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Old 07-22-2011, 04:11 PM
 
Location: 93,020,000 miles from the sun
491 posts, read 882,496 times
Reputation: 360

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Either Des Moines or Syracuse.
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Old 08-08-2011, 08:55 PM
 
Location: South Austin
5 posts, read 12,855 times
Reputation: 15
I've been in Austin now for over 4 years and as a city I absolutely love it. The "old Austin" that is often talked about sounds like it was even more my speed, but I can't turn back time so.... Having relocated from Memphis I have to note the cultural aspects of Austin vs Memphis. I am not nor have I ever been prejudice but in Memphis I always felt like I was being blamed for the civil rights mistakes made by the white men that came generations before me. The city being mostly black made me feel insignificant and inaffective in arguing the point that I never asked for the atrocities brought on a race by my ancestors. I also found myself feeling guilty over this subject from time to time. As a musician though Memphis has a history (and present) rich in musical talent. It's so thick there I could feel it in the air as present as the humidity that the south is famous for. Austin also rich in musical history is a jumping off point for bands of every genre and that makes it a great place to catch a good show any day of any week. The people here seem to be a majority of hispanoc and white as a majority and the rest make up the minority. I feel little to no racial tension here and it makes everyday life much easier on my conscience and my interactions with people in general are less hindered with racial b.s.. My only and largest complaint about ATX is the traffic problem and my biggest fear is that with the city being so highly rated and growing so rapidly that the gridlock is only going to get worse... Oh and the summer heat and lack of rainfall is almost unbearable.. If you work outside and aren't just in love with the idea of 5 months in the 100's then you might want to reconsider. sorry to be so long-winded.
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Old 08-08-2011, 10:40 PM
 
Location: Chicago
1,257 posts, read 2,522,726 times
Reputation: 1144
I'm not too worried about Austin or its future. I don't think its best days are necessarily behind it either. It seems as if everybody, from each generation, has an "old Austin" they lament for. In 20 years, people who just arrived this decade will yearn for the Austin, Texas of 2011. The buck doesn't stop with Austin either. Most cities high on civic pride experience the same type of perpetual nostalgia for days gone by. It also seems like every new transplant wants to build a fence around Austin and be the last one in. Sometimes, the biggest "don't move here" pushers seem to be from the people who didn't originate in Austin themselves.

Of course, this is all coming not from an actual Austinite, but a Dallasite who has flirted with the idea of moving to Austin for years. I haven't made a final decision yet, but wait for me, please, before you lock the door behind you.

Last edited by ClarenceBodiker; 08-08-2011 at 10:50 PM..
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Old 08-08-2011, 10:54 PM
 
25,157 posts, read 53,809,751 times
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You want Dallas, Texas! But it still has some dirty politics here and there but it's not near as bad as Austin.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lukec View Post
I'm a Bostonian, who has spent some time in Austin. The things that appeal to me about Austin is the old school stuff. I think I would have loved Austin ten or twenty years ago. Now, it feels a little too young, a little too Eastern and a little too politically correct for me. I hear a lot of people lament the loss of old Austin and wonder if there are cities and towns beneath the radar that have that feel.

(Personally, I want the energy and openess of a vibrant, growing city. I want a taste of old Texas, and not a bunch of transplanted Cali and NY neighborhoods. I get along with everyone. I don't care for uptight, dull, and self-righteous people, but I'm not a hippie, a liberal or metrosexual. I'm sick and tired of political correctness, "tolerant and diverse people" who aren't tolerant or diverse, identity politics, and the government economy. I'm also a little too old for college kids and hipster culture. But I love places with eclectic mixes of people, good bars, grounded cops and a live and let live attitude. A place with a thriving private economy, where you dont have to be a minority, perform oral sex on a politician, or be a fifth generation townie to get a job. And... a lots of good bars.)
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Old 08-08-2011, 10:55 PM
 
Location: Chicago
1,257 posts, read 2,522,726 times
Reputation: 1144
Also disagree with the people who said Fort Worth would be the next Austin. Fort Worth is already about the same size as Austin in a metro that's 4 times its size. The culture in Fort Worth doesn't feel anything like Austin to me. In some ways I think it's better, in many ways it's not. While it's fairly laid back and growing in numbers for young people, Ft. Worth is VERY conservative compared to Austin and has significantly less nightlife. It also doesn't have the active, outdoors culture that Austin has or any notable scenery like Austin.

Don't get me wrong, I love Fort Worth for what it is, but it's not the next Austin.
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Old 08-09-2011, 01:14 AM
 
Location: Houston (Bellaire)
285 posts, read 565,293 times
Reputation: 524
Surprised no one has mentioned it--I think Albuquerque is primed for an uptick in growth and could achieve a status similar to what Austin has now. UNM has a big presence although not like UT. Culturally it has some similarities to Austin and people are laid back and outdoorsy. Small skyline relative to the city's size, like Austin before its skyscraper boom.

I would also say Oklahoma City although it is culturally very far removed from Austin. Because OKC is investing heavily in infrastructure and civic projects and has a robust economy, in 10-20 years I could see it growing like Austin but will likely evolve into something more akin to, say, Charlotte.
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Old 08-09-2011, 01:16 AM
 
Location: Houston (Bellaire)
285 posts, read 565,293 times
Reputation: 524
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClarenceBodiker View Post
Also disagree with the people who said Fort Worth would be the next Austin. Fort Worth is already about the same size as Austin in a metro that's 4 times its size. The culture in Fort Worth doesn't feel anything like Austin to me. In some ways I think it's better, in many ways it's not. While it's fairly laid back and growing in numbers for young people, Ft. Worth is VERY conservative compared to Austin and has significantly less nightlife. It also doesn't have the active, outdoors culture that Austin has or any notable scenery like Austin.

Don't get me wrong, I love Fort Worth for what it is, but it's not the next Austin.
I agree, Fort Worth is not the next Austin--nor does it want to be. Fort Worth is Fort Worth, and it's a great place as it is and evidently very under-appreciated by some.

When I think of the "next Austin," I think of cities that aren't well-established yet that are on the verge of a boom.
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Old 08-09-2011, 03:23 PM
 
Location: Chicago
1,257 posts, read 2,522,726 times
Reputation: 1144
Quote:
Originally Posted by jr1038 View Post
I agree, Fort Worth is not the next Austin--nor does it want to be. Fort Worth is Fort Worth, and it's a great place as it is and evidently very under-appreciated by some.

LOL, if you're referring to me, yes, I have a love/hate relationship with Fort Worth. I love Fort Worth because I was born and raised there and my family still lives there, but I also hate it sometimes for the same reasons.

I can think of 100 reasons why I love the place and why it also bores me.
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Old 08-11-2011, 02:56 AM
 
Location: Rio Grande Valley/Tone City
362 posts, read 1,053,852 times
Reputation: 138
Quote:
Originally Posted by ktulu7 View Post
Being from Louisiana and born in New Orleans, I can somewhat agree on this. However, like anywhere else, it depends on where in the N.O. metro area you wanna be. The Northshore (north of Lake Pontchartrain) will have more hipsters than the Southshore, but it's nice and has good schools. The thing you have to remember about New Orleans though, is that it has a horrible crime problem and is very dirty, not to mention the rough traffic. It's certainly unique though, and has that live-and-let-live attitude you allude to. Forget Mardi Gras, go during a non-holiday time and see how folks really live there. You forgot to mention the Hornets too though, so N.O.'s got 2 major league sports teams! The AAA Zephyrs baseball team is fun as heck to go watch too!

I recently moved to San Antonio though and would say San Antonio has a chance to be a destination city for lots of folks. It's still got its old "Texan" culture, plus the hispanic "Tejano" culture, intertwined with contemporary American culture, which I like. It's a big city with kinda small town folks. I know that turns some people off, but I find it attractive. However, though the folks seem more like small town folks, the infrastructure here is pretty good, instead of being behind the metro area's growth rate. Plus, it's got some unique architecture and parts of the metro area are in the scenic Hill Country. I'm impressed with the Alamo City and recommend at least a visit to it!


Actually San Antonio gets millions upon millions of more visitors than Austin, so it becoming a destination, you are a lil bit late. It recieves three times the visitors New Orleans does and that is prekatrina numbers. SA 25-30 million versus 9-10 million for New Orleans, Austin even gets more than New Orleans.

Bexar County and San Antonio outpaced Austin and Travis county in population growth. Both cities are laid back, SA is more sophisticated, while Austin is more of a big college even though it has less college students than SA. I dont get the small town folk comment since many are newcomers to the city.
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Old 08-11-2011, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Houston (Bellaire)
285 posts, read 565,293 times
Reputation: 524
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikey1984 View Post
Bexar County and San Antonio outpaced Austin and Travis county in population growth. Both cities are laid back, SA is more sophisticated, while Austin is more of a big college even though it has less college students than SA. I dont get the small town folk comment since many are newcomers to the city.
More "sophisticated?" LOL. Outpacing Austin in growth? True, just Bexar County and San Antonio proper outgrew Austin proper and just Travis County.

However the more important and representative metric of growth is the metropolitan area and in terms of raw numbers the Austin metropolitan area grew more than San Antonio's metropolitan area and significantly more in terms of percentage growth. From 2000 to 2010 the Austin MSA grew by 467,000 while the SA MSA grew by 431,000. If anything SA is being outpaced by Austin in growth.

Your statement is only "true" because most of the SA metropolitan area population is contained in Bexar County; also, SA covers significantly more land than Austin and so more of the exburban sprawl of SA is contained within the city limits.
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