I may be biased because I grew up here, but Austin alone has more culture than most states, and even some countries.
Our high school football games have 10,000 people in the stands, and Longhorns games pull higher attendance than the NFL.
With 6th street, rainey, ACL, & SXSW, there’s live music for everyone.
We’re quickly becoming the standup comedy capital of the world. You get the best tex mex and the best barbecue in the world. The city is full of fit, active people that take their health and wellness seriously.
Here, you can meet and befriend a truly diverse set of people, unlike SF where everyone is within 5% of the standard AI-slop techbro.
You can just sign up for a rec sports league at Zilker and suddenly you’re friends with some car guys that teach you about F1 and take you to COTA, some yoga girlies that take you stand up paddle boarding on lady bird lake, and some country bros that’ll take you fishing.
Republicans and Democrats are actually friends here, politics don’t override character. It’s a blue city in a red state so you get to hear differing opinions from the people they actually affect, instead of staying in one side’s little bubble.
The education opportunities are best in class, the city is safe, there’s abundant jobs in a huge variety of sectors, and the southern hospitality is still alive and well.
Be bearish on Texas all you want, but you can’t deny that it’s becoming the new Schelling point for ambitious people who want to live a fulfilling life.
I'm bearish on Texas as a residential destination because it's too hot, not particularly beautiful, and there is zero cultural energy.
The growth driver now -- mass manufacturing -- will soon be automated. Texas will be a Robostate.