Austin vs. San Antonio? (Houston, Southlake: appointed, apartment, new home)

[1751texan]

Originally Posted by homeinatx

From your description of your experience of San Antonio, Austin would be a better fit. Austin trends younger and fitter, more politically liberal. San Antonio is the only large city in Texas that voted for McCain in the last election. I like both cities. I think San Antonio has mostly much better residential architecture. There is nothing like Southtown/King William's District in Austin. San Antonio has a better art scene. Austin has a better music scene. For me, the high end restaurant scene is a wash. Austin has more of them, but with the exception of Uchi, the good ones in San Antonio are much better than than the good ones in Austin: eg. for Italian, Il Sogno ( a wonderful restaurant), Ciao Lavenderia and Tre ( very good restaurants) make the best Italian restaurant in Austin (Vespaio) look like Pizza Hut. San Antonio feels much more class-polarized - old money and then more working class. Austin is yuppier, hipper, smaller and since I hate the sewer running through downtown San Antonio - I mean the river walk- Austin has a more interesting and vibrant downtown. The Northwest suburbs of San Antonio and the Southwest and Northwest suburbs of Austin are indistinguishable - new tract houses in attractive terrain with live oaks and SUV's. Agree with the recommendation to check out SoCo, when next in Austin. Austin prides itself on a certain (often exaggerated) quirkiness. San Antonio really couldn't care, and that sounds like it bothers you. I have lived in Austin for 8 years and no-one has ever said the church word to me. Trust your instincts. They sound right to me.

We trully enjoy visitors to San Antonio..We love hanging out with other San Antonionians...People that come to San Antonio adjust to us, they take on our flow. I dont think Texans really worry about the ranking of cities, because we enjoy visiting our sister cities, enjoying a weekend, and comming home...thats Texas style.

[Runemaster]

Originally Posted by CAtoTX09

Hi All,

I'm brand-new to this forum and am not starting this thread to create an argument; instead I'm honestly looking for valid input on the pros and cons of Austin vs. San Antonio.

Thanks!

Like you, I've lived in Phoenix and So Cal. Best way I can find to put it for you is San An is like Phoenix's little brother and Austin is Seattle's. But, that's just my opinion. The people in TX, in general are far more genuine than you'll find in So Cal, and anywhere in TX has a real sense of culture, unlike Phoenix.

[eepstein]

San Antonio is pretty much a worthless dump with a fabulous freeway system. It is mostly rundown, poor, uneducated, and really serves no purpose to anyone except silly tourists who like waiting in a 45 minute line to float on a dirty stinky river downtown. In the 7 years i've lived in Austin, I have been to SA twice (neither by choice). Houston and Dallas are FAR nicer places.

However, if you are thinking about Austin, you would be FAR better off moving here than staying in San Antonio.

Anyways, here are my comments to your comments:

[quote=CAtoTX09;12550346]Hi All,

I'm brand-new to this forum and am not starting this thread to create an argument; instead I'm honestly looking for valid input on the pros and cons of Austin vs. San Antonio.

Here's my story: I moved to San Antonio 6 months ago for business reasons (joint venture with a company here) but won't need to be here any longer than another 6 months. I lived most of my adult life in Arizona where I met my wife but we eventually got tired of the desert ugliness and moved on. We last lived in CA but left after only 2 years because of this business opportunity, and quite honestly the overcrowded lifestyle of everyone living right on top of each other with no backyards wasn't for us. Not to mention 10% state income tax.

San Antonio isn't bad but we're not entirely happy here and have decided to explore Austin - we went up there a few weeks ago to eat at North restaurant (which was one of our favorites in Phoenix) and Austin seemed to have a more inviting "vibe" than S.A.... specifically, here's what we don't love about S.A. so far:

1. Too redneck for us. We're politically libertarian, and gun owners, but not redneck.
Well I would suggest moving to central austin if you would like to minimize your "Redneck" exposure. With some exceptions, the further you get from central austin, the more redneck it becomes. Although, im sure San Antonio is pretty much a redneck fiesta!!

2. Churches everywhere. Nothing wrong with that but we're not religious and would like more like-minded people around.
Im sure the SA is more religious than Austin. But again, we are talking Austin proper here. Go out to Round Rock or Leander, and your in the heart of bible belt country.

3. We're fitness oriented and everyone here seems to be fat.
There are plenty of fat people in Austin as well. However, the media does a really good job of making people believe that Austinites care any more about fitness than any other city. I haven't seen any differences. Now Colorado--people are skinny as hell there!!

4. Maniac pickup truck drivers who have no courtesy and run everyone else off the road. My wife has already been rear-ended once and I've had my share of close calls.
I doubt there is any difference in crazy pickup drivers in Austin versus SA.
The traffic is horrible around here and beware if you move to Austin, owning, a car--yes, I said CAR. If you look carefully, there are still a few left around these parts.

5. Lack of higher-end restaurants and wine bars.
Agreed. You are best in Austin for high end places to eat. San Antonio has few if any high end people living there, so who would they have any high end restaurants?

6. Been hard to meet friends our age - we're in our mid 30s and the city seems much older. My wife joined a tennis league and is the only player under 60 (!)
Cant really comment on that. Austin has a lot of younger people. SA has a very large veteran population and any young person who is going to school there, will probably get the hell out when they graduate.

7. People are friendly but not outgoing. Making friends in SoCal was easy because everyone was very outgoing. Texans are definitely more polite than Californians but harder to engage.
Again, thats a matter of opinion. I find Austin people to be very full of themselves overall, but some people think Dallas is worse. Totally based on personal opinion.

Input on how Austin compared on these points? These are the biggest gripes we have with San Antonio so far and I'd love to hear your honest thoughts on whether Austin is any better.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by eepstein

San Antonio is pretty much a worthless dump with a fabulous freeway system. It is mostly rundown, poor, uneducated, and really serves no purpose to anyone except silly tourists who like waiting in a 45 minute line to float on a dirty stinky river downtown. In the 7 years i've lived in Austin, I have been to SA twice (neither by choice). Houston and Dallas are FAR nicer places.

Agreed. You are best in Austin for high end places to eat. San Antonio has few if any high end people living there, so who would they have any high end restaurants?

You say some amazing things. You are showing just how intolerant and narrow minded you are.

Although I prefer Austin, San Antonio is hardly a worthless dump. It does have a strong tourist industry. So what? Is the Riverwalk over-rated? Maybe. But San Antonio has a rich history in Texas that deserves recognition on its own merits.

I disagree San Antonio has a fabulous freeway system. Since you have been there just twice - I don't see how you would know. SA's freeways are not bad all things considered, but they are full of cars. Try driving on 1604 at peak times. Or go through the 281 intersections north of SA. There are some serious congestion issues in SA too.

Few if any high people living there? What is a high end person? Do they drive Bentley's? Are you a high end person? You seem to think everyone outside of central Austin is a redneck or hillbilly. So all the "old money" in Alamo Heights doesn't mean anything? Or the newer wealth in Northeast SA? Some beautiful (occupied) estates in the Hill Country Village.

One very likable quality about San Antonio and its people is that they seem perfectly comfortable with their city and what it is. They don't care what Dallas, Houston, or Austin people think about it.

[JayBrown80]

To the OP. In regards to eepsteins post; please remember that ANYONE can post their OPINION on City-data. That is the great thing about it. As such, you get a lot of people that post ONLY negative comments about everything under the sun.

If you are truly trying to get a real sense of San Antonio vs Austin, then please take eepsteins comments with a grain of salt. I am not saying he is right or wrong. I am just saying if you take a look at his posts on other threads, they have a reoccuring theme of "Everything sucks!!!! EVERYTHING!!!! rabble rabble rabble."

Caveat emptor.

[Michael Di Meo]

Wow... this thread is awful with some of these quotes.

Austin vs San Antonio

I like both cities a lot.
I love San Antonio.
I don't find San Antonio worthless at all (like some previous poster said).
But then again, I am part Hispanic, but I know a lot of non-Hispanics that love it too.

I also love Austin too... what can I say?
Austin kicks ass.

Surrounding Areas

I also love the whole area (Hill Country, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, Gruene, etc.), and I enjoy Matagorda Island and Padre Island, and places like Rockport and Corpus. Heck I even enjoy visiting friends in Laredo. I enjoy visiting family in El Paso, too.

Country vs Hippie Culture/Texan Friendliness

And this thing about Texans being only somewhat friendly? That's so strange, because they are some of the most friendly people I've ever met.
It reminds me of the time when I was still in school, spending a summer in Texarkana, going to a country music festival with my girlfriend, meeting these redneck/cowboys and their girlfriends and all going back to their trailer home in the woods and smoking pot and drinking whiskey listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Texas practically invented redneck hippies, no? I have countless examples of Texas friendliness all over the state.

My opinion about the OP

I think the OP needs to try a little harder in SA.

Rednecks/Cowboys

What's wrong with rednecks? or cowboys?
I (still) wear cowboy boots and speak several languages fluently, and have a Master's degree and work in the Finance field, and traveled all over the place... am I a redneck cowboy too? I love country music (and jazz too).

How about diversifying your friend base a little to include those who may be different from you? You MIGHT (just might) learn something useful.

Church/Religion/Spirituality

What's wrong with going to church? Nothing!
I was raised Catholic and left the church and even was anti-church for a while, a little older now I am quite happy hangin with my church-going friends. Why not EXPAND the types of people you hang with? Do they all have to be secular-based? Spirituality can be a positive.

Fat/Obese People

What's wrong with accepting people who may be fat? I'm a fitness freak myself (with the body to show), but my "fat" friends and I exercise together. They appreciate it very much. My parents could lose about 20-40 pounds, but I love them anyways!

Oh, I get it... if they are fat and strangers, then it's not good. But family members, it's OK?

[Radical_Car]

Austin all the way!

[imaterry78259]

Opinion are like everyone has one but as far as residential area San Antonio is far superior. Austin is not in SA league yet. Austin does have the edge on downtown though, since SA keeps the Fort Wayne look for its DT

PS: I own property in both cities

[LookingtoLeave]

I'm from SA--lived there for 30 years. To be honest, I had to get out. I truly couldn't take living there anymore. Of course this is my opinion only and anyone and everyone can disagree, but I personally thing majority (not all) of the city is run down, fairly ugly, and the lack of motivation of so many got to me. It also seems so behind the times in terms of growth, which to me is sad, because that city has potential. It will always be my hometown, but Austin to me is hands down so much better. While it's not paradise, it suits me just fine. I love the hills/greenbelt, lakes, downtown vibe, SoCo district, 2nd street district, etc that SA does not have. I also love the outdoorsy, healthy lifestyle many follow in Austin. I love the music festivals here too.

Then again there are things SA has that Austin doesn't such as Sea World and Fiesta TX. They're great places to visit for the weekend, but I wouldn't base my decision to live there based upon a theme park or two. I guess besides my great friends, there's not much to miss about SA besides the lower cost of living.

[imaterry78259]

What is SOCO? I know San Antonio downtown is behind the times but the rest of the city resdential area is far superior to Austin. SA is just a huge city of 1.4 million proper with a lot of grit and manly .