Comments on: Postcard From Austin

By: Richard Hendricks

Richard Hendricks — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 05:12:31 +0000

Be sure to try out Wild Basin in town, or Hamilton Pool a short drive away. I love going to Wild Basin for hikes instead of walking around Ladybird Lake. The lake trails are overrun with bikes and dogs most weekends, and Wild Basin does not allow either. Makes for a more peaceful walk! Hamilton Pool is the best kept nature secret around Austin. Definitely worth a visit every spring!
Other places to check out are Enchanted Rock and Bastrop State Park.

By: Sorbet

Sorbet — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:12:01 +0000

I don’t think many people will take very kindly to the implication here that SF and Boston don’t have an identity of their own and try to be “imitations of Europe”!

By: Jinchi

Jinchi — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:17:08 +0000

Why go to Boston or San Francisco which both try to be pale imitations of Europe, when you can live in Austin, which doesn’t try to be anything but Austin?

Why is it that Southern partisans always feel the need to insult the rest of the country? You can’t simply say “Austin’s great”, or “Check out the music scene at SXSW”, you have to say “Austin’s great and Boston sucks”.

By: Passerby

Passerby — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:22:26 +0000

San Francisco tries to recreate Europe? I was not aware of this!

By: Observer

Observer — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:09:49 +0000

Having lived in Austin and Boston, I’d say, “yes, better than Boston and San Francisco.” Austin’s friendlier, has more outdoor activities, and it has its own homespun culture (it doesn’t try to recreate Europe, but instead, creates its own vibrant culture). Why go to Boston or San Francisco which both try to be pale imitations of Europe, when you can live in Austin, which doesn’t try to be anything but Austin?

By: Chloride

Chloride — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:28:31 +0000

Better than Boston and San Francisco?

By: Lauren D in Canada

Lauren D in Canada — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 06:46:56 +0000

I lived there through the 80s: I played jazz in the clubs on 6th street, and people of all ages actually packed clubs back then just to listen — every sort of live music thrived. It was the only town I’d ever been to where even the teenagers agreed they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
But visiting it in 2002, I found the live bands had been replaced by DJs playing to UT students trying to hook up with each other — the music was dead. And, looking around, what had once been a hot bed of cultural-exchange (rastah-country-grunge BBQ at the park?) was becoming another silicone-valley-yuppie-wanna-be metro-suburban lifestyle-parade. Sad!
But there’s still Lake Travis or town lake for swimming/boating and Zilker Park for,… whatever. It’ll always have some charm I guess.
Anyway. Good luck there!

By: Claudia Dreifus

Claudia Dreifus — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:16:24 +0000

Sheryl, while you’re down there, you might want to look up some relations of mine who you might find smart and fun. Eric and Robin Dexheimer. He works on the paper there. Best, Claudia D.

By: J.J.E.

J.J.E. — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:33:21 +0000

Make it out to some of the little surrounding communities while you’re at it. Johnson City is just an hour to the west and has the LBJ National Park. It ain’t a bad place to visit. Not that I’m biased or anything, being from there and all. Just follow 290 W and you’ll find all kindsa neat little towns. You can visit Fredericksburg for the Nimitz museum and of course peaches.

Have fun in the Hill Country.

By: Rand All

Rand All — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:04:27 +0000

I have lived in Austin for most of my life. It’s a great city. Be sure to check out the gardens at Zilker Park and the Ladybird Wildflower Center.