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Last year's California vs. Texas thread is old news. Even this year, California and Texas have continued to undergo dramatic changes socioculturally, eocnomically, even meteorologically and topographically. These are two are undoubtedly our most economically important states (though New York can make a solid case).
I fixed that for you.
I’m not trying to be petty here, but I don’t consider Texas to be culturally more significant than most other states. Sure they have some specific traits, but that’s more of an identity marker vs being a trendsetter, which California and New York definitely are. Texas is just an overgrown hodgepodge of The South, The Plains, and The Southwest.
California IS the West Coast and New York IS the Northeast. What I mean by that is, if one could afford to do as they please California would be even more populous. The same for New York (really NYC, but it’s still New York) as these places are premier cultural and social destinations.
Texas has too much competition from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona for it to be the Southern equivalent of the other two.
Last year's California vs. Texas thread is old news. Even this year, California and Texas have continued to undergo dramatic changes socioculturally, eocnomically, even meteorologically and topographically. These are very arguably our two most culturally and economically important--and, really, most dynamic--states (though New York can make a solid case).
Anyway, let's go! As far as which state is better, what are your thoughts on...
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)?
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)?
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)?
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")?
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)?
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)?
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)?
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")?
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)?
Where would you rather live overall?
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states?
Thanks!
Over the past decade I've commuted between San Diego and Austin for ~7 years. Here's my take:
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)? - Texas wins for sure on affordability. Health and general education likely a wash. Universities goes to CA in a big way. Texas has nothing to compare to the UC system, CalTech, Stanford, etc.
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)? - California has somewhat lower crime rates on the whole. Accidents about the same. Natural disasters, take your pick: fires and earthquakes in California, hurricanes and floods in Texas.
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)? - California by a long shot.
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")? - Tie. Both states have a number of large, important metro areas.
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)? - About the same. Career development will depend on your field.
6. Culinary (dining, freshness, affordability, diversity)? - California hands down. Much greater culinary culture. Great winemaking, brewing, coffee. Tons of fresh produce of all types.
7. Physical infrastructure (highways, bridges, rail, airports, seaports)? - About the same.
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)? - Walkable: Maybe California, though both states are "car cultures". Public education: About the same. Arts and culture definitely go to CA.
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)? - Texas wins this one, IMO. Please don't turn blue Texas!!!
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")? - About the same.
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)? - California.
Where would you rather live overall? - California. The other positives outweigh the political stupidity (for now).
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states? Too many places I love in CA; not really anyplace I like in Texas.
I’m not trying to be petty here, but I don’t consider Texas to be culturally more significant than most other states. Sure they have some specific traits, but that’s more of an identity marker vs being a trendsetter, which California and New York definitely are. Texas is just an overgrown hodgepodge of The South, The Plains, and The Southwest.
California IS the West Coast and New York IS the Northeast. What I mean by that is, if one could afford to do as they please California would be even more populous. The same for New York (really NYC, but it’s still New York) as these places are premier cultural and social destinations.
Texas has too much competition from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arizona for it to be the Southern equivalent of the other two.
Thank you for respectfully contributing. That said, I respectfully disagree. When you consider the cultural, culinary, energy sector, and economic contributions that Texas makes to its surrounding region and the rest of the United States, it certainly is a far more dynamic place than most. Now, Texas may not BE the South as much as California is the West Coast and NYC is the East Coast, I get that. However, Texas is a far better understood, far more misunderstood, and far more pondered part, all simultaneously, of the Americana psyche in ways that other Southern states are not.
Also, Texas contributes greatly to this country's fabric, culinarily, multiculturally, economically, and in terms of our energy (in that one, they're far more important than California, I'd argue).
Of course, this is just my opinion. Bear in mind, I don't really like living here in Texas overall, so I'd have nothing to gain by boosting this state. I'll admit, what kills me is that many Texans will either outright deny, or very reluctantly agree, that their state is a mish-mash of the South, Southwest, and Great Plains. Many Texans, indeed, insist that their state is like its own country, its own region, its own entity, not part of anything other than itself. I get that Texans have a unique and proud identity, but WTF, y'all?
Over the past decade I've commuted between San Diego and Austin for ~7 years. Here's my take:
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)? - Texas wins for sure on affordability. Health and general education likely a wash. Universities goes to CA in a big way. Texas has nothing to compare to the UC system, CalTech, Stanford, etc.
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)? - California has somewhat lower crime rates on the whole. Accidents about the same. Natural disasters, take your pick: fires and earthquakes in California, hurricanes and floods in Texas.
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)? - California by a long shot.
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")? - Tie. Both states have a number of large, important metro areas.
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)? - About the same. Career development will depend on your field.
6. Culinary (dining, freshness, affordability, diversity)? - California hands down. Much greater culinary culture. Great winemaking, brewing, coffee. Tons of fresh produce of all types.
7. Physical infrastructure (highways, bridges, rail, airports, seaports)? - About the same.
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)? - Walkable: Maybe California, though both states are "car cultures". Public education: About the same. Arts and culture definitely go to CA.
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)? - Texas wins this one, IMO. Please don't turn blue Texas!!!
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")? - About the same.
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)? - California.
Where would you rather live overall? - California. The other positives outweigh the political stupidity (for now).
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states? Too many places I love in CA; not really anyplace I like in Texas.
I'm not too far off from your views. I'm a conservative who much prefers California and is actively trying to find a way back there, or at least back west, from Texas. That said, "Senator" Harris is just a despicable person, and "Speaker" Pelosi, "Senator" Feinstein, and "Governor" Newsom all need to go kick rocks.
An average school by California standards, e.g., UC Irvine, UC Davis, would still blow every university in Texas out of the water academically, with the exceptions of Rice, UT Austin, and possibly Baylor.
California's community college system is even more robust than Texas' already robust community college system. California's system has the advantage of prioritized transfer admissions into some wonderful UC and CSU schools. However, Texas' system's strength is the addition of a technical college system that, while it doesn't really serve anyplace west of about west-central Texas, is a robust, affordable means of quickly helping young people become certified in marketable, skilled trades.
Social and physical infrastructure are often "married," and ever-evolving. Yes, there are cities around Texas that really do try; small suburban cities like Georgetown (Austin), San Marcos (Austin) and McKinney (Dallas), and larger cities like Austin and Fort Worth. However, you could make a case that even oft-overlooked cities in central California, such as Roseville (Sacramento), Clovis (Fresno), and even Ripon (Stockton/Modesto), do a far better of this, and of maintaining physically attractive and safe central cities, than damn near any place in Texas. Even smaller Texas suburban cities that are trying to catch up, like Prosper (Dallas) and Tomball (Houston), are often bogged down by cumbersome state politics that actively work against cities. That's right, Texas' House Speaker Dennis Bonnen has effectively called municipal staff throughout Texas, "Dumb***es," and said that local governments are nothings. As the abolishment of redevelopment corporations hurt localities in California, this outright admonishment in Texas hurts its localities.
I'd much rather eat out in California than in Texas. Yes, Texas has no shortage of great food. But again, Tex-Mex just isn't the same as California Mexican. I've also long said the the Bay Area is the best metropolis for cuisine on the west coast of North America, even better than Greater Los Angeles (still the second best).
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)? TX
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)? TX
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)? CA
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")? TX. San Diego is still nice on the whole, but the urban areas of LA and SF resemble 3rd world countries now. Was there earlier this year and it was jaw-dropping.
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)? Overall, TX
6. Culinary (dining, freshness, affordability, diversity)? Tie
7. Physical infrastructure (highways, bridges, rail, airports, seaports)? Not sure
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)? CA
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)? TX
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")? TX
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)? TX
Thank you for respectfully contributing. That said, I respectfully disagree. When you consider the cultural, culinary, energy sector, and economic contributions that Texas makes to its surrounding region and the rest of the United States, it certainly is a far more dynamic place than most. Now, Texas may not BE the South as much as California is the West Coast and NYC is the East Coast, I get that. However, Texas is a far better understood, far more misunderstood, and far more pondered part, all simultaneously, of the Americana psyche in ways that other Southern states are not.
Also, Texas contributes greatly to this country's fabric, culinarily, multiculturally, economically, and in terms of our energy (in that one, they're far more important than California, I'd argue).
Of course, this is just my opinion. Bear in mind, I don't really like living here in Texas overall, so I'd have nothing to gain by boosting this state. I'll admit, what kills me is that many Texans will either outright deny, or very reluctantly agree, that their state is a mish-mash of the South, Southwest, and Great Plains. Many Texans, indeed, insist that their state is like its own country, its own region, its own entity, not part of anything other than itself. I get that Texans have a unique and proud identity, but WTF, y'all?
ya I agree that the Texas oil business contributes more than the one in California by far.
Last year's California vs. Texas thread is old news. Even this year, California and Texas have continued to undergo dramatic changes socioculturally, eocnomically, even meteorologically and topographically. These are very arguably our two most culturally and economically important--and, really, most dynamic--states (though New York can make a solid case).
Anyway, let's go! As far as which state is better, what are your thoughts on...
1. Quality of life (affordability, public health, general education and universities)?
2. General safety (violent crime, property crime, feeling of safety, vehicular accidents, natural disasters)?
3. Rural areas and natural scenery (nature preserves, parks, farms, hills, mountains, water)?
4. Urban areas (general urbanity, public transportation, amenities, multiculturalism, "vibes")?
5. Career development (economic growth, economic diversity, pay, benefits, opportunities, human capital)?
8. Social infrastructure ("connected" and walkable old town areas and downtowns, public education, arts, culture)?
9. Politics (general views, leadership, fiscal management, political issues and topics)?
10. Culture and people (acceptability, diversity, open-mindedness, friendliness/"warmth")?
11. Overall location (containing or central to amenities and attractions that you value)?
Where would you rather live overall?
BONUS: What is your favorite city or area in the two states?
Thanks!
How did these States Change Topographiclly?? Did California Add some New Mountains , gain a new River or two? Did Texas sprout some New Glaciers Scientists are just finding out about...Last Time I checked they're Still The Same Topographiclly Like they have been for years
Topography. the study of the shape and features of land surfaces
Last edited by BlueRedTide; 10-31-2019 at 11:33 PM..
Texas isn't on California level yet but it'll probably be there soon considering how bad things have gotten in California and it's a double take.
Outsider's feel Californian's come and ruin their state and than Californian's feel like outsider's and immigrants ruined our state.
So not to spoil the thread,but this has been done over 1 million times before and it's the same results lol
The things that put California and Texas on different levels are beyond the reach of governments, politicians, or residents.
Which is why I have to lol at all the "if things get any worse in California" posts that appear all over the internet.
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