Austin is very overrated and overhyped
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9/13/2009
I lived in Austin for many years. I just don't get it. It must be one of the most overrated cities in the entire country. Traffic is horrible for a city of this size. Want culture? You can choose from such favorites such as Eeyore's Birthday and Spam-O-Rama. No joke. SXSW is probably the best event Austin has, but it's become way overcrowded and overpriced, so what's the point? No pro sports. The restaurant scene is pretty lame outside of BBQ and Tex-Mex... have to drive to Houston for a a real quality restaurant scene in other categories, as well as decent museums or world-class performing arts. Think Austin is different from the rest of Texas and has no sprawl or strip malls? Think again. Summers are extremely hot. Most of the city is not very walkable. The housing is overpriced for the amenities this city offers (or rather, doesn't offer.) Every time there's a drought, the whole city turns brown and many sources of outdoor recreation like boating (such as Lake Travis) dry up and aren't usable. Does Austin have advantages? Sure... the west side has some nice scenery and decent outdoor recreation. Aside from that, Austin is basically a town with all the big-city problems, but few of the big-city amenities. The college scene here still rules... don't be fooled.
Abhd | Houston, TX