On a recent road trip though Texas, I made it to Austin for the first time in my adult life. The city reminded me so much of New Orleans in various ways. The size of the city is quite comparable to New Orleans, as is the free-spirited sensation you feel as you venture out into the streets and meet people and see the sights. The obsession with food and music is also vivid. However Austin has its own spin on things and different influences than in New Orleans. Some of the comparisons I noticed are listed below.
1. Water
Austin is split by the Colorado River much smaller than the Mississippi and therefore more tangible. There are multiple bridges that you can drive, bike or walk across. And the river is useful for kayaking, paddle-boarding and boat tours. New Orleans’ Mississippi River is much larger and dangerous making it more industrial and not in use for recreation (that is where Bayou St John comes in).
2. Size
Austin is small. It is manageable, drivable, walkable and bike-able. You can experience the various neighborhoods in a visit of just a few days and then decide which area fits you best. Each part of town boasts a different feel, different attractions and a variation of activities. New Orleans is quite the same. In both cities it is advised to always as a local what to do rather than consulting a guidebook.
3. Music
New Orleans’ jazz music becomes country and blues in Austin. Austin’s Sixth Street compares to its Louisiana neighbor’s Bourbon Street. But Sixth Street is less loud, smelly and touristy. Sixth Street seems like a mix between Bourbon and Frenchmen.
4. Art
Street art is Austin is very alive and real in the murals and graffiti. The streets are covered in tasteful designs made by locals and this is accepted and approved by authorities. In New Orleans the tags we see are from gangs, and not so artful. However an organized group CVU Nola is painting the electrical boxes seen on the neutral ground throughout the city. They are very tasteful, colorful and New Orleans themed. Austin has begun to paint the sidewalk above drainage pipes to draw attention to water pollution and safety.
Austin also has some advances that New Orleans lacks.
1. Police Presence
It seems that Austin is safe and pleasant, and the police department does not have the recruiting issues New Orleans has. The police do not seem too busy, tired or overworked. They even seem to enjoy their work. Texans must have a thing with guns because in almost every restaurant or store there are signs warning patrons to conceal their weapons or suffer huge fines for any violation of carry laws.
2. Organized Construction
Austin is growing and progressing visibly with various construction projects active at once. However these projects are not too obstructive to passersby and contained well with fencing, as well as digital imaging to show what the finished project will be. It seems that the projects go quickly, efficiently and are a welcome sight to the citizens because of their success and organization. In New Orleans we guess at what the project may be as there is rarely any indication and we always know the finished results will be years away.
3. Bike Signals
Austin’s bikers are in paradise. The bike lanes are painted green and many have barriers between the bikers and cars. There are also signs directing bikers and warnings for cars to treat bikers with care. With Austin’s many green spaces and plans to connect parks, bikers and outdoorsmen are very happy. New Orleans is constantly improving in this area of making more bike lanes as well as green spaces, but could take a visit to Austin for some studies of their successful city planning.
4. Food Trucks
New Orleans has a few food trucks that many will notice and visit, with a variety of food offered, but the trucks are not always visible and accessible. In Austin the trucks are quite numerous and almost always in great locations easy to get to and not in the way of car traffic. These trucks are almost exclusively Mexican food.
New Orleans and Austin have similar vibes and designs, but the culture is different due to historical influence. Texas has the Spanish colonial influence and later very strong Mexican influence, while New Orleans had a strong French colonial period. New Orleans has the creole food with influence from France and the Caribbean Islands as well as African cultures while Austin has a very strong Mexican food presence. It would benefit all New Orleanians and Austonians to visit their sister city. As the distance is not far and each city functions similarly, we would feel at home in both locations. Also we could learn from the other and make our cities better.
