Dont get me wrong. I love Austin. I can point out some really crappy things that get on my nerves about H-town. Contrary to what anyone believes, the traffic is MUCH worse in Houston, the pollution sucks, and the scenery is just plain ugly. I miss the parks and outdoor life, the live music, the festivals, the quirky shopping, and all that Austin gave me. For some reason I just have a better vibe with the people here in Houston. I cant really put a finger on it, but it just feels like home. Austin will always be the place where I spread my wings so to speak after graduating college to start a new life. But the bottom line is that I started to grow-up and feel at home once I moved back to Houston.
Damn those allergies, Austin is a biatch in that sense. Especially during spring time, I have to stay drugged up all the time. Its weird when you dont feel normal unless you have taken your benadryl or something of the kind for the day.
Aye. This is why I try never to argue about this. Exactly my point. Again, exactly my point. I love playing in Austin. I have no interest in living there. However, I will say this - and most musicians I know will tell you the same thing - it is a FAR more annoying music scene politically. To get a gig there that pays ANYTHING is a friggin' nightmare. It's great for young bands who don't care about getting paid, but it sucks for guys who are trying to make a living, which is why most of the guys who are pros working there gig more outside of Austin than they do inside it. But, no question the music scene is better. Just as Houston's art and cultural scene is better because of its size, the size of Austin and the, what, second or third largest university in America makes it ripe for live music. Dude, I grew up 3 blocks from Gunspoint. My friends all lived on the near north side. It is about being cautious. Yes, it is dangerous if you go in the wrong area, but name one place on the planet that isn't. Your implication was that it is normal to be robbed, carjacked, mugged, whatever and it isn't. The inner loop is pretentious. I have no problem saying that. It is the hub of the art scene, the music scene. It is the center of all cultural and historic elements of the city. It is more expensive to live in yet has the most homeless. It is what it is. I don't have any problem stating that whatsoever. BUT, calling Richmond Avenue fake has nothing to do with pretentiousness... Back at those times, if you were a musician and wanted to play on Richmond, you had to either play all covers or all blues or funk. Period. No if's and's or but's. That meant that all the best, original music was being played inside the loop at all the decent live music venues. If you wanted to play or listen to original music, you didn't set foot on Richmond outside the loop. Yet, it always had packed crowds and was always heavily promoted and had money spent on the venues by promoters because it was easy to draw a crowd in to listen to covers of whatever was popular at the time. I'm sure it was fun for a lot of people, but there was NOTHING artistic or cultural about it, so those of us who hung out inside the loop had reason to be pissed when everyone yammered on about how cool it was on Richmond and how that was the center of the music scene. No argument.
If you haven't lived in both cities for at least a few years, you really don't have a basis for comparison. Imo. Austin is a much more "fun", young, hip, liberal city. It's a college town grown big due to the tech boom. It's in a much more scenic location, the hill country is awesome. I like how Austin is thoroughly planned and coordinated. The public transportation system is excellent. The live music is fabulous. And there lots and lots of beautiful coeds for eye candy. On the other hand, the traffic is absolutely horrific, especially MoPac. I spent a lot of time on the Houston freeways, but only because point A and point B were very far apart. In Austin, things are much closer, but you spend forever on the freeways because of gridlock (or at least, that was my experience when I lived there, and the freeways are basically the same now). I don't mind commuting, and enjoy driving, but stop-and-go traffic is really annoying. Houston is an urban sprawl the likes of which doesn't exist outside of LA. It's got way more culture than Austin, nice neighborhoods inside and outside the loop, and alot of ethnic diversity, which I think is a real plus. It's got way better ethnic food for that reason, you can find really good Greek, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, etc. if you're looking for it. It's a big city with big league sports teams and nice downtown stadiums and arenas. Houston also has more big city problems like smog and crime. And one reason the city makes the "fattest cities" list may be that the humidity is just downright oppressive during the summer, keeping most sane people indoors as much as possible.
Good info Jeff. I know there is no argument regarding the type of music played on the Richmond Strip. It definitely is cover/blues dominated. Speaking of bands, are any of yours playing this weekend? I'll be in Houston visiting family and have yet to hear you play. It will give me a chance to help support my BBS brother!
The murder rate in Houston kills Austin's ~ literally. I'm always shocked at all the violence that goes on there and San Antonio. _________ Comparing Austin and Houston is silly - other than being in the same state they are completely different. A more favorable comparison would be between Austin, Seattle, and San Francisco ~ the triumvirate of American coolness...
A-men. Getting a gig in Austin with the cocky, Ive got better things to do club owner is totally annoying. You could be the best thing since sliced bread, but if you dont have connections, or want to make any money..... you have to pay serious dues.
More people would call themselves Spurs fans in Austin....but I only know one person that actually follows them currently. I never see anybody watching them when I'm at a restaurant that has them on. Austin is definitely Astro Country even before the RR Express. I have to disagree with some of the negatives being stacked on Austin. It may not have all the big amenities that Houston has as far as "culture" goes, but its a fun place to be on a daily basis. I go to Houston for the amenities Austin doesn't have, but I like having the places I go to on a frequent basis really close together so I can walk or have a short drive. Walking in Houston has always been a pain unless you've already made it to downtown. What I really need to find in Houston are relaxed coffeehouses open 24-7 scattered around town. If you know some good ones downtown, clear lake area, galeria area, or by Willowbrook mall, shoot me an email.
Best quote ever from a guy booking a club on 6th Street - "Houston bands don't usually go over very well on 6th Street." Nice.
Wrong..on both counts. I moved to go to SWTSU, and I got 2 times the money in Austin. Just got to be connected.
Lived in Houston for 18 years and I'm in Austin for college. Austin can't hold Houston's jockstrap. I find myself coming to Houston on the weekends (it's worth the 2.5 hour drive). Traffic in Austin is horrendous and the drivers are terrible (yes, worse than Houston). The live music is horrible 99% of the time. 6th street is quite the overrated experience as well. However, I do enjoy the weather when it's not raining as it rarely gets as hot as it is in Houston. But the low humidity is something my body has had to adjust to as weird as that sounds. I also agree with Isabel's comments regarding the people and the city as a whole. There is a certain "air" about the whole place. Like a city that "knows" it's great, the only problem is that it really isn't anything special. I think a lot of it comes from the fact that most of the people that go to Austin come from smaller cities so they view Austin as the greatest thing since sliced bread.
There are some things I really miss about Houston... The skyline - Austin's is lame. Overall the job market in Houston is WAY better - unless you're connected or really really good looking. I miss going down to Galveston for the occasional surf that would come in and the beach atmosphere in general. Salt water fishing. The pro sports. Spray car washes in Houston are only .75 in Austin they are 1.50.
I've lived outside the loop for almost 40 years, and in various areas outside the loop, and I dont know anyone that has been "jacked". I don't know anyone that hs been mugged, shot, or killed due to violence. and I spent alot of that time running around trying to get into trouble drinking, drugging, and hitting various clubs (from 81-94). generalizations suck.
I lived in Houston for about 10 years before moving to Austin to go to UT. After graduating in 2002, I was one of the lucky ones that found employment here. What I love about Austin is: 1. I live off 360 by the bridge, and can simply walk from my apartment up the rocks to watch the sunset over Lake Austin on any given night. 2. I've got a georgeous greenbelt view from the entire back of my apartment. It's really cool on Saturday morning when you can see the deer walk up to the place. 3. Sixth Street is only 15 minutes away, which is good for anytime I want to blow off some steam on a Thursday night and enjoy some $1 longnecks. 4. It's damn easy to meet chicks here with all the bars localized within one area. If one place sucks, then just go right next door. 5. Hiking and biking trails here are terrific.
I wasn't really "born" in either and I'm not even from Texas. But I lived in Houston first. I had hoped to stay there. I left to go to UT. At the time, I got Ferdinand to join me. He ended up finding a job more easily in Austin than in Houston (though I think he had started looking harder and considering more options). Always thought I'd get back to Houston or something, but it seems to have changed so much... I ended up looking for an academic job and going out to the middle of nowhere. Who knows, I may drift back to Houston (especially if I end up doing the community college teaching thing), but not sure if it would be as good as it used to be... my friends are mostly gone by now, and the city's getting more "filled in" and crowded. There are fewer quiet, middle-class areas inside the loop. Music opportunities, believe it or not, can be better out in the country than in the city... particularly if you do classical type stuff. I'm like 2nd or 3rd ranked in my section of the local orchestra, which people pay money to see... in Austin, I would be doing community band or orchestra (like free concerts and only your friends come) and still have a lot of competition...
