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Old 07-27-2011, 07:59 AM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,693,254 times
Reputation: 2851

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Lower westheimer and montrose, back in the days when I lived there, were full of funky little shops and resale shops and clubs. In fact, lots of inner loop areas had neat things to see and do. There are food trailers there and the orange show/art car parade. I'm sure I could go on and on. I think one of the differences between the 2 city vibes would be that Houston and Dallas's are broken up into different districts all with entirely different feels and austins is more 1 type of feel because it's smaller.

Like, Houston has the dance clubby Richmond strip and then the live music areas of the Heights and lower westheimer area,etc...
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:00 AM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,693,254 times
Reputation: 2851
Lower westheimer and montrose, back in the days when I lived there, were full of funky little shops and resale shops and clubs. In fact, lots of inner loop areas had neat things to see and do. There are food trailers there and the orange show/art car parade. I'm sure I could go on and on. I think one of the differences between the 2 city vibes would be that Houston and Dallas's are broken up into different districts all with entirely different feels and austins is more 1 type of feel because it's smaller.

Like, Houston has the dance clubby Richmond strip and then the live music areas of the Heights and lower westheimer area,etc...
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:03 AM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,693,254 times
Reputation: 2851
Not to mention that some of the clubs in austin are actually part 2's of places that were in Houston first like Emo's, 3rd base, Gingerman.
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:11 AM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,693,254 times
Reputation: 2851
Lower westheimer and montrose, back in the days when I lived there, were full of funky little shops and resale shops and clubs. In fact, lots of inner loop areas had neat things to see and do. There are food trailers there and the orange show/art car parade. I'm sure I could go on and on. I think one of the differences between the 2 city vibes would be that Houston and Dallas's are broken up into different districts all with entirely different feels and austins is more 1 type of feel because it's smaller.

Like, Houston has the dance clubby Richmond strip and then the live music areas of the Heights and lower westheimer area,etc...
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:11 AM
 
Location: Where I live.
9,191 posts, read 21,874,800 times
Reputation: 4934
The reasons others have listed pretty well sum up the differences. I lived in Austin in the late 90s before the big explosion in population (and traffic) really set in. Austin was better, in my opinion, back in the 80s/90s before California transplants took over and took a lot of the Texas and charm out of it.

I'd say this is not only true of Austin, but for the state as a whole. The Austin of 30+ years ago was far better. The traffic is just horrible.

Statewide, 25 million and counting. The exploding population (IMHO) is not really a positive.
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:16 AM
 
Location: Broomfield, CO
1,445 posts, read 3,267,869 times
Reputation: 913
Austin is a more popular place for ONE REASON. The city marketing department pumps more advertising dollars into advertising the city than any other city in the state. If most people actually think "realistically" rather than "based on stereotypes", then you would clearly see that Austin cannot be compared with Houston or Dallas on any level.

Both Houston and Dallas are international beta world cities that are tops in business, culture, and arts. They both offer everything you could possibly wants in a city. Anyways, some of my comments are in red


Quote:
Originally Posted by hoffdano View Post
Lots of people prefer Houston and/or Dallas over Austin.

But a few reasons many prefer Austin:

- it isn't Houston or Dallas
Absolutely correct, unless you consider the sprawl the is happening in all directions.

- Austin is smaller, but not small
Yes, that is true. Austin is 1/4th the size of both metro areas.

- Austin is hipper, groovier, younger
I don't follow you. What does hipper and groovier mean? Ability to party and get drunk on 6th street with all your college buddies? Swim in Lake Travis? Shop on Congess Avenue at the "garage sale" junk stores? Please enlighten me.

- Austin is on average better educated
That statement would only be true because Dallas and Houston have 4 times the population. I would suspect that most of North Dallas, and montrose or west Houston would be right in the same ballpark as far as educated citizens. We aren't talking about Denver here you know.!!

- Tech over oil and banking
Both Houston and Dallas both have FAR LARGER number of tech companies than Austin does. In addition to Oil and Banking. I think the tech companies here are better because they build their offices along 360 in the hillbilly country!

- Geography of hills and lakes vs. pancake flat Houston and slightly rolling Dallas
Have you not been to the Cedar Hill area?

- live music and college sports vs. museums and pro sports
Both Dallas and Houston have live music venues and college sports. Of course, both cities have REAL professional sports, so the need to obcess over pee wee college sports isn't so high.
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:20 AM
 
Location: West Des Moines, IA
392 posts, read 749,384 times
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I'm still not 100% familiar with every part of San Antonio yet, but I hear Southtown (just south of downtown, NOT the "south side") is pretty quirky, if not at least really artsy. Then you can extend that down "SoFlo" or South Flores St. I keep intending to go check out that area, but get caught up in other things. I've seen some weird crap here too though downtown, like some guy just randomly walking along playing the bagpipes for no apparent reason in the evening. I know the Riverwalk is considered touristy too, but to me, downtown is QUITE happenin' pretty much every night until late. There's supposed to be a pretty cool jazz club on the river too that I need to check out one night.
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Old 07-27-2011, 08:22 AM
 
Location: Broomfield, CO
1,445 posts, read 3,267,869 times
Reputation: 913
I personally like the lower westheimer part of Houston--its a pretty diverse area. My wife and I often like to go and walk around down there when we are in Houston. Ever been to a place called Flashback Funtiques? This place has all sorts of "oldies but goodies", many of which you forgot ever existed!! We like to eat at the empire cafe--YUM YUM!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by love roses View Post
Lower westheimer and montrose, back in the days when I lived there, were full of funky little shops and resale shops and clubs. In fact, lots of inner loop areas had neat things to see and do. There are food trailers there and the orange show/art car parade. I'm sure I could go on and on. I think one of the differences between the 2 city vibes would be that Houston and Dallas's are broken up into different districts all with entirely different feels and austins is more 1 type of feel because it's smaller.

Like, Houston has the dance clubby Richmond strip and then the live music areas of the Heights and lower westheimer area,etc...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-27-2011, 08:37 AM
 
Location: Hutto, Tx
9,249 posts, read 26,693,254 times
Reputation: 2851
Lower westheimer and montrose, back in the days when I lived there, were full of funky little shops and resale shops and clubs. In fact, lots of inner loop areas had neat things to see and do. There are food trailers there and the orange show/art car parade. I'm sure I could go on and on. I think one of the differences between the 2 city vibes would be that Houston and Dallas's are broken up into different districts all with entirely different feels and austins is more 1 type of feel because it's smaller.

Like, Houston has the dance clubby Richmond strip and then the live music areas of the Heights and lower westheimer area,etc...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 07-27-2011, 08:44 AM
 
Location: Not Moving
970 posts, read 1,872,905 times
Reputation: 502
Ditto everything loveroses wrote. Remember Marini's Empanada House, Udder Delight, Cody's, the old Houlihan's? There was a Greek restaurant with belly dancers and other unique ethnic restaurants around Montrose.........lots of interesting and unusual shops.

Lots of interesting places to hear jazz including an old "repurposed" Masonic temple.

Every once in a while there would be a "revival" on the corner of Westheimer and Montrose(?) Fun to watch.

There was a huge flea market near where my father worked, and I remember my parents going to some big farmer's market back before farmer's markets ever became "cool."

And only Houston had Kitirick, Cadet Don, Don Mahoney and Jeana Clair, and Marrrrrrrvin Zindler.
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