Why do Austinites tend to slander Dallas? (Houston, San Antonio: house, schools)

[artsyguy]

Austin sure does compete well with Denton, Texas

Originally Posted by eepstein

Oh geeez people come on?? The only possible explanation of why anyone would "bash" Dallas is extreme jealousy. As has been stated before, Dallas is world class city and international business hub. (much like Houston)
It has some of the highest per capita incomes in the county and also very nice, high end suburbs to the north.

Arrogance in Dallas? Couldn't come close to the arrogance in Austin--no way no how.

I often hear people comment about not having Austin turn into Dallas--but at the same time, austin's (classless) north suburbs are sprawling more and more everyday. I also thought it was "amusing" when Austin built the Domain (Austin's answer to having people drive to Dallas to do any shopping)

Try comparing Austin to cities that it could ACTUALLY compete with on some level. Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, Denver, Salt Lake, Portland, etc.

[paul6835]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Oh geeez people come on?? The only possible explanation of why anyone would "bash" Dallas is extreme jealousy. As has been stated before, Dallas is world class city and international business hub. (much like Houston)

Coming from DC & NYC and having traveled extensively, I assure you that outside of shopping, no one cares about Dallas. If you tell a complete stranger in NYC "I live in Texas", they will tell you "I've always wanted to visit Austin". Austin attracts people for culture - SXSW, ACL, and even F1 racing now. Dallas, much like Houston, attracts people for work. No one *wants* to end up there.

I think its fair to call Dallas a "world class" business center, which Austin is not.

[artsyguy]

Stop talking about Austin, Texas in that way.

Originally Posted by kiacook

Because Dallas is a shallow, materialistic, image-obsessed, flat, sprawl-infested, strip mall that calls itself a city?



Basically Dallas is pretty close to the opposite of everything many Austinites stand for.

Originally Posted by Danbo1957

Because Dallas is a big, unfriendly, ugly, dangerous, too-close-to Oklahoma, Yankee-riddled, souless dump?

[eepstein]

But that shows what a great marketing campaign the City of Austin has. What would someone actually do once they got to Austin? Get drunk on 6th street? Go boating in the rapidly shrinking Lake Travis? Count the pickup trucks driving by?? Seriously, its all about "word of mouth". It clearly isn't based on anything concrete.

No sir, I think that if you told a "complete stranger" that you live in Texas, they would likely take 2 steps back and assume you were packing heat. Most of my friends live outside of Texas and are quite aware of the "sham" that is Austin and the TRUE real city that is Dallas.

Originally Posted by paul6835

Coming from DC & NYC and having traveled extensively, I assure you that outside of shopping, no one cares about Dallas. If you tell a complete stranger in NYC "I live in Texas", they will tell you "I've always wanted to visit Austin". Austin attracts people for culture - SXSW, ACL, and even F1 racing now. Dallas, much like Houston, attracts people for work. No one *wants* to end up there.

I think its fair to call Dallas a "world class" business center, which Austin is not.

[eepstein]

I am NOT a fan of Denton--way too redneck and backwards for me.

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Austin sure does compete well with Denton, Texas

[Pontificator]

I live in North Texas, and have lots of family in and around Austin. I definitely get the slander Dallas vibe from them. Now mind you, I live 65 miles WEST of Dallas......and rarely venture there. Still, I am referred to as "heading back to Dallas," and am told that like mine, all the homes in "Dallas" have brick and rock. (I'm guessing these materials are no longer in use in Austin's sprawl)

I just find it all very amusing. Saying that I live in Dallas is roughly the same as me claiming that my Austin relatives live in Temple.

[Mrs.JT]

I just don't get any of it. It's so childish and tiring. Austin vs. Dallas. Texas vs. the east coast. Texas vs. California. Marsha Marsha Marsha. In my opinion, all the negativity comes from envy or some kind of insecurity. If you're happy about where you live, you won't feel inclined to worry about another city.

[jr1038]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Most of my friends live outside of Texas and are quite aware of the "sham" that is Austin and the TRUE real city that is Dallas.

Gee, I'm sure you've had absolutely nothing to do with propagating this notion amongst your friends.

Did Dallas hire you to be the anti-PR machine for Austin? Literally every post is the same childish rant and/or jealous temper tantrum about hillbilly country, gas guzzlers, marketing campaigns, and 6th street. Hey, at least you're consistent.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by paul6835

Coming from DC & NYC and having traveled extensively, I assure you that outside of shopping, no one cares about Dallas. If you tell a complete stranger in NYC "I live in Texas", they will tell you "I've always wanted to visit Austin". Austin attracts people for culture - SXSW, ACL, and even F1 racing now. Dallas, much like Houston, attracts people for work. No one *wants* to end up there.

I think its fair to call Dallas a "world class" business center, which Austin is not.

I come from the Northeast as well, and I can tell you that the first thing people say when you tell them you live in Texas is, "Why?"

[gdu]

Originally Posted by 80SC

Here's a social experiment everyone here should partake:

Start a conversation with someone random (bars, restaurants, and shops work best) and casually make a reference to or associate yourself with Dallas and take note of the unsavory reactions the city tends to illicit (akin to someone who just stepped in dog excrement).

Then press further to uncover the reason for their disdain.

You're likely to hear the predictable drivel that it's overly pretentious, filled with $30k millionaires, and too commercialized. If you wish to engage in verbal baiting, ask them if they've ever been to West 6th or the W Hotel and what their opinions are of the ever-sprawling north Austin by comparison.

Hypocrites!

Frankly, I've grown tired of it. In conversation, when I say I'm from Dallas virtually no one has anything nice to say about it. At first I thought it was funny, but now I find it a bit offensive. I suspect many of these people have never actually been to Dallas because such generalizations are concordant to someone saying Austin is filled with greasy hipsters who never bathe.

Could it be jealousy? That Dallas is an established world class city and as such, threatens Austin's image? If you go to Dallas, you'll find that most people generally hold a favorable opinion of Austin, even buying into the whole "most liberal city in Texas" mantra.

Here someone actually took the time to make a blog (with t-shirts to match ) to spread their hatred of Dallas: Dallas Sucks My Austin What's the real reason Austinites tend to bad mouth Dallas at every opportunity?

I think Dallas is overly pretentious and filled with $30k millionaires. The city is fine. It's the people that are the problem for me. I haven't been to 6th since college and I haven't been to the W hotel in Austin either.