Which Corporate Group in Texas? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am having a hard time deciding on firms for 2L SA. I want broad general corporate experience. Below are my thoughts: please chime in if you can offer wisdom. Thanks in advance.

STB Houston
This is the highest ranking firm out of my options, which I like. I feel like the work will be most sophisticated here. I like the idea of working with private equity clients, but have never done so. I am indifferent to the central assignment system, but I see its benefits. The office is poised to grow.

V&E Houston
This is the best firm brand in Texas and Houston specifically. The people are nice and on the whole seem happy. The firm is large and has the most flexibility as to which group I end up joining. I am concerned with its national reputation (is it energy work only?), particularly if I ever wanted to do something outside of Texas.

WSGR Austin
Wilson is top for tech, and I have a tech background. Working with VCs and on M&A deals for tech sounds like a great fit. However, I am concerned with Austin, as it seems like a pretty small market. The office itself is located on the west side of Austin though, which is gorgeous. Definitely could own a house there.

Sidley Dallas
This job is in the tech transactions group. I'd get a lot of exposure to deals, but I dislike how it is not as general as my other options. It feels like more of a support role than anything... Sidley is obviously a great firm though, and the people are friendly. Seems like tech trans is "trendy," but perhaps too specialist for my tastes.

[Neff]

I am having a hard time deciding on firms for 2L SA. I want broad general corporate experience. Below are my thoughts: please chime in if you can offer wisdom. Thanks in advance.

STB Houston
This is the highest ranking firm out of my options, which I like. I feel like the work will be most sophisticated here. I like the idea of working with private equity clients, but have never done so. I am indifferent to the central assignment system, but I see its benefits. The office is poised to grow.

V&E Houston
This is the best firm brand in Texas and Houston specifically. The people are nice and on the whole seem happy. The firm is large and has the most flexibility as to which group I end up joining. I am concerned with its national reputation (is it energy work only?), particularly if I ever wanted to do something outside of Texas.

WSGR Austin
Wilson is top for tech, and I have a tech background. Working with VCs and on M&A deals for tech sounds like a great fit. However, I am concerned with Austin, as it seems like a pretty small market. The office itself is located on the west side of Austin though, which is gorgeous. Definitely could own a house there.

Sidley Dallas
This job is in the tech transactions group. I'd get a lot of exposure to deals, but I dislike how it is not as general as my other options. It feels like more of a support role than anything... Sidley is obviously a great firm though, and the people are friendly. Seems like tech trans is "trendy," but perhaps too specialist for my tastes.

These are all pretty solid options. Your intuitions about each one is generally correct.

Regarding 1, the issue with PE clients is that many of them are VERY demanding and not as pleasant to work for. Be prepared for constant fire drills. That said, this is second safest choice after 2. I cannot personally corroborate the "poised to grow part." The number of partners at STB Houston has not changed since 2015.

Regarding 2, this is the safest all-around choice. Not much else to say here.

Regarding 3, this without question the "lifestyle" choice. If you personally have an interest in VC/tech work, you do not want to discount the lifestyle benefits of living in Austin and working on things you enjoy. Houston/Dallas is a drastically inferior lifestyle, IMO.

Regarding 4, I know someone in the M&A group at Sidley Dallas and he likes it a lot. The fact that this is tech trans is somewhat of a concern, but need to do more diligence to discern the extent to which the role is just a support role or if you will be able to do more generalist M&A/corporate as well.

[Pneumonia]

WSGR if you want to live in Austin, otherwise V&E.

[Anonymous User]

OP here - thanks for the input. I have scoured the Houston threads about V&E vs. STB, but could people explain why V&E? How is it "better" than STB? Any comments on its reputation outside of Texas?

[BrainsyK]

OP here - thanks for the input. I have scoured the Houston threads about V&E vs. STB, but could people explain why V&E? How is it "better" than STB? Any comments on its reputation outside of Texas?

V&E:
-The good ol'boy network seems to be a real thing and helps with TX in-house hiring in TX (based on my interviewing there and research)
-Broader set of practice areas
-Low leverage ratio
-People/culture are great (could be true of STB as well)
-Gets decent PE deal flow with the occasional Blackstone/KKR level deal--not as frequently as STB--so if you get your jollies from PE work, you'll probably get a fair share at V&E, which mostly eliminates STB's only advantage
-Made and kept a promise to lay off 0 people during the housing mortgage crisis
-(Apparently) does a great job of counseling out its counsels/of counsels (could be true of STB as well)

STB:
-Made maybe 1 partner internally in the 7 years its opened
-Better for lateraling outside of TX generally

V&E might have a great reputation in O&G producing states or Canadian provinces like Alberta, but otherwise, searching on Linkedin doesn't show many ex-V&E attorneys outside TX. STB is great. Maybe someone who knows about them can chime in more on its virtues. To me, though, V&E is the clear choice if you're going Houston.

[Anonymous User]

OP here - thanks for the input. I have scoured the Houston threads about V&E vs. STB, but could people explain why V&E? How is it "better" than STB? Any comments on its reputation outside of Texas?

V&E:
-The good ol'boy network seems to be a real thing and helps with TX in-house hiring in TX (based on my interviewing there and research)
-Broader set of practice areas
-Low leverage ratio
-People/culture are great (could be true of STB as well)
-Gets decent PE deal flow with the occasional Blackstone/KKR level deal--not as frequently as STB--so if you get your jollies from PE work, you'll probably get a fair share at V&E, which mostly eliminates STB's only advantage
-Made and kept a promise to lay off 0 people during the housing mortgage crisis
-(Apparently) does a great job of counseling out its counsel/of counsels (could be true of STB as well)

STB:
-Made maybe 1 partner internally in the 7 years its opened
-Better for lateraling outside of TX generally

I voted for VE and agree it is the best name in Texas for corporate work. And agree that the culture is great. But lol if you think they didn’t lay people off in 08. I was there at the time and a significant number of people were laid off for “performance” reasons. That being said, every single firm of any size in Texas also laid people off, but let’s not pretend VE somehow managed not to.

[Anonymous User]

For corp in texas, you really can't beat V&E.
STB may be ranked higher across the country, but in Texas, V&E's name definitely carries more weight. They've been in Texas for much longer and are doing the biggest deals with the biggest clients.
Houston is definitely a bigger market than Austin too - and a bigger city overall than either Dallas or Austin. (Austin's overrated.) Houston also has a great diverse population/culture & amazing food.

[Anonymous User]

For corp in texas, you really can't beat V&E.
STB may be ranked higher across the country, but in Texas, V&E's name definitely carries more weight. They've been in Texas for much longer and are doing the biggest deals with the biggest clients.
Houston is definitely a bigger market than Austin too - and a bigger city overall than either Dallas or Austin. (Austin's overrated.) Houston also has a great diverse population/culture & amazing food.

Lol at Austin being "overrated". I'm from one of Houston/Dallas and have significant experience with both. Austin is, by most objective measures, a much better city to live in nearly every respect. It's one of the toughest markets to break into as a lawyer because the culture/quality of life is so high. I won't go back to Houston or Dallas for work.

[Neff]

For corp in texas, you really can't beat V&E.
STB may be ranked higher across the country, but in Texas, V&E's name definitely carries more weight. They've been in Texas for much longer and are doing the biggest deals with the biggest clients.
Houston is definitely a bigger market than Austin too - and a bigger city overall than either Dallas or Austin. (Austin's overrated.) Houston also has a great diverse population/culture & amazing food.

Lol at Austin being "overrated". I'm from one of Houston/Dallas and have significant experience with both. Austin is, by most objective measures, a much better city to live in nearly every respect. It's one of the toughest markets to break into as a lawyer because the culture/quality of life is so high. I won't go back to Houston or Dallas for work.

Houston is a big hamster wheel. Lots of oil-flush $$ jobs along with mindless forms of entertainment: shopping, dining, etc to whittle away your paycheck. But natural scenery (besides a couple so-called "parks") is non-existent, truly a zero out of ten in that category (maybe zero point five, accounting for Lake Conroe and Galveston). Despite the reputation for affordability, living inside the loop isn't THAT cheap after factoring in property taxes. Living in the suburbs is death itself. That said, it is the right place for people who just want to put their head down in BigLaw and make bank. There's nothing to distract you from work, never a day when you wish you were outside because you could be doing X. Days go by fast and your bank account grows just as fast. Just sharing my experience of living here.

There are legitimate reasons to dislike Austin (overrun now with hipster Californians, atrociously overdeveloped downtown and traffic problems that has destroyed its original character), but it has far better scenery and less humidity. Also housing, despite the boom, is still cheaper in South Austin (15-30 minute drive to downtown) than Houston/Dallas.

[Anonymous User]

For corp in texas, you really can't beat V&E.
STB may be ranked higher across the country, but in Texas, V&E's name definitely carries more weight. They've been in Texas for much longer and are doing the biggest deals with the biggest clients.
Houston is definitely a bigger market than Austin too - and a bigger city overall than either Dallas or Austin. (Austin's overrated.) Houston also has a great diverse population/culture & amazing food.

Lol at Austin being "overrated". I'm from one of Houston/Dallas and have significant experience with both. Austin is, by most objective measures, a much better city to live in nearly every respect. It's one of the toughest markets to break into as a lawyer because the culture/quality of life is so high. I won't go back to Houston or Dallas for work.

Houston is a big hamster wheel. Lots of oil-flush $$ jobs along with mindless forms of entertainment: shopping, dining, etc to whittle away your paycheck. But natural scenery (besides a couple so-called "parks") is non-existent, truly a zero out of ten in that category (maybe zero point five, accounting for Lake Conroe and Galveston). Despite the reputation for affordability, living inside the loop isn't THAT cheap after factoring in property taxes. Living in the suburbs is death itself. That said, it is the right place for people who just want to put their head down in BigLaw and make bank. There's nothing to distract you from work, never a day when you wish you were outside because you could be doing X. Days go by fast and your bank account grows just as fast. Just sharing my experience of living here.

There are legitimate reasons to dislike Austin (overrun now with hipster Californians, atrociously overdeveloped downtown and traffic problems that has destroyed its original character), but it has far better scenery and less humidity. Also housing, despite the boom, is still cheaper in South Austin (15-30 minute drive to downtown) than Houston/Dallas.

What's wrong with Dallas?

[Anonymous User]

For corp in texas, you really can't beat V&E.
STB may be ranked higher across the country, but in Texas, V&E's name definitely carries more weight. They've been in Texas for much longer and are doing the biggest deals with the biggest clients.
Houston is definitely a bigger market than Austin too - and a bigger city overall than either Dallas or Austin. (Austin's overrated.) Houston also has a great diverse population/culture & amazing food.

Lol at Austin being "overrated". I'm from one of Houston/Dallas and have significant experience with both. Austin is, by most objective measures, a much better city to live in nearly every respect. It's one of the toughest markets to break into as a lawyer because the culture/quality of life is so high. I won't go back to Houston or Dallas for work.

Houston is a big hamster wheel. Lots of oil-flush $$ jobs along with mindless forms of entertainment: shopping, dining, etc to whittle away your paycheck. But natural scenery (besides a couple so-called "parks") is non-existent, truly a zero out of ten in that category (maybe zero point five, accounting for Lake Conroe and Galveston). Despite the reputation for affordability, living inside the loop isn't THAT cheap after factoring in property taxes. Living in the suburbs is death itself. That said, it is the right place for people who just want to put their head down in BigLaw and make bank. There's nothing to distract you from work, never a day when you wish you were outside because you could be doing X. Days go by fast and your bank account grows just as fast. Just sharing my experience of living here.

There are legitimate reasons to dislike Austin (overrun now with hipster Californians, atrociously overdeveloped downtown and traffic problems that has destroyed its original character), but it has far better scenery and less humidity. Also housing, despite the boom, is still cheaper in South Austin (15-30 minute drive to downtown) than Houston/Dallas.

What's wrong with Dallas?

Culturally vapid. Absolutely ugly area. Very little green space. And the traffic is absolutely atrocious, even compared to Austin. Here's the thing, EVERYONE drives in Dallas and from far away white-flight suburbs typically. It's a massive metroplex with shopping center after shopping center of boring stuff with no viable public transit. Fort Worth is not bad, but too far away.

Of course, I'm being a little over the top, especially when one compares Dallas and Houston to other major cities. But, if you enjoy Austin and the outdoors, and like the firm, the choice is simple.

[BrainsyK]

OP here - thanks for the input. I have scoured the Houston threads about V&E vs. STB, but could people explain why V&E? How is it "better" than STB? Any comments on its reputation outside of Texas?

V&E:
-The good ol'boy network seems to be a real thing and helps with TX in-house hiring in TX (based on my interviewing there and research)
-Broader set of practice areas
-Low leverage ratio
-People/culture are great (could be true of STB as well)
-Gets decent PE deal flow with the occasional Blackstone/KKR level deal--not as frequently as STB--so if you get your jollies from PE work, you'll probably get a fair share at V&E, which mostly eliminates STB's only advantage
-Made and kept a promise to lay off 0 people during the housing mortgage crisis
-(Apparently) does a great job of counseling out its counsel/of counsels (could be true of STB as well)

STB:
-Made maybe 1 partner internally in the 7 years its opened
-Better for lateraling outside of TX generally

I voted for VE and agree it is the best name in Texas for corporate work. And agree that the culture is great. But lol if you think they didn’t lay people off in 08. I was there at the time and a significant number of people were laid off for “performance” reasons. That being said, every single firm of any size in Texas also laid people off, but let’s not pretend VE somehow managed not to.

I'm wrong on that then. I just based it off the ATL articles. Some people have also mentioned it here. An associate also told me that the partners decided to take the brunt of the hit for the associates back in 09. I didn't go to VE but am glad to have found out more information on the matter.

[Anonymous User]

For corp in texas, you really can't beat V&E.
STB may be ranked higher across the country, but in Texas, V&E's name definitely carries more weight. They've been in Texas for much longer and are doing the biggest deals with the biggest clients.
Houston is definitely a bigger market than Austin too - and a bigger city overall than either Dallas or Austin. (Austin's overrated.) Houston also has a great diverse population/culture & amazing food.

Lol at Austin being "overrated". I'm from one of Houston/Dallas and have significant experience with both. Austin is, by most objective measures, a much better city to live in nearly every respect. It's one of the toughest markets to break into as a lawyer because the culture/quality of life is so high. I won't go back to Houston or Dallas for work.

OP here - are you in Austin now? If so, could you please elaborate on how you view the Austin market? Is it growing? Is the work quality there? Would I be at a disadvantage training-wise if I started in Austin?

[Anonymous User]

People have generally got this right. V&E if you want to do corporate work in Houston, and it is not close. I am a former Houston biglaw associate now in-house. There are other firms that I think you could debate going to over V&E in Houston, the ones you have listed are not them. If you want to go to Austin, that changes things. But the corporate work will be at a much lower, less sophisticated level there.

[Anonymous User]

Culturally vapid. Absolutely ugly area. Very little green space. And the traffic is absolutely atrocious, even compared to Austin. Here's the thing, EVERYONE drives in Dallas and from far away white-flight suburbs typically. It's a massive metroplex with shopping center after shopping center of boring stuff with no viable public transit. Fort Worth is not bad, but too far away.

Of course, I'm being a little over the top, especially when one compares Dallas and Houston to other major cities. But, if you enjoy Austin and the outdoors, and like the firm, the choice is simple.

Not everyone puts a premium on being able to take the bus to work and go hiking every day. In fact, plenty of people enjoy living in “white-flight suburbs” (an interesting choice of words considering that Plano, Frisco, Allen, and McKinney all have a lower % of white residents than Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Buda, and Leander do).

FWIW, I think that all three major TX markets are much better places to live than virtually any other major biglaw market in the country, with the possible exceptions of ATL, Charlotte, and Denver depending on some personal preferences.

[Anonymous User]

As someone who has lived in Dallas, Austin, and Houston, I can say there are distinct vibes you get in each market but in the scheme of things they're all more alike than not. Comparing Dallas and Houston, I would say the former definitely feels newer and nicer (especially Uptown Dallas vs. Downtown Houston) but the people in Houston are noticeably nicer/more diverse. Houston also has a much better food scene, unless you prefer to eat at a different steakhouse or crossfit inspired paleo place every night. I also get the sense the work in Houston is better than in Dallas with a much heavier focus on public M&A where your counterpart is often a top NYC firm (albeit with worse hours), while Dallas is very heavily focused on MM PE (which sounds miserable to me). This may factor into exit opps as well.

Anyone have any insights on GDC Dallas and Latham Houston (esp. since recent partner defections)?

[Anonymous User]

*Anon above*

Also, I would rather live in the Houston suburbs than the Dallas suburbs. You can easily afford a nice place in Memorial as a biglawyer which is a significantly better commute than any of the Dallas suburbs. River Oaks/West U vs. Park Cities is a push, but if you have kids and public school is a concern, the HP public schools are much better. You need partner $$ to live in either though.

[Anonymous User]

Culturally vapid. Absolutely ugly area. Very little green space. And the traffic is absolutely atrocious, even compared to Austin. Here's the thing, EVERYONE drives in Dallas and from far away white-flight suburbs typically. It's a massive metroplex with shopping center after shopping center of boring stuff with no viable public transit. Fort Worth is not bad, but too far away.

Of course, I'm being a little over the top, especially when one compares Dallas and Houston to other major cities. But, if you enjoy Austin and the outdoors, and like the firm, the choice is simple.

Not everyone puts a premium on being able to take the bus to work and go hiking every day. In fact, plenty of people enjoy living in “white-flight suburbs” (an interesting choice of words considering that Plano, Frisco, Allen, and McKinney all have a lower % of white residents than Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Buda, and Leander do).

FWIW, I think that all three major TX markets are much better places to live than virtually any other major biglaw market in the country, with the possible exceptions of ATL, Charlotte, and Denver depending on some personal preferences.

As someone who is moving from the west coast to become a Houston biglaw SA, can you explain more about why you think Houston is a great place to be? Personally, I chose it over other markets because of my financial goals( working there should make it much easier to achieve those than SF or NY) and my conservative politics( i'm tired of the west coast progressivism being the norm). I'm extremely excited but after seeing a previous poster disparage non-Austin cities I'd like to hear more. FWIW I know Austin very well. Great city but I do agree with others, it isn't as cheap as Dallas or Houston and it's much too big for its britches.

[Anonymous User]

Culturally vapid. Absolutely ugly area. Very little green space. And the traffic is absolutely atrocious, even compared to Austin. Here's the thing, EVERYONE drives in Dallas and from far away white-flight suburbs typically. It's a massive metroplex with shopping center after shopping center of boring stuff with no viable public transit. Fort Worth is not bad, but too far away.

Of course, I'm being a little over the top, especially when one compares Dallas and Houston to other major cities. But, if you enjoy Austin and the outdoors, and like the firm, the choice is simple.

Not everyone puts a premium on being able to take the bus to work and go hiking every day. In fact, plenty of people enjoy living in “white-flight suburbs” (an interesting choice of words considering that Plano, Frisco, Allen, and McKinney all have a lower % of white residents than Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Buda, and Leander do).

FWIW, I think that all three major TX markets are much better places to live than virtually any other major biglaw market in the country, with the possible exceptions of ATL, Charlotte, and Denver depending on some personal preferences.

As someone who is moving from the west coast to become a Houston biglaw SA, can you explain more about why you think Houston is a great place to be? Personally, I chose it over other markets because of my financial goals( working there should make it much easier to achieve those than SF or NY) and my conservative politics( i'm tired of the west coast progressivism being the norm). I'm extremely excited but after seeing a previous poster disparage non-Austin cities I'd like to hear more. FWIW I know Austin very well. Great city but I do agree with others, it isn't as cheap as Dallas or Houston and it's much too big for its britches.

(1) Cost of living/quality of life, (2) sophisticated work, (3) great exit options. Houston (and Dallas to a lesser extent) probably has the best combination of those three aspects in the country, and the importance of those cannot be overstated.

If you have kids, the Houston area has plenty of very good schools (both public and private). There’s professional football, basketball, and baseball available in town. Great food, good cultural diversity, etc.

If part of the reason you’re fleeing the west coast is because of your politics, you’ll also probably have a much easier time in Houston than you would in Austin. Austinites like to think they’re Californians, and they sometimes try way too hard to give off an impression of progressivism.

[Anonymous User]

Not the above-mentioned poster but here's my subjective/Texan take on the three cities:

Houston is massive, messy, cosmopolitan, sprawly and glorious. There's a "don't give a dam" attitude (reflected in the aesthetics of the city itself, see lack of zoning) that can be liberating in a way. Houston people don't care about judging others and are busy being can-doers. Obviously stereotyping broadly but you get the point. Houston is at once BigOil, international/cosmopolitan and blue-collar (the latter according to Dallas people especially).

Austin is a cool city but is definitely a bit too big for its britches. There's a certain faux-Californian feel to the city which many people find appealing (and which many non-Austin Texans find a bit annoying). Probably has the best natural scenery of the three.

Dallas is also great. In many ways similar to Houston but also very different. Like Houston, sprawly and massive. Not as diverse as Houston, but still surprisingly diverse, especially in the suburbs. Dallas feels significantly more organized/clean when compared to Houston. Probably a bit more parochial than Houston. Houstonians think that Dallas people are too snobby for their own good. More diversified economy.

[Right2BearArms]

Not the above-mentioned poster but here's my subjective/Texan take on the three cities:

Houston is massive, messy, cosmopolitan, sprawly and glorious. There's a "don't give a dam" attitude (reflected in the aesthetics of the city itself, see lack of zoning) that can be liberating in a way. Houston people don't care about judging others and are busy being can-doers. Obviously stereotyping broadly but you get the point. Houston is at once BigOil, international/cosmopolitan and blue-collar (the latter according to Dallas people especially).

Austin is a cool city but is definitely a bit too big for its britches. There's a certain faux-Californian feel to the city which many people find appealing (and which many non-Austin Texans find a bit annoying). Probably has the best natural scenery of the three.

Dallas is also great. In many ways similar to Houston but also very different. Like Houston, sprawly and massive. Not as diverse as Houston, but still surprisingly diverse, especially in the suburbs. Dallas feels significantly more organized/clean when compared to Houston. Probably a bit more parochial than Houston. Houstonians think that Dallas people are too snobby for their own good. More diversified economy.

This is pretty spot-on. I will add that Houston has by far the best food/bar scene of the three (unless you like college-scuz 6th street). Downtown Housotn, while not great when measured against a lot of other cities, is rapidly getting more vibrant and has 10x the bars and restaurants it did 5 years ago (a lot of which now stay open past 8pm). The last time I was in downtown Dallas after-hours (admittedly almost a year ago now) the place was dead after 6 with the exception of the sliver of places near the American Airlines center.

[Big Red]

I would say that while both cities are sprawling, Dallas is structured such that the downtown centerof gravity is surrounded by smaller towns that are themselves more or less independent of Dallas proper. Houston does have these little hubs, but not nearly to the extent of a Dallas.

People in Dallas like to go out for dinner more, and I would seriously question the superiority of Houston bars over Dallas analogues. I know people think that Uptown is the only place in Dallas to go out who aren't locals, but West Elm has always been there and is growing, and the downtown union area closer to the stadium also gets play. What is not being mentioned here, conveniently, is the humidity of the Houston climate as compared to the dry heat of Dallas. Houston is absolutely brutal for a quarter of the year, but you do get some ROI in the winter "months."

Dallas remians more of a country club city, and both the clubs and courses are nicer there w/o question. Dallas is much more materialistic than Houston, I would say that's how the vibes differ the most. We as lawyers probably cannot throw stones there.

I think Austin is great and would certainly consider a move there insofar as that is possible. I think you'd have to be projecting a little bit to call Austin too big for its britches, but yeah that pseudo west coast thing can get old.

[Anonymous User]

Not the above-mentioned poster but here's my subjective/Texan take on the three cities:

Houston is massive, messy, cosmopolitan, sprawly and glorious. There's a "don't give a dam" attitude (reflected in the aesthetics of the city itself, see lack of zoning) that can be liberating in a way. Houston people don't care about judging others and are busy being can-doers. Obviously stereotyping broadly but you get the point. Houston is at once BigOil, international/cosmopolitan and blue-collar (the latter according to Dallas people especially).

Austin is a cool city but is definitely a bit too big for its britches. There's a certain faux-Californian feel to the city which many people find appealing (and which many non-Austin Texans find a bit annoying). Probably has the best natural scenery of the three.

Dallas is also great. In many ways similar to Houston but also very different. Like Houston, sprawly and massive. Not as diverse as Houston, but still surprisingly diverse, especially in the suburbs. Dallas feels significantly more organized/clean when compared to Houston. Probably a bit more parochial than Houston. Houstonians think that Dallas people are too snobby for their own good. More diversified economy.

This is pretty spot-on. I will add that Houston has by far the best food/bar scene of the three (unless you like college-scuz 6th street). Downtown Housotn, while not great when measured against a lot of other cities, is rapidly getting more vibrant and has 10x the bars and restaurants it did 5 years ago (a lot of which now stay open past 8pm). The last time I was in downtown Dallas after-hours (admittedly almost a year ago now) the place was dead after 6 with the exception of the sliver of places near the American Airlines center.

I strongly disagree that Houston’s bar scene is better than Dallas’. I don’t know how you can say Dallas is dead after 6. The area immediately around the AAC (Victory Park) is admittedly pretty boring, but Uptown, Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, etc. are all much more lively than Downtown Houston. And if you’re a young attorney, you’ll likely live in Uptown.

But yes, if you go looking around Victory Park and Downton Dallas then you won’t find much going on.

[TXgal]

One thing to add for those considering Austin--the allergy situation is positively brutal. I know people who moved to Austin and like 6 months later thought they had the flu or something because the cedar is so bad. So the scenery does have a yuge downside for some.

[gp86]

What's wrong with Dallas?

My buddies and I went to Bob’s for dinner. We do deals. We eat steaks. I got the filet rare. That’s what you order. I didn’t eat the carrot. That’s gay shit. Anyway, our waitress was hot! I’ve been seeing this girl, Ashley St. Standard. I mean, she’s hot too of course, and even though she’s pretty average in the sack and not too smart she was in a good sorority- the same one as my mom. I don’t know where she is tonight. Don’t really care, but I’m getting ahead of myself. So Bob’s was fucking amazing oh and we totally played credit card Russian roulette. I didn’t lose, but I paid for the whole thing anyway. Who the fuck cares who pays, it was practically a business dinner since we talked about all the deals I have going on. I always have deals going on. So do my buddies. So then I looked at my Rolex and it was like 10:30pm, it’s EARLY! My buddy Turner Parkerton was so wasted. He’s a closer too. That’s why we hang out. So anyway he just broke up with his girlfriend who sucked by the way (I mean if she didn’t suck, I’d be dating her) and we wanted to find some really hot tail for him I mean, since I’m seeing that girl.

I told Turner I’d drive, so we all got into my black Tahoe. I mean Tahoes are great that’s what guys should have. I’d get an ’07 Range Rover, but I don’t want to beat it up on my hunting lease. The valet took forever, so I just gave the dude a $20. I don’t have time to wait for change. It’s just a bunch of ones. That’s not even money. We were going to go to Sense and get a table and some bottles of Ketel, but we didn’t want some North Dallas chicks throwing themselves at us and drinking off our bottles. I don’t touch 972s anyway.