Is Austin a southern, southwestern, or western city? (Houston, San Antonio: best, cities)

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

As there were in the North - does that make the Northern states Southern?

No, it makes them hypocrites.

[Danbo1957]

There were no slaves in the Southwest, nor in the western half of Texas. Point being, Austin was a part of the "Old South" and still retains much of the heritage of the Anglo-American settlers that came mainly from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. Does Austin reflect the "Old Deep South" of Mississippi and Alabama? No it does not.

The Texas capitol was located where it is because its location has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries: Spanish, Native, Black, French, Mexican and Anglo, hopefully, the modern City of Austin reflects the best of those who came and passed through...

[atx58]

Originally Posted by jdevelop2

There are cacti all over the place in Austin.

They don't dominate the scenery. Its not like the rest of the southwest where everywhere is dirt, cactus and maybe palm trees.

[atx58]

Originally Posted by Danbo1957

There were no slaves in the Southwest, nor in the western half of Texas. Point being, Austin was a part of the "Old South" and still retains much of the heritage of the Anglo-American settlers that came mainly from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri. Does Austin reflect the "Old Deep South" of Mississippi and Alabama? No it does not.

The Texas capitol was located where it is because its location has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries: Spanish, Native, Black, French, Mexican and Anglo, hopefully, the modern City of Austin reflects the best of those who came and passed through...

Exactly

[orbius]

The Southerners ruled Austin during the Civil War and got the boot post Civil War. After the Civil War many Union soldiers who were part of a garrison to secure the peace here took a shine to the place and settled here.
Many fairly recent German immigrants who were Unionists found themselves in positions of power in Austin after the Civil War.


The main influence on modern Austin is Germanic and Northern as they were the power base here post Civil War. So definitely I would not call Austin Southern at all.

[atx58]

Originally Posted by orbius

The Southerners ruled Austin during the Civil War and got the boot post Civil War. After the Civil War many Union soldiers who were part of a garrison to secure the peace here took a shine to the place and settled here.
Many fairly recent German immigrants who were Unionists found themselves in positions of power in Austin after the Civil War.


The main influence on modern Austin is Germanic and Northern as they were the power base here post Civil War. So definitely I would not call Austin Southern at all.

Austin is a melting pot of cultures but geographically and historically it is Southern. Unionists were in power all over the country after they won the civil war, so you don't make any sense.

[orbius]

Originally Posted by atx58

Austin is a melting pot of cultures but geographically and historically it is Southern. Unionists were in power all over the country after they won the civil war, so you don't make any sense.

Its not a Southern city sorry. I've lived in the South and feel able to make that call.

It feels more Midwestern than Southern. Midwestern/bohemian I'd call it but I'm getting a little esoteric I realize. There are some Southern influences here but they're in the background not in the forefront.

Actually most of this region of Texas was settled by Middle European immigrants after the Civil War and almost none of Central Texas feels 'Southern'.

[atx58]

Originally Posted by orbius

Its not a Southern city sorry. I've lived in the South and feel able to make that call.

It feels more Midwestern than Southern. Midwestern/bohemian I'd call it but I'm getting a little esoteric I realize. There are some Southern influences here but they're in the background not in the forefront.

Actually most of this region of Texas was settled by Middle European immigrants after the Civil War and almost none of Central Texas feels 'Southern'.

Now it's being compared to the Midwest too? I don't think so, we don't call soda "pop". I guess my teachers in AISD were wrong when they taught us in school that Austin is in the south.

[doctorjef]

Given the discussion on this thread I was interested recently to see in one of the regular publications of the APA's Division of Psychoanalysis the non-Texan president of the division refer to San Antonio as Southwestern (she was commenting on the 2009 Spring Conference of the division, which was held in SA). If SA is thus seen as southwestern, surely Austin would be as well. I just thought it was interesting in terms of being the assessment of someone from outside the region.

[Danbo1957]

San Antonio is not a Southwestern city either.