Austin’s residents are full of opinions. From the best places to eat to top neighborhoods to live in, everyone has a different take on what should top of the heap. Heck, we’re a city magazine built on creating lists—but, even we have to admit when we sometimes go against what Austinites hold dear to their hearts. So, we’re here to confess the beliefs that might not make us very popular around these parts.

Share your unpopular Austin opinions with us in the comments!

“I hate Barton Springs. There, I said it. I hate how cold it is. I hate being covered in grass. I hate the slimy seaweed. I hate how difficult it is to get in and out of the water if you don’t just jump in. And, I hate, I repeat, hate, drum circles. I’d rather just go to Deep Eddy, where the parking is easier and it’s a whole heck of lot quieter.”

—Darcie Duttweiler, Digital Media Manager

“Most live music is terrible. If you don't realize this yourself, it's probably because of alcohol. I know we live in the Live Music Capital of the World, so each and every Austinite is supposed to be a booster of live performances as an unquestionably inherent good. Trouble is most acts in most venues at most times don't sound nearly as good in person as they sound via recording. The mix is often murky, rendering lyrics unintelligible and coating nearly every song in a drab, indistinguishable sameness unless you happen to be a super-fan of the particular act for whom even minor deviations in noise are detectable. Unless it's a headlining band at a top-notch venue, you're better off staying home with Spotify.”

—Jason Heid, Editor-in-Chief

“Austin isn’t weird. Maybe it was back in the 1960s and ’70s, when the hippies and rednecks were gathering together at the Armadillo World Headquarters, but those days are long gone. You’ll find much weirder people in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon. Here, any weirdness just smacks of effort.”

—Sarah Thurmond, Executive Editor

“Stand up paddle boarding is pointless and boring. Just get a kayak or go surfing. Whomever invented this in-between, sorry excuse for an activity must have needed a break from watching paint dry. Oh, and also, the restaurant scene in Austin is not that good. I’ll give it to them that the spaces are amazing, the cocktails delightful, and the playlists perfectly curated, but when it comes to the actual food, I am often unimpressed. So aside from few and far between standouts, I’ll keep my $200 and just go to Tacodeli.”

—Ashley Burch, Design Director

“Stop bringing your dog everywhere! Dog parks and regular parks? Cool. At home? Wonderful. Service dogs? Great. Your dog doesn’t need to go with you to your doctor’s appointment and to the grocery store and to brunch and to the gym… It’s miserable and involves poop. I know it’s a very unpopular opinion in a very dog-friendly city. And I DO like dogs! But stop.”

—Max Pittman, Digital Advertising Associate

“Traffic in Austin is not THAT bad. Have you ever driven in Houston? Los Angeles? New York? We don’t even make the top 20 list for U.S. cities with the worst traffic.”



—Madeline Hollern, Deputy Editor

"Am I the only one that doesn't understand the craze around free summer music/movie series, where everyone (literally, every Austinite, their mom, cousin, and dog) pack onto grass fields in the dead heat of summer for shows you can barely see or hear? Long gone are the days when these summer events were quaint and enjoyable, not to mention, with summer break I'm lost in a sea of teenagers.”

—Chrissy Dickerson, Office Manager

“I really don’t understand eating barbecue once a week—or even once a month. To me, barbecue has always been something you eat when entertaining guests from out-of-town to give them a little local flavor. While I love some brisket and spicy sausage, I never crave it and never go to a barbecue joint on my own free will. It’s just SO. HEAVY.”

—Kimya Kavehkar, Associate Editor

“I think standing in line for food (to order or to wait for the food) is a horrible trend and seems to be so prevalent in Austin.”

—Misty Pennock, Digital Sales Manager