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.
Town Lake?
5th & 6th Street?
Shoal Creek Trail?
Waller Creek Greenbelt?
Town Lake on my social distancing bike ride the other day:
OKC's economy did pretty well over the last decade, especially relative to the cost of living. It is fairly energy dependent, however, so we will see how it handles the current conditions.
OKC's main advantage is probably that it's simply a lot less crowded. OKC and Austin were roughly equally sized in 1990, and in 1980 OKC was 50% bigger. Now Austin is larger by 75%. So there has a been a LOT of change in a fairly short time...
Town Lake on my social distancing bike ride the other day:
OKC's economy did pretty well over the last decade, especially relative to the cost of living. It is fairly energy dependent, however, so we will see how it handles the current conditions.
OKC's main advantage is probably that it's simply a lot less crowded. OKC and Austin were roughly equally sized in 1990, and in 1980 OKC was 50% bigger. Now Austin is larger by 75%. So there has a been a LOT of change in a fairly short time...
Not to beat a dead horse, but the people who hate Austin, why is it that there is that level of disdain and vitriol? I don’t understand it. Is it for lack of a better word, drinking that haterade? I’m honestly just curious. Did Seattle get this when it was coming up a decade or so ago?
Austin's new tallest is under construction and will rise slightly taller than Devon. Austin has a minor league NBA team (Austin Spurs) and one professional soccer team (Austin FC).
True
Neither are on my favorite city list. This comparison is lopsided, not as bad as the one on another thread, but definitely two different tier cities. Austin is my preference due to the visionary leaders and organizations that have essentially scraped up a lowly midsize college town and have transformed it into a major city.
Austin does not now have an MLS team playing. The OKC Thunder are an established NBA franchise. Even if Austin had MLS right now (they don't), NBA is a way bigger deal.
I understand Austin boosters like to think of the city being a peer to major coastal cities but in reality, OKC is a much more realistic comparison.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the people who hate Austin, why is it that there is that level of disdain and vitriol? I don’t understand it. Is it for lack of a better word, drinking that haterade? I’m honestly just curious. Did Seattle get this when it was coming up a decade or so ago?
Yes, because its a perfectly natural conclusion to assume Austin to be a peer to Seattle.
Seattle has been an established major port city since the 1910's.
Austin's "major city" status is largely a recent contrivance based on government and a convention.
Austin does not now have an MLS team playing. The OKC Thunder are an established NBA franchise. Even if Austin had MLS right now (they don't), NBA is a way bigger deal.
Yes, because its a perfectly natural conclusion to assume Austin to be a peer to Seattle.
Seattle has been an established major port city since the 1910's.
Austin's "major city" status is largely a recent contrivance based on government and a convention.
Seattle as well as many of the assumed peers of Austin (San Francisco and Boston) have much more history and experience within the major city league than Austin does ... and I particularly dont really see Austin as a 'major' city in the grand scheme of things but I do see how it peers with places such as Seattle in terms of its liberal vibe and its tech workforce in modern times. It seems to be among the next place for their tech relocations. OKC is nowhere close to that. I would say without its tech workforce and musical influence it probably would be much more comparable to OKC however.
There's no denying that Austin is a pretty and vibrant place. And likely more than OKC (though, I'd be curious about seeing some pictures from there too at least!) The thing is though, I guess I'd agree-Austin still, in spite of its surge in the last few decades, is more comparable to say OKC, than it would be Seattle-despite what some might think. Picture 3 in my photo set I think shows how Austin is/was a town, and is just starting not to be. However, I would tend to defend Austin on the sports category. I think we've passed the peak days of cities selling their souls to attract pro sports (as big a sports fan as I am).. at least the more progressive ones out there-in fairness.. San Diego now only has 1 sports franchise... and OKC lured the Thunder away from Seattle.. which was a good get for them, but not by any stretch does that make OKC comparable as a city to Seattle, as Austin isn't even comparable there. Keep in mind.. literally the "largest market" college sports team, Texas, is based in Austin.. and you also have big league markets to the south, north, and east, which might have more to do from a competitive clause standpoint of owners, with why Austin doesn't yet have big league teams.
However, what I will also say is Austin is a very hard city to rate accurately simply because its growth is so fast and recent. In another post, comparing Austin's nightlife to Fort Lauderdale, I said that Austin was in an entirely different tier on nightlife than Fort Lauderdale, and perhaps even at the same level as Miami. Now, another poster commented Austin wasn't quite there.. maybe more along the lines with Nashville.. but that's another place just massively booming in that regard. In fact, perhaps I'm dating myself, but in my social groups, I'd say the most common destinations for a nightlife/bachelor/bachelorette weekend in order would probably be 1) Nashville 2) Las Vegas 3) Austin 4) New Orleans 5) Chicago, and Miami wouldn't even factor into that group, at least as frequently. So, do we judge Austin on the city it is now, or on the city it could potentially be 20 years from now? I don't think it will ever balloon to the population levels of Houston and Dallas... but then again, you never know.
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.
