Think Austin is weird? (Houston, Portland: house, school, living)

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by Westerner92

Wasn't the slogan started by local businesses promoting local business? It was a marketing ploy from the beginning capitalizing on the fact that Austin has a higher proportion of "alternative" lifestyles compared to most of middle America (which includes suburbs of major cities as well).

Austin isn't particularly unusual in content or prevalence of "alternative" culture compared to West Coast cities. What's unusual is that the "alternative" culture isn't confined to sections of the city, that it has a unique Texas twist, and how relaxed and unpretentious this aspect of the culture is.

NOOOOOO!!!!!! I am SO TIRED of that fallacy being spread. Maybe because I was friends with the guy who coined the phrase and made up FREE bumper stickers and such long long before some young punks who really didn't get it (as was made evident by their actions) trademarked something they stole and commercialized it.

Keep Austin Weird is Red's website (Red who coined the phrase which was all about protesting the commercialization of Austin, not about promoting business of ANY kind). It was coined back when Austin was weird, before it was co-opted by those who would sell their birthright for a mess of pottage.

Portland, by the way, stole the phrase, too, copying Austin, but they're at least honest about it.

[luksky]

I moved to Austin from the Bible belt of southern Alabama 6 years ago and have not found anything I would consider exceptionally "weird" about Austin....aside from the occasional almost naked bike riders or the car covered in wall to wall stuffed animals.

[TexasHorseLady]

Weird Car

Cathedral of Junk

Bat statue (Austin's official animal is the bat.)

Leslie of blessed memory.

Eeyore's Birthday Party.

Polka Dot Lawn (in one of the more expensive neighborhoods in Central Austin)

I could keep going on and on and on but you get the picture. Then there's all the people, but they're harder to link to - part of the point is not being on everyone's radar but going your own way.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Polka Dot Lawn (in one of the more expensive neighborhoods in Central Austin)

The Polka Dot lawn is gone - at least it was the last time I drove by.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by scm53

The Polka Dot lawn is gone - at least it was the last time I drove by.

Yes, gone, here is the google maps street view https://www.google.com/maps/preview#...AAAA!2e0&fid=5

[love roses]

Art cars are in other Texas Cities too. Houston used to or still does have the Art Car Parade.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by love roses

Art cars are in other Texas Cities too. Houston used to or still does have the Art Car Parade.

True, Houston I believe is where it actually originated, and still has the largest event.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by sxrckr

True, Houston I believe is where it actually originated, and still has the largest event.

You mean where the concept of an art car parade originated? Because I had a friend who had an "art car" back in 1967. Not as fancy as the ones we see now (she was an artist and painted her car), but it didn't have to be back then to be weird.

[Komeht]

Other really "weird" places with art cars:

Tulsa, Oklahoma:



Omaha, Nebraska:



Denver, Colorado:



and just about every other mid to large sized city in the US and probably the world. . .

So weird!

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by texashorselady

noooooo!!!!!!

portland, by the way, stole the phrase, too, copying austin, but they're at least actually are weird.

tftfy

Now this. . .this is weird, unexplainable even.