A few weeks back was my first time visiting Austin, Texas. I’ve always wanted to go there, as its reputed to be the San Francisco of Texas. Good thing I went the weekend after the Formula One race. I read somewhere the passenger flow at Austin-Bergstrom was the highest ever that weekend. Airfare and hotel would have been at least double of what we paid just seven days later.
Our AirBnb was right in the middle of action in downtown, Austin. A $40 dollar, 20 minutes taxi ride from the airport. We got in right after midnight on a Friday (Saturday?) and downtown was still teeming with people. A complete opposite of San Francisco’s downtown. Also different is the total lack of homeless people and drug users. A clean and vibrant downtown you can walk around without a latent sense of danger - imagine that! I hope San Francisco can get its act together one day.
Because walking around downtown Austin is a delight. Shortly after arrival we walked the one mile across the river to the closest Whataburger, a 24 hour location. For those of you unfamiliar, Whataburger is to Texas what In-N-Out burger is to California (this should be an SAT question). I have to say I still prefer Shake Shack above them all. The Whataburger burger reminds me of the Burger King Whopper; tastes fine, but nothing special. It’s hilarious the smallest beverage cup offered at Whataburger is 32 oz. Diabetes is calling.
I wouldn’t mind moving to Austin - as a lot of people seems to be doing or have done - if it weren’t so bloody hot during the summer. I’ve been to Texas during the those months and it never cools down, even at night. That said, it’s nice to have clean streets and very little quality-of-life crimes. We went to a CVS and everything was available out in the open - nothing was locked behind cabinets to deter theft! Here in San Francisco, even the Walgreens in the “good neighborhoods” have locked frequent theft items behind plexiglass.
I just want a well-governed, functioning city.
Where the bars are.