[Lumiere]

Ok so I am almost finished with the Mexico part of my trip

Next stop will be Veracruz and Puebla on my way back to Mexico City this weekend. If anyone has any tips on those spots, let me know.

I fly to Dallas and will be going straight to Austin on the bus or train (which is better?) to get to Austin.

The big South By Southwest music and cine festival is happening then

http://sxsw.com/

So I will be rocking that. Staying in Austin for about a week.

Any suggestions? Anyone know any cool guys or girls to hang or wing with?

It will be my first time in Texas.

After that, I have to go to Dallas again to catch my flight to LA. Any suggestions for Dallas?

Again. Cool spots for bars, music, meeting girls. Cool guys or girls to hang or wing with?

[Weapons]

"The big South By Southwest music and cine festival is happening then

http://sxsw.com/

So I will be rocking that. Staying in Austin for about a week.

Any suggestions? Anyone know any cool guys or girls to hang or wing with?"

Dude - I was at South By Southwest 2 years ago, and it's really a no brainer to figure out the lay of the land. Almost went again this year. There is one main stretch that is just bar after bar after bar - reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans (without quite as much character.) Oh yeah - and there are a LOT of University age people around. You can get an SXSW flyer that has a map of all the venues, and that will define your region.

The people at SXSW and Austin in general are very laid back and cool. You shouldn't end up in much trouble. No clue on how to mack chicks in Austin - was there with a chick, so no attempts made. Don't recall being particularly impressed with the appearance of the women in Austin, and that says something, since I think about that kind of shit 500 times a second.

Dude - you should try to get concert tickets in advance if you still have time - the best shows sell fast. The big outdoor events are hot parties. You can wait in lines to get last minute tickets if you're a fan of some specific lesser known bands - that worked well for us.

There is apparently some incredible river tubing event that happens in Austin. Huge party. Does anyone know WTF that is all about? I'd like to check that one day.

[Peoloom]

I lived in Austin for 6 years; it's a great town. My first piece of advice: DO NOT TAKE THE AMTRAK FROM DALLAS TO AUSTIN. Passenger trains have to yield to freight trains in Texas, which means that what would normally be a 2.5 hour train ride can take up to 9 hours. Take the bus! Better yet, fly cheaply on Southwest Airlines. The greyhound station in Dallas is downtown, but the greyhound station in Austin is in the middle of nowhere. The airport is a quick bus ride (or cheap cab) to downtown.

The strip of bars that the other poster referred to is 6th street. He described it pretty well; the French Quarter of Austin. But this will be mobbed during SXSW. Also, accommodation will be nearly impossible to find during SXSW -- I hope you sorted that out beforehand. If not...I really don't know what to tell you. Try couchsurfing? Hotels will be completely booked.

Do a google search for free SXSW parties. Some require registration beforehand, some don't. I'm not super familiar with how the shows at SXSW work as I've only ever been to free ones (of which there are plenty -- any band performing in SXSW wants to maximize their stage time), so I can't help you there. In years past there have been Google Maps mashups showing the free parties and shows; try to find one of those and put together a schedule of stuff you'd like to do. You should easily be able to watch free shows all day (many of which supply free booze) and attend free parties at night.

Some areas I'd recommend visiting: downtown / 4th-6th street (unavoidable), campus area, "South Congress" (the area of Congress street south of the river). East Austin has a lot of cheap Mexican food and is worth checking out. There's not much to see farther north than 45th street and I wouldn't go farther south than Ben White Boulevard. If you play golf, you can get a day pass to the Lions municipal golf course for $20. If you're into comedy, there are a few comedy theaters in town -- do a search for 'Austin comedy' on google to get show schedules.

Despite a recent influx of people from California, Austin is an incredible town and I hope you enjoy your stay there. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions you have and I'll do my best to answer them.

(03-09-2010 10:56 PM)Weapons Wrote:  

There is apparently some incredible river tubing event that happens in Austin. Huge party. Does anyone know WTF that is all about? I'd like to check that one day.

http://www.riverraftrace.com/

Never been myself, but I've heard good things. The only problem with stuff like this is that the river dropoff points are basically cleared spots in the forest, which means that you have no choice but to drive to (and from) them. I've watched people vomit seconds before getting into their cars to drive home. It's not a good situation.

[Willy Wonka]

(03-09-2010 10:56 PM)Weapons Wrote:  

There is apparently some incredible river tubing event that happens in Austin. Huge party. Does anyone know WTF that is all about? I'd like to check that one day.

Memorial Day Weekend south of Austin by the rivers. Yeah, I went last year, with this chick I was trying to bang and a bunch of her friends.... I had a broken foot and was on crutches during the time though. We camped there the whole weekend, definitely a big party with everybody drinking and smoking weed the whole time basically. Would've been a lot more fun if I actually had two legs, though.

[thegmanifesto]

Tacos in the Morning? That’s the Routine in Austin

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/dining...ref=travel

[Lumiere]

I have had so many tacos in the last month I am starting to look like one

[Weapons]

http://www.riverraftrace.com/


Thanks for the input on the Austin river raft party. Judging by the photos, this definitely looks like a party where one could get their dick wet.

[Peoloom]

(03-12-2010 03:12 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  

I have had so many tacos in the last month I am starting to look like one

Breakfast Tacos are a staple of Texan cuisine. When you're in Austin, you have to get Tacos from these places:

Mi Madre's (East Austin)
http://www.mimadresrestaurant.com
2201 Manor Road

Nueva Onda (South Congress)
2218 College Avenue

And these places for all-purpose Tex-Mex:

Guero's (South Congress)
1412 South Congress Avenue

Polvo's (South Congress, great margaritas)
2004 South 1st Street

[gds555]

I have to correct some serious misinformation about Amtrak's Dallas-to-Austin service in Peoloom's March 10th, 2010 post.

Amtrak's Texas Eagle, which runs daily in both directions between Chicago and San Antonio, and in addition runs three times a week in both directions between San Antonio and Los Angeles, is currently (January 2011) scheduled to take 6 hours and 40 minutes from Dallas southbound to Austin and 5 hours 49 minutes from Austin northbound to Dallas--not 2.5 hours! Those running times include somewhat lengthy stops in each direction at Fort Worth, as well as quick stops in Cleburne, McGregor, Temple, and Taylor. It would be great if the train could do the trip, with stops, in 2.5 hours--but since the rail distance is 232 miles, that would require some world-class speed. (Which, admittedly, passenger rail services in Texas ideally ought to have.)

I'd point out that, even though those trip times are longer than one would like, you can make a significant portion of the time disappear by having a nice sit-down lunch and dinner (southbound), or at least a nice sit-down lunch (northbound), in the train's dining car--a real dining car, that is, not a snack car. You can also relax in the booths or outward-facing seats in the train's large-windowed Sightseer Lounge Car, and watch the Texas scenery go by.

Yes, there have been quite a number of instances over the past thirty years (the Texas Eagle was inaugurated in 1981) when the train took nine hours, or some more or less equally depressing amount of time, to go between Dallas and Austin; but there are also plenty of times when the train runs on schedule or close to it. If you want to know how the Texas Eagle's been doing between Dallas and Austin over the past few days, check Amtrak's train status finder at http://www.amtrak.com.

It's simply not true that "[p]assenger trains have to yield to freight trains in Texas"; nor is that true in any other state. The Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, which, with amendments, still governs Amtrak's operation, legally requires that Amtrak trains be given priority over freight trains, except in emergency situations or when special waivers are granted by the Department of Transportation. It's true that that law has often been violated in the past, and it's also true that Amtrak hasn't always been as vigorous as it should have been in pressuring the freight railroads to stop those violations; as a result of those frequent violations, the myth has grown up that freight trains have priority. Sometimes even Amtrak employees, who presumably all know better, have spread this myth among passengers, thinking that they're being cynical and clever by doing so. But just because a law is frequently violated doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Maintaining otherwise is like saying "Killing people is legal in Detroit", or "The speed limit on Interstate 95 is 90 miles per hour".

By the way, it's worth noting that, while Amtrak has a great downtown location in Dallas, its location at 250 N. Lamar Boulevard in Austin is not particularly good, and is likely to require a short cab ride to get to and from your downtown location.

[Lumiere]

I took the greyhound from Dallas to Austin

[Thunder Fox]

I've spent a fair amount of time in Austin myself. One additional note, if you are into Cougars there are some excellent hunting grounds. Try Steiner Ranch Steakhouse on Wed. night, Cool River Thurs - Sat. If you are staying downtown, you can not strike out at the Cedar Street if the Spazmatics are playing - girls love their ridiculous 80's cover shit.

Anyone know where to go on Thursdays in Dallas?

[kavakid]

Can anyone compare the ease of dating women in Dallas and Austin for an average guy in his mid 30's?

I lived in Austin and found it not so easy to find, say, 1 or 2 girls just out to get laid. Yes, there are some easy college/hipster girls of 21 years old but...Austin seems like more of a social circle town. How does dallas compare? What about the suburbs of Dallas?

I guess what I am hoping for is more of a quiet sit at a bar with a chick and take her home, vs the more non stop party atmosphere that seems to prevail in Austin. And do many Dallas girls like the thinner smart guy or do they just go for the jockier types?

[Comte De St. Germain]

(09-26-2014 09:31 PM)kavakid Wrote:  

Can anyone compare the ease of dating women in Dallas and Austin for an average guy in his mid 30's?

I lived in Austin and found it not so easy to find, say, 1 or 2 girls just out to get laid. Yes, there are some easy college/hipster girls of 21 years old but...Austin seems like more of a social circle town. How does dallas compare? What about the suburbs of Dallas?

I guess what I am hoping for is more of a quiet sit at a bar with a chick and take her home, vs the more non stop party atmosphere that seems to prevail in Austin. And do many Dallas girls like the thinner smart guy or do they just go for the jockier types?

Let me put it this way. Austin is by far the best city in terms of ratios and amount of young girls. For us Houston and Dallas players we clean up over there so good luck doing well in either place. I would just head for Collegestation or Lubbock if I were you. They are the mid sized college town hot spots.

[kavakid]

Actually I am looking for more of an older crowd in their mid to late 20's and 30's. I'm NOT looking for the college scene. I'm looking for the more relaxed sitting in a bar situation where the woman is not worried so much what her friends will think of her. I am hoping that less game would be required on older chicks in Dallas.

I am just a little tired of the social circles in Austin. Though Austin is awesome, I'm just ready for a change and want to know how Dallas compares.

[Brosemite]

(09-27-2014 08:53 AM)kavakid Wrote:  

Actually I am looking for more of an older crowd in their mid to late 20's and 30's. I'm NOT looking for the college scene. I'm looking for the more relaxed sitting in a bar situation where the woman is not worried so much what her friends will think of her. I am hoping that less game would be required on older chicks in Dallas.

I am just a little tired of the social circles in Austin. Though Austin is awesome, I'm just ready for a change and want to know how Dallas compares.

Dallas is better, haha. There's definitely more range in terms of young professionals that have the international presence here too.

Some areas of Uptown have gotten more "young social circle-ish" where girls & guys are looking to relive their college years & spend all their vacation time going to weddings, etc.

Overall if you know where to go though (there's plenty of good neighborhood options outside of Uptown)...should be fine (I really need to finish this Dallas data sheet btw...only got Ft Worth done).

Dallas has the reputation of being snobbier as in "fuck off," but the hook up culture is a lot better provided you have solid in city logistics. In past, it was easier to live slightly outside of Dallas, get a #, call a coupe days later for a date, and then get the bang. With shorter attention spans now, #s don't mean shit anymore if you didn't escalate hard enough at that first meeting.

If wanting to say live in Las Colinas or even Addison outside of Dallas (I loved living here for quite some time), social circle & getting involved with other young professionals is the best way to go....can be time/energy consuming though..something I don't have the luxury of anymore planning moves, working full-time, and being a master's student at nights.

Yeah Austin might have more outdoorsy options as the Hill Country is beautiful, etc etc....but Dallas is a much deeper city on the culinary, gastronomy, nightlife, and young professional front. You just gotta tap into "explorer" mode with a car, pay your dues, and learn to see all different areas as planting yourself in one scene every weekend will get boring.

Neighborhoods I can recommend:
1) Lower Greenville "A" - (Situated next to Ross Street) with bars like Truckyard, H&G Supply, Blind Butcher
2) Lower Greenville "B" - Has Thursday night salsa dancing at Gloria's and the Vagabond burger patio place
3) Multiple Areas of Henderson Street - Vickery Park, Gin Mill, Henderson Tap House, Candleroom (if you get a good connection), Dram, much more
4) Multiple Areas of Uptown - Will get into this in data sheet
5) Turtle Creek/Oak Lawn - More of a restaurant/day game pick up area
6) Outskirts of Downtown - Sunset Lounge/Three Sheets
7) Lakewood - Great underrated area..mainly residential but good local places like Lakewood Theatre and the side bar next to it not to mention Pourhouse
8) Knox Street Area - Good for the shopping, restaurants, day game...bars around there include The Travis (get there early bc of possible face control) or the laidback Knox Street Pub
9) Bishop Arts - More residential and restaurant-based but cool
10) North Oak Cliff/Dallas Design District - Cool art gallery shows on Dragon Street Sat nights (go if u get the invite), Belmont Hotel, Smoke, The Foundry (IMO is better than Truckyard but TY has more bitches/better food options), and then Meddlesome Moth
11) Dallas Arts District - Not much here..couple restaurants..but visually stunning
12) Addison - Growing area..getting better...lots of bars/restaurants...very social circle-ish though.
13) Outskirts of City - Old Korea town (restaurants, near all the GREAT strip clubs, near Cowboys Red River, karaoke places to bounce chicks there if they feel adventurous), New Korea town in Carrollton (not as sleezy as old Korea town..more residential), Richardson Chinatown (Not to far off from Addison really), Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie has some Thursday night races good for dates or Fri night country music concerts with chicks, Arlington for Cowboys/Rangers games or the Vietnamese restaurants there
14) Victory Park in Dallas - Pro Sporting Events - Stars/Mavericks games, pretentious places like Kinichi (sp?), and then the lounge area of W Hotel
15) Deep Ellum - Reviving quite fast. Was always a popular live music area until it died down, but is coming up fast again..some good eateries too
16) SMU/Highland Park Areas - There's apparently a popular SMU bar called Barley House...then again I don't really deal with that scene. The place off of Mockingbird and 1-75 is now called "Knife." Lot of hot amazing older bitches there. Overpriced...which is good to keep the young ppl away. Many cougars..see and be seen.
17) Preston Hollow - Residences here are essentially tops right next to Highland Park. But commercial areas are quite good for say date/dinner game like R&D Kitchen or perhaps say Sushi Star.

Anyways sorry for going off there..but there is a quite of bit to do in the city if you can commit to exploring the different areas.

[Cattle Rustler]

For the older crowd, stick to Dallas.

Go to uptown, lots of older bitches there.

Competition is though, you will have to battle it out against all the douche-bros 30K millionaires. They look like Guido Jersey Shore fags, drive a BMW at 20% interest, and live in the trendiest part of town in a 2 bedroom apartment with 5 other roommates all while working some retail mall kiosk job.

Lots of "white blonde" bitches here, IRT paradise.

Again, be prepared to run your best game.....a few years ago these folks were rolling 30 deep through Dallas' streets:

[Comte De St. Germain]

(09-27-2014 12:31 PM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

For the older crowd, stick to Dallas.

Go to uptown, lots of older bitches there.

Competition is though, you will have to battle it out against all the douche-bros 30K millionaires. They look like Guido Jersey Shore fags, drive a BMW at 20% interest, and live in the trendiest part of town in a 2 bedroom apartment with 5 other roommates all while working some retail mall kiosk job.

Lots of "white blonde" bitches here, IRT paradise.

Again, be prepared to run your best game.....a few years ago these folks were rolling 30 deep through Dallas' streets:

I died laughing at that pic of Mystery.

[kavakid]

Can anyone comment on the current ONLINE dating climate in Dallas?

Using Tinder and okcupid in the city vs suburbs, etc,
Better or worse than average in other major cities to meet and escalate easily?

[JJJames]

Also, does anyone know if there's an Austin pua / pickup lair, Facebook group, message board, etc where guys plan meetups and such? The only one I can find online seems to be closed ...

[puckerman]

The Austin Society was a very active group for several years. We had meetings every Thursday evening (even on Thanksgiving), and it was pretty cool. Guys like Steve Mayeda and Adam Lyons (AFC Adam) even showed up and hung out with us.

Eventually some unprincipled individuals tried to turn it into a money maker, and everything vaporized afterward.

[Cattle Rustler]

The same thing happened in Dallas with dorba, an mountain biking group that was considered one of the best.

Now people run for the board as of they're running for their local school board of their suburb.

[kavakid]

There was a lair there 2 years ago when I was there last. I think I saw them on meetup.com. Anyhow, good group of guys. Might be able to find their phone number somewhere. Don't know if they are still meeting, but probably.

[Brosemite]

(12-23-2014 01:17 PM)kavakid Wrote:  

Can anyone comment on the current ONLINE dating climate in Dallas?

Using Tinder and okcupid in the city vs suburbs, etc,
Better or worse than average in other major cities to meet and escalate easily?

Quite rough buddy. I get Tinder matches, but then meetups rarely go into fruition. Better to restaurant, cafe, or night game.