Austin or Dallas for those who like big cities? (Houston: live, restaurants)

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Treasurevalley92

Naw, Austin is more like a Wannabe Portland. Seattle and SF are actual, real, big cities, not a medium city getting too fat for their pants.

Actually I almost mentioned Portland too, but was trying to stick to the biggest cities, which Austin is moving toward (kind of already is in terms of population within its city limits - but the metro is mid-size).

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Actually I almost mentioned Portland too, but was trying to stick to the biggest cities, which Austin is moving toward (kind of already is in terms of population within its city limits - but the metro is mid-size).

I also consider Portland a midsized metro. Austin and Portland are only 200k people apart in terms of metro population. Austin is technically closer to Portland in size and population than it is to San Antonio.

Alas.. ..there's some things I miss about the PNW but there's some things about it I can gratefully do without.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I also consider Portland a midsized metro. Austin and Portland are only 200k people apart in terms of metro population. Austin is technically closer to Portland in size and population than it is to San Antonio.

Alas.. ..there's some things I miss about the PNW but there's some things about it I can gratefully do without.

Oh, I'm not claiming that Austin has entered the ranks of big metros, it's definitely still mid-sized and will be for awhile despite the growth. But the city itself is now among the U.S.' largest, close to 1 million. And of course San Antonio is even larger, but still a mid-sized metro. And since I was discussing the city's ethnic profile, I felt that talking about the city population was more specifically relevant.

Regardless, the SF-Portland-Seattle profile (and culture) is for sure the model for Austin. Gentrify out the non-whites, get a lot more expensive, and wrap yourself in liberal virtue-signaling and cutting-edge cultural cachet (for white folks). It's been a successful economic model in several places, so there could be something to it.

[airdrawndagger]

Originally Posted by Peter5457

Yeah, there's great variety in texas too, but the quality is not the same. I mean if you go into an italian rest and noone in the kitchen speaks italian you think you're gonna get authentic italian?? Would you prefer a japanese rest where the sushi chefs are actually Japanese? Or, a korean rest where most of chefs speak more korean than chinese or spanish?

Have you been to Chinatown in Houston? There are a number of restaurants where ordering in English is not the norm/very difficult.

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by airdrawndagger

Have you been to Chinatown in Houston? There are a number of restaurants where ordering in English is not the norm/very difficult.

Already went down that road with him. Its very clear the poster doesnt know anything of the culinary scene here to make such blanket statements.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by placidnotes

I’ve only lived in New York so love big cities, restaurants, indoor things like shopping. Not much of an outdoors person so that’s not as big of a deal for me.

I do have an engineering background so I heard Austin’s really great with the tech companies and younger crowd but also heard that there’s not really much to do besides outdoor activities.

I’m in my 20s and prefer hanging out with friends, movies, shopping, food

Also Which one has better transportation? Obviously nothing compares to NYC but

Has anyone been to both Dallas and Austin or ideally lived in either of these places? Looking to move to Dallas or Austin but not sure which one would fit my interests more.

I wouldn't move to any Texas city if public transportation is one of your criteria's. But you're in your 20's and love hanging out with friends? Shopping, food and movies? I think living in the actual city of Dallas offers more to do in that category than Austin. And if your not an outdoors person than it's no point choosing Austin over Dallas. And yes Austin does have more of a concentration of bars in the urban center than Dallas but Dallas urban center just has a lot more than bars.

[DPatel304]

Originally Posted by Foamposite

Austin is diverse

Coming from Dallas, it felt very homogenous by comparison. The city felt like it was full of affluent, white people in their 20s.

[Peter5457]

Originally Posted by airdrawndagger

Have you been to Chinatown in Houston? There are a number of restaurants where ordering in English is not the norm/very difficult.

I was there several times in 2019 and I grew up there, went to Katy Taylor and Spring Woods so I do actually have love for Htown. I think Houston has some of the friendliest people anywhere. But as far as Chinatowns go, that's really just some strip malls compared to NY chinatown. When i lived there pre-Yao Ming I don't think there were really that big of a chinese community. I remember going to some chinese parties and playing bball against some chinese kids from Clements HS. But again pre-Yao, chinese kids weren't that good at bball, not nearly as good as some of them are today.

Yeah man the chinese community really grew big because Yao is such a great ambassador for houston. Same way Hakeem did for Nigerians.

As for chinese food, most americans including myself don't really know much about real chinese food. We mostly eat american chinese food. And i've had many different kinds of chinese food in many places but nowhere comes close to the little hole in the wall spots in nyc chinatown. And you won't see a single Gweilo there. All the tourists including asian tourists will eat at the nicer restaurants thats easier to find.

And as for the real Americanized chinese food, lets just say i found this too tastes difft/better overall in the northeast than in htown for some reason. But hey i think its better than dallas.

But don't get me started on the japanese and korean food in htown.. totally disappointing. Dallas disappoints here too but its getting better.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by Redlionjr

I wouldn't move to any Texas city if public transportation is one of your criteria's. But you're in your 20's and love hanging out with friends? Shopping, food and movies? I think living in the actual city of Dallas offers more to do in that category than Austin. And if your not an outdoors person than it's no point choosing Austin over Dallas. And yes Austin does have more of a concentration of bars in the urban center than Dallas but Dallas urban center just has a lot more than bars.

Sure, but Austin has enough "shopping, food and movies" for many, and if you live in the expensive parts you can probably just scooter/bike everywhere. It all depends on how much density OP wants.

[DTXman34]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

Sure, but Austin has enough "shopping, food and movies" for many, and if you live in the expensive parts you can probably just scooter/bike everywhere. It all depends on how much density OP wants.

That exists in Dallas too. Uptown for example.