[austlar1]

If Dallas had lots of hills and forests, the comparison with Atlanta would be obvious. Similar sprawl and multiple nodes. Vast freeway systems. Most significantly, they have so many of the same types of economic drivers- huge airports, airline headquarters, logistical powerhouses for rail and motor transport, huge regional distribution centers, large and growing tech presence, regional wholesale and market centers, regional banking powerhouses, headquarters for many very large corporations, and massive branch office operations for global corporations. Yes, Atlanta has MARTA and higher quality universities, but Dallas has extensive light rail and commuter rail. Downtown and Midtown Atlanta are really quite similar to Downtown Dallas and adjacent midtown, Turtle Creek, Oak Lawn, etc. Both cities have similarly large gay communities. Both have relatively liberal inner city populations surrounded by much more politically conservative suburbs. Finally, both cities are historically "Southern" cities that were originally populated by similar types of people, a fact that continues to define these cities as they grow into something altogether more diverse and cosmopolitan.