On paper, they don't sound that similar, but there are similarities. These are both cities that for years were under-the-radar compared to other cities in their state, but have grown at quite a rapid pace and have become forces to be reckoned with. Both have grown into mid-size metros that are quite formidable. Both are southern cities (Orlando, moreso) that are not as "southern" in culture anymore due to the overwhelming number of newcomers over the past decades.
Also, I noticed that both have one mainline interstate running through them with a ton of traffic due to their locations in the middle of the state. Both have toll roads surrounding the cities in order to accommodate the local traffic.
Obviously, there are major differences between the two - It's an understatement to say that Orlando is incredibly popular with tourists
. One thing I did notice about Orlando was that I actually liked the city once I got away from the International Drive/US-192 Theme Park strip.
Also, both have proximity to nearby cities. Orlando is about 70 miles from Tampa, Austin is about 80 miles from San Antonio. Both are about 3-4 hours from the major metro areas (+5 Million) in their state. I do like Orlando's proximity to the ocean.
I'm judging in terms of:
Cost of Living
Economy I think I'll have to give the edge to Austin on this one. The job market in Orlando has almost always had a glut of low-paying service jobs in the hospitality industry for obvious reasons. There are other segments of the economy in O-town though.
Education I know, Austin is home to the flagship of the University of Texas system, so this isn't really a fair comparison. UCF in Orlando is often dismissed as a glorified commuter school, but I have heard good things about their programs.
Clubs/Music Austin is known for its live music. Orlando has a decent club scene
Culture
Sports Orlando has the Magic as a professional team. I doubt an NFL team would come there any time soon because the Buccaneers, Dolphins, and the Jaguars are all in relatively close proximity in the surrounding cities.Lots of spring training throughout Florida if you're into baseball. Austin wins on college sports. The Spurs are the nearest pro-team, and of course, America's Team is right up the road :;
Shopping I do find that Orlando has decent shopping due to the huge tourist market there
Transportation
Restaurants A lot of chain restaurants got their start in Orlando. If anything, it's a great test market for that type of venture. That's how General Mills started the Olive Garden. The nicer restaurants tend to be in hotels there. I don't know enough about Austin to really judge their scene.
Weather
Your thoughts? I know there are huge differences between the two, but I've always thought they had their similarities in many ways.
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Blame it on me being half-sleep when I wrote this last night.
