I don't agree with the fact that Austin is a City and Nashville is a big town. I would consider Nashville more of a city than Austin. I personally prefer Nashville.

Anonymous wrote:Lived in Austin for two years. Highly recommend but know that Texas heat is SERIOUS! Fun town if you like live music, drinking, eating. Barton Springs and Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) are must-sees. Also just an hour drive to San Antonio to see some history!

By mid-October it should be okay. Sometimes it can be really hot still in October, but usually it's very nice. It will probably still be in the 80's during the day which is better than upper 90's-100+! I do remember just about dying at ACL in October, but that year was particularly hot and dry.

Lived in Austin for two years. Highly recommend but know that Texas heat is SERIOUS! Fun town if you like live music, drinking, eating. Barton Springs and Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) are must-sees. Also just an hour drive to San Antonio to see some history!

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't myself to those two cities, but if I had to pick, I'd say Austin.

Go to Charleston, SC instead.

Good advice . . . if you're 70 years old and want to do a carriage tour of historic homes.

Austin and Nashville both infinitely more fun than Charleston.

Anonymous wrote:Nashville being conservative will not impact a weekend visit. And a lot of the young people there are liberal. It's not as blue as DC of course, but Davidson County did vote for Obama in 2012.

If you go, eat at Silly Goose in East Nashville.

So now liberals are boycotting conservative places for vacation too - not just for living?

Love love Austin. You would have so much fun there, and there are some great day trips out to the Hill Country, Gruene, San Antonio, Fredericksburg. Lived there for 6 years and would go there for a trip in a heartbeat. The food there is absolutely phenomenal. I'd say one of the best foodie destinations in the US. Stay downtown. Four Seasons or Driskill if you can afford it. I can make more recommendations if you decide to go there.

Nashville being conservative will not impact a weekend visit. And a lot of the young people there are liberal. It's not as blue as DC of course, but Davidson County did vote for Obama in 2012.

If you go, eat at Silly Goose in East Nashville.

I wouldn't myself to those two cities, but if I had to pick, I'd say Austin.

Go to Charleston, SC instead.

Nashville is really a large town, Austin is a city.

Nashville is southern, Austin is texan.

Austin is liberal (for TX), Nashville is conservative.

Austin has a vibrant arts scene beyond music, Nashville does too, but you have to go looking for it.

I'm guessing if you look at the average age in the areas, Austin is at least 10 years younger.

Is Lake Tahoe to cold for you by columbus day? Or what about Aspen, Vail, Providence RI, Taos NM, San Diego?

Nashville and Austin are both drinking/bar heavy towns, not sure I would pick them if part of my TTC were not drinking (I'm not saying it should be, just that for a lot of women it is).

As far as Zika concerns, Austin is only a few hrs from Houston, which will be a hotspot for Zika if it starts moving (I think Houston was on the top 5 lists). Nashville would seem "safer".

Both fun music cities but Nashville SEEMS more limited to me as it is smaller and not exactly located in the prettiest of locations. Austin is more varied and there is more things beyond the city to do (like the hill country - a fun day trip.) Food so much better in Austin too and the Cuban and Mexican influence is historic and active along with all the Tex-Mex, BBQ, etc

Nashville music venues beyond Broadway:

Hi Watt
Mercury Lounge
Cannery Ballroom
Exit In
The End
Five Spot
East Room
The Building
Marathon Music Works
12th and Porter
The Basement
The Building
Bluebird Cafe (very intimate and unique experience)

My first time there I was in Grimey's records and just asked a member of the staff if there was a good show that night. They were happy to offer recommendations.

I travel to both for work regularly. There are a lot of similarities, especially if I'm understanding the scene you're after. Broadway in Nashville is analogous to 6th St in Austin, but 6th street is much bigger. For bigger music venues, there's Nashville's Grand Ol' Opry to Austin's Austin City Limits. That's probably a push, unless you check the schedule and find something you like the time you're thinking of going.

That said, for my money, it's Austin hands down. 6th Street is bigger, and then there's the Rainey Street bars on top of that. And I think Austin has better restaurants.

Yes please! All and any recommendations welcome!

Haven't been to Austin but lived in Nashville. Fun, compact enough city with some great food. There's more than just country but you have to know where to go. I'll give a list if you're interested.

We have a quick weekend getaway booked for Puerto Rico for Columbus day weekend, but we are TTC, so we need are going to change destinations.

What are Nashville and Austin like? would you recommend one over the other?

Our plan for Puerto Rico was to be beach bums and hang out on beach and hotel pool... I'll have to let go of that plan... so we are just looking for fun places to go where we can walk around, eat good food, and experience something new. Thanks!