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Old 06-01-2008, 02:11 PM
 
746 posts, read 3,718,657 times
Reputation: 257

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Austin seems to be the poster child of all time on these lists. What affect has Austins eternal presence on these lists had in generating relocatees? I would say that at least half of all Californians came to Austin SOLELY on the basis of "top 10" lists, trendy as they try to be. This reassures them that they are making the rightmove, and are indeed reaffirming their "coolness" and "wisdom" in making that move to Austin. Just to prove how ridiculous these lists are, check out Kiplingers latest, which ranks Houston as the number one city for relocatees..


No. 1: Houston, Texas - Kiplinger.com

Now, 98% of the ex-Houstonites I've met in Austin loathed Houston, from the stench that emanated 24/7 from the ship canal, to the refineries that dumped toxic plumes like a pox over the metro, the humid stench from may to oct, and the off-the-charts crime, particularly post-Katrina. And this top 10 list placed Houston 1st, which makes you realize how meaingless they truly are....

So, what do you folks out there think of top 10 lists, and Austin's claim to fame on making so many of them?? Pure marketing tools? Just PR for cities? Or is there a certain objective reality about it that I'm missing, that really does guide a large mass of relocatees to herd about enmasse to "hot" destinations they are told are the next big thing?


BTW, here is the holy grail compendium of all the "top 10" lists that Austin has appeared on. Read this completely, and realize that if any city truly lived up to this, it would be by default one of the greatest cities in the history of mankind, from the domestication of agriculture by the babylonians to the current day.....as we all know, who actually live and deal with Austin on a daily basis, this is hardly the case. How can a city which relies on bar band music for 90% of its enterainment, with essentially no museums or pro sports, and abject lack of a decent park system, no paved bike trails, no bike trails that go through the vast majority of the city, an almost non-existant public library system, and a road structure that is built for half the current carrying capacity be on all these lists? What am I missing? Yes, Austin is nice in many ways, but it does not come even close to living up to these lists. Most of it is ugly sprawl, and mega-apartment complexes dominate huge swathes of the north and north west. This selling of "Austin" must rank as one of the greatest PR selling jobs in the history of marketing......

The holy grail of Austin "top 10" lists is as follows...

City of Austin - Austin Rankings

I meant this to be Austin specific, so I've resubmitted it and deleted the general info on top 10 lists.......those who want to see it can check it out
in the general US section......Austin appears on SO many that it surely deserves its own thread in the Austin forum.......
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Old 06-01-2008, 02:17 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh--Home of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions!
11,310 posts, read 12,329,200 times
Reputation: 4937
Moderator cut: OFF-TOPIC DISCUSSIONI will say this...I think the majority of people moving to Austin are NOT baseing their move on some generated top 10 list. I think the majority do research a move prior to doing so. It has taken me 9 years to make the leap after MUCH research and multiple (too many to count) visits to Austin.

Last edited by RaleighLass; 07-17-2010 at 08:53 PM.. Reason: Off-topic discussion against TOS
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Old 06-01-2008, 02:52 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh--Home of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions!
11,310 posts, read 12,329,200 times
Reputation: 4937
OK...going to attempt to pick this list apart

Austin Rankings
Expansion Management magazine puts the Austin area first among U.S. cities in the magazine's fourth annual Mayors Challenge rankings of the best cities for future business locations.

Not sure if I buy into this except for the fact that Austin is having explosive growth d/t many relocating there.

The Wall Street Journal names Austin #3 in a list of America's Most Innovative Cities. The Capital of Texas had the third-highest number of patents in 2005.

Men's Journal ranks Austin #2 among America's Heart Healthy Cities, citing Mayor Will Wynn's efforts to make Austin the fittest city in the U.S. by 2010. (August 2006)

This is probably true d/t the multitude of outdoor activities available with the walking trails and the river.

Money magazine lists Austin as #2 among the 10 best places to live, judging on financial, educational and quality of life criteria, among others. (July 2006)

msn.com rate Austin among "8 Cheap Places You'd Want to Live." The survey highlights citywide economic prospects and cultural atmosphere. (July 2006)

Bailey's Irish Crème named Austin #9 among the Top Ten "Chill" Cities. The survey created a "chill index" based on the behavior of the city's residents and social opportunities the city provided. (July 2006)

True--Austin is a cool place to chill out.

CNN.com ranks Austin among the top ten cities for job growth as the "Sun Belt" provides the hub of tech development from now through 2015.

The US Census Bureau reports that Austin ranks 5th among the most educated cities in the U.S. 45.1% of the population has a college degree, or higher.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) places Austin at #8 among America's top 10 vegetarian/vegan-friendly large cities. "Austin might be University of Texas Longhorn country, but many folks in this vegetarian-friendly oasis would rather meet cows than eat them!" (April 2006)

Men's Journal ranks Austin number two among the "50 Best Places to Live." The magazine ranked the "Best of the Best" the cities that are the perfect combination of adventure, attractiveness, and affordability. (April 2006)

Austin was named the sixth best walking city in the nation by the American Podiatric Medical Association. (March 2006)

Only because of the walking trails, otherwise, Austin is not the best walking city.

Pollstar names Austin City Limits Music Festival the "Festival of the Year" during it's annual Concert Industry Awards. (February 2006)

With it's multitude of festivals, Austin is bound to make at least 1 top 10 list re: festivals!

Four Seasons Hotel Austin and The Driskill Hotel appear on two prestigious lists, Travel + Leisure's top 500 Hotels and Condé Nast Traveler's 2006 Gold List of the World's Best Hotels. (January 22, 2006)

Most major cities have a hotel mentioned on this list.

Texas Highways readers choose the tops in Texas with The Oasis as the "Best Place to Watch the Sunset," The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum as the favorite museum and Barton Springs as the "Favorite Swimming Spot." (January 2006)

This is a list generated by your own! I could list these "bests" according to any city

SoCo's hip Hotel San Jose is one of 10 international Hot Properties, according to Outside Online magazine. (Winter 2005)

Austin makes the cut as one of 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live by Gregory A. Kompes. (December 2005)

Good news for singles: according to AXE and Austin is the fourth best city to hook up in America because it is "young and full of fun." (November 2005)

This is because of UT. It's a large and well-respected university.

The Hill Country Dining Room at Barton Creek Resort & Spa earned a AAA Four Diamond rating. (November 2005)

Well-deserved rating.

According to DogFancy Austin is one of the top 10 cities to be a dog. (November 2005)


Entertainment Weekly declares local radio station KGSR as one of five "Great Old-School Radio" stations, citing "an only-in-Austin blend of alt-country, hippie jams, singer-song-writers, and lots of Willie Nelson, of course." (October 21, 2005)

Austin does respect older music, in where as most cities do not.

Hispanic Magazine lists Austin's Curra's Grill and El Sol Y La Luna as "Top 50 Hispanic Restaurants." (October 2005)

Each year, Intel ranks the top 100 U.S. Cities and regions with the greatest number of commercial and public wireless Internet access points and Austin ranks third. (October 2005)

And it should be, seeing as how it is a top tech hub with Dell and IBM.

Entrepreneur.com and the National Policy Research Council rank Austin number 9 in a ranking of "Hot Cities" for entrepreneurs. Austin also took the number 8 spot for "young companies" and the number 10 spot for companies experiencing "rapid growth." (September 2005)

Austin is among the coolest cities for young professionals, according to Kiplinger.com. The website sited University of Texas, the city's musicians, margaritas and cheap rent as contributing factors to the Capital City's cool factor. (September 2005)

Actually, I don't think the rent is that cheap for a quality apt. Now the Austin musicians are a whole different story--definitely the coolest!

Austin came in sixth in a study by Silicon Valley naming the nation's top tech hubs. The study compared business and quality-of-life issues, claiming Austin has affordable housing, electricity and state taxes. (September 2005)

Local film director Robert Rodriguez is one of the nation's 25 most influential Hispanics, according to Time magazine. (August 16, 2005)

Alamo Drafthouse is the number one theatre in America, according to Entertainment Weekly, calling it, "movie-geek heaven." (August 12, 2005)

Austin is number one for the second consecutive year on Hispanic magazine's, "Top 10 Cities for Hispanics to Live In" list. (August 2005)

For the first time, Lake Austin Spa Resort ranks 10th on Travel & Leisure magazine's list of the world's best spas, as voted by readers. (August 2005)

According to Buxton, a customer analytics firm, Austin has the highest percentage (45 percent) of females ages 18 to 44 in the country. (August 2005)

Austin earns the number two spot on Vegetarian Times' "Ten Greenest Cities" list. (July/August 2005)

Looking for a woman, then head to Austin, at least according to Buxton, a customer analytics firm, who lists Austin as first in the top 10 metro areas containing the highest percentage of women from 18 to 44. According to the study Austin is 45 percent female. (July 2005)

Not so great if you're a woman looking for a man!

Runner's World names the "25 Best Running Cities in America" and Austin is 11. (July 2005)

Austin ranks eighth of "America's Cleanest Cities," according to Reader's Digest. (July 2005)

UT rocks and the proof is in the fact that Austin takes the number four slot on the top fifty schools that rock, detailed in Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide book. (July 2005)

Austin is third in a listing of 150 places to live in an upcoming book, How people Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness by the former publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard.

Tyson Cole, owner & chef of South Austin restaurant Uchi, is one of "America's 10 Best New Chefs," according to Food & Wine magazine's annual ranking. (July 2005)

An Intel survey ranks Austin third among top WiFi cities in the country based on commercial and free wireless Internet access. (June 2005)

Again, tech hub!

Condé Nast Traveler's readers choose Barton Creek Resort as Spa as having one of the top 100 Golf Courses in the world (June 2005)

American Way magazine features "The Top 10 Lists of Great American Music" and Austin appears on three of the lists including "great music towns," "great bigger-is-better music festivals" for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and "sacred ground" for Threadgill's restaurant. (June 1, 2005)

Austin joins the likes of Bermuda, Hilton Head, South Beach and Yellowstone as one of MSNBC's "top 10 memorial getaways." (May 26, 2005)

The American Hiking Society named the Barton Creek Greenbelt number two on its "top 10 top walking trails." Each of the trials named can be completed in 60 to 90 minutes and are within 10 to 15 miles of a major metro area. (May 2005)

Austin's Mean-Eyed Cat bar makes Condé Nast Traveler magazine's annual "Hot Nights" list. The bar is one of only 35 bars or clubs from around the world named in the publication, including nine from the US. Oslo nightclub made the list in 2004. (May 2005)

The Austin area ranked third on Forbes magazine's "Best Places" for business and careers, giving the Capital City high marks for education attainment, net migration to the area and the cost of doing business in the region. (May 2005)

AmericanStyle magazine chooses Austin eighth as a "Top 25 US Arts Destination." (June 2005)

Music--yes, Art--not sure about that one.

Austin is the 10th healthiest city among the country's 50 largest cites, according to a study conducted by Sperling's Best Places. (April 2005)

According to Prevention, Austin is one of the top 10 "Best Walking Cities" in the U.S. (April 2005) Whole Foods Market joined Dell on Fortune's list of top 500 companies. (April 2005)

Biking at Rocky Hill Ranch is named by Travel + Leisure as one of "50 Great American Adventures." (April 2005)

Austin again makes Men's Journal's list of "50 Best Places to Live"- this time at number 35. The city also received the "Best Nightlife" accolade, beating out New York City; was third on the city with the "Best Women"; fourth "Fastest Growing Cities" and fifth "Smartest" city. (April 2005)

Publishers Weekly magazine bestows BookPeople with its coveted Bookseller of the Year award. (March 2005)

According to a study by UHAUL International Inc., Austin ranked third on its list of fastest growing cities, sighting a growth spurt of about 6.4 percent in 2004.

Sports Illustrated recognized the Longhorn hangout of Scholz Beer Garten as 18 of the "25 Best Sports Bars in America," noting the bar as being the oldest continuously operated business in Texas.

USA Today declares the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival one of the most notable food and wine festivals in the country. (January 27, 2005)

The annual study of "Travelers' Top Tourist Attractions" lists the State Capitol as one of the Top 10 Texas Attractions for non-Texans and Texans. (2005)

The Travel Industry Association of America, National Business Travel Association and the Institute of Business Travel Management released a study naming Austin 21st on the "Top 25 Cities for General Business Travelers" and 18th "Top 25 Cities for Convention/Conference/Seminar Travelers." (2005)

Austin-based companies, Whole Foods Market (ranked 30) and National Instruments (ranked 40) make Fortune magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." (January 24, 2005)

MovieMaker magazine names Austin as number two in its "Top 10 Cities For MovieMakers," an annual ranking of the "best cities for independents to live and make movies." The Capital City has appeared on this notable list for five consecutive years. (Winter 2005)


OK, I'm tired of picking away at this list...anyone else care to take a shot?

Last edited by Yac; 11-13-2020 at 02:31 AM..
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Old 06-01-2008, 11:41 PM
 
Location: California
412 posts, read 1,746,770 times
Reputation: 197
I don't really think it should be number 1 but maybe 7,8,9,10-20 something would sound more reasonable. I think that Austin has got some problems and also I personally don't like cities in between sized (places with about 100,000-800,000 people) but that is just my opinion.
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Old 06-02-2008, 02:58 AM
 
746 posts, read 3,718,657 times
Reputation: 257
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texanwannabe View Post
OK...going to attempt to pick this list apart

Austin Rankings
Expansion Management magazine puts the Austin area first among U.S. cities in the magazine's fourth annual Mayors Challenge rankings of the best cities for future business locations.

Not sure if I buy into this except for the fact that Austin is having explosive growth d/t many relocating there.

The Wall Street Journal names Austin #3 in a list of America's Most Innovative Cities. The Capital of Texas had the third-highest number of patents in 2005.

Men's Journal ranks Austin #2 among America's Heart Healthy Cities, citing Mayor Will Wynn's efforts to make Austin the fittest city in the U.S. by 2010. (August 2006)

This is probably true d/t the multitude of outdoor activities available with the walking trails and the river.

Money magazine lists Austin as #2 among the 10 best places to live, judging on financial, educational and quality of life criteria, among others. (July 2006)

msn.com rate Austin among "8 Cheap Places You'd Want to Live." The survey highlights citywide economic prospects and cultural atmosphere. (July 2006)

Bailey's Irish Crème named Austin #9 among the Top Ten "Chill" Cities. The survey created a "chill index" based on the behavior of the city's residents and social opportunities the city provided. (July 2006)

True--Austin is a cool place to chill out.

CNN.com ranks Austin among the top ten cities for job growth as the "Sun Belt" provides the hub of tech development from now through 2015.

The US Census Bureau reports that Austin ranks 5th among the most educated cities in the U.S. 45.1% of the population has a college degree, or higher.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) places Austin at #8 among America's top 10 vegetarian/vegan-friendly large cities. "Austin might be University of Texas Longhorn country, but many folks in this vegetarian-friendly oasis would rather meet cows than eat them!" (April 2006)

Men's Journal ranks Austin number two among the "50 Best Places to Live." The magazine ranked the "Best of the Best" the cities that are the perfect combination of adventure, attractiveness, and affordability. (April 2006)

Austin was named the sixth best walking city in the nation by the American Podiatric Medical Association. (March 2006)

Only because of the walking trails, otherwise, Austin is not the best walking city.

Pollstar names Austin City Limits Music Festival the "Festival of the Year" during it's annual Concert Industry Awards. (February 2006)

With it's multitude of festivals, Austin is bound to make at least 1 top 10 list re: festivals!

Four Seasons Hotel Austin and The Driskill Hotel appear on two prestigious lists, Travel + Leisure's top 500 Hotels and Condé Nast Traveler's 2006 Gold List of the World's Best Hotels. (January 22, 2006)

Most major cities have a hotel mentioned on this list.

Texas Highways readers choose the tops in Texas with The Oasis as the "Best Place to Watch the Sunset," The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum as the favorite museum and Barton Springs as the "Favorite Swimming Spot." (January 2006)

This is a list generated by your own! I could list these "bests" according to any city

SoCo's hip Hotel San Jose is one of 10 international Hot Properties, according to Outside Online magazine. (Winter 2005)

Austin makes the cut as one of 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live by Gregory A. Kompes. (December 2005)

Good news for singles: according to AXE Austin is the fourth best city to hook up in America because it is "young and full of fun." (November 2005)

This is because of UT. It's a large and well-respected university.

The Hill Country Dining Room at Barton Creek Resort & Spa earned a AAA Four Diamond rating. (November 2005)

Well-deserved rating.

According to DogFancy Austin is one of the top 10 cities to be a dog. (November 2005)


Entertainment Weekly declares local radio station KGSR as one of five "Great Old-School Radio" stations, citing "an only-in-Austin blend of alt-country, hippie jams, singer-song-writers, and lots of Willie Nelson, of course." (October 21, 2005)

Austin does respect older music, in where as most cities do not.

Hispanic Magazine lists Austin's Curra's Grill and El Sol Y La Luna as "Top 50 Hispanic Restaurants." (October 2005)

Each year, Intel ranks the top 100 U.S. Cities and regions with the greatest number of commercial and public wireless Internet access points and Austin ranks third. (October 2005)

And it should be, seeing as how it is a top tech hub with Dell and IBM.

Entrepreneur.com and the National Policy Research Council rank Austin number 9 in a ranking of "Hot Cities" for entrepreneurs. Austin also took the number 8 spot for "young companies" and the number 10 spot for companies experiencing "rapid growth." (September 2005)

Austin is among the coolest cities for young professionals, according to Kiplinger.com. The website sited University of Texas, the city's musicians, margaritas and cheap rent as contributing factors to the Capital City's cool factor. (September 2005)

Actually, I don't think the rent is that cheap for a quality apt. Now the Austin musicians are a whole different story--definitely the coolest!

Austin came in sixth in a study by Silicon Valley naming the nation's top tech hubs. The study compared business and quality-of-life issues, claiming Austin has affordable housing, electricity and state taxes. (September 2005)

Local film director Robert Rodriguez is one of the nation's 25 most influential Hispanics, according to Time magazine. (August 16, 2005)

Alamo Drafthouse is the number one theatre in America, according to Entertainment Weekly, calling it, "movie-geek heaven." (August 12, 2005)

Austin is number one for the second consecutive year on Hispanic magazine's, "Top 10 Cities for Hispanics to Live In" list. (August 2005)

For the first time, Lake Austin Spa Resort ranks 10th on Travel & Leisure magazine's list of the world's best spas, as voted by readers. (August 2005)

According to Buxton, a customer analytics firm, Austin has the highest percentage (45 percent) of females ages 18 to 44 in the country. (August 2005)

Austin earns the number two spot on Vegetarian Times' "Ten Greenest Cities" list. (July/August 2005)

Looking for a woman, then head to Austin, at least according to Buxton, a customer analytics firm, who lists Austin as first in the top 10 metro areas containing the highest percentage of women from 18 to 44. According to the study Austin is 45 percent female. (July 2005)

Not so great if you're a woman looking for a man!

Runner's World names the "25 Best Running Cities in America" and Austin is 11. (July 2005)

Austin ranks eighth of "America's Cleanest Cities," according to Reader's Digest. (July 2005)

UT rocks and the proof is in the fact that Austin takes the number four slot on the top fifty schools that rock, detailed in Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide book. (July 2005)

Austin is third in a listing of 150 places to live in an upcoming book, How people Across America Are Transforming Their Lives by Finding the Where of Their Happiness by the former publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard.

Tyson Cole, owner & chef of South Austin restaurant Uchi, is one of "America's 10 Best New Chefs," according to Food & Wine magazine's annual ranking. (July 2005)

An Intel survey ranks Austin third among top WiFi cities in the country based on commercial and free wireless Internet access. (June 2005)

Again, tech hub!

Condé Nast Traveler's readers choose Barton Creek Resort as Spa as having one of the top 100 Golf Courses in the world (June 2005)

American Way magazine features "The Top 10 Lists of Great American Music" and Austin appears on three of the lists including "great music towns," "great bigger-is-better music festivals" for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and "sacred ground" for Threadgill's restaurant. (June 1, 2005)

Austin joins the likes of Bermuda, Hilton Head, South Beach and Yellowstone as one of MSNBC's "top 10 memorial getaways." (May 26, 2005)

The American Hiking Society named the Barton Creek Greenbelt number two on its "top 10 top walking trails." Each of the trials named can be completed in 60 to 90 minutes and are within 10 to 15 miles of a major metro area. (May 2005)

Austin's Mean-Eyed Cat bar makes Condé Nast Traveler magazine's annual "Hot Nights" list. The bar is one of only 35 bars or clubs from around the world named in the publication, including nine from the US. Oslo nightclub made the list in 2004. (May 2005)

The Austin area ranked third on Forbes magazine's "Best Places" for business and careers, giving the Capital City high marks for education attainment, net migration to the area and the cost of doing business in the region. (May 2005)

AmericanStyle magazine chooses Austin eighth as a "Top 25 US Arts Destination." (June 2005)

Music--yes, Art--not sure about that one.

Austin is the 10th healthiest city among the country's 50 largest cites, according to a study conducted by Sperling's Best Places. (April 2005)

According to Prevention, Austin is one of the top 10 "Best Walking Cities" in the U.S. (April 2005) Whole Foods Market joined Dell on Fortune's list of top 500 companies. (April 2005)

Biking at Rocky Hill Ranch is named by Travel + Leisure as one of "50 Great American Adventures." (April 2005)

Austin again makes Men's Journal's list of "50 Best Places to Live"- this time at number 35. The city also received the "Best Nightlife" accolade, beating out New York City; was third on the city with the "Best Women"; fourth "Fastest Growing Cities" and fifth "Smartest" city. (April 2005)

Publishers Weekly magazine bestows BookPeople with its coveted Bookseller of the Year award. (March 2005)

According to a study by UHAUL International Inc., Austin ranked third on its list of fastest growing cities, sighting a growth spurt of about 6.4 percent in 2004.

Sports Illustrated recognized the Longhorn hangout of Scholz Beer Garten as 18 of the "25 Best Sports Bars in America," noting the bar as being the oldest continuously operated business in Texas.

USA Today declares the Saveur Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival one of the most notable food and wine festivals in the country. (January 27, 2005)

The annual study of "Travelers' Top Tourist Attractions" lists the State Capitol as one of the Top 10 Texas Attractions for non-Texans and Texans. (2005)

The Travel Industry Association of America, National Business Travel Association and the Institute of Business Travel Management released a study naming Austin 21st on the "Top 25 Cities for General Business Travelers" and 18th "Top 25 Cities for Convention/Conference/Seminar Travelers." (2005)

Austin-based companies, Whole Foods Market (ranked 30) and National Instruments (ranked 40) make Fortune magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." (January 24, 2005)

MovieMaker magazine names Austin as number two in its "Top 10 Cities For MovieMakers," an annual ranking of the "best cities for independents to live and make movies." The Capital City has appeared on this notable list for five consecutive years. (Winter 2005)

OK, I'm tired of picking away at this list...anyone else care to take a shot?
Moderator cut: Off-topics discussion is against T.O.S. Reality check....I am currently looking out my window at a strip-mall across the street, with a H-E-B, wendys, and non-stop traffic, in a complex on Mcneil and Parmer. I see nothing special here, and 87% of Austin looks the same. The other 13% is in a very small central part of the city. In other words, the VAST majority of Austinites do not live in "cool" neighborhoods, the kind people who read top ten lists in Pittsburgh wax about, imagining how incredible their soon to be residency will be. Again, they live the same as people in other cities, full of big box stores and strip malls. Austin is simply just another city, albeit a fast growing one. Keep in mind that it almost invariably sucks to live in a fast growing city, as the roads never catch up, which leads to nasty road rage.
Talk to anyone from Vegas, Phoenix, or even LA, for that matter!

Growth is only good for developers and real estate agents. Everyone else suffers and as to bear with antiquated road infrastructure and road rage.


Again, reality never lives up to top ten list hype!

Last edited by Yac; 11-13-2020 at 02:32 AM.. Reason: Off-topic disussion against T.O.S
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Old 06-02-2008, 07:49 AM
 
447 posts, read 1,843,109 times
Reputation: 165
We first contemplated moving to Austin after my sister said to consider it - we were looking to get out of Rhode Island and contemplating several cities, and she went to Texas A&M and now lives in Sugar Land, and said that Austin was the "only place in Texas she could see me in". At first we totally dismissed her, since, well, it was Texas, (the typical New Englander reaction), but then we started researching and talking to people and grew interested...and then we discovered all the "top ten" lists. Was it an additional affirmation that helped boost our confidence? Sure...but it certainly wasn't in the top ten reasons we relocated!

I guess if you were moving here looking for the "hip and cool" vibe, then perhaps you could be disappointed, a la scongress, but we moved here for a lower cost of living, more laid back lifestyle, friendlier people, and more family friendly activities. All the great Mexican food and swimming for the majority of the year hasn't hurt either! (just try to find decent Mexican food in Rhode Island!) Austin (or rather, Round Rock I guess, since that's where I am) has not disappointed.
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Old 06-02-2008, 08:50 AM
 
2,238 posts, read 8,984,355 times
Reputation: 954
There was an article on yahoo a while back about these top ten lists. The cities listed are basically demographic fits for the list creator's customer base (i.e. Money magazine). Cities get listed and they increase their subscriptions/web hits in those locations. For 90% of the lists there's nothing more to them than mischievous marketing.
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Old 06-02-2008, 11:14 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh--Home of the 6 time Super Bowl Champions!
11,310 posts, read 12,329,200 times
Reputation: 4937
Quote:
Originally Posted by scongress1234 View Post
I think the name, Texas wannabe, gives it all away. Only someone looking and yearning from afar can lust after a city ala top 10 lists. Reality check....I am currently looking out my window at a strip-mall across the street, with a H-E-B, wendys, and non-stop traffic, in a complex on Mcneil and Parmer. I see nothing special here, and 87% of Austin looks the same. The other 13% is in a very small central part of the city. In other words, the VAST majority of Austinites do not live in "cool" neighborhoods, the kind people who read top ten lists in Pittsburgh wax about, imagining how incredible their soon to be residency will be. Again, reality never lives up to top ten list hype!
Moderator cut: please stay on topic

I KNOW what Austin is like! I have been going there 2-3 times a year since 1994! I have a VERY GOOD perception of Austin and what it will be like after I move. I know all about the traffic, been in many traffic jams down there! I also know about the multitude of strip malls. I see the "exterior" of Austin, but I also SEE the "interior" of Austin.

Moderator cut: please stay on topic-deleted reference to other poster

Last edited by RaleighLass; 07-17-2010 at 08:51 PM.. Reason: Off-topic discussion against T.O.S.
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Old 06-02-2008, 11:43 AM
 
746 posts, read 3,718,657 times
Reputation: 257
Quote:
Originally Posted by achtungpv View Post
There was an article on yahoo a while back about these top ten lists. The cities listed are basically demographic fits for the list creator's customer base (i.e. Money magazine). Cities get listed and they increase their subscriptions/web hits in those locations. For 90% of the lists there's nothing more to them than mischievous marketing.
Brilliant point. Like preaching, or selling, to the choir, or converted, or customer base. Great point....you said more in one sentence than I could
have with 30 posts...I take it there are a bunch of magaine subscribers in Austin, if just to read the new top 10 lists. Also sort of like linking to other
like-minded websites, which is why the same places are on all the same lists.
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Old 06-02-2008, 12:29 PM
 
Location: Austin
108 posts, read 270,778 times
Reputation: 47
The OP said,

"and realize that if any city truly lived up to this, it would be by default one of the greatest cities in the history of mankind"

Well, it just may be on of them!

Really though, Austin is great but everyone is different. I moved here sight unseen and haven't regretted it one minute!
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