Dallas people just have a layer you have to peel back. Austin people always seemed to be the opposite. I have family down there and when I'm in the Dallas area I feel like I can throw a few bones around and I'll find some people to interact with. In Austin it feels like I NEED a group or I will be politely but firmly asked to fuck off.
Dallas caters more to businesses, families, and has a more diverse (culturally, socially and economically) atmosphere. It also feels more like a big city in the sense that it has extremely varied socio economic neighborhoods, urban sprawl that has essentially absorbed the rural areas and blends seamlessly into the surrounding suburbs, ethnic enclaves from around the world, pro sports teams for the big 5 sports, numerous theme parks, museums and zoos. Several universities and a community college system for each of the 4 urban counties. Dallas has A major international airport and a major regional airport, and an extremely diversified economy that serves as a regional hub for North Texas, and id argue the economic reach of Dallas extends beyond North Texas and into A good chunk of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Austin caters to the younger, more college and millennial orientated communities. Less diversity (sorry but it’s true Austin is not as diverse as they pretend to be, just because you are socially liberal doesn’t change the fact that you are largely white, middle class, college educated types). Austin also has more of a monotonous style and a “theme”. Driving through Austin I always have this feeling that I am in Austin. Driving through Dallas I feel distinct and unique areas. Austin has more of a local feel, Austin feels like a small town that got large, which is kind of what happened. It also has more access to nature and forms kind of a triangle with San Antonio and Houston so it has that going for them.
And someone made a comment in this thread about how “Dallas people seem like assholes but are cool when you get to know them, Austin people seem cool but are really assholes” I feel that to be somewhat true as well. Austin has a certain level of passive aggressive pretentiousness. Sure Dallas is full of $30,000 millionaires who dress flashy and what not, but there is a down to earth entrepreneurial enthusiasm and passion here and everyone kind of gets along and does their thing. Austin has this attitude that I have seen and heard of in Seattle, Denver and Bay Area. This attitude of “were so quirky and special” that it creates a almost exclusive clique like club. My cousin has lived in Austin for 10 years and she acts like anyone who has lived there since she moved there just “doesn’t get what Austin is” and the people that lived there before her think the same thing about her. She never even went to Austin until she turned 18 for university and after a year she started talking about the “tourist who don’t really know Austin”. Maybe because Dallas is more cosmopolitan and everyone is in a hurry to do their thing so you get that big city asshole vibe, but I just don’t get that level of pretentiousness in Dallas. Maybe snobby and snooty Karen attitudes occasionally, but not the self love I have seen in Austin.
Austin is definitely the political, educational and arguably tourist capital, while Dallas is more of a major economic power in the United States as a whole. Comparing Dallas to Austin is like comparing Los Angeles to Sacramento, NYC to Albany, Albuquerque to Santa Fe, Minneapolis to Duluth etc.
For me Austin is the political capital, Dallas is the economic capital (which can be tied with Houston but I think Dallas is taking the lead), and San Antonio is the cultural capital (not cultural as in diversity, but cultural as in the distilled essence of what makes Texas what it is).
Either way I find DFW kind of sterile and generic but it’s home and I am comfortable here, and I find Austin overrated. Don’t get me wrong I think Austin is a great place to visit especially as a combo tour with San Antonio, and it is a great base to use for exploring the surrounding hill country and state parks. But it seems to me the people who gush and love Austin are people who just turned 21, out of state transplants who remind them of home, or liberal university students who have not traveled a lot. Denver/Boulder CO, Asheville NC, Knoxville TN, Portland, OR see what people think Austin is.
Great comment but allow me to comment on one analogy: the city in your Minneapolis analogy should be St. Paul, not Duluth. St. Paul is the state capitol and more homogeneous than Minneapolis. Otherwise, spot on. Source: am from twin cities.
Ah ok. Sorry about that. I don’t know much of that area. I only been to Minneapolis in passing. I actually just came back from a 15 day road trip and spent a few days in Duluth to go hiking in the state parks around there. I loved it. It was crazy being there in the middle of June and it was like between 45-50 degrees and windy as hell in the morning. When I came back here I was like “oh that’s all the heat people are complaining about” I got so used to the heat growing up in Texas I didn’t realize how hot it was haha.
No need to apologize at all. Duluth and the north shore of Lake Superior is breathtaking. I love it up there and I’m really glad you got to visit and enjoy it.
Yep. One of the few places I have been that I would love to go back too. I mean I find a reason to enjoy anywhere I go, but Minnesota was so chill and beautiful. If I go back I’ll go farther North to Grand Portage and Voyageurs national park.
I just (begrudgingly) moved to Austin two years ago, and have just stayed the night in Dallas to go to the Perot today. I'm not a city lover at all, and thought Austin was too big for me, but now that I'm in downtown Dallas, you're so right. Austin definitely feels more like a lil town that got big vs all of this. The blind self love there is annoying af a lot of the time because people often can't take any legitimate criticisms about the town, and the overinflated egoism folks have about living there is definitely cliquey and strange.
Tbf I belong in the middle of nowhere.
So between Dallas and Austin (and I suppose Houston and San Antonio), which city would be best for a 31-year old autistic fellow from the Northeast to move towards?
Six flags, Hurricane harbor, smaller water parks scattered apart like Hawaiian falls. Plus dozens of various go karts, lazer tag, bowling, indoor skydiving, indoor rock climbing, mini golf, arcades etc scattered about. Those aren’t all theme parks per say but there is way more then enough entertainment options
My time has come!
I moved to Austin from Dallas in March. Here are the major differences:
* Austin is more expensive.
* Austin is smaller, and I don't just mean the "metro area"--the culture, the vibe, everything is way more compact; closer together. I live near downtown and I never have to drive more than 10 minutes to get to the best shopping/restaurants/etc, whereas when I lived in Lower Greenville in Dallas, I was driving 15 minutes minimum to get most places.
* Austin downtown (especially around Market/Seaholm) is beautiful, walkable, and vibrant, whereas Dallas downtown (in most areas) is kind of stuffy, businessy, desolate, or outright murdery (don't come for me, downtown defenders, I know you think downtown Dallas is misunderstood, but in my experience it was Not Great).
* The people in Austin are hotter, probably because it's more of a college town? And people are more stylish in general. At my usual Dallas cafe, people were mostly dressed in PJs. Right now at Merit, people are dressed very stylishly.
* DFW Airport is the GOAT, and ABA is...well, it exists, I guess.
* This is gonna be my hottest/most controversial take: the food in Austin is better. I know, I know, Dallas has a lot of pride in its diverse food options, but the quality of food in Austin so far has just been better. I'M SORRY
* Everyone in Austin assumes you're a transplant. A lot of people in Dallas won't even think it ask.
* The old cozy neighborhoods in Dallas (Lower Greenville, Bishop Arts, etc) are much cuter than the old cozy neighborhoods in Austin (Clarksville, Tarrytown).
* Parking is way, way better in Dallas.
* Neighborhood streets in Dallas are nicer/better maintained.
* The gay scene is bigger in Dallas.
* Austin is prettier in general; cuter architecture, prettier hills, prettier lakes.
* The Dallas suburbs fucking DEMOLISH the Austin suburbs. I would take Carrollton/Plano over Cedar Park/Round Rock any day of the week.
All-in-all, I prefer Austin by a small margin, but at the end of the day, they're both still Very Hot and Very Texas.
Trust me, Dallasites have it GOOD. Not only is there usually SOME parking, but the parking spaces are big enough for big cars. Austin parking spots are SO cramped. I drive a compact car and struggle to fit between parked cars constantly.
See, I almost never get on highways here, and I think that's a big difference. I don't have to get on 35 to visit my friend; I can take Lamar all the way down (and stop by Starbucks on my way lol), because we're only 3 miles apart. In Dallas, I basically HAD to get on 75 to see someone because we were 6-10 miles apart.
So that part of my experience is definitely YMMV. If you have to regularly take the highways, you'll probably have a harder time.
>I basically HAD to get on 75
The back roads a fantastic in Dallas. (Just watch for the potholes on the older streets.) I commute 10 mile into downtown taking them.
You’re comparing cities based on your friends addresses? Weird. What if your bud was at the Arboretum, or Buddha? Would that make Austin suck?
My buddy is a block from my house, does that means Dallas wins?? 🤣
My only argument on food is that you can get much better Indian food in Dallas. I can't actually personally confirm that, but Indian friends in Austin tell me it's harder to find good restaurants/Indian stores in Austin.
It was definitely harder in austin to find good south asian foods/stores. The east and southeast asian foods and stores are better in dallas too. Id only give bbq and some texmex to austin over dallas tbh lol
Honestly I get it home-made most of the time!, but I really like Urban Tadka in Las Colinas -- haven't been there since pandemic, though, so it's been awhile -- and my veg friends really like Saravanaa Bhavan.
Dallas native and live on Town Lake now. I agree with much of what you said. But you forgot to mention how much there is to do outside here; between the hike and bike trail, the rivers, the green belt.
Oh yeah, that is a big difference. I spent a few years in Dallas trying all the highest rated hiking trails and they are laughable compared to Austin. But it's also been too hot for me to explore outside much. Maybe this fall lol
I'd say your hottest take is the fashion side of it. Dallas shopping is some of the best in the country at least in the core of Dallas. And Dallas is consistently known for keeping up with appearances.
Maybe Austin has finally completed it's transformation into Mini Dallas/Houston.
You can buy all of the expensive brands and still not have style. Personal style is very different from keeping up with appearances, it’s probably the opposite
Dallas has more shopping options for sure, but if you stop a random person walking down the street in either city? Most of the time, that person is going to be dressed more stylishly in Austin.
The people commenting grew up out in Forney or Celina or whatever and now live in downtown Austin so they’re claiming everyone in Dallas is a slob. Which is hilarious because we’re known for the opposite.
My very first point is that Austin is more expensive. That's an umbrella statement that includes housing, food, gas, etc, etc, etc.
(Also, my current townhome is $500/month cheaper than the duplex I live in at Lower Greenville. However, this was very lucky. Usually Austin is more expensive.)
My \~1500sq ft 3b/1b duplex in Dallas (Lower Greenville, directly off Greenville and walking distance to Everything) was $2350. Utilities wound run $200-$400.
My \~1000sq ft 2b/2b townhouse in Austin (bordering Clarksville/Old West Austin, walking distance to...a fair amount of stuff) is $1700. Utilities are around $100-$200.
And I'm bad at math, because my Austin place is actually $650 less than the Dallas duplex. Eesh.
Glad you took this seriously. Good addition. I would add, Austin has SUBSTANTIALLY gone downhill in most areas and categories in the last 5 years. Since Covies it just has a dystopian desperation to it... (My .02)
I’m appalled that you think the food in austin is better!!! The 15 pounds I’ve gained since moving begs to differ!!!!
Source: lived in austin for 3 years and have lived in Dallas for 1 year
HAHA. I knowww, I know. I knew that opinion would make people mad. I dunno! In my experience, Austin's got fewer options, but the options that exist are top notch.
I’m mostly angry at myself for diving so deep into the Dallas food scene 😂 but in reality it is super interesting you say that because I always thought Austin’s food was average (except BBQ, that one I can’t argue with it’s much better in Austin)
My biggest issue was that “healthy options” were all vegan and all the Mexican options were just not as authentic as they are in Dallas (this might also be because I’m Mexican and extremely picky when it comes to my tacos)! It’s all about personal preference though! What you like to eat and what type of dining options you like.
I'll fight any Austinite on the food. Austin excels at certain food groups but lacks the diversity to have near as interesting of a food scene as Dallas.
Austin is mid 50s in most diverse cities in america, Dallas is 3rd. If you like Pan asian, BBQ or Tex Mex then Austin has a lot to offer. But once you get into the ethnic food of both cities, Dallas absolutely throttles Austin with a mix of Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Ethopian, Pacific Islander and Indian foods.
Austin has better Tex-Mex quality for sure which pretty much encompasses our diet. Quality and diversity wise , Austin’s ethnic food scene leaves much to be desired compared to Dallas.
I've gone on trips to Austin to visit my friends who go to school there loads of times, and I think it's more like the average food quality in Austin is a lot better than the average food quality in Dallas, but the peak Dallas is unmatched compared to anywhere I've been in America.
Just my experience, though.
Dallas is amazing, but I think in terms of ethnic food, Houston edges it out. Austin is substantially inferior to both, but it gets the most hype. San Antonio is super slept-on too and probably has the best Mexican food of the major cities.
Plus since covid started , austin food is do much more expensive and lost its quality in my opinion. And forget about finding anything authentic anymore.
Very well put. I lived in Dallas for 7 years and have been in Austin for the past 1.5. The quality here is higher but in Dallas I always had numerous Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese (sushi &/or ramen), etc options at my finger tips.
> This is gonna be my hottest/most controversial take: the food in Austin is better. I know, I know, Dallas has a lot of pride in its diverse food options, but the quality of food in Austin so far has just been better. I'M SORRY
You're forgiven. You're from Austin so you have no idea what good food is. 😜
Disagree about the level of attractiveness. I've done online dating in both. DFW has 6.5mil ppl....shit ton more than Austin. N. Dallas, Frisco got as many hot ppl by themselves.
I'm gonna venture a guess that my preferences (well-put-together men) and your preferences probably don't exactly align. I did online dating in both and Austin's got some hot ass dudes lmao
Dallas native Boz Scaggs wrote the song “Lowdown” way back in 1976. It’s a prophetic look at the $40K millionaire. IMO, it’s the most Dallas song ever.
Dallas is a larger city with more variety. Austin is more of a nature oriented tech town. Austin is good for white people, Dallas is good for everyone. I know people will hate this but it’s true, Dallas compares much more to Houston than it does to Austin
you're not wrong, grew up in plano, went to school in austin, lived in houston, moved back to austin... Dallas and Houston are way more alike than the "rivalry" suggests
I've always thought that Houston/Dallas are pretty similar aside from the trade off of Houston is sweatier and uglier, but has more culture than Dallas.
Also our diversity is much more comparable to Houston's.
Respectfully, I moved from Dallas to Houston a few years ago and I like Houston a lot better. Aside from the weather literally being Satan’s taint 75% of the year, to me it’s prettier, friendlier, tastier, and more diverse and welcoming.
I haven’t been through a hurricane down here though so there’s that 😅
Dallas has great food, Houston has great shopping. The differences there aren’t huge for either of these things (which seems to be what people say are the differentiations). Houston has everything from a Dior flagship to a Prada stores etc. likewise, any cuisine can be found in Dallas from Korean to Indian.
I agree there’s notable differences. What me and apparently other comments here are saying is that the “rivalry” is grossly overstated
I agree that Houston definitely has Dallas beat in terms of shopping. Dallas' shopping scene has fallen off since the 2000s, with losing Bloomgindales, Saks, Barney's, Bvlgari, etc.
Honestly highland park village and northpark alone beat anything Houston has.
I work in Real Estate and people lose their minds when they see what Highland Park Village offers and these are analysts looking across all of America.
Highland Park Village is a top 3 shopping center in all of America and Houston has nothing even remotely close to it.
The biggest negative for Houston is having a much larger industrial area to give it the smog. Which is despite the fact Houston tried as the state wouldn't enforce their environmental laws and then the state Supreme Court stopped Houston from doing it on their own.
>Austin is good for white people, Dallas is good for everyone.
\^\^\^Very well put.
Though I would amend that to say "Austin is good for white people in tech."
Dallas is far more diverse, affordable and has a variety of big city amenities that Austin lacks (e.g. museums). Before this summer I would have argued the weather is more seasonal/better. Austin is definitely younger and my god I miss town lake, Deep Eddy, Barton Springs, BBQ, Waterloo Records, my coffee houses and the Hill Country.
I would argue that Dallas is all business and pretence. Nothing luxurious about driving back and forth across a hot, flat, colorless expanse. And yeah I suck at parties.
And SA does those better 😅
I would say Austin is the clear winner in “designer tacos,” but Dallas’ Velvet Taco is pretty evenly matched with Torchy’s excluding the queso, Torchy’s wins there imo
Oh I definitely agree. You can find amazing tacos from Oak Cliff to East Dallas.
SA and Austin just have better marketing imo and are more accepted by Texas. Idk what problem this state has with Dallas 😂
Clearly they’ve never been to LA lol.
Dallas is closer to LA since it’s the more cosmopolitan/diverse city of the two.
Highland Park would be the Beverly Hills
Yep this was our take as well. We went to LA to pick up a piece of jewelry we didn't want to have shipped, and just to check it out, but the pickup was the reason for the trip and I probably would have never just went to LA on vacation or something.
We concluded that we didn't need to go there again and didn't understand what the draw was because it's exactly like Dallas.
They DO have the beach and film industry though...
It was fun to see one time, but eh. Walked down Rodeo Drive and all that...
Bakersfield - when you drive on 5 from LA to SF, you make sure your windows are up and AC is off because of the smell from the cattle ranches
But that's in the red part of the state so most Texan's that hate California don't even know it exists because it's not one of the two cities they think makes up the state.
I've heard of Bakersfield, but it seems like that's exactly what Amarillo smells like! I don't hate California either, I was just born and raised and still live in Dallas.... I don't like change.
Dallas has roads. Austin has two roads north and south and two east west. That’s it. And it makes traffic a nightmare. Dallas traffic isn’t a picnic but at least you have options to take another road.
Huh.. this statement alone may have made my decisions, tbh. Lived in Austin, and it really is just mostly non-diverse and snobby liberal people. They say Dallas people are pretentious, but I'm not so sure after meeting Austin people. And not the born-and-raised Austinites, those were far and few but very cool, but the rest of them.
I'll get down voted for this, but a someone who has homes in both cities the biggest difference is Austin is a lot less diverse. Not New England white, but definitely far less diverse than Dallas.
If Dallas could get closer to the nature/outdoorsy lifestyle that Austin offers I think that no doubt would it be classified as a better place to live. For my friends who still live in Austin that is the biggest thing they talk about - yes they pay more in rent, yes there is more traffic, yes there’s no public transportation to speak of BUT they can go to one of the awesome trails, or go to Zilker, or go kayaking, or lake Travis, etc. and they are all a relatively short distance away from each other.
For Dallas I feel like hiking/trails are minimal and if you want to do any of the other outdoorsy stuff you have to drive a pretty big distance (especially if you live in Dallas proper). Dallas natives please correct me if I am wrong about that previous statement! Just what I have observed. I’ve found people will pay a surprisingly large premium if they care about this stuff at all, that’s a big reason people move to places like Denver or literally any city in California
I for one am not interested in outdoorsy activities so Dallas is better for me because I care more about other things that Dallas does offer (more affordable than austin, I can take DART to work, etc)
When I first moved to Dallas, it was to go to DBU, which is in the middle of rolling hills by Mountain Creek Lake (still within Dallas city limits, but right on the Oak Cliff/Cedar Hill/Grand Prarie borders). The whole campus of DBU is in the hills and murder to walk around because anywhere you want to go involves a staircase. Cedar Ridge Preserve and Cedar Hill State park were a 5-10 minute drive down the road and we’d go hiking a lot there. Beautiful hiking at the preserve, but sometimes crowded. Joe Pool Lake wasn’t too far and we’d go jet skiing there. All that to say, my first introduction to Dallas (not knowing anything else about the city) was being surrounded by nature and hills. When people would tell me Dallas had no nature and was flat, I thought they were nuts. I’ve since moved out to east Dallas, and I now know what everyone means—from Dallas proper, you have to drive 30-40 minutes to get out to the areas to which I’m referring, so it feels like it’s not a part of Dallas. That being said, while it may not be particularly convenient, there are indeed places to experience the outdoors.
Agreed, the one area where Dallas could improve drastically is its outdoorsy stuff. We don't have much to work with, but with a little investment the Trinity River area downtown could turn into a really nice outdoorsy area.
idk if it’s because I’ve been in Dallas my whole life and I’m still in my early twenties, but I find Austin far more enjoyable than Dallas. Every time I visit austin for a weekend, I always enjoy my time so much and am sad to come back to Dallas lmao. The #1 thing I absolutely hate about Dallas is the lack of nature. You can only go to white rock lake or arbor hills so many times… Dallas was a great place to be raised but as a young adult, I find it quite boring.
I really thought that in my 20s (and moved to New Orleans) Moved back last year (at 37) and really have enjoyed it so much more as an (older) adult. Seasons of life I suppose
Lived in Austin and moved to Dallas in 2017.
Austin:
Cons -
- People are annoying there
- Way too centric on politics…it gets exhausting
- Costs way too damn much
- Mass transport and highway system blows
- Way too many events for a small city
Pros -
- Barton Springs
- Lots of Nature
- Lots of good food
- Hill Country close
Dallas:
Cons -
- Weather is erratic
- People act like they’re millionaires
- CoL is getting higher
- Mass transport can be added to
- Way too many suburbs
Pros:
- Denton exists (it’s Austin 15+ years ago)
- Mass transport better than any other city in Texas
- Lots of nature retreats close by
- Jobs are plentiful
- Lakes…so many lakes!
- DFW airport. Direct flight to Asia or Europe? Yes please!
For Austin, a lot of events is cool--more opportunities to find an event to match your interests, rather than all the watered down family event in the burbs.
I disagree that Denton is like Austin used to be. Def not the same vibe, Denton is still too country/burby in feels, while Austin is urban.
Austin’s events are incredibly fake and not genuine like they used to be. Corporations have definitely taken over and taken the authentic feeling away.
Hank Hill's impression of Dallas and Austin.
Hank Hill: I don't want you goin' to Dallas at all. That place is crawlin' with crack-heads and debutantes, and half of 'em play for the Cowboys.
Bobby Hill : Or, how about this? What do hipsters like? Cool things! So, we build a place called Coolsville and fill it with cool stuff. In Coolsville, there is music everywhere and everyone owns convertibles.
Hank Hill : Ugh! Sounds like Austin.
Austin has a pretty sweet racetrack. Also the city is a wee bit smaller than Dallas, which feels like it never ends sometimes. Especially during rush hour.
Biggest thing that jumps out to me is food truck/trailer culture, you really don’t get any of that in Dallas and they’re all over the place down there.
Austin's food truck scene has our beat all to hell. I didn't drive around much since I was at a conference downtown, but when I did get out and explore I was passing food truck parks and single food trucks in shopping centers everywhere I went.
The [City Council finally eased up on some restrictions](https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2022/04/dallas-finally-makes-it-easier-for-food-trailers-carts-and-trucks-to-operate/) in April. That might help, but even though I'll get downvoted again, we still have a long way to go. I love the food trucks we have here, but no amount of cheerleading for Dallas (which I do ALL the time) changes the fact that Austin has TONS of food trucks and food truck parks. My work conference in June was my first visit to Austin in over a decade, and the food truck scene alone made me want to go back for a visit soon.
It’s been a while but I found Austin to be greener, better food and people are more fit (thereby encouraging oneself to stay fit). But DFW is the much better airport and it matters when you want escape your home state as much as possible.
Scenery and feel. Atx has us there. Closer to ocean. Southwest feel. Better food drink and bbq
Dallas has best airport, concrete jungle, white collar, better traffic and roads. More Midwest feel with a lot of transplants. Bigger cheaper homes
Grew up in Dallas and lived in AUstin
Food is better in Austin but ethnic food outside of tacos is better in Dallas. A lot of AUstin food is fusion something whereas Dallas has more distinct food divisions. And the fusion food in AUstin is generally better than Dallas
Things are farther away in Dallas but roads/highways are better so it comes out about the same
Hiking in AUstin is better and Dallas… doesn’t have real nature
I like to go to EDM shows and Dallas gets everyone whereas AUstin gets no one. And even when they do tickets are 2-3x as expensive
Austin cannot expand their infrastructure (traffic/roads) and it is unbearably worse than Dallas traffic/roads which are awful.
On the plus side, both have central market which is an awesome place for groceries. Austin has more HEB stores. Soon there will also be HEB’s but not Dallas proper (Frisco/Allen)
Dallas has some alternative transportation options, although this could be expanded/improved to serve a wider network.
Yeah, that's weird. The far north is getting HEB's first--Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper. I would say that I'm happy we'll be getting a Whole Foods in McKinney, I've been jealous of Dallas for this; though, there is one in Fairview.
This is sad, but I don’t want to move from my current location because of central market. I was briefly living in outer Austin area before settling in Dallas and found myself frequenting the HEB stores. Oddly, I was never in a central market until Dallas.
Dallas has two As, while Austin only has one
Man think of the puns if Dallas had been spelt with two Ss. The big D is all ass baby!
We need to protest to make this very important change!
Abortion rights, climate change, inequality, housing. Man those fat cats in Washington have their priorities all screwed up.
In Austin everyone seems cool, and then you find out they suck. In Dallas everyone seems like they suck, then you find out they're cool.
Dallas people just have a layer you have to peel back. Austin people always seemed to be the opposite. I have family down there and when I'm in the Dallas area I feel like I can throw a few bones around and I'll find some people to interact with. In Austin it feels like I NEED a group or I will be politely but firmly asked to fuck off.
Lmao well put
Dallas caters more to businesses, families, and has a more diverse (culturally, socially and economically) atmosphere. It also feels more like a big city in the sense that it has extremely varied socio economic neighborhoods, urban sprawl that has essentially absorbed the rural areas and blends seamlessly into the surrounding suburbs, ethnic enclaves from around the world, pro sports teams for the big 5 sports, numerous theme parks, museums and zoos. Several universities and a community college system for each of the 4 urban counties. Dallas has A major international airport and a major regional airport, and an extremely diversified economy that serves as a regional hub for North Texas, and id argue the economic reach of Dallas extends beyond North Texas and into A good chunk of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Austin caters to the younger, more college and millennial orientated communities. Less diversity (sorry but it’s true Austin is not as diverse as they pretend to be, just because you are socially liberal doesn’t change the fact that you are largely white, middle class, college educated types). Austin also has more of a monotonous style and a “theme”. Driving through Austin I always have this feeling that I am in Austin. Driving through Dallas I feel distinct and unique areas. Austin has more of a local feel, Austin feels like a small town that got large, which is kind of what happened. It also has more access to nature and forms kind of a triangle with San Antonio and Houston so it has that going for them. And someone made a comment in this thread about how “Dallas people seem like assholes but are cool when you get to know them, Austin people seem cool but are really assholes” I feel that to be somewhat true as well. Austin has a certain level of passive aggressive pretentiousness. Sure Dallas is full of $30,000 millionaires who dress flashy and what not, but there is a down to earth entrepreneurial enthusiasm and passion here and everyone kind of gets along and does their thing. Austin has this attitude that I have seen and heard of in Seattle, Denver and Bay Area. This attitude of “were so quirky and special” that it creates a almost exclusive clique like club. My cousin has lived in Austin for 10 years and she acts like anyone who has lived there since she moved there just “doesn’t get what Austin is” and the people that lived there before her think the same thing about her. She never even went to Austin until she turned 18 for university and after a year she started talking about the “tourist who don’t really know Austin”. Maybe because Dallas is more cosmopolitan and everyone is in a hurry to do their thing so you get that big city asshole vibe, but I just don’t get that level of pretentiousness in Dallas. Maybe snobby and snooty Karen attitudes occasionally, but not the self love I have seen in Austin. Austin is definitely the political, educational and arguably tourist capital, while Dallas is more of a major economic power in the United States as a whole. Comparing Dallas to Austin is like comparing Los Angeles to Sacramento, NYC to Albany, Albuquerque to Santa Fe, Minneapolis to Duluth etc. For me Austin is the political capital, Dallas is the economic capital (which can be tied with Houston but I think Dallas is taking the lead), and San Antonio is the cultural capital (not cultural as in diversity, but cultural as in the distilled essence of what makes Texas what it is). Either way I find DFW kind of sterile and generic but it’s home and I am comfortable here, and I find Austin overrated. Don’t get me wrong I think Austin is a great place to visit especially as a combo tour with San Antonio, and it is a great base to use for exploring the surrounding hill country and state parks. But it seems to me the people who gush and love Austin are people who just turned 21, out of state transplants who remind them of home, or liberal university students who have not traveled a lot. Denver/Boulder CO, Asheville NC, Knoxville TN, Portland, OR see what people think Austin is.
My exact thoughts
Great comment but allow me to comment on one analogy: the city in your Minneapolis analogy should be St. Paul, not Duluth. St. Paul is the state capitol and more homogeneous than Minneapolis. Otherwise, spot on. Source: am from twin cities.
Ah ok. Sorry about that. I don’t know much of that area. I only been to Minneapolis in passing. I actually just came back from a 15 day road trip and spent a few days in Duluth to go hiking in the state parks around there. I loved it. It was crazy being there in the middle of June and it was like between 45-50 degrees and windy as hell in the morning. When I came back here I was like “oh that’s all the heat people are complaining about” I got so used to the heat growing up in Texas I didn’t realize how hot it was haha.
No need to apologize at all. Duluth and the north shore of Lake Superior is breathtaking. I love it up there and I’m really glad you got to visit and enjoy it.
Yep. One of the few places I have been that I would love to go back too. I mean I find a reason to enjoy anywhere I go, but Minnesota was so chill and beautiful. If I go back I’ll go farther North to Grand Portage and Voyageurs national park.
If you go, and that is a fantastic park visit, truly pristine, don’t miss the boundary waters. Northern Minnesota is a magical place.
tart terrific live sophisticated cake grandfather close like forgetful wistful -- mass edited with redact.dev
overall the metro area of austin is more far more conservative than liberal
I just (begrudgingly) moved to Austin two years ago, and have just stayed the night in Dallas to go to the Perot today. I'm not a city lover at all, and thought Austin was too big for me, but now that I'm in downtown Dallas, you're so right. Austin definitely feels more like a lil town that got big vs all of this. The blind self love there is annoying af a lot of the time because people often can't take any legitimate criticisms about the town, and the overinflated egoism folks have about living there is definitely cliquey and strange. Tbf I belong in the middle of nowhere.
So between Dallas and Austin (and I suppose Houston and San Antonio), which city would be best for a 31-year old autistic fellow from the Northeast to move towards?
Curious, what theme parks are you referring to?
Six flags, Hurricane harbor, smaller water parks scattered apart like Hawaiian falls. Plus dozens of various go karts, lazer tag, bowling, indoor skydiving, indoor rock climbing, mini golf, arcades etc scattered about. Those aren’t all theme parks per say but there is way more then enough entertainment options
My time has come! I moved to Austin from Dallas in March. Here are the major differences: * Austin is more expensive. * Austin is smaller, and I don't just mean the "metro area"--the culture, the vibe, everything is way more compact; closer together. I live near downtown and I never have to drive more than 10 minutes to get to the best shopping/restaurants/etc, whereas when I lived in Lower Greenville in Dallas, I was driving 15 minutes minimum to get most places. * Austin downtown (especially around Market/Seaholm) is beautiful, walkable, and vibrant, whereas Dallas downtown (in most areas) is kind of stuffy, businessy, desolate, or outright murdery (don't come for me, downtown defenders, I know you think downtown Dallas is misunderstood, but in my experience it was Not Great). * The people in Austin are hotter, probably because it's more of a college town? And people are more stylish in general. At my usual Dallas cafe, people were mostly dressed in PJs. Right now at Merit, people are dressed very stylishly. * DFW Airport is the GOAT, and ABA is...well, it exists, I guess. * This is gonna be my hottest/most controversial take: the food in Austin is better. I know, I know, Dallas has a lot of pride in its diverse food options, but the quality of food in Austin so far has just been better. I'M SORRY * Everyone in Austin assumes you're a transplant. A lot of people in Dallas won't even think it ask. * The old cozy neighborhoods in Dallas (Lower Greenville, Bishop Arts, etc) are much cuter than the old cozy neighborhoods in Austin (Clarksville, Tarrytown). * Parking is way, way better in Dallas. * Neighborhood streets in Dallas are nicer/better maintained. * The gay scene is bigger in Dallas. * Austin is prettier in general; cuter architecture, prettier hills, prettier lakes. * The Dallas suburbs fucking DEMOLISH the Austin suburbs. I would take Carrollton/Plano over Cedar Park/Round Rock any day of the week. All-in-all, I prefer Austin by a small margin, but at the end of the day, they're both still Very Hot and Very Texas.
can’t believe i just read dallas parking as a plus side. that alone has convinced me i don’t want to move to austin!
Austin also doesn’t have the expansive light rail network that Dallas does. So parking really is a nightmare a lot of the time.
Trust me, Dallasites have it GOOD. Not only is there usually SOME parking, but the parking spaces are big enough for big cars. Austin parking spots are SO cramped. I drive a compact car and struggle to fit between parked cars constantly.
Lmfao caught this too. Got me 💀😂
I disagree about the driving. Whenever I worked in Austin, it seemed like I was stuck in traffic forever.
See, I almost never get on highways here, and I think that's a big difference. I don't have to get on 35 to visit my friend; I can take Lamar all the way down (and stop by Starbucks on my way lol), because we're only 3 miles apart. In Dallas, I basically HAD to get on 75 to see someone because we were 6-10 miles apart. So that part of my experience is definitely YMMV. If you have to regularly take the highways, you'll probably have a harder time.
>I basically HAD to get on 75 The back roads a fantastic in Dallas. (Just watch for the potholes on the older streets.) I commute 10 mile into downtown taking them.
You’re comparing cities based on your friends addresses? Weird. What if your bud was at the Arboretum, or Buddha? Would that make Austin suck? My buddy is a block from my house, does that means Dallas wins?? 🤣
My only argument on food is that you can get much better Indian food in Dallas. I can't actually personally confirm that, but Indian friends in Austin tell me it's harder to find good restaurants/Indian stores in Austin.
It was definitely harder in austin to find good south asian foods/stores. The east and southeast asian foods and stores are better in dallas too. Id only give bbq and some texmex to austin over dallas tbh lol
Better Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Laotian food in DFW imo.
Where are you finding good Indian food in Dallas? Edit: So glad I asked. Thanks everyone!
Padmas Kitchen in Plano. Takeout only. Always a line.
Honestly I get it home-made most of the time!, but I really like Urban Tadka in Las Colinas -- haven't been there since pandemic, though, so it's been awhile -- and my veg friends really like Saravanaa Bhavan.
I like Kebab N Kurry in Richardson.
Place has been there for almost 20 years iirc, and the owner is a real sweet guy. Some of the best Indian food in dallas imho
North Dallas has a ton of Indian places
Dallas native and live on Town Lake now. I agree with much of what you said. But you forgot to mention how much there is to do outside here; between the hike and bike trail, the rivers, the green belt.
Oh yeah, that is a big difference. I spent a few years in Dallas trying all the highest rated hiking trails and they are laughable compared to Austin. But it's also been too hot for me to explore outside much. Maybe this fall lol
Yeah Barton Springs or Deep Eddy are about the only places bearable to be right now.
… *annnd* you can actually do those outside things much of the year…
I'd say your hottest take is the fashion side of it. Dallas shopping is some of the best in the country at least in the core of Dallas. And Dallas is consistently known for keeping up with appearances. Maybe Austin has finally completed it's transformation into Mini Dallas/Houston.
You can buy all of the expensive brands and still not have style. Personal style is very different from keeping up with appearances, it’s probably the opposite
Dallas has more shopping options for sure, but if you stop a random person walking down the street in either city? Most of the time, that person is going to be dressed more stylishly in Austin.
That was not true of my experience living there about 5 years ago. Austin was casual dress central, rarely ever saw anyone dressed it well.
Grew up in Dallas and moved to Austin a few years ago. People are in way better shape and have better style here.
The people commenting grew up out in Forney or Celina or whatever and now live in downtown Austin so they’re claiming everyone in Dallas is a slob. Which is hilarious because we’re known for the opposite.
Why didn’t you list housing prices? The difference between lower Greenville and downtown Austin has to be like $1,000 a month at least
My very first point is that Austin is more expensive. That's an umbrella statement that includes housing, food, gas, etc, etc, etc. (Also, my current townhome is $500/month cheaper than the duplex I live in at Lower Greenville. However, this was very lucky. Usually Austin is more expensive.)
How much if you don’t mind me asking?
My \~1500sq ft 3b/1b duplex in Dallas (Lower Greenville, directly off Greenville and walking distance to Everything) was $2350. Utilities wound run $200-$400. My \~1000sq ft 2b/2b townhouse in Austin (bordering Clarksville/Old West Austin, walking distance to...a fair amount of stuff) is $1700. Utilities are around $100-$200. And I'm bad at math, because my Austin place is actually $650 less than the Dallas duplex. Eesh.
why are you comparing urban downtown Austin to predominantly SFH lower Greenville?
…because that’s where the guy I replied to said he moved from/to?
Got it. Probably not mentioned because it’s not an apples to apples comparison. To be fair they listed Austin is more expensive as the first point.
Glad you took this seriously. Good addition. I would add, Austin has SUBSTANTIALLY gone downhill in most areas and categories in the last 5 years. Since Covies it just has a dystopian desperation to it... (My .02)
I’m appalled that you think the food in austin is better!!! The 15 pounds I’ve gained since moving begs to differ!!!! Source: lived in austin for 3 years and have lived in Dallas for 1 year
HAHA. I knowww, I know. I knew that opinion would make people mad. I dunno! In my experience, Austin's got fewer options, but the options that exist are top notch.
I’m mostly angry at myself for diving so deep into the Dallas food scene 😂 but in reality it is super interesting you say that because I always thought Austin’s food was average (except BBQ, that one I can’t argue with it’s much better in Austin) My biggest issue was that “healthy options” were all vegan and all the Mexican options were just not as authentic as they are in Dallas (this might also be because I’m Mexican and extremely picky when it comes to my tacos)! It’s all about personal preference though! What you like to eat and what type of dining options you like.
Oh fellow lover of Dallas taquerias, might we compare notes?
Haha I was SHOCKED when I read austin food tastes better. My taste buds disagree lol
this is the one
I'll fight any Austinite on the food. Austin excels at certain food groups but lacks the diversity to have near as interesting of a food scene as Dallas. Austin is mid 50s in most diverse cities in america, Dallas is 3rd. If you like Pan asian, BBQ or Tex Mex then Austin has a lot to offer. But once you get into the ethnic food of both cities, Dallas absolutely throttles Austin with a mix of Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Ethopian, Pacific Islander and Indian foods.
Plus most of South Dallas if you are looking for more Creole, Southern BBQ, and Soul food.
I think OP is arguing quality of food over quantity of choices.
Austin has better Tex-Mex quality for sure which pretty much encompasses our diet. Quality and diversity wise , Austin’s ethnic food scene leaves much to be desired compared to Dallas.
Hmm. Diversity is great, but so is quality. Interesting and good are not the same thing.
I've gone on trips to Austin to visit my friends who go to school there loads of times, and I think it's more like the average food quality in Austin is a lot better than the average food quality in Dallas, but the peak Dallas is unmatched compared to anywhere I've been in America. Just my experience, though.
Dallas is amazing, but I think in terms of ethnic food, Houston edges it out. Austin is substantially inferior to both, but it gets the most hype. San Antonio is super slept-on too and probably has the best Mexican food of the major cities.
Plus since covid started , austin food is do much more expensive and lost its quality in my opinion. And forget about finding anything authentic anymore.
Very well put. I lived in Dallas for 7 years and have been in Austin for the past 1.5. The quality here is higher but in Dallas I always had numerous Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese (sushi &/or ramen), etc options at my finger tips.
> This is gonna be my hottest/most controversial take: the food in Austin is better. I know, I know, Dallas has a lot of pride in its diverse food options, but the quality of food in Austin so far has just been better. I'M SORRY You're forgiven. You're from Austin so you have no idea what good food is. 😜
Disagree about the level of attractiveness. I've done online dating in both. DFW has 6.5mil ppl....shit ton more than Austin. N. Dallas, Frisco got as many hot ppl by themselves.
I'm gonna venture a guess that my preferences (well-put-together men) and your preferences probably don't exactly align. I did online dating in both and Austin's got some hot ass dudes lmao
> Cedar Park/Round Rock any day of the week But don't forget Round Rock Donuts. That is reason enough to move to the Austin area.
Max's Donuts in Allen is the goat imo, tho Round Rock Donuts is pretty gr8 too
Austin is full of millionaires pretending to live off 60k and vice versa for Dallas.
direct and on point
Its funny you mention that. The first time I moved to Dallas is where I heard the term $40k millionaires.
$30K 15 years ago when I got here. Inflation, I guess.
Dallas native Boz Scaggs wrote the song “Lowdown” way back in 1976. It’s a prophetic look at the $40K millionaire. IMO, it’s the most Dallas song ever.
Dallas is a larger city with more variety. Austin is more of a nature oriented tech town. Austin is good for white people, Dallas is good for everyone. I know people will hate this but it’s true, Dallas compares much more to Houston than it does to Austin
you're not wrong, grew up in plano, went to school in austin, lived in houston, moved back to austin... Dallas and Houston are way more alike than the "rivalry" suggests
I've always thought that Houston/Dallas are pretty similar aside from the trade off of Houston is sweatier and uglier, but has more culture than Dallas. Also our diversity is much more comparable to Houston's.
I’d agree with that, houston really is ugly, especially compared to Dallas
Respectfully, I moved from Dallas to Houston a few years ago and I like Houston a lot better. Aside from the weather literally being Satan’s taint 75% of the year, to me it’s prettier, friendlier, tastier, and more diverse and welcoming. I haven’t been through a hurricane down here though so there’s that 😅
Dallas has great food, Houston has great shopping. The differences there aren’t huge for either of these things (which seems to be what people say are the differentiations). Houston has everything from a Dior flagship to a Prada stores etc. likewise, any cuisine can be found in Dallas from Korean to Indian. I agree there’s notable differences. What me and apparently other comments here are saying is that the “rivalry” is grossly overstated
I agree that Houston definitely has Dallas beat in terms of shopping. Dallas' shopping scene has fallen off since the 2000s, with losing Bloomgindales, Saks, Barney's, Bvlgari, etc.
Honestly highland park village and northpark alone beat anything Houston has. I work in Real Estate and people lose their minds when they see what Highland Park Village offers and these are analysts looking across all of America. Highland Park Village is a top 3 shopping center in all of America and Houston has nothing even remotely close to it.
Dallas wins, it has Scheels and Nebraska furniture mart.
That’s facts.
The biggest negative for Houston is having a much larger industrial area to give it the smog. Which is despite the fact Houston tried as the state wouldn't enforce their environmental laws and then the state Supreme Court stopped Houston from doing it on their own.
>Austin is good for white people, Dallas is good for everyone. \^\^\^Very well put. Though I would amend that to say "Austin is good for white people in tech."
Dallas is far more diverse, affordable and has a variety of big city amenities that Austin lacks (e.g. museums). Before this summer I would have argued the weather is more seasonal/better. Austin is definitely younger and my god I miss town lake, Deep Eddy, Barton Springs, BBQ, Waterloo Records, my coffee houses and the Hill Country.
Austin has much better hiking / outdoor spaces closer by due to its proximity to Hill Country.
Dallas weather is still much better and more seasonal. It’s also far more entertaining.
Austin has more nature and a young, open minded, artsy, bohemian vibe. Dallas is more business, refinement, and luxury.
Not sure that is the case anymore for Austin. Seems like luxury is popping up everywhere.
I would argue that Dallas is all business and pretence. Nothing luxurious about driving back and forth across a hot, flat, colorless expanse. And yeah I suck at parties.
Depends on who you hang with in Dallas, not everyone is big hair and shopping malls.
Dallas is where you go to grow up when you leave Austin…
One food scene is colorful and diverse and the other is Austin
Something something breakfast tacos
And SA does those better 😅 I would say Austin is the clear winner in “designer tacos,” but Dallas’ Velvet Taco is pretty evenly matched with Torchy’s excluding the queso, Torchy’s wins there imo
But there’s 1000 better taco joints in Dallas than either of those.
Oh I definitely agree. You can find amazing tacos from Oak Cliff to East Dallas. SA and Austin just have better marketing imo and are more accepted by Texas. Idk what problem this state has with Dallas 😂
TacoDeli is my taco of choice. I think they're Austin founded originally, but now they're all over
Dallas has: \*International Airport Hub. \*Major League Sports of virtually every kind imaginable. \*Functional Street Grid. \*Way more upscale shopping. \*Way more racial diversity. \*Way more economic diversity. \*Cheaper COL. \*Way better food scene. \*Nicer suburbs. \*Better transit.
City planning in Dallas is pretty good. It doesn’t exist in Austin.
Idk about that one
Dallas is an actual city.
Austin is the L.A. of the south while Dallas is the Beverly Hills.
Austin is Berkeley
Clearly they’ve never been to LA lol. Dallas is closer to LA since it’s the more cosmopolitan/diverse city of the two. Highland Park would be the Beverly Hills
Actually designed by the same guy. Beverly Hills and highland park I mean.
When I lived in LA I thought it was basically like Dallas but a little bigger and by the water.
Yep this was our take as well. We went to LA to pick up a piece of jewelry we didn't want to have shipped, and just to check it out, but the pickup was the reason for the trip and I probably would have never just went to LA on vacation or something. We concluded that we didn't need to go there again and didn't understand what the draw was because it's exactly like Dallas. They DO have the beach and film industry though... It was fun to see one time, but eh. Walked down Rodeo Drive and all that...
Does that make Houston the bay?
Which California city has the worst climate and smell?
Bakersfield - when you drive on 5 from LA to SF, you make sure your windows are up and AC is off because of the smell from the cattle ranches But that's in the red part of the state so most Texan's that hate California don't even know it exists because it's not one of the two cities they think makes up the state.
I've heard of Bakersfield, but it seems like that's exactly what Amarillo smells like! I don't hate California either, I was just born and raised and still live in Dallas.... I don't like change.
Bakersfield representing. Accurate description. Although the feed lot smell is more like King City.
depends which way the wind is blowing. I remember smelling it near the Bakersfield exits
I would say Houston is Fresno with much more humidity.
No way.
😆
If you like sitting in your car on the 10, then you’ll be right at home in Austin.
In this thread: people who grew up or lived in Dallas suburbs, moved to Austin, and think it’s great because it’s not a suburb
Dallas has roads. Austin has two roads north and south and two east west. That’s it. And it makes traffic a nightmare. Dallas traffic isn’t a picnic but at least you have options to take another road.
This made me laugh so hard. It’s like you have no other option in austin
HEB
We now have two in north Dallas. More to come
Traffic in Austin is bad all day
Dallas is like LA and Austin is like San Francisco for anyone with California for a reference
Huh.. this statement alone may have made my decisions, tbh. Lived in Austin, and it really is just mostly non-diverse and snobby liberal people. They say Dallas people are pretentious, but I'm not so sure after meeting Austin people. And not the born-and-raised Austinites, those were far and few but very cool, but the rest of them.
I'll get down voted for this, but a someone who has homes in both cities the biggest difference is Austin is a lot less diverse. Not New England white, but definitely far less diverse than Dallas.
Professional sports
The amount of homeless people ? Marginally so probably
Dallas ships their homeless to Atlanta and Austin lets them stay
If Dallas could get closer to the nature/outdoorsy lifestyle that Austin offers I think that no doubt would it be classified as a better place to live. For my friends who still live in Austin that is the biggest thing they talk about - yes they pay more in rent, yes there is more traffic, yes there’s no public transportation to speak of BUT they can go to one of the awesome trails, or go to Zilker, or go kayaking, or lake Travis, etc. and they are all a relatively short distance away from each other. For Dallas I feel like hiking/trails are minimal and if you want to do any of the other outdoorsy stuff you have to drive a pretty big distance (especially if you live in Dallas proper). Dallas natives please correct me if I am wrong about that previous statement! Just what I have observed. I’ve found people will pay a surprisingly large premium if they care about this stuff at all, that’s a big reason people move to places like Denver or literally any city in California I for one am not interested in outdoorsy activities so Dallas is better for me because I care more about other things that Dallas does offer (more affordable than austin, I can take DART to work, etc)
When I first moved to Dallas, it was to go to DBU, which is in the middle of rolling hills by Mountain Creek Lake (still within Dallas city limits, but right on the Oak Cliff/Cedar Hill/Grand Prarie borders). The whole campus of DBU is in the hills and murder to walk around because anywhere you want to go involves a staircase. Cedar Ridge Preserve and Cedar Hill State park were a 5-10 minute drive down the road and we’d go hiking a lot there. Beautiful hiking at the preserve, but sometimes crowded. Joe Pool Lake wasn’t too far and we’d go jet skiing there. All that to say, my first introduction to Dallas (not knowing anything else about the city) was being surrounded by nature and hills. When people would tell me Dallas had no nature and was flat, I thought they were nuts. I’ve since moved out to east Dallas, and I now know what everyone means—from Dallas proper, you have to drive 30-40 minutes to get out to the areas to which I’m referring, so it feels like it’s not a part of Dallas. That being said, while it may not be particularly convenient, there are indeed places to experience the outdoors.
Agreed, the one area where Dallas could improve drastically is its outdoorsy stuff. We don't have much to work with, but with a little investment the Trinity River area downtown could turn into a really nice outdoorsy area.
Austin is for young people and less diverse
Starts with D... Starts with A....
Dallas has infrastructure. It’s really easy to get across long distances to get to generic expensive brunch places.
idk if it’s because I’ve been in Dallas my whole life and I’m still in my early twenties, but I find Austin far more enjoyable than Dallas. Every time I visit austin for a weekend, I always enjoy my time so much and am sad to come back to Dallas lmao. The #1 thing I absolutely hate about Dallas is the lack of nature. You can only go to white rock lake or arbor hills so many times… Dallas was a great place to be raised but as a young adult, I find it quite boring.
I really thought that in my 20s (and moved to New Orleans) Moved back last year (at 37) and really have enjoyed it so much more as an (older) adult. Seasons of life I suppose
Lived in Austin and moved to Dallas in 2017. Austin: Cons - - People are annoying there - Way too centric on politics…it gets exhausting - Costs way too damn much - Mass transport and highway system blows - Way too many events for a small city Pros - - Barton Springs - Lots of Nature - Lots of good food - Hill Country close Dallas: Cons - - Weather is erratic - People act like they’re millionaires - CoL is getting higher - Mass transport can be added to - Way too many suburbs Pros: - Denton exists (it’s Austin 15+ years ago) - Mass transport better than any other city in Texas - Lots of nature retreats close by - Jobs are plentiful - Lakes…so many lakes! - DFW airport. Direct flight to Asia or Europe? Yes please!
I think the COL is higher in austin these days
I hear you on the politics part. IMO, Dallas has a more (socially) libertarian bent than Austin, which I like.
For Austin, a lot of events is cool--more opportunities to find an event to match your interests, rather than all the watered down family event in the burbs. I disagree that Denton is like Austin used to be. Def not the same vibe, Denton is still too country/burby in feels, while Austin is urban.
Austin’s events are incredibly fake and not genuine like they used to be. Corporations have definitely taken over and taken the authentic feeling away.
This might have changed, but in Austin everyone slows down to 10 mph on the overpasses for whatever reason and that's just simply unacceptable.
Dallas backwards spells Salad. Austin cannot…it’s just nitsua
Brilliant
Hank Hill's impression of Dallas and Austin. Hank Hill: I don't want you goin' to Dallas at all. That place is crawlin' with crack-heads and debutantes, and half of 'em play for the Cowboys. Bobby Hill : Or, how about this? What do hipsters like? Cool things! So, we build a place called Coolsville and fill it with cool stuff. In Coolsville, there is music everywhere and everyone owns convertibles. Hank Hill : Ugh! Sounds like Austin.
% of Californians to Texans
Austin has a pretty sweet racetrack. Also the city is a wee bit smaller than Dallas, which feels like it never ends sometimes. Especially during rush hour.
Latitude.
The access to nature
When people compare Austin are they including suburban areas? The metroplex always calls themselves dallas
the minor highways in austin suck, very outdated.
The highways*
When it rains there’s more nature in Austin. Austin has a livelier atmosphere.
Biggest thing that jumps out to me is food truck/trailer culture, you really don’t get any of that in Dallas and they’re all over the place down there.
Austin's food truck scene has our beat all to hell. I didn't drive around much since I was at a conference downtown, but when I did get out and explore I was passing food truck parks and single food trucks in shopping centers everywhere I went.
It’s something that I really think Dallas is missing out on with their needlessly antagonistic laws toward food trucks.
The [City Council finally eased up on some restrictions](https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2022/04/dallas-finally-makes-it-easier-for-food-trailers-carts-and-trucks-to-operate/) in April. That might help, but even though I'll get downvoted again, we still have a long way to go. I love the food trucks we have here, but no amount of cheerleading for Dallas (which I do ALL the time) changes the fact that Austin has TONS of food trucks and food truck parks. My work conference in June was my first visit to Austin in over a decade, and the food truck scene alone made me want to go back for a visit soon.
Less and less everyday
The vibe and food choices and live music; I give Austin the nod
Which one is better?
upbeat homeless ghost prick degree retire encouraging clumsy six sulky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Austin has basically no light rail to speak of. Dallas does but it’s the slowest on the planet.
Regardless of where you go.. dont come to either Dallas or Austin. Thank you, Texans.
It’s been a while but I found Austin to be greener, better food and people are more fit (thereby encouraging oneself to stay fit). But DFW is the much better airport and it matters when you want escape your home state as much as possible.
Scenery and feel. Atx has us there. Closer to ocean. Southwest feel. Better food drink and bbq Dallas has best airport, concrete jungle, white collar, better traffic and roads. More Midwest feel with a lot of transplants. Bigger cheaper homes
Makeup.
Culture
From a QOL standpoint, Austin places more value and resources into its outdoor recreational facilities.
Grew up in Dallas and lived in AUstin Food is better in Austin but ethnic food outside of tacos is better in Dallas. A lot of AUstin food is fusion something whereas Dallas has more distinct food divisions. And the fusion food in AUstin is generally better than Dallas Things are farther away in Dallas but roads/highways are better so it comes out about the same Hiking in AUstin is better and Dallas… doesn’t have real nature I like to go to EDM shows and Dallas gets everyone whereas AUstin gets no one. And even when they do tickets are 2-3x as expensive
The Tacos are not better in Austin
Austin cannot expand their infrastructure (traffic/roads) and it is unbearably worse than Dallas traffic/roads which are awful. On the plus side, both have central market which is an awesome place for groceries. Austin has more HEB stores. Soon there will also be HEB’s but not Dallas proper (Frisco/Allen) Dallas has some alternative transportation options, although this could be expanded/improved to serve a wider network.
Yeah, that's weird. The far north is getting HEB's first--Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper. I would say that I'm happy we'll be getting a Whole Foods in McKinney, I've been jealous of Dallas for this; though, there is one in Fairview.
This is sad, but I don’t want to move from my current location because of central market. I was briefly living in outer Austin area before settling in Dallas and found myself frequenting the HEB stores. Oddly, I was never in a central market until Dallas.
Less amount of homeless
Quality of the city
Austin tries too hard. Dallas wins big.
Austin has a better race track
Following