3 ms·
The comedy writes itself. All of the complaints listed here (hot weather, shit-tier public transit, etc) were true of Austin prior to the Great Migration. Eve
by nunez 3y ago
The comedy writes itself.
All of the complaints listed here (hot weather, shit-tier public transit, etc) were true of Austin prior to the Great Migration.
Everyone wanted in though because Austin is the first place people think of when they think of Texas, it's the only major city in Texas with rolling hills, it's perceived as the only non-conservative city in Texas (it is not), 6th St and Barton Springs are fun, and Texas has no income tax and cheap real estate.
Now that real estate prices in Austin are significantly higher than they were in the past, a self-induced problem BTW!, and the Real Texas Heat™ has finally come, folks want to move back. (Property tax rates in Texas have always been high, and they only go up every year.)
Austin was always a small town with Texas government and a huge school with a huge American football team (UT Austin). I don't think it was designed with the explosive growth that it has seen in the last 15 years.
Its road design is proof of this. US Interstate 35 cuts right through town and it only has one partial ring road (TX-130). It also has the MoPAC (TX-1), though that expanded and, consequently, became a partial toll road.
Compare this with Houston, where I live. It has three huge interstates going through it (US I-10 east-west; US-45 north-south; Texas I-69/US Hwy 59 SW-NE), one huge and constantly problematic interstate beltway (US I-610) and two state ring roads (TX-8; TX-99). It is designed to accommodate and move a significant population (or significant freight, which it does also).
Austin has always been overrated IMO.
Houston is way bigger, more liberal and diverse (in every dimension, not just race, but it is extremely racially-integrated) than Austin has ever been and has a world-class food scene but gets 1/10th of the hype because...actually, I have no idea why?
Dallas is also way bigger than Austin and actually has a tech scene of sorts (though it is old and enterprise-y) along with more moderate (but still hot) weather but didn't boom like Austin did. Why?
- somethoughts 3y agoAll this is probably true. Only coming here to comment as someone in tech who did some informal comparisons during the height of the pandemic. Probably the biggest thing Austin seemed to have going for it is the combo of tech+diversity+what seem to be outdoor activities. Lake Travis looked tempting. [1] Houston probably has tech+diversity but there's no outdoor placemaking. Dallas probably has some tech+some diversity+slightly more outdoor activities. San Antonio/Hill country seems like it might have some placemaking but no Tech and less diversity. [1] The Oasis on Lake Travis Discover Austin: The Oasis - Austin Eats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov6agXn9WTM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov6agXn9WTM
- stillbourne 3y ago> Probably the biggest thing Austin seemed to have going for it is the combo of tech+diversity+what seem to be outdoor activities. Try Denver.
- taylodl 3y agoWhy didn't Houston boom like Austin? Houston has always had a bad reputation for hot, humid weather. We're talking oppressive heat. Add hurricanes to the mix. Harvey wasn't that long ago and we remember the massive flooding. No thanks. Austin doesn't have that problematic weather. Their temperature is a few degrees cooler than Houston, and their humidity is a few percentage points lower. It may not be much, but every bit helps. Though Austin also got hit by Harvey, they didn't get hit as bad. Austin also has a great music scene that's nationally recognized. Austin is a major league music city for producing well-known artists. Austin is cool, Houston is not. It's really that simple. What Austin lacks though, as you mention, is infrastructure. I know of many cities across the U.S. that are 1/3 to 1/2 the size of Austin and has more infrastructure. Not just highways and roadways - they lack conference space, they lack terminals at their airport, they have very little public transit - it's pretty bad considering the size of the population. Between Houston and Austin, Austin wins it hands-down. It's a great place to visit, though I wouldn't live in either city.