Compare/ Summarize the major cities for me (Houston, Dallas: transplants, big house)

[Minier]

If you had to summarize and compare the major cities --- Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, El Paso --- in a few sentences what would you say? Which ones would be "better" in which areas than the others? What type of persons would each be best suited for?

I know this requires some stereotyping and oversimpliflying of what are likely very complex and interesting cities ... but humor me

[JamesAbilene]

Others will not agree with me as these are probably stereotypes, but here goes:

Austin: Growing rapidly, music scene, more liberals/Democrats than the others, alternative life styles, new "hippies."

Dallas: Big business, banking, lots of new money, lots of wealthy younger people who like to show it off--big houses, big cars, jewelry. Republican and conservative.

San Antonio: Mexican/Hispanic culture/flavor. True historic Texas. Melting pot.

Houston: Manufacturing, industry, petrochemicals; a working city but with a strong business climate.

All the cities are growing and are growing more alike as they all become larger and more international and more cosmopolitan, but these are the things I think of when I think of the cities. All of them have aspects of what I have listed for each.

[love roses]

I don't think I could do a better comparison than you just did, and I live in 1 of those cities now, and have lived in another one listed.

[whitechocolate86]

Originally Posted by JamesAbilene

Others will not agree with me as these are probably stereotypes, but here goes:

Austin: Growing rapidly, music scene, more liberals/Democrats than the others, alternative life styles, new "hippies."

Dallas: Big business, banking, lots of new money, lots of wealthy younger people who like to show it off--big houses, big cars, jewelry. Republican and conservative.

San Antonio: Mexican/Hispanic culture/flavor. True historic Texas. Melting pot.

Houston: Manufacturing, industry, petrochemicals; a working city but with a strong business climate.

All the cities are growing and are growing more alike as they all become larger and more international and more cosmopolitan, but these are the things I think of when I think of the cities. All of them have aspects of what I have listed for each.

I'm sure you did a good job summarizing; however, the whole Dallas-Conservative idea could be debated...Dallas County went 49 for kerry and 50 for bush with 1 percent going to whoever else...no question that Austin is more liberal than Dallas...but...I don't think Dallas is THAT conservative

[blueskies49]

Maybe it's due to all the transplants pushing up the liberal vote.

[AK123]

Austin - young / college town, state capital, less conservative, small-scale arts, tech, music, everything on a smaller scale than Houston & Dallas, on a river, hills

Houston - very diverse, big business, energy, medicine, NASA, international atmosphere, multicultural, large established arts/culture, great restaurants, lots of trees, has a bay and port, closest to beaches

San Antonio - more typical Texas, Hispanic influence dominates over others, old world flavor, tourism is big, on a river

Dallas - big business, money is king, finance, energy, large established arts/culture, what you drive/what you wear means more than in the other places, primarily a prairie landscape

I don't feel I know enough about El Paso to comment aside from it actually being in the desert (unlike the others)

[Bowie]

The views above are a good outsiders' view of San Antonio. If you're looking for a place to work and live, San Antonio is experiencing a job and housing boom that outpaces the other large Texas cities.