas. It's very liberal and it has a west coast mentality. People are laid back and tolerant.

Dallas is a large metropolitan city. It feels like a large city and has all the amenities of a large city including two airports, a bigger downtown, professional sports, a more diverse job market etc.The only bad part about Dallas is that it is a traditional conservative Southern city. People speak with a twang. There are Southern Baptist churches everywhere and the majority of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro are right-wing evangelicals. The cowboy culture is still big in Dallas. It's not the most welcoming of cities to homosexuls and African Americans. I suppose Dallas has a lot of diversity but you never really saw it. I know Dallas residents will try to argue it is liberal by suggesting that unlike its surrounding counties, it is liberal. However, that essentially means nothing because its surrounding counties and its associated cities are really just one large county and they bleed into one another so the area is still largely conservative. If you are conservative, Dallas is a perfect city. You are liberal, you will get tired of Dallas quickly because you will realize the conservative southern aspects get old fast.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Austin's "mountains" are really just hills that you stare at.

It's not the most welcoming of cities to homosexuls and African Americans.

who the hell ever said Austin had "mountains"?

and Dallas has it's own gay yellowpages, it's 1/2" thick, and gets delivered within the Cedar Springs area. Dallas has one of the top 5 gay populations in the country alongside NYC. SF, LA, and Phoenix

[Lakewooder]

azriverfan also stated on another thread that Dallas has a lot of cowboys and truck drivers LOL.

[artsyguy]

Where did Austin have a liberal west coast mentality? I've known several gay people that openly dislike the city and do not find it liberal or gay friendly. Gay bars do not count because even country hick cities have gay bars for gays to get together and have one night stands. That doesn't make the entire city liberal.

I didn't see any environmentalists, hippies, or cool artists there. It was very unusual for "liberal". I didn't see people talking about democratic politics, equality, or democracy.

A friend of mine told me that most gay people in Austin have an underground gay lifestyle and keep it discreet, secretive, and in the closet.

I just did not see anything liberal about Austin when I visited. Sorry, if it is a liberal city you then you don't need to keep your gay or liberal self in the closet or make it a secret.

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

I'm a Californian who lives in Phoenix. I have spent time in Austin and Dallas. Austin is a lot of hype in my opinion. It's TINY. It doesn't feel like a large city at all. It just feels like a big college campus with some IT companies nearby. Their airport is tiny. Their freeway system isn't fully developed. And while it has some nice nightlife, it still lacks volume in regards to restaurants, shopping etc. I think it's outdoors aspect is blown way out of proportion as well. It's basically a lake town which is fun but its not like living in Seattle, Denver or Phoenix in which you have lakes AND mountains that you can rock climb, mountain bike and snow skii on. Austin's "mountains" are really just hills that you stare at. The nice thing about Austin is that it doesn't feel like Texas. It's very liberal and it has a west coast mentality. People are laid back and tolerant.

Dallas is a large metropolitan city. It feels like a large city and has all the amenities of a large city including two airports, a bigger downtown, professional sports, a more diverse job market etc.The only bad part about Dallas is that it is a traditional conservative Southern city. People speak with a twang. There are Southern Baptist churches everywhere and the majority of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro are right-wing evangelicals. The cowboy culture is still big in Dallas. It's not the most welcoming of cities to homosexuls and African Americans. I suppose Dallas has a lot of diversity but you never really saw it. I know Dallas residents will try to argue it is liberal by suggesting that unlike its surrounding counties, it is liberal. However, that essentially means nothing because its surrounding counties and its associated cities are really just one large county and they bleed into one another so the area is still largely conservative. If you are conservative, Dallas is a perfect city. You are liberal, you will get tired of Dallas quickly because you will realize the conservative southern aspects get old fast.

[artsyguy]

He must be thinking of Fort Worth.

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

azriverfan also stated on another thread that Dallas has a lot of cowboys and truck drivers LOL.

[Dallas native]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

The only bad part about Dallas is that it is a traditional conservative Southern city. People speak with a twang. There are Southern Baptist churches everywhere and the majority of the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro are right-wing evangelicals. The cowboy culture is still big in Dallas. It's not the most welcoming of cities to homosexuls and African Americans.

Were you living in Wilmer or in Hutchins? I realize that your perceptions are based on your experience, but your experience in the DFW area was obviously very limited if you think that these characteristics are representative of Dallas and the DFW metro as a whole. The part about the majority of the DFW metro being right-wing evangelical is just ludicrous. There is a cowboy culture in Dallas if you are referring to Dallas Cowboy fans or to the GLBT line dancing at the Roundup Saloon on Cedar Springs.