I went to Austin yesterday, & many things I saw there I found disturbing.

1) A car bumper with the stickers, FREE NATALIE, & another read Keep Austin Weird.

2) We had a waiter that told us the brownie desert's chocolate was to die for.

3) My niece had some derogatory/graphic stickers on her notebooks directed at the president, when we picked her up from school.

So what is the personality of Austin like. Every city has a personality, so I would be interested to see if my 1st impression is accurate.

Yes it is accurate. Austin is fun to get drunk in, but the political climate sucks. All of the tech industry there drew a lot of people in from California, but the gears are changing and a lot of the tech is moving to Dallas. In Dallas we don't have anybody from California except for one guy and that is LT. We're a little more strict about who we let move in up here. [:)]

Austin is alot of the "coffee shop philosopher" type crowd, and lots of yuppie pretty boys who like to pay $4 for a beer and drive Lexus SUVs...those kinds of people.

There is some interesting culture and stuff in the city though.

Personally, I liked it 100 mi. South in San Antonio....San Antonio, what a city!

In fact, San Antonio was probably my favorite city I've been to in North America.  If I had to move somewhere, I would move to San Anton.

-Nick Viejo.

I spent an average of 2 weekends a month for 13 years going to Austin...It is full of diversity.

It truly is an original piece of work.

Like everywhere else it has its ups n downs.

Traffic does SUCK...Big time....

REminds me of NYC as a child.  I grew up going into the city all the time and to this day..I havent seen it all, or been to places I would ,like to go....

I do agree with the YUppie Lexus my shot doesnt stink bullshit....to many of them

Who the hell is Natalie?

Austin is a unique place to live, that's for sure.   Keep Austin Weird has me conflicted.  I hate those hippie liberal whiney WIERDOS, but the sticker always makes me chuckle.  I bet people from out of state get a laugh at it, too.

Traffic does suck.  I avoid IH35 like the plague.  I did field service for two years, logged about 50,000 miles.  Got on 35 maybe 5 times.  

Rules For Living in Austin:

1. First, it's pronounced AWS-TUN. It doesn't matter how they say it in
other places.

2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. Austin has it's own set
of traffic rules. There's no book about them. All you can do is get in your
car and hope you survive to learn them.

3. All directions start with "Go down Mopac...'cause you don't want to get
on 35."

4. Burnet, Braker, and Lamar have no beginning and no end.

5. It's impossible to go around a block and wind up on the same street that
you started on. The Chamber of Commerce calls this a "scenic drive"

6. The 8:00 am rush hour is from 6:30am to 9:30am. The 5:00pm rush hour is
from 3:30pm to 7:15pm. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

7. If you actually stop at a yellow light, then you cannot be from Austin.
You may only apply your brakes when the end of a yellow light and the
beginning of the red light create a "burnt-orange" hue.

8. If you like being an individual, don't even think of working for Dell.
You'll be branded like cattle and made to walk all over town with your
"Dell tag" around your neck or clipped on to your belt loop. 98% of the
people within a 200 mile radius work for Dell. When someone says "Michael
Dell", Dell employees are trained to face Round Rock, hit their knees, put
their face to the ground, weep, and rock back and forth.

9. Just remember that Mopac IS Loop 1, Capital of Texas Hwy IS 360, and 183
IS Research, Anderson, Ed Bluestein, Old Bastrop Hwy. 2222 IS Northland or
Allendale or Koenig. Don't try to figure it out. Just accept it. If you
question the intelligence behind this naming convention, people will simply
tilt their heads to the right and stare at you.

10. If moisture is determined to be rain, not sweat, all traffic must
immediately cease. Ditto for daylight savings time, girl applying eye-shadow
across the street, or a flat tire 3 lanes over. Do not attempt to access any
road after an apocalyptic event like snow or
South X Southwest.

11. Construction on I-35 is a way of life, and a permanent form of
Entertainment. Get used to it!

12. Keep in mind that the sloppily dressed "hippie" in sandals and earrings
is probably the latest IPO millionaire around here.

13. Stay away from the Congress bridge at sundown if you do not like the
thought of being in an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

14. And, yes, we all know that's a man in a teddy and a tiara on Congress.
It's Leslie, and he probably makes more money than you do.

one they forgot:  Buy the largest, most expensive SUV you can afford.  Deck it out with gold trim and expensive wheels.  But don't ever EVER let it touch anything other than asphalt!

I have never had a bad weekend in Austin, save the A&M-tu games of late.

It is an AWESOME place to visit, and leave!

The scenery is the best in the state for a city.

Restaurants, clubs, etc etc are all top notch.

But I wouldn't really care to move there.  Damned hippies and horns.... and yes, Leslie.

Man I love San Antonio... I have lived here for 15 years. I work in Austin however and hate the town with a passion. I drive 130 miles a day to and from work. Everyone ask why I dont just move there. I will never move to that city. Its full of tree hugging liberals. I work there for the money. Im in the Tech. industry. I do happen to love the Alamo Draft House though. Traffic sucks ass. The homes are way too expensive. And people are just rude.

Austin has an interesting clock tower.

Exactly my question...

Would you please put some directions for the Alamo Draft House down for me, as my Dad & I will be going back to pick up the .17 we bought at McBrides yesterday, & I would love to see what it all about.  

Lots of useful info Matthew Q! & everyone else, thanks, I'm learning from your knowledge, & experience, & that is truly wise.

I was just there 2 weekends ago, and Natalie Maines was not under house arrest or anything, so I can't say I know why she needs "freeing".

not that that's not a bad idea or anything!

Fat Nat from the Dixie Chix infamy

Aw shit, that is just FUCKED UP![devil]  [rofl]

-Nick Viejo.

I've been up in that tower, on the top floor.  Can't go to the observation deck, of course.  I was there setting up a printer.  It's basically part of the law school up there.  A big library type area with big conference tables.  Nice view out the windows, tho!

Natile is from the Dixie Chicks.  She has her own little liberal fan club here.  She also has a huge really ugly house out on the lake.

Exactly the sort of place you'd expect from trailer trash suddenly coming into money.  It would make a great setting for a horror movie.

By contrast,  Sandra Bullock's house on the lake is really tasteful, and the lady is quite personable and nice.