How is Austin like California? (Houston, Dallas: transplants, houses, tech jobs)

[Neo45]

Hey guys I've read some recent posts that say Austin is more like California than it was years ago. Can anyone explain this? Do they just mean all the CA transplants? I've been in and around LA so I'm curious

[phone man]

Means a bunch of idiots move here and immediately complain that it is not like what they are used to, And I know they are Californian because they got excited about a mediocre fast food burger called In and Out and they wonder through gridlock at all hours searching for a breakfast burrito.

[madrone2k]

I still smile when I remember a post (and no offense to the poster) from a former Californian that raved about the "California-esque" atmosphere of Austin. The only thing I can relate that to is the fact that part of the Austin area has hills with houses built on them, so they have views. I'm glad that person felt happy to be in Austin, but it does seem a bit of a stretch. The test is whether, over time, a person can enjoy the Austin area for what it is, not what it reminds them of.

[RoadWarrior12]

Other than traffic, the two are wholly different.

[Idlewile]

I don't think Austin is anything like CA and I'm from CA; spent 23 years in LA, the Bay Area and SF proper.

[mark311]

I think it has a lot in common with San Diego and much less in common with Northern CA. Both San Diego and Austin have large Mexican populations and a lot of good Mexican restaurants. Both have a similar central and suburban structure with all the same types of restaurants and shopping destinations. Both have water sports that are easily accessible. Both have mild winters so there is no snow to shovel. The mild winters are the main reason why we chose to move to Austin. Finally, both San Diego and Austin also have a laid back culture in general.

With all that said, you could probably say the same about San Antonio. The winters in Dallas and the greater chance of severe storms in Houston ruled those places out for us. Lots of tech jobs are another similarity that just came to mind.

[RoboCrab]

Austin is turning into a startup hub like San Francisco.

[llkltk]

I used to live in CA. Austin is nothing like it.

[mark311]

I think comparing Austin to the entire state of CA isn't a fair comparison. I've lived in both coastal suburban San Diego and I've lived in the Bay Area for a couple years before moving to the Austin area. I liked coastal suburban San Diego and hated the Bay Area, but I like the Austin area. I personally think the Bay Area is nothing like San Diego and I would also agree that the Bay Area is nothing like Austin other than having a lot of tech jobs. However, culturally, San Diego and Austin are pretty similar in my opinion.

[radiolibre99]

Some of the natural landscape and aesthetics remind me of California. The city did remind me a bit of smaller cities like San Jose and San Diego and even a tiny bit of SF. Other than that it really has a wholly Texan flavor. Its nothing like Los Angeles though.

I guess the tech companies, the young professional vibe, a too college that's peers with Berkeley and UCLA, the liberalism and eclectic culture, of course it will remind people of CA. The city also reminds me of Boston and Portland too so it's not like CA is the only place that it will conjure up similarities.