Having been to both places recently, I observed that the two are
similar. The fastest growing city of the 90s v. the fastest growing city
of the 2000s.
They both have a
cool and unique vibe to their cities, but discerning the original from the
manufactured can be a thin line. And despite that cool, unique vibe, at
their hearts, they are many residents who are just on the sidelines of the
tourist scene that is such an economic driver.
As Raoul, a car
salesman in Las Vegas put it, "You can have a good middle class life here,
particularly with two people working. But you absolutely cannot have a
gambling weakness." Raoul was from
Romania, and seemed a believer in the American Dream.
Austin is now a multi-county
MSA. The Downtown/University/Inner City scene is a world away to the
Little League-SUV crowd. Wages are high in Austin for the good
jobs, so you probably could have a good life on one income if you're lucky.
But the lower wages jobs get filled quickly, as they are many
people who just want to live the Austin lifestyle.
Las Vegas fell hard after the boom, and foreclosures are high
there. Home prices are high in
Austin. Could it be the Vegas of the 2020s?
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