Houston Lite or Baby Houston

“Houston Lite” (or “Baby Houston”) is a nickname for any city that attempts to grow into a large one, with tall skyscrapers like Houston has. Both “Houston Lite” and “Baby Houston” have been applied to the capital city of Austin. “Houston Lite” has also been applied to the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada (also called “Little Houston” or “Houston North”).
     
 
Wikipedia: Houston, Texas
Houston (pronounced /ˈhjuːstən/) is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America and the largest city within the state of Texas. As of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, the city has a population of 2.14 million within an area of 600 square miles (1,600 km²). Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area—the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of around 5.6 million.
 
Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was incorporated on June 5, 1837 and named after then-President of the Republic of Texas—former General Sam Houston—who had commanded at the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place 25 miles (40 km) east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city’s population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world’s largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where Mission Control Center is located.
 
Houston’s economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and technology; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters. Commercially, Houston is ranked as a gamma world city, and the area is a leading center for building oilfield equipment. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. The city has a multicultural population with a large and growing international community. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits—attracting more than 7 million visitors a year to the Houston Museum District. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and is one of five U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.
 
Google Groups: austin.general
Newsgroups: austin.general
From: mdahNO_%_SPAMmus@iNO_%_SPAMo.com (Mike Dahmus)
Date: 1999/08/19
Subject: Re: Why Capital Metro Sucks, 8/19/99
   
San Antonio is in basically the same boat we were in as far as air quality (“in serious danger”, will probably fall over the cliff this year or next), and their city is already far uglier. “Houston Lite”, IMO. 
     
Discussion Forums @ Nikonians
jnscbl
Sat 23-Mar-02 02:16 AM
Austin was a great big beautiful town twenty years ago. Now it’s Houston Lite. 
 
Google Groups: austin.general 
Newsgroups: austin.general
From: mh
Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 19:05:09 GMT
Local: Fri, May 16 2003 3:05 pm
Subject: Re: austin and west coast.eats
 
Got that here too. But how would you know, since you live in Houston and apparently consider visiting friends in Round Rock (Houston lite) as a visit to “Austin”.
   
Google Groups: austin.general
Newsgroups: austin.general
From: LarryG

Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:07:19 -0500
Local: Thurs, Sep 18 2003 1:07 am
Subject: Growth [ was Re: Weather/Storm Patterns]
   
Uhm, how long have you lived in Austin? When I moved here (21 years ago) there were signs and bumper stickers seeking to curb Austin’s runaway growth.  The locals were alarmed that their small town was being swallowed up by a baby Houston. 
   
NCAA Fan Zone Forums
RedNekTiger
07-05-2006, 01:59 PM
Location: Katy, Texas….which is NOT really Houston…it is like Houston Lite
 
Toytown Germany
Eleanor Rigby
Oct 19 2007, 2:09 pm
You can’t go by one residents assesment of things being more expensive across the border. I’m in Houston now and everything is still a lot more expensive than it is in Calgary (the Houston of Canada or “Houston Lite” as we like to call it).
     
Austin in 20 Years - City-Data Forum
love roses
11-21-2007, 09:38 AM
I can see it being Houston lite since the laid back atmosphere is something both have in common.
     
Downtown Austin recent pics? - City-Data Forum
love roses
01-02-2008, 04:30 PM
I would agree. If they keep that modern, we’ll be Houston lite in the future. We need more traditionally inspired things to keep that from happening.
 
City nicknames - City-Data Forum
JJG
02-17-2008, 11:27 PM
The Rest of Texas.
Austin:
General: The Friendly City
Urban: Baby Houston*
*that’s new to me.
(...) 
Spade
02-17-2008, 11:37 PM
Baby Houston? Uh, I never heard that at all. The Urban nickname for Austin is the ATX.
(...)
JJG
02-17-2008, 11:54 PM
Yeah, I know you never heard of it. I never heard of it until just a few weeks ago. I’m here in southeast Texas, so maybe Houston just considers all the other cities in the state “Baby Houston”.