Is Austin still a stereotypical Texas city? (Houston, Dallas: transplants, tech jobs)

[JayJayCB]

Okay, I don't want to sound like an ignorant outsider, but I'm kinda curious to hear about Austin. I'm from Raleigh, NC and some people compare Raleigh to Austin. A ton of tech jobs, becoming more diverse, fairly liberal, etc. This also brings up the point that Raleigh isn't the old-timey, smaller, North Carolina city it once was. Southern accents aren't as prominent anymore, and it's not very stereotypically southern at all. Is this the same case with Austin? Do you see people sporting cowboys hats around town? Do you still hear any thick Texas accents? Just curious, thanks!

[HappyTexan]

Yup..same case. Austin is not any indication of a typical Texas town.

[JayJayCB]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Yup..same case. Austin is not any indication of a typical Texas town.

That's kind of what I've heard. Do you know if this is the same case with San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Houston?

[TexasHorseLady]

There's really no such thing as a "stereotypical Texas city" except in the minds of people who like to stereotype. Austin is Texas; San Antonio is Texas; Houston is Texas; Dallas is Texas; Fort Worth is Texas; El Paso is Texas; Amarillo is Texas - and they're all different and they all have one thing in common - they're all Texas. That's what you get when you have a state of 26,000,000 people covering more than 268,000 sq. miles. However, people DO love to stereotype (and moreso if they've not been somewhere). Austin is NOT an island in a sea of Texas; that's what people who either have never been to Austin or have never lived anywhere else in Texas like to think to make themselves feel special.

I was born and bred in Texas, have lived in East Texas, North Texas, Central Texas, have friends and family in Southeast Texas, South Texas, West Texas. Again, all different, and all the same, and all Texas.

[austinnative69]

Since it's kind of a goofy question, I'll give you a goofy answer:

I was born in Austin, lived here all 45 years of my life. I have and wear cowboy boots, but I'm just as likely to wear my red converse sneakers. I know how to ride a horse and I've run my share of cattle, but when i was young i rode "English" and have competed in jumping competitions.

I love Waylon and Willie -- but I've also read Finnegan's Wake.

I enjoy the satisfaction of mending fences, but i can also tell you how to put together an Oracle 12c Solution.

I love being on a ranch in the middle of nowhere as much as i do strolling through the MoMA.

I suspect that you will find a version of me in Houston, Dallas, and El Paso.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by austinnative69

Since it's kind of a goofy question, I'll give you a goofy answer:

I was born in Austin, lived here all 45 years of my life. I have and wear cowboy boots, but I'm just as likely to wear my red converse sneakers. I know how to ride a horse and I've run my share of cattle, but when i was young i rode "English" and have competed in jumping competitions.

I love Waylon and Willie -- but I've also read Finnegan's Wake.

I enjoy the satisfaction of mending fences, but i can also tell you how to put together an Oracle 12c Solution.

I love being on a ranch in the middle of nowhere as much as i do strolling through the MoMA.

I suspect that you will find a version of me in Houston, Dallas, and El Paso.

This right here. Pigeon holes are not suited to Texans or their cities or vice versa!

[JayJayCB]

Again, I'm not trying to stereotype Texas. I'm just curious to hear what's it like down there. I'm a NC native from Raleigh, and a ton of people compare Raleigh to Austin. Like I mentioned above, a lot of tech jobs, fairly liberal, becoming more diverse, etc. Raleigh isn't the old NC city it used to be. Not as many southern accents anymore, in fact we're receiving a ton of outside transplants, mainly from states like New Jersey and New York. This city has changed tremendously, it's nothing like the stereotypical image of the south for the most part. Same story down in Charlotte and Atlanta.

[TXEX06]

Every city in Texas hates being compared to one another. San Antonio is the city that hangs onto its historical past the most.

[joqua]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

Every city in Texas hates being compared to one another. San Antonio is the city that hangs onto its historical past the most.

In past "polls" on this forum it was more or less agreed that Ft. Worth came closest to satisfying the Texas stereotype that relies thematically on "old west" and "cowboy" culture.

[AMJ27]

I pretty much wondered the same thing we starting considering a move from Chicago to Austin five years ago. I'm not sure if native Texans realize how strong the Texas stereotype can be, especially up north.

I remember one thing I noticed on my first visit was that it seemed like no one had a southern accent. You'll occasionally see someone at Costco with a cowboy hat and boots on, but for the most part, Austin is a typical city for its size. There are a lot of transplants here so its a bit of a melting pot.