10 Reasons Why Houston Is Better than Austin
1. Speed limit — Houston drivers actually meet and regularly exceed it. In Austin, there is no speed limit, because everyone goes 45 or 50 mph in the left lane on the freeways. Unless you’re on I-35, in which case, all hope is lost.
2. Zoo — One of the best in the country, nay, the world. When the Houston Zoo, already one of the top zoos anywhere, went private a few years ago, it hired the designer of Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. ‘Nuff said.
3. Professional football team — Sure, it’s just the Texans, but it’s still a pro team.
4. Flora — Austin is essentially a desert, and Houston is basically a swamp. Kind of a toss-up, except that in Houston, plants will actually grow. A little north of the city lie the Piney Woods with their Big Thicket. In the spring, azaleas blaze all over Houston and East Texas, along with numerous other blooming plants. In Austin, the grass is brown by June and the bluebonnets are long gone, leaving a sad, dry, windy summer, fall, and winter.
5. Reliant Stadium — no supporting info required
6. Roads, freeways, and highways — actually intended to get you where you need to go. In Austin, “You can’t get there from here” is a common phrase. Also, most streets in Houston have a maximum of two names, if that many. In Austin, confusion abounds over the 4 choices of names for any given thoroughfare — and of course, any street called “Loop Something” doesn’t actually go AROUND anything.
7. Proximity to the coast — Galveston, less than an hour away. Say what you will about Galveston’s beaches, but hey, the beach is the beach, AND Galveston is an amazing place with some very cool history and science. Oh, and how about the easy opp to drive down for lunch at Gaido’s?
8. Medicine and science — And speaking of science, Houston’s medical center is among the very best in the world. Research in medicine and other sciences exceeds that in most cities in the country. True, Austin has UT, but no major medical center. If I got cancer, I’d head to M.D. Anderson.
9. Restaurants — I have to admit, this is almost a tie, but the scales tip in Houston’s favor by sheer numbers alone. Due in large part to a highly eclectic population, Houston’s restaurants offer every possible cuisine in the world. Austin’s offerings, while admittedly impressive, simply can’t compete. Update: Years ago, I dubbed certain fare to be “Austin food”. It’s that spinach-bananas-pine-nuts chutney over a braised salmon with a blueberry-periwinkle glaze kind of crap that you only find at places like Z-Tejas. I know it’s in Houston too, but it is only in places I can’t afford, so it’s not my problem.
10. Travel and culture — Did you know Houston has more legitimate theatre seats than any city in the U.S. except New York? The museum district boasts a dozen venues, plus there are fascinating smaller museums all over town. I am a fan of the Blanton and the Bob Bullock in Austin, but again, the sheer numbers make Houston the winner. AND the two airports make travel anywhere in the world pretty simple. True, the big one is on the far outreaches of the city, BUT look at Austin’s, which is a half-hour drive minimum from anywhere in the city — IF you can get there from here. And if you’re just hopping to Dallas from Houston, Hobby Airport is right in town.
Reasons Why Austin Is Better than Houston
1. (Former morning radio juggernaut) JB & Sandy — I really miss y’all! And Austin radio in general is better than Houston radio. This is a really subjective topic, but I am surprised that a city of 5 million people doesn’t have better listening options.
2. Jim Spencer — Only the best weatherman in weatherman history!
Sorry, that’s all I can come up with. Please, add to the list!