Why is high-end shopping so abysmal in Austin ? (Houston, Dallas: transplants, homes)

[cBach]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

Wow. For living in such a "liberal" and "progressive" city, you sure do like to judge what other people spend their own money on.

You must have not been in Austin too long. There is a certain "brand" here, pardon the pun. The Austin brand is shorts/jeans, t-shirt (with jacket in season), and sandals (warm) or boots (cold). About as nice as you'll get will be nice boots and a button down shirt with jeans here. People with money show their wealth with very expensive mansions on the lake and expensive boats with all the accoutrements, but if you look at what they are wearing, it's usually shorts or jeans and longhorn t-shirts. They don't want to wear designer, because then they'll be mistaken for a "Dallasite" or "Houstonian" or, God forbid, a "tourist".

By the way, native Austinites will have some riddles for you and if you can't solve them (like what was on the corner of 4th & Lavaca in 1984?) then you'll be relegated to a "non-native". Then there is a set of testing on whether you are a native Texan, which will be questions like "what is the third river in Texas from the East, remember we learned it in TX history in 7th grade?" If you don't get that, then you be labeled an "adopted Texan". If you answered correctly, they'll try to detect if you are a Dallasite, a Houstonian, a San Antonio person, or a West Texan, or G0d forbid, a Panhandler.

That being said, I like the Austin "brand" and that's why I live here. If I wanted to live in a materialistic culture, I'd live in LA, or if I wanted to stay in Texas, I'd live in Dallas.

[radiolibre99]

If I wanted to live in a materialistic culture, I'd live in LA, or if I wanted to stay in Texas, I'd live in Dallas.

Where do you guys keep getting that LA materialism stuff? That stuff happens in a few areas which compromise about 20% of the City, most notably West LA which gets all the attention in the media. The rest of the city is VERY working class and keeping up with the joneses is a terrible waste of time in a city where there are gazillionaires everywhere. The rest of LA, especially in the Valley, is just as chill as Austin. Dallas and Houston are way more materialistic and fit the bill for the stereotypes of desperate housewives, 50k millionaires, keeping up with the jonses and what not.

Austin now reminds me of Norcal, San Jose/San Francisco/Palo Alto. Lots of techies and eclectic types who wear a lot of North Face. Last time I visited I saw less hipsters than I thought I would

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Austin97

As far as I know there are no restaurants in austin that require a jacket. In fact jeans and flip flops are ok everywhere. I like it this way and believe this is an austin core value - casual. Even pretentious in our casualness.

I agree. Coming from Louisiana, there are restaurants in New Orleans that you have to wear a suit jacket just to dine there (i.e. Commander's Palace). I don't mind putting down a lot of money on food, because the culture I came from (Cajun) values good food, but I hate being uncomfortable eating it... I would rather be in a comfortable button up shirt with the top two buttons undone and comfortable jeans, but still enjoy that 5* cuisine...

It sounds like the OP just doesn't understand what Austin is all about. There is extreme wealth in Austin, I mean as someone stated, the condos here are more expensive than Dallas or Houston, it's just people here are smarter, they know an expensive condo is a much better use of money than expensive clothing that wears out after a couple of uses, if it ever is used anyway....

[Tralfaz]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

Downtown Austin feels more and more like Dallas every month to me.

There's that many smelly hobos in Dallas?

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

There are two different definitions of 'good restaurant', most likely (well, probably more, but...). Anyway, there are a number of restaurants with excellent food here, but some people will not consider them good because they are not 'fancy' enough.

Exactly, if you are looking at just taste, many of the trailers have some really good food.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

So it's ok to spend millions on high rise condos, $10 for a beer, $15 for a cocktail, thousands on an Italian scooter, $5 for a dozen eggs from a hippies backyard, thousands on the latest bicycle, Bentley dealership, high end German cars, etc? But, someone complains about the lack of high end shopping and people go crazy saying it's not the Austin way?

I completely understand!

Yes, because those things are part of the Austin "brand" and high end shopping isn't.

[Tralfaz]

Originally Posted by cBach

Yes, because those things are part of the Austin "brand" and high end shopping isn't.

If you're paying $10 for a beer you're doing it wrong.

I'll take the Jackalope happy hour any day.. $2.75 pints of anything, including Guinness..

[banal]

The ATX is lucky there are even high end stores within a 3-4 hour drive from them. In the armpit of Texas (aka Hell Paso), all we have is Macy's and other department stores (lol Nordstrom RACK) within the city limits. Otherwise we have to buy all of our high end clothing online which is a drag (even with overnight shipping).

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Tralfaz

If you're paying $10 for a beer you're doing it wrong.

I'll take the Jackalope happy hour any day.. $2.75 pints of anything, including Guinness..

I usually don't pay $10 for a beer, just $7. But I like to sample a lot of European, German, and other premium beers. The Gingerman is kind of my style in that regard, and yes I realize it's a chain, but so what, it has good beer.

I go to Steiner Ranch Steakhouse for drinks sometimes and they are overpriced, but that's okay because the view is nice. In the winter they have gas fireplaces going on outside and it can keep it warm down to around 45 or so, as long as you sit right next to them. Below that the cold usually negates the heaters. Spring, summer, and fall it is awesome to be there as well.

My vices are travel and food, I guess everybody has something. Getting high quality food is a good idea as it lengthens your life if you eat right. So yes, a $5 coffee isn't a bad deal to me if I know it was sourced in good soil and in the right conditions... Travel is a passion of mine, going to Europe, Canada, wherever is worth it for the experience, but even there I don't stay at 5* hotels, unless I'm staying on points...

But leave me my cheapo jeans and t-shirts... because I'm an Austinite (adopted of course)...

[cBach]

Bottom line: Even if you wear high end clothing in Austin, most people won't even know that you are wearing high end clothing. Since you won't get noticed anyway, or if you do get noticed people will think you're either a prick (dude) or a souless materialistic shopper or trophy wife (lady), you might as well tone it down a little.

If you have extra money you don't know what to do with, why don't you donate to charity or, better yet, start up a charity. That is what the rich in Austin do. If you do that, YOU WILL GET NOTICED, I guarantee. If you want to really get noticed, BUILD A WORLD CLASS ZOO. Yes, take those millions you have and do something worthwhile with it. That will get you noticed here...

That, my friend, is the Austin brand. Charity.