2 - I'm happy there are so many venues here and I love the festivals, but let's not kid ourselves; Austin's live music is predominantly imported. 5 - Not exactly a claim to fame. Fastest growing population combined with crumbling infrastructure, zero viable transportation initiatives, and increasingly displaced communities of color. 6 - Job growth in only a few sectors. Austin's economy is vulnerable due to its lack of diversification; it is not a mature economy. I hope it continues to grow, but it is still a teen. 7 - "Various Metrics." Austin is a satellite and venture funding here leaves much to be desired. 8 - Austin is predominantly a suburban landscape, it is segregated economically and racially, it still lacks a research hospital, has no modern transportation infrastructure, as mentioned previously music is imported, and visual and theater arts hang on by a thread. 9 - Hottest market = market driven by speculation that will stall because of shameful income inequalities and achievement gaps. 10 - If Walmart were based here, Austinites would be bragging about that. Whole foods does a lot of good, but they're not in the business of feeding the masses with quality products. 14 - For a mid-western/southern town it isn't terrible, but Austin can't compete, and that's ok. 15 - I love lines. 16 - Really?

Austin is a great mid-sized city, but these self aggrandizing ranking and top lists are getting really old. Austin continues to compare itself to LA, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, and other international cities with incredibly diverse cultures and economies, when its league is really the likes of Portland, Minneapolis, Boston, and San Antonio. I like Austin for its mediocrity, for its small to mid city vibes, for its smiling people and laid back life. Let's stop trying to pretend Austin is what it isn't and shouldn't ever become.