Does Austin have a "gayish" neighborhood? (Houston, Dallas: loft, living in)

[soulful]

I am considering a move to Austin and wondered if there is a particular liberal sort of enclave where gays might be especially welcome?

Or is the entire metro area cool with it?

I don't tend to go to lots of gay clubs at my "advanced" age So nightlife isn't a consideration. However, I do like seeing others out walking their dogs, running, etc. I prefer an "active" neighborhood with an urban feel.

thanks..

[love roses]

There's no neighborhood like that here. It's pretty much live and let live and people are spread out all over. Like you said, the entire metro area is cool with it. Houston is the place with a "gayish" neighborhood, which is Montrose. But even there, gays live all over the city, not just in Montrose/inner loop.

[atxcio]

It is just how love roses describes. No area of Austin is known as the "gay" district, like in so many other metros have (Dallas, Houston, etc.) Don't know if that is good or bad, but it is different...

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by atxcio

It is just how love roses describes. No area of Austin is known as the "gay" district

The state parking garage between 3rd & 4th west of Guadalupe is called the "gayrage" since it's close to a bunch of gay nightclubs. That's kind of a district I guess.

[TexasHorseLady]

Yep, live and let live, and if you feel the same, you'll be fine!

[pilotskid27]

In my business, I see a lot of folks who are just moving into town.

I'd say that over the past year - 18 months, I have percieved a definite increase in gay customers (singles and couples) who are at an age where "nightlife is not the priority" as you say.

These men are moving to various locations around town. Some to the developing loft areas downtown (you would definitely have an urban feel there, and see lots of people out on the hike and bike trail along Lady Bird Lake, or around SOCO, or the 2nd street district.)

Others are updating the fine older ranches in "inner ring suburbs" Barton Hills, Allandale, Mt. Bonnell. I don't know whether I would consider those "urban", but they definitely have a charm about them.

There are likely others moving to other parts of town, but that is just the preference of my customer base...it's probably influenced by the location of my business. (It's somewhat less likely that someone moving to Georgetown or Cedar Park would come seeking my services. )

It just depends on what type of house/ lifestyle you seek. I echo the sentiments of the other posters who are saying that gays are accepted everywhere.

[Trainwreck20]

There are two same-sex couples (that I know of) on our street in VAWO. Both are 'older' couples, so I am guessing that the downtown night life is not a priority. Both are rather private (although friendly enough when you do talk with them), and I could not tell you if it is because they feel isolated/intolerance or if that is just their personal preference. Our street also has/had campaign signs up for just about every candidate you can think of, but if they weren't there, you would never know it from how well everyone gets along.

[jwb123]

I still don't get the "We don't care, it's a live and let live place" arguement...

I am from Seattle, which is a live and let live sort of place and there was a known "gay" district. Even though, yes, people that weren't gay lived and shopped there (me!) and people that were gay lived and shopped elsewhere, as well.

I hate to be stereotypical about Texas and it's conservatism.... I mean it IS Austin and all - but I have to feel that it's more about that, than the other... I know, I know - everyone is going to chime in and tell me I am wrong, because no one likes to hear that Austin isn't 100% tolerant... but perhaps it's a throwback from a time when it wasn't as tolerant? A small town type thing? To be sure, those that are living in Austin, and also gay, won't have a problem being accepted NOW - and maybe not even in recent history... but maybe it's more like, "Well, it's been this way forever so...."

[TexasHorseLady]

I'm not sure I understand. The "live and let live" I'm talking about is more of the "doesn't matter to me what someone does in anybody's bed but mine and it's not of primary interest to me in my interactions with them" mindset than anything else. It's not that it's a a deep dark secret - as I've said elsewhere, I've known many gay people that the only way I knew they were gay was who the partner was that they brought to parties with - and they felt perfectly comfortable bringing their partners to those parties as their partner because they knew it wouldn't be an issue to anyone any more than my bringing my husband would be. It seems to me if there has to be a separate "district" for people of a particular persuasion (sexual or otherwise), rather than them being simply part of the community as a whole, that would indicate an intolerance on one side or the other (intolerance doesn't always go one way, after all).

[love roses]

Austin is more liberal than Dallas and Houston, so I don't think it's totally about Texas conservatism. I'm guessing it's either because the gays and lesbians who live here don't really care if there is a district or not, or IMO, it's essentially due to the size of the city. I can't think of another way to word this, but Houston and Dallas are much bigger than Austin at their urban cores and I'm thinking because Austin is so much smaller, there's just nowhere really for a district to be? Unless it's a very small one.