Austin vs Raleigh vs Charlotte

[march2]

great doctors/medical care: Raleigh
job opportunities: All 3
living by a major university for lectures and events: Raleigh
social activities: live music, art galleries: Though you can find these in all 3, Live music: Austin; social activities and art galleries: Charlotte;
parks, hiking, trees: Again, all 3.
non-smoking populace/cigarette bans/health conscious: All 3
best for singles: Tie between Raleigh and Austin
good community social vibe: All 3
least bible thumpery: No answer on this one. Unless a person is a jerk (whether Atheist or Religious), anyone can get along pretty much anywhere just fine, Bible belt or not. This "bible-thumpery" has to do more with bigotry and stereotyping than reality.

Overall with this set of criteria, I'd say Raleigh.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by march2

great doctors/medical care: Raleigh
job opportunities: All 3
living by a major university for lectures and events: Raleigh
social activities: live music, art galleries: Though you can find these in all 3, Live music: Austin; social activities and art galleries: Charlotte;
parks, hiking, trees: Again, all 3.
non-smoking populace/cigarette bans/health conscious: All 3
best for singles: Tie between Raleigh and Austin
good community social vibe: All 3
least bible thumpery: No answer on this one. Unless a person is a jerk (whether Atheist or Religious), anyone can get along pretty much anywhere just fine, Bible belt or not. This "bible-thumpery" has to do more with bigotry and stereotyping than reality.

Overall with this set of criteria, I'd say Raleigh.

Austin is at least tied with Raleigh on the emboldened category.

Also, Charlotte doesn't really have an especially large amount of art galleries so not so sure it takes that category.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by WildSpark

Thanks to everyone who voted. Maybe the mods can lock or delete this thread because there's no way I'm moving to any of the listed cities. Just got back from another trip to Austin.

Pros:

- lots of corporate headquarters

Cons:

- Austin is very dirty and run down, this includes the airport as well as driving throughout the metro. Everything seems old and dirty, nothing new and shiny
- aggressive homeless
- puke puddles everywhere near 6th st and Congress

- hill country is extremely overrated
- ugly, flat landscape outside Austin

How many corporate headquarters do you consider "lots" ?

Where exactly in Austin were you that is "very dirty" and "run down"? You should have took pictures to prove your point if you're going to make outrageous/controversial statements. Austin is probably one of the cleanest big cities in the nation, if not the cleanest. Austin is a very well spruced up city. Honestly, I have never seen a city that is nicer and cleaner and better looking thruout the entire city than Austin.

To say Austin is old and dirty is totally false. The fact is Austin is so shiny and new, it sparkles like crystal, especially when the sun is shining high and bright under a clear blue Texas sky.

Agressive homelessness? I don't find that to be true at all. There's alot of panhandlers who ask/beg for money, but if you don't give them money they will leave you alone. I wouldn't call them aggressive. "Assertive" might be more accurate. For the most part, the panhandlers are as friendly and polite as most Austinites. I'd make the assertion the panhandlers in Austin are among the most polite panandlers found in any American city.

Puke puddles everywhere near 6th and Congress is another false statement. Everywhere? Please

Hill Country extremely over rated? You must not have seen very much of the Hill Country.

Ugly and flat landscape outside Austin is also not necessarily true. Beauty and ugly is in the eye of the beholder. North, South and East of Austin is rolling praries with plenty of panaramic long distance views that is far from ugly to most eyes.

[urbanmyth]

Originally Posted by Turnerbro

great doctors/medical care: Raleigh
job opportunities: Honestly all of them are great
living by a major university for lectures and events: Raleigh
social activities: live music, art galleries: Austin
parks, hiking, trees: Charlotte
non-smoking populace/cigarette bans/health conscious: No clue
best for singles: Austin
good community social vibe: Austin
least bible thumpery: Raleigh

This was an interesting criteria. These are three cities that have always been high on my list. I'm leaning towards Raleigh. Unlike some on here I actually really like the way it's laid out. The DT still feels pretty urban without being high density. The weather's generally decent. It's also more affordable than Austin but seems better for young people than Charlotte.

"Raleigh" includes Durham and Chapel Hill - less than 20 miles apart, they are increasingly indistinguishable geographically, but very distinct culturally and socially.

Great doctors/medical care: Raleigh
Job opportunities: Honestly all of them are great
Major universities for lectures and events: Raleigh
Social activities: live music, art galleries: Austin or Raleigh
Parks, hiking, trees: Charlotte
Non-smoking populace/cigarette bans/health conscious: Raleigh
Best for singles: Austin or Raleigh or Charlotte
Good community social vibe: Raleigh
Least bible thumpery: Raleigh
Sports: Charlotte or Raleigh
Access to ocean beach/mountains: Raleigh or Charlotte
Biggest airport: Charlotte