Austin Texas. PROS - Lots of outdoor, nature related stuff like Barton Springs - Tons of live music, ACL, more live venues... - More marathons and runs (if your into that stuff) - Outlet Malls (south and north of) - Proximity to Schlitterbahn, Comal river - 6th street CONS - no pro team - Traffic, it's pretty bad here... Houston Texas PROS - Pro teams (Texans and Astros and Dynamos and Rockets) - Galleria - Proximity to the gulf - Cheap housing - Midtown has become very nice in the recent years (or has it been that nice?) CONS - Traffic still sucks on 290, I10 has gotten better. - Loss of six flags... All I can think of, austin is a better city in my opinion, but that's not saying I don't love Houston. Went to high school in Houston, going to college right now at UT-Austin. Have to say Austin is by far more entertaining... I'm not sure I would enjoy going to college in Houston since many of it's schools are commute-based.
I should add, apartments cost a ****LOAD in west campus... but then again every city has a place with overpriced land. ATX > HTOWN
Went to high school in Houston, and undergrad and law school in Austin. One city feels great growing up (Houston), but Austin offers more for the person in their 20s. Has a San Francisco, Denver, and Seattle vibe to it. That being said, job-wise, Houston is an economic powerhouse. My colleagues in Chicago and NYC are floored when I tell them about the opportunities here especially in the legal, energy, and health-care fields.
Lived in the Houston area from the ages of 4 to 33. The last 6 years I've lived in Austin. I would never move back. I still have love for H-town, but Austin is amazing... ...unless you're considering a move to Austin, in which case Austin is a terrible city. Don't come here.
I could see myself living in Austin. It's a livelier and more healthy city. I've probably been in Austin a total of 2 weeks in my life. Would definitely move there from Houston. Therefore, i vote austin.
I've been in Houston from 0 to 36 years, and I hope to live in Austin by the time I'm 38 to raise the family.
I have lived extensively in both (Houston 1977-1991 and Austin 1991-today). Both have good and bad qualities (some of which are outlined above). Austin certainly has a more "relaxed" feel than Houston. It's nowhere near where it was in the height of the "Slacker" era of the late 80s and early 90s, of course. That has been replaced by a much more motivated working youth. The average person is much more "educated" in Austin and there are many factors contributing to this (i.e. the University of Texas and its exes, government offices, high-tech industry, etc). The "dirty" on Austin are things like the transportation/civil engineering ongoing crisis and segregation (racial). The freeway "system" was designed by monkeys. There's no other way to explain massive highway interchanges without even PLANNING on developing "fly-bys" in all directions. There are no east-west thoroughfares in the entire city! When I moved to Austin, the first thing I noticed was how racially segregated the city was. It's gotten better (or more subdued) due to the migration of "whites" to the east side of IH-35. That's possibly just moved the "minorities" to other places (far southeast and northeast Austin/Pflugerville/Creedmore/etc). Houston is a true international CITY. It feels like a city (Austin does not, despite all the urban-density growth the city is mandating). As such, Houston is a true melting pot of cultures. I grew up eating bowls of phở from menus with no English on them, for example. This also leads to industrial growth due to a broad labor force. Houston is one of the largest Ports in the USA (if not the world). The growth dictated by having such a connection to the planet on an industrial scale cannot be overlooked. Houston's downside(s) is/are things like urban sprawl (Austin is certainly not immune to this...just on a much smaller scale), poor public education (inner city, not suburbs), crime, etc. When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to get out of Houston. Now that I'm an adult, I really enjoy returning to the place I used to call Home. Houston is often mis-labeled a "ghetto" city or "urban" jungle. Austin has a false identity as a "hippie" town. These stereotypes perpetrated by folks who have never (or rarely) visit these places give each a misconstrued image. It's odd. (Austin is more geographically diverse and has lakes and creeks for recreation. Houston is close to the beach/ocean. These things somewhat cancel each other out, in my opinion.) EDIT: I was born in the Texas Hill Country and lived here until the age of 7 (when I moved to Houston). I returned as quickly as I could. Austin became the destination due to going to college at Texas. Been here ever since...
Instead of "Keep Austin Weird", I need to make a bumper sticker that says "Keep Austin 180 Miles Away". To me, Austin is a recreational city. I like spending some time there, in moderation, but usually by the 3rd or 4th day I'm ready to split. Houston > Austin By a long a shot.
I have lived in both. Something that has not been noted is that there are tons of days trips out of Austin. Houston, not so much.
Lived in both... Austin>>>Houston People keep asking me if I'd ever move back to Houston, and I tell them to get bent.
Austin is better than Houston in almost every way. I was born and raised in Houston and always thought I would go back after college. I took a job in Austin when I graduated and I will probably never return to Houston.
Moved to Austin in 1999. My now wife and I said we'd give it 5 years. We forgot about that and never considered leaving. I still love Houston, but Austin is now my home. Wrong and wrong. - Round Rock Express. Best baseball experience you can get. Even if the team sucks, it's minor league baseball in all it's glory. - The traffic in Austin is not bad. Yes, there is rush hour and the highway system is horribly designed. But it's not like driving on 290 to and from Cypress where it's a guaranteed 2 hours. At worst, it takes me 30 minutes to get from Round Rock to downtown.
To do what? Or, more specifically, for what? In what part of "Houston" do you live or work? The city is too big to say "well, all Houston has is blah blah" or "I hate Houston because of blah blah." I've lived in different parts (5th Ward, Alief, Westchase, Katy) and have worked in many different areas of town (East End, Downtown, 5th Ward, Heights). I think that someone with as much "moving" and "area" knowledge can tell you differently than someone who's only been here for a few months because "they're on assignment" or "their mom lives here and they come to visit." I've liked Houston ever since I moved here 23 years ago, and I've liked Austin's stuff every time I've visited my buddies at UT or just for a one-day getaway. I would pick Houston, but I'm a HOMER.
I've only lived in Austin about 6 months a very long time ago and Houston area for a very long time... Both are great in their own ways, but I will say now that I"m older, I would prefer Houston..yes a small city like Austin is great to visit, hang, but I prefer the things a big city provides...I've lived in Albuquerque, now Chattanooga and small cities just don't have the services and the fun stuff to do that Houston or Dallas has (ie. sports, nightlife, food, etc)...
