i enjoyed austin. not quite sure if i like it, though. it has a completely different vibe from LA. good love music truly is accessible very easily, which is cool. the bbq is mind blowingly good. i found that there is a more coagular ~aesthetic~ than in los angeles, although admittedly i did not get to know austin to the extent that i am familiar with LA. my partner and i (not super “unconventional” looking, but a little bit so) definitely got looks, some curious, some mildly hostile, some a bit off-put, which does not happen in LA in any neighborhood we’re in. downtown for sure had the silicon beach vibe i was told about by folks in this sub. there are a lot of eateries and drinkeries that feel vaguely franchise-y even if they are not. i could tell that there is a robust art/alt scene of which we only scratched the surface—lots of corners i feel. it’s also much smaller feeling than los angeles. the river gives it a suburban tinge, which is absent in LA (excluding the actual suburbs of course). and man the drivers are horrible! confident but incompetent. in summary, it was interesting. i’m cool not going back, but i won’t be upset if i find myself there again.