Do you find Austin to be overrated? (Houston, San Antonio: 2013, how much)

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by OrganicSmallHome

in fact, it managed to develop just fine without rampant "growth" for a very long time.

Austin grew faster in the 60s/70s/80s than it does now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin,_Texas

It grew >36% from 1970 to 1980.

[ToddATX]

Originally Posted by OrganicSmallHome

Sorry, but there was nothing "mythical" about how I described Austin in the 70s and 80s; it existed. It's my hometown and it never "died" from lack of overgrowth and overcrowding; in fact, it managed to develop just fine without rampant "growth" for a very long time. It also didn't have an attitude, which is precisely what made it such a cool place to live. Unfortunately, its "coolness" became legend, followed by an inundation of "developers" and transplants, both of whom have turned it into an overcrowded mess-with-an-attitude.

https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/de...istory_pub.pdf

Average annual population growth per year by decade:

70's - 3.42%
80's - 3.2%
90's - 3.07%
00's - 2.09%
10's (data through 2015) - 2.55%

You are wrong. You idealize a period of your life. The city has always been growing. Measured by the stats which are:

by decade from 1840-1900
by ever 5 years 1900-1960
every year since 1960

There has only been one single measurement year that had a negative growth number, and only 16 (out of 84) where the growth was under 2% per measurement period. From 1970 until now, there have been 11 years with sub-2% growth rates: 1 in the 70's, 4 in the 80's, 2 in the 90's, 4 in the 00's. So, more low growth years in the 90's and 00's than in your "golden era".

Again ... you are simply wrong.

[Denver303TJC]

Anyone think the "weirdness" of Austin is overrated?

[dbsteel]

Originally Posted by Denver303TJC

Anyone think the "weirdness" of Austin is overrated?

I don't think Austin is that weird at all. It's becoming pretty generic suburbiasville. You'll run across a bigger sense of weirdness in many other cities. I think it's just a catch phrase that they grabbed onto at one point and ran with it.


Give Austin 5-10 years and it will just be another Phoenix without the Pro Sports or Spring training. In the late 80s early 90s, it was the go to place I remember.

[dbsteel]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Yes it's overrated. But I'm in my 50s and been here since 1985. I think the value proposition has eroded.

But ask my kids, 20 and 23. Actually I just did, and both say "no". The 20 year old says "I don't think it's overrated at all, it's awesome. There's a reason everyone is coming here".

So there you have it.

I think that kind of hits it. It's great for a 20-30 year old, but after that...... it's pretty much just an OK place to be.

[Denver303TJC]

Originally Posted by dbsteel

I don't think Austin is that weird at all. It's becoming pretty generic suburbiasville. You'll run across a bigger sense of weirdness in many other cities. I think it's just a catch phrase that they grabbed onto at one point and ran with it.


Give Austin 5-10 years and it will just be another Phoenix without the Pro Sports or Spring training. In the late 80s early 90s, it was the go to place I remember.

I agree, I think there are weirder/more eccentric cities out there. I still like it here, but I see what you mean.

Perhaps Austin was "weirder" during the Leslie Cochran/Kinky Friedman days...?

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by ToddATX

https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/de...istory_pub.pdf

Average annual population growth per year by decade:

70's - 3.42%
80's - 3.2%
90's - 3.07%
00's - 2.09%
10's (data through 2015) - 2.55%

You are wrong. You idealize a period of your life. The city has always been growing. Measured by the stats which are:

by decade from 1840-1900
by ever 5 years 1900-1960
every year since 1960

There has only been one single measurement year that had a negative growth number, and only 16 (out of 84) where the growth was under 2% per measurement period. From 1970 until now, there have been 11 years with sub-2% growth rates: 1 in the 70's, 4 in the 80's, 2 in the 90's, 4 in the 00's. So, more low growth years in the 90's and 00's than in your "golden era".

Again ... you are simply wrong.

Yammer, yammer, yammer...
Percentage growth????

Liberty Hill could DOUBLE its population tomorrow and nobody would even blink! All it would take is one decent sized neighborhood or apt complex and they could claim the fastest growing place in the universe!!!

[ToddATX]

Originally Posted by dbsteel

I think that kind of hits it. It's great for a 20-30 year old, but after that...... it's pretty much just an OK place to be.

That's entirely subjective and up to a particular person. I'm a grandparent of 2, so not exactly in that young demographic, and I love the city and while I won't be found on "dirty 6th" you'll frequently find me at a live music event or on Rainey street, or in some of our cool and quirky pubs.

[stan4]

Salt Licks bbq...also majorly overrated.

What a disappointment. Every time I got drug out there.

[ToddATX]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Yammer, yammer, yammer...
Percentage growth????

Liberty Hill could DOUBLE its population tomorrow and nobody would even blink! All it would take is one decent sized neighborhood or apt complex and they could claim the fastest growing place in the universe!!!

Yes. A half million people don't all move to a place at once. Growth is proportional, and we are not growing any faster ... in fact slower than in the past. If you want to get off of the average growth let's go total population growth.

70's 35.62%
80's 35.86%
90's 35.25%
00's 17.89%

We aren't talking Liberty Hill. Austin in 1970 had 251,000 people. Another way to put that is Austin in 1970 had 23,436% more population than the 1,071 that Liberty Hill reported in 2013.