Daniel Mayer | Wikimedia Commons
By Jamie Lim
Reporter
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but the dating scene seems biggest in the capitol — Austin.
Yahoo has reported Austin to be one of America’s top cities for dating. The list included 10 other cities: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New Orleans, New York City, Phoenix, Scottsdale, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
The article, written by Ellissa Richard, states that half of Austin’s population consists of singles. This statement may not be a surprise to many since Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin.
“I think just being young in general is a good reason for dating because everyone is looking for love in one way or another,” University of Texas at Austin junior Kristi Kacal said.
“And having a school in the middle of this awesome city makes it a lot easier to meet people your age and with the same lifestyle as you.”
The city is also home to many students that do not go to school in Austin, but in other nearby cities, like those who attend Texas State University in nearby San Marcos. The college even offers the Bobcat Tram, to students who commute from Austin to San Marcos. Another service being offered in San Marcos is Blackhorn Buses, which is an affordable and safe way for college students to travel to downtown Austin at night. Baylor, which is less than two hours away from Austin, also brings students to the city on weekends.
“Everybody goes to Austin — definitely,” said Texas State University junior Genis Reyes. “You meet new people and hang out with your UT friends [or] San Marcos people who take the bus up there.”
Austin is known for being weird, and that’s possibly why the dating scene is so big there.
The people that live there are known to be not only diverse, but also friendly.
“Everyone is not so uptight and really laidback. The dating scene is just really different because people are really approachable,” Baylor sophomore and Austin native Lindsey Braun said.
When the weather is nice, many people in Austin find themselves kayaking on Lake Travis, hiking up Mount Bonnell or exploring the Greenbelt. The city also has many parks which citizens take full advantage of.
“During the day we definitely go paddle boarding and canoeing on the lake,” Reyes said, “We also like to walk around the city at night just because it’s so pretty.”
Austin may be beautiful aesthetically, but the city is known for its nightlife, primarily Sixth Street.
However, Sixth Street is also home to many cafes, art galleries, upscale restaurants and entertainment venues.
“Sixth Street is definitely a great place to have a good time and meet tons of single people,” Kacal said, “However, I’m not sure if that’s exactly the place you want to meet your future husband, but other than that, it’s a great place to hang out and get to know a bunch of people.”
Austin is also a music haven. There are more than 200 live music venues in the city. One example is Austin City Limits, a three-day music festival filled with more than 100 bands. Many Baylor students made the drive to Austin to attend the festival.
Being in Texas, people can’t forget country music. Many honky-tonks combine dancing and live music.
“I love country music, so Texas Country concerts at Midnight Rodeo or Nutty Brown Café are always fun,” Kacal said.
Whether it’s dancing the Texas Two-Step or swimming in Barton Springs, people won’t have to go far to meet someone new. Austin may be filled with big things, but the city is still developing.
“It’s a young and small city. It’s growing and a lot of people are moving in here from different places,” Austin Community College junior Kevin Reyes said. “By getting to know the city, you’re bound to meet someone, people are always interacting.”
