Austin was great when it was the only liberal and cultural oasis in TX, back when that meant something. When it was a Texas-sized college town. SXSW created a reality distortion field for tourists looking for the Good Life and since then they’ve been trying to graft a tech hub on top of a place that was never suited.

Alternative take - what he’s saying is true but lacks the context that it’s not ruined it’s just in its awkward in between phase. Like a teenager going through puberty, Austin has growing pains and an identity crisis

The old culture definitely exists in places but is being pushed out. Times change!

Exactly this!
I noticed the growing pains the very first time I visited in 2019, and have accepted them since moving here in 2020. The culture and infrastructure were not ready for such rapid change, but the needle is moving forward, so we caught in this 90s social climate with burgeoning 2050s infrastructure.