Unlike Austin, Houston is an actual, real city with a less than 90% white population, industry that contributes more to the world than a high blues rock band/capita ratio, frat boy parties that span it's entire main street, and pretention built upon student debt.

Austin food is a breakfast taco with sprouts on it. Contrast:

Austin's art scene is your friends and friends of friends bored at a semi-relevant internet artist's kareoke show. Contrast:

Houston has actual institutions that are world reknown, and Austin has SXSW which spoiled after only a few years in the open air.

Oh, you like punk music and no wave but wish someone had been doing it decades earlier? Thanks, Houston

Austin is the Bay Area of Texas, but without the Nobel winners, flocks of smart and adventursome folks, enormous world class colleges, and shitloads of money. Ie, it's a fantasy camp for adults, but the Bay actual earned it.

Houston is city living on expert level, it's one of the realest, most heterogenous, and opportunity-filled places in America, but no one is gonna throw you the keys and say "Don't forget your free t-shirt before you leave!"