Austin vs. Dallas (Houston, League City, Mercedes: to buy, scorpions, high school)

[corruption]

Well, I'm mainly concerned about the diversity and tendencies toward liberalism. I wonder why I kept hearing that Austin is the MOST liberal city in all of Texas, if Houston, and Dallas is just as such...?

[Moonlady]

Austin is an anomaly within Texas. The whole of Texas is very conservative, both from a political and religious standpoint. Austin, just is and always has been the odd one out. Whenever you see election results, most of Texas votes Red and Travis County is Blue. I've lived in Northern Virginia (DC area), Florida, Houston and Austin and Austin is the most tolerant city I've lived in, and one of the most tolerant I've ever visited -San Francisco being on top.

As far as Houston and Dallas go, they're going to be more conservative than Austin on the whole, but they are such large cities that I'm sure you can find your niche in either one. It's a lot different than somewhere like say...Vidor.

[TexasHorseLady]

What's really interesting is that Moonlady quotes the "common wisdom" about Texas, and yet I've lived in East Texas (where I grew up) and North Texas (Dallas, Arlington, and environs), and here, and have friends and family in other parts of Texas, and while Austin is indeed different from Dallas, from Houston, from San Antonio, and from the smaller towns (as they all have their differences from each other), I haven't found it to be an anomaly any more than the others are.

I can remember, in fact, my father, a preacher in East Texas, cautioning me not to let any of his parishioners know that he planned to vote Republican, because that little East Texas town was heavily Democrat and he didn't want to upset them.

I live here, and I'm not really interested in living anywhere else in Texas - this is home, for good or ill. However, I've felt quite comfortable and found people very much like the people in Austin everywhere that I've lived in Texas. But that doesn't fit the "image" that some have of Texas.

Vidor is, of course, the town to hold up for what happened there. However, as it happens, I know someone who is VERY liberal who grew up in Vidor. Dang, we just won't stay in those boxes people insist on shoving us into!

[Moonlady]

Horselady, that's interesting. I'm basing my views on my experiences living and traveling in various areas of Texas. It's so funny you mentioned East Texas. I've seen some things there that have scared the daylights out of me and yet, we have some really good friends who live in Port Arthur and I do realize that not all the people in those areas are gun-totin, bible-thumpin, redneck Republicans! So I know not everyone fits those molds, I just think you're going to find more of it outside Austin than in. The reason I feel this way is because hubby and I would like to retire somewhere smaller than Austin and each time I find an area I like, I'm always amazed at the more conservative views I find outside of Austin. But I still contend that cities like Dallas and Houston are too big to fit into any mold. You can pretty much find whatever it is you are looking for in either one of those cities.

[TexasHorseLady]

But you can pretty much find whatever it is you're looking for in Austin, too, in my experience (if you just know where to look, that is!).

[Moonlady]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

But you can pretty much find whatever it is you're looking for in Austin, too, in my experience (if you just know where to look, that is!).

Well now, I'll have to disagree with you there. The one thing I really want is less traffic and a peaceful commute!

[TexasHorseLady]

Well, that's true. In exchange for the things that all the new people have brought with them, we have lost that (unless, again, you watched the roads and subdivisions being built and thus know the back roads that nobody uses any more).

[corruption]

Thank you for all the replies...I just want to get an idea about each place. I know it's hard just getting mainly opinions from off the internet, but hey it's all we have to go on right now.

[twange]

Originally Posted by corruption

Thank you for all the replies...I just want to get an idea about each place. I know it's hard just getting mainly opinions from off the internet, but hey it's all we have to go on right now.

For what it's worth(and maybe not much to you), I'm a white guy who moved here last year from Cleveland, Ohio. While the percentage of black and white is certainly not the same here-hispanic and latino are much more prominent-at least half of the people I work with are black/AA. Everyone seems to be pretty happy here... Austin is definitely becoming more diverse and I think that trend will continue over the next several years.

Come for a visit

[jwb123]

My experience with Dallas is very small. I used to go there every summer when my sister lived there and I was in highschool.... so I don't remember much from that experience... and I recently visited twice.

To me, Dallas could be "any large city, USA". There is very little "Texas feel" to it - where in Austin, you are constantly reminded of the TX pride, which I respect and like about this area.

Austin is such a laid-back lifestyle sort of city, whereas Dallas seemed stressful and glitzy to me. Maybe it was just the part of the city that I was in, but it seemed more like LA... I wouldn't want to live that 24/7.