As an outsider, Houston > Austin (Dallas, San Antonio: high crime, home, school)

[irishimm]

I had always heard that Austin was the "cool" city in Texas, and that all the other cities in Texas sucked.

Well, I recently took a trip and spent a couple of weeks in Texas, and I will say this:

I really had no love for Austin. Not trying to hate or anything, but the people seemed arrogant and pretentious, and it just didn't live up to the hype. Sure, there was some live music but...it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

Meanwhile, I had a blast in Hosuton. The people seemed way cooler, the inner loop was a lot more interesting than anything I saw in Austin, and there just seemed like a lot more stuff to do. Now, I can't speak for the outskirts, but downtown Houston was great. Truly underrated....

[jfre81]

Austin's hype has gotten to the point where it's gotten bigger than the reaility. Naturally there are those who are going to get let down.

Houston is almost universally reviled in Austin. Basically their image of the whole city is like Broadway and Park Place stretched out a bajillion times over across 600 square miles. Part of Austin's hype machine revolves around the whole concept of being supposedly the only cultured, tolerant, educated blah blah etc. city in Texas, which is otherwise full of cowboys and rednecks. Good thing you know better.

[westres1]

Austin's whole keep it weird concept is just an attempt to keep the reality from being known. It is just a little town that has outgrown it's infastructure and has become a city full of soccer Moms and people who keep up with the Jones'.

[Topaz]

I lived in Austin for almost a decade and now I live in a suburb of Houston and I work in Houston. I like them both. Texas sure does have a lot of city vs. city debates!

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by irishimm

I had always heard that Austin was the "cool" city in Texas, and that all the other cities in Texas sucked.

Well, I recently took a trip and spent a couple of weeks in Texas, and I will say this:

I really had no love for Austin. Not trying to hate or anything, but the people seemed arrogant and pretentious, and it just didn't live up to the hype. Sure, there was some live music but...it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

Meanwhile, I had a blast in Hosuton. The people seemed way cooler, the inner loop was a lot more interesting than anything I saw in Austin, and there just seemed like a lot more stuff to do. Now, I can't speak for the outskirts, but downtown Houston was great. Truly underrated....

I've always felt this way. Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio ALL have more to offer than Austin (except arrogance; Austin has that covered well). Never understood Austin's attractiveness. They've always been an overgrown college town (and I don't like the college there).

Why have a crappy little small town masquerading as a city when you can have the real thing?

[RoughRider]

Originally Posted by Malvie

I've always felt this way. Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio ALL have more to offer than Austin (except arrogance; Austin has that covered well). Never understood Austin's attractiveness. They've always been an overgrown college town (and I don't like the college there).

Why have a crappy little small town masquerading as a city when you can have the real thing?

I live in Houston (suburbs) and work here, have lived in Austin, and spent a fair amount of time in San Antonio and Dallas for work ... each has it's own character mixed in with "Texas character" and I find a lot to like about each one. The put downs get nasty real fast on this topic.

[Invictis]

The greenery in Austin is a bit better, there's less imported from Mexico there, and for the most part the fuzz are more lenient. Oh I meant the scenery,

[AK123]

I too, am a former resident of Austin. I think it was much nicer in the early 90's. After that it started growing so much, almost seemed unprepared and now has most of the big-city problems but is lacking many big-city amenities. Plus I think Houston has a lot of things that are just as weird and original as what Austin has... it just doesn't toot its own horn as much.

So "back in the day" of the 80's/90's when Austin was actually still cool in a real way, and Houston was coming out of the oil bust, had terribly high crime and many other problems, the viewpoints of Austin being so much better may have been justified. Fast-forward to today, things are completely different, Houston has seen much improvement, Austin's developed tons of problems from its population explosion and over-hype, and viewpoints based on the way things used to be decades ago don't hold up anymore.

I still have lots of good friends there, and they know better. But when I mentioned to some others there that I was moving to Houston, you wouldn't believe some of things they said/thought!

Anyway, I think the city of Austin has probably spent a good deal of money on marketing itself, is good at promotions, getting itself on these best-places magazine lists, etc. Houston, not so much, for whatever reason. Both are nice places.

BTW, I hope you're not posting anything too much like this in the Austin forum... if so be prepared for some Austitude!

I'm glad you had a good time in Houston. Come back soon!

[hsw]

Not surprising

Austin has a rather laughable economy; one relatively unremarkable PC assembler based out in suburbs; a few back-offices of tech cos.; and a second-rate engineering school....and dubious local healthcare (lack of a major academic medical ctr) and weak grub

And Austin has all the communist attributes of most wannabe college towns that are home to state governments (and/or powerful unions)...can visit SF or Berkeley or NYC (or Detroit or Wash) if one wants a commie culture fix

Houston is world's epicenter for energy industry; obviously, a boom and bust industry but a town that attracts many capitalists....and, as a business traveler from NYC or CA, far more "entertainment" and good grub (and competent airports) to be enjoyed in Hou/Dall than rest of TX

[CanTex]

Originally Posted by hsw

Not surprising

Austin has a rather laughable economy; one relatively unremarkable PC assembler based out in suburbs; a few back-offices of tech cos.; and a second-rate engineering school....and dubious local healthcare (lack of a major academic medical ctr) and weak grub

And Austin has all the communist attributes of most wannabe college towns that are home to state governments (and/or powerful unions)...can visit SF or Berkeley or NYC (or Detroit or Wash) if one wants a commie culture fix

Houston is world's epicenter for energy industry; obviously, a boom and bust industry but a town that attracts many capitalists....and, as a business traveler from NYC or CA, far more "entertainment" and good grub (and competent airports) to be enjoyed in Hou/Dall than rest of TX

And an internationally recognized center for health care / medical research and aerospace too.

Try flying from Austin to anywhere internationally.... welcome to Houston and Dallas!

Austin is a nice city but it doesn't quite live up to its reputation (whereas Houston or Dallas quietly exceed their reputations).