KHTravelBitten

Hello all,

The gf and I will be headed to TX next month for a weekend trip (coming from Boston), and are trying to decide between these 2 cities.

For anyone that has spent time in both cities, what are your impressions of each city? Likes/dislikes and why etc.

We are leaning Austin, but have only heard opinions from a couple friends so far. Would like to get input from a larger sample that have been to both places.

cur

austin has a far superior night life

and bar drags like congress and 6th

san antonio has a better six flags and is closer to schlitterbahn

austin has a nicer river and parks

san antonio has just as good bbq as austin

austin is very pretentious and the least texas city in all of texas (this is not a good thing)

san antonio has far superior taquerias

austin has the most corrupt building in the state in it

but it's still better than san antonio

do austin. try to catch a quote along night at the alamo drafthouse. museums in austin are surprisingly underwhelming in quantity but pretty adequate. also get a car and explore hill country. and don't wait several hours in line at franklin's like some would advocate, just drive to salt lick or louie muellers and you'll get something just as good if not better. enjoy tejas texas

txflyer77

I lived in San Antonio for five years.

I could make the argument in both directions.

Personally, I think San Antonio has better food. Tacos everywhere, the best coffee in the world (according to Alton Brown) and some great unexpected hole-in-the-wall Korean joints. Plus, the new generation of higher-end restaurants like Barbaro and The Granary. Austin will have more variety but I find many well-regarded Austin restaurants to be very overrated (though some merit their fame).

Austin certainly has better night life, though SA's scene is growing (Paper Tiger is a important recent addition). The St. Mary's Strip is closest to Austin's East 6th, but much smaller. Southtown is nicer (it's the hipster area). If you want a show, sit down at Lulu's at the south end of St. Mary's around 1am, order a chicken-fried steak the size of a history textbook and enjoy the people watching as the clubs close down and the show comes in for a bite.

I also think SA is the more beautiful city, especially the Missions south of town. Rent a bike and you can follow the whole trail along the river.

The key in visiting San Antonio is to never set foot on the Riverwalk. The food is awful and everyone's drunk. Frankly, I wouldn't even stay downtown. Splurge on the new Hotel Emma at the Pearl.

cur

i would agree with this. there's no real mexican west of 35 which for a state like texas just goes to show how white austin is. and sat does have way more diverse options than austin. bbq joints in sat less show-y and focus is on throughput and quality, but tons of joints in austin and vicinity like that too. and i'd also agree that sat has a nicer architectural fabric to it.

but i'd say austin has far better night life. sat's is pretty small town. and austin has a way nicer river to walk along, although river walk north in sat near the old lone star brewery and those warehouses was beautiful

looks like we got a tie. so go to houston instead