Would I do better in Dallas or Austin?

[dollaztx]

Originally Posted by Trance750

I'm just saying, with Dallas being in the heart of the Bible-Belt, it does have a far more closed-minded attitude as oppsed to Austin

Maybe in the exurbs but DFW is very gay friendly. I myself am straight but I would say that 80% of my friends and people I hang out with are gay/lesbian/bi. Whenever my wife and them go out it's as if nobody even cares and most of the time we go to non gay places. I agree that Austin is very liberal but that doesn't mean that because of it the rest of the state is deeply conservative.

[Mhopable]

I'm about your age and in the hopes of moving to Austin within the next few years after being in Dallas all of my life (I'm 22). Honestly you sound like you might enjoy Austin more. One thin to correct about Dallas is that it is gay friendly, for example oak lawn and the surrounding area. The negative I have with Dallas is that there is an underlying of judgement of who comes from money and who doesn't-- a lot of things and circles tend to be centered around that. Who are your parents, where you live, an where you went to college, etc. I was raised in south Dallas and going north I can easily feel uncomfortable in certain areas and downtown (in my opinion) is more business friendly than anything. There's a couple spots but Austin's nightlife beats it easily.

Austin on the other hand is very green, hip (UT is right on the mouth of downtown), family friendly, and the surrounding areas always seem to be inviting. There generally seems more to do and more alive than Dallas (fresher IMO). Negative is the god awful traffic trying to get anywhere. It seriously resembles LA during rush hour at times and construction, construction, construction. Austin is really booming right now.

I love Dallas but at this point in my life it's more suited for Austin (as many of my friends have left for bigger, younger, cities as well). Hope this helps you!

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by jason87x

Hello all, I am looking to move out of the KC area (which as ~2 million people) within the next few months. I've been to Dallas several times, but not Austin. I like Dallas, but it felt a little bit overwhelming, kind of like the next LA. Is this something I can get over with more exposure?

Some about me: I am 25, bisexual, single, and I work in the IT industry. I have a mechanical heart valve, and have to be on Coumadin. This makes me fairly tired, and wishing that things were closer together. I was pretty impressed with the overall density of the DFW metroplex. Here back home in Kansas (near KC, but on the better side I guess), much of the nightlife is really far away (such as Lawrence or downtown), and I don't want to drive far usually when I'm tired and drunk. Now people will suggest 'well why don't you live in KCMO?' except for the extreme trashiness of the city itself, whereas urban Dallas seemed a lot cleaner and better overall, and I imagine urban Austin would be just as great if not moreso. I am way more open to urban living in either of these places compared to back home.

I can be kind of a homebody sometimes, though I can be outgoing when other people are (then again, should I move to Minnesota if I'm going to be like that lol?). Maybe the reservation is due to the nature of people here, which really isn't that great.

Anyway, weather doesn't really matter, though I haven't been through a real winter since surgery (with this past winter being extremely mild and all), and I've dealt with the extreme heat both in Dallas, and here in Overland Park which has hit 100 degrees or so every day for the past two weeks. Traffic isn't really a dealbreaker, I hear Austin traffic is bad but Dallas was mostly a breeze to drive in.

I've noticed Dallas to have quite a few attractive women, but the gayborhood was rather offputting because of the treatment I received from the other gay guys. Is Austin's gay/bi scene friendlier?

Anyone else from JoCoKS or KC area in general move out to either of these cities? Your experiences? Were you glad you left? In either case, it would be a nice change to have your whole city be in ONE state, not two where the people on the other side bash the fact that you live on the 'wrong' side of State Line. It is that bad here.

It sounds like you really like Dallas, and your just wondering if the grass is a little greener in Austin...

I'll lay out my pros and cons on each from a gay guys perspective

Dallas Pros:
Huge Gay scene- Honestly, it blows Austin out of the water on all levels. The gay night life is way better in Dallas and there's so many different bars to choose from. One for every scene and they are all right together so you can just walk to the next one if your not having a good time.
Much more of a gay community in Dallas- church, sports leagues, social clubs, events: Halloween on cedar springs is awesome and so is pride an easter
traffic- Even though Dallas is bigger than Austin the traffic is not nearly as bad

Dallas Cons:
Attitude- Yes there's some "dalitude" in the bars, but like I said earlier if your not having fun at one there's a whole new set of people in the bar next door. Plus the crowds are so much bigger in Dallas you meet more people
Open minds- I believe people are fairly open minded in Dallas, but I think you will find a lot of the gay men and women here will want you to pick a side; Meaning I'm not sure that they would accept you dating both sexes. I'm not sure, but most bi guys I've met are not out.

Austin Pros:
Attitude- Mainly really laid back honest people. They don't lie about their income and are easy to talk to unless you tell them your from Dallas(then they go off on a rant).
Open minded- I've met Bi, gay, polyamorus, and you name it in Austin and I would think Austin women might be more accepting of you having a side fling with a guy than a Dallas girl would be.
Downtown- Its awesome and the city is very pretty

Austin Cons:
Traffic- Not enough highways, 35 is a nightmare
Gay scene- not enough options for me. Its fun to visit but I'd get bored fast!
People- I like free spirits but it also gets old. Eventually, you need to grow up and get a job!

[ReppingDFW]

Originally Posted by justme02

The heart of the bible belt? Maybe once you leave the urban area. Not the city itself. Dallas (like Atlanta) may be in the geographic area of the bible belt, but both have huge gay communities. Both much larger than Austin.

Outside of inner-635 Dallas, it is very much Bible Belt territory.

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by ReppingDFW

Outside of inner-635 Dallas, it is very much Bible Belt territory.

We live in a religious nation. Inspite of that, people are fairly tolerant. Just because most people in a geographical location are one way doesn't mean there's not also, a lot of open minded people who live another way...

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by jason87x

I have a mechanical heart valve, and have to be on Coumadin. This makes me fairly tired, and wishing that things were closer together.

Dallas ... they have much better cardiac medical facilities, not as good as Houston's but better than Austin's by far.

Originally Posted by jason87x

I don't want to drive far usually when I'm tired and drunk.

You drive drunk? How nice !!!!!!!

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by BobTex

Dallas ... they have much better cardiac medical facilities, not as good as Houston's but better than Austin's by far.

I always thought the Heart Hospital was pretty highly regarded, not just in Texas but across the country?