4 ms·

After spending a couple of years in Austin, I always felt it had a veneer of "cool" that was mostly fake. It's cool because people say it is; it's really not a

by Ocerge 11y ago

After spending a couple of years in Austin, I always felt it had a veneer of "cool" that was mostly fake. It's cool because people say it is; it's really not a liberal oasis in a sea of conservatism, it just seems like it is. Having lived there, if you're not into going downtown or sweating your ass off doing something outdoors, there's not much in Austin that you can't find for cheaper elsewhere.

6stringmerc 11y ago
Absolutely; in my experience there's nothing particularly unique or progressive or "weird" about the city. It talked a big game, but didn't deliver most of the time. Personal perspective and all, but I came up with an attitude of hustling to make stuff happen, putting in work, and that city just didn't share that kind of perspective.
- prewett 11y ago
  I think the "weird" in the "Keep Austin Weird" is immediately south of the river (but not so far south that you get to the cheap, big houses). I think the food trucks started there, for instance, and it seems to have a lot more older places with a little more "feel". Most of the software development happens in north Austin, which is definitely not "weird." I almost never went south of the river, but it always felt a little different when I did. Between the University, the anecdotes about life on KUT, the food trucks, the transvestite running for mayor every year, places like the Alamo Drafthouse, Rudy's, and Chuy's (all places with a very distinct atmosphere), the city has a very different feel from what you see in many cities.
  - Ocerge 11y ago
    But all three of those restaurants are chains all throughout Texas now. They all may have started there, but Austin is just flat out not weird anymore IMO.
  - 6stringmerc 11y ago
    Yeah I know SoCo pretty well, and I did spent quite a bit of time bopping around into small shops or meeting up for food and stuff. It's definitely a different vibe than North of the river, I agree. I think a lot has to do with the dated architecture, as in, there's not much new around there and people are happy to keep it that way. One thing that I didn't mention but thought important (at the time) was Austin was one of the first places in Texas to institute a smoking ban. In restaurants, I thought that made sense - both as a former waiter and cig smoker - but when the ban started applying to bars and live music venues, I thought it was stupid. Oh, so I can kill myself with this poison water, but off to hell with the stinky, heavily sin taxed tobacco? Pffffft. That right there clued me in that Austin couldn't be the live music capitol anymore, because musicians like to drink and smoke, and the ones that don't can play coffee shops or church camps, of which there are plenty of in Texas. And while I do have fondness for Alamo Drafthouse, it was kind of a one-off thing. Rudy's isn't remotely close to the best BBQ in the area (Franklin's) and Chuy's is, well, tongue-in-cheek referred to as 'white-people TexMex with extra grease' because it's just kind of middle-of-the road. This is kind of the overall issue with Austin, in that it's got this image and reputation of being unique and clever, but really, the things it's known for aren't actually top flight. Austinites pretend they are, but long time Texas residents know better.
phkahler 11y ago
>> It's cool because people say it is. I know a guy that moved to Michigan from LA. He said the same. People have a vision of California that dates from the 50's before the traffic, cost of living, and pollution got bad. The only thing nice about it now is the climate in his opinion. From what I've read and seen (a week in SF) he's about right.
- setpatchaddress 11y ago
  No, the image most non-West-Coasters have of California was always a mirage. There was smog in the San Fernando Valley in the 50's. But you can't really judge all of it from LA. California is huge, and LA is a small but uniquely artificial, plastic-y place, inhabited by pretend humans. If that's a problem for you, you're not going to like it. San Francisco has its own unique bullshit factor that you may also not like, but it's not the same culture as LA. And the climate is getting worse (thanks to global warming).

by Ocerge 11y ago

6stringmerc 11y ago

Absolutely; in my experience there's nothing particularly unique or progressive or "weird" about the city. It talked a big game, but didn't deliver most of the time. Personal perspective and all, but I came up with an attitude of hustling to make stuff happen, putting in work, and that city just didn't share that kind of perspective.

prewett 11y ago
I think the "weird" in the "Keep Austin Weird" is immediately south of the river (but not so far south that you get to the cheap, big houses). I think the food trucks started there, for instance, and it seems to have a lot more older places with a little more "feel". Most of the software development happens in north Austin, which is definitely not "weird." I almost never went south of the river, but it always felt a little different when I did. Between the University, the anecdotes about life on KUT, the food trucks, the transvestite running for mayor every year, places like the Alamo Drafthouse, Rudy's, and Chuy's (all places with a very distinct atmosphere), the city has a very different feel from what you see in many cities.
- Ocerge 11y ago
  But all three of those restaurants are chains all throughout Texas now. They all may have started there, but Austin is just flat out not weird anymore IMO.
- 6stringmerc 11y ago
  Yeah I know SoCo pretty well, and I did spent quite a bit of time bopping around into small shops or meeting up for food and stuff. It's definitely a different vibe than North of the river, I agree. I think a lot has to do with the dated architecture, as in, there's not much new around there and people are happy to keep it that way. One thing that I didn't mention but thought important (at the time) was Austin was one of the first places in Texas to institute a smoking ban. In restaurants, I thought that made sense - both as a former waiter and cig smoker - but when the ban started applying to bars and live music venues, I thought it was stupid. Oh, so I can kill myself with this poison water, but off to hell with the stinky, heavily sin taxed tobacco? Pffffft. That right there clued me in that Austin couldn't be the live music capitol anymore, because musicians like to drink and smoke, and the ones that don't can play coffee shops or church camps, of which there are plenty of in Texas. And while I do have fondness for Alamo Drafthouse, it was kind of a one-off thing. Rudy's isn't remotely close to the best BBQ in the area (Franklin's) and Chuy's is, well, tongue-in-cheek referred to as 'white-people TexMex with extra grease' because it's just kind of middle-of-the road. This is kind of the overall issue with Austin, in that it's got this image and reputation of being unique and clever, but really, the things it's known for aren't actually top flight. Austinites pretend they are, but long time Texas residents know better.

phkahler 11y ago

>> It's cool because people say it is. I know a guy that moved to Michigan from LA. He said the same. People have a vision of California that dates from the 50's before the traffic, cost of living, and pollution got bad. The only thing nice about it now is the climate in his opinion. From what I've read and seen (a week in SF) he's about right.

setpatchaddress 11y ago
No, the image most non-West-Coasters have of California was always a mirage. There was smog in the San Fernando Valley in the 50's. But you can't really judge all of it from LA. California is huge, and LA is a small but uniquely artificial, plastic-y place, inhabited by pretend humans. If that's a problem for you, you're not going to like it. San Francisco has its own unique bullshit factor that you may also not like, but it's not the same culture as LA. And the climate is getting worse (thanks to global warming).