Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Austin has a much better downtown. For me, it's as simple as that. The other two cities have no shortage of amenities, but their autocentric nature makes them far less attractive options for tourists and more active people.
I'm not sure about Dallas, but if Houston had all or most of its major college campuses located in or adjacent to downtown, that could have been a real game changer.
OP - I'd go with living in Dallas metro and visiting Austin and Houston.
This!
Dallas/Fort Worth is pulling away as the premier area of the state if you pick the area that has the most of all possible options, else wise Toyota and all those fortune 500's wouldn't have chosen to set up shop there. Pound for Pound it has all the right pieces. Houston would be near second (just a little too dependent on oil/gas). Austin is third and it's not even close.
Austin is still not on the level of Dallas and Houston. But what Austin does it is very good at. It's location gives it natural advantages with topography and greenery, waterways. And it's IT sector is immaculate (But keep in mind the best cities are the most diverse cities economy wise, and a strong IT sector has the downside of costly cost of living ie. Seattle, Denver, San francisco). Downtown is dense, active and the vibe of "Austin" is very chill compared with Houston and especially Dallas. (But Dallas is improving with all the transplants thank goodness)
However it is a complete fail with most of the other important metrics except maybe violent crime. The city is just much smaller so that is par for the course.
Traffic/Transit - Flight options alone hinder Austin, but they are adding more.
Diversity - Houston then Dallas
Cost of Living - Houston
Diverse employment base - Dallas Ft Worth is the winner here
Sports - Dallas Ft Worth/Houston (Tie)
Culture - Museums, Symphony, Zoos, Aquariums etc. - Dallas/Ft Worth and Houston (Tie)
Food - The food is good everywhere in Texas, and because Dallas and Houston have more ethnic representation there are simply more options, I mean from Indian, to Russian to Thai Austin can't compete. But the food there is in Austin is good for sure.
Healthcare- Tied
Education - Houston or Dallas for sheer number of options
Crime- Austin
Well it didn't take long for this thread to get out of hand. I like Austin better than both. In part because it's more scenic and more young adult friendly. It's not as big as Houston or Dallas but still punches above its weight class.
To me when Austin was at peak hype in the late 90s and early 2000s I still thought that is was less interesting than Houston and Dallas. Since then I think that Houston and Dallas has become more interesting while Austin has become less so.
Austin does have some natural features that I appreciate more now that I am older. The lakes in and around Austin, the rivers, the gently undulating topography increase the appeal. Apart from those things Austin does not stand above the other two to me.
I like the Ambitious nature of North Texas. They have always thought big and I got to love them over Houston in the way they just go for it. What I never liked about Dallas is the more sterile feel. It never felt as lived in as Houston to me. Another positive for DFW it's the increase in diversity. The Fort Worth division in particular was pigeonholed for a while as this all white cowboy conservative town. In the last 20 years the reality is that Fort Worth has developed into the embodiment of the diversity of Texas and is more representative than the other big cities.
As for Houston, what I have to admit that I like most about it is what's most annoying. Houston has this I don't give a damn attitude that makes for a very disorganized but livable city. Houston would claim that Austin is just filled with nutjobs but is just as quirky. Houston would like you to think that they are nothing like the other cities but weaves aspects of everywhere into a crazy hodgepodge. It's what gives it the something for everyone feel that the others don't have. They will gripe and groan about other cities building over the top/ gaudy structures while building their fair share. They will say that they are not into nature like Austin but then heavily plant the city and create some of the state's better urban parks. They embrace the suburban sprawl while at the same time actively connecting and increasing pockets of high density areas and TODs. Houston has changed so much for the better while at the same time being just the same.
This is a great post. Austin never was all that interesting to me either, because I had already experienced Houston. I remember being in middle school in Houston and seeing 6'4" crossdressers walking the streets in lime green dresses, for example. Houston's pretty much as weird and quirky as Austin is, and in certain ways even weirder. Austin just has more hippies and hipsters, but its far from "weird" imo, even for Texas. With Houston, I liked the libertarian bent of the place much better than the in-your-face academic liberalism you see in Central Austin. I liked the fact that true diversity in terms of culture and thought was genuinely welcomed - not the lip service to those qualities that you have in Austin. Socially, its way better imo.
Austin's greatest strength to me was always its outdoor spaces, and its still far and away the best place in the state to do nearly anything outdoors. With that said, both Houston and Dallas are catching up there - both of those cities have really improved the quality of their parkland, particularly Houston. But they don't and will never have a Barton Springs or Mt. Bonnell, and there's a lot to be said for those things. I still miss them to be honest.
But overall, the Austin of the last 20 years or so has always been caught up in its own hubris, and that isn't going to change anytime soon, particularly as the city keeps growing. There are far worse places to be as young person than Austin, but its highly overrated at the end of the day.
Last edited by Mr. Clutch; 03-05-2019 at 12:47 PM..
Well it didn't take long for this thread to get out of hand. I like Austin better than both. In part because it's more scenic and more young adult friendly. It's not as big as Houston or Dallas but still punches above its weight class.
The title of this thread was pretty much an invitation for Texans to beat down their capital. Austin is like a fifth the size of either metro, of course it's going to lack some of the amenities. The hate is very apparent.
The title of this thread was pretty much an invitation for Texans to beat down their capital. Austin is like a fifth the size of either metro, of course it's going to lack some of the amenities. The hate is very apparent.
The title of this thread was pretty much an invitation for Texans to beat down their capital. Austin is like a fifth the size of either metro, of course it's going to lack some of the amenities. The hate is very apparent.
It's just our opinions. I don't hate Austin at all. Just not in love with it - it's not as good, overall, as Houston or Dallas is imo.
The title of this thread was pretty much an invitation for Texans to beat down their capital. Austin is like a fifth the size of either metro, of course it's going to lack some of the amenities. The hate is very apparent.
The only thing Texans like more than bragging about Texas is hating on other Texas cities......
This is a great post. Austin never was all that interesting to me either, because I had already experienced Houston. I remember being in middle school in Houston and seeing 6'4" crossdressers walking the streets in lime green dresses, for example. Houston's pretty much as weird and quirky as Austin is, and in certain ways even weirder. Austin just has more hippies and hipsters, but its far from "weird" imo, even for Texas. With Houston, I liked the libertarian bent of the place much better than the in-your-face academic liberalism you see in Central Austin. I liked the fact that true diversity in terms of culture and thought was genuinely welcomed - not the lip service to those qualities that you have in Austin. Socially, its way better imo.
In the Los Angeles forum, someone said that "you can live the San Diego lifestyle in L.A., but not vice versa." I would say that you can live the Austin lifestyle in Houston, but not the Houston lifestyle in Austin. The Heights resembles the Central Austin lifestyle physically and culturally.
(Crossdressing in a highlighter green dress? That will catch people's attention.)
Austinties like to chime in with abuse for Houston's lack of zoning, but will you ever find a strip club next to a bible church in "weird" Austin?
Quote:
Austin's greatest strength to me was always its outdoor spaces, and its still far and away the best place in the state to do nearly anything outdoors. With that said, both Houston and Dallas are catching up there - both of those cities have really improved the quality of their parkland, particularly Houston. But they don't and will never have a Barton Springs or Mt. Bonnell, and there's a lot to be said for those things. I still miss them to be honest.
I wouldn't swim in Banana Bend after the high-profile drownings. But we also have a Mt. Bonnell, at least the TV/FM tower part. These are the tallest radio towers in Texas.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
