Austin, Texas
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| City of Austin | |||
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| Motto: Live Music Capital of the World[1] , The ATX[2] | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Texas | ||
| Counties | Travis Williamson Hays |
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| Settled | 1835 | ||
| Incorporated | December 27, 1839 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-Council | ||
| - Mayor | Will Wynn | ||
| - City Manager | Marc Ott | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 296.25 sq mi (767.28 km²) | ||
| - Land | 251.5 sq mi (651.4 km²) | ||
| - Water | 6.9 sq mi (17.9 km²) | ||
| - Metro | 4,285.7 sq mi (11,099.91 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 489 ft (149 m) | ||
| Population (2008)[3] | |||
| - City | 715,893 | ||
| - Density | 2,396.3/sq mi (925.21/km²) | ||
| - Metro | 1,593,565 | ||
| - Demonym | Austinite | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| ZIP code | 78701-78705, 78708-78728, 78730-78739, 78741-78742, 78744-78769 | ||
| Area code(s) | 512 | ||
| FIPS code | 48-05000[4] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1384879[5] | ||
| Website: www.cityofaustin.org | |||
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. Situated in Central Texas and part of the American South, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 16th-largest in the United States of America, as well as the third fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006.[6] As of the 2006 U.S. Census estimate, Austin has a population of 709,893.[3] The city is the cultural and economic center of the Greater Austin metropolitan area with a population of more than 1.5 million people.
Austin was selected as the No. 1 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine in 2006, and the "Greenest City in America" by MSN. [7][8] Also, according to CNN Headline News and travel and leisure Austin ranks #2 on the list of cities with the best people referring to the personalities and attributes of the citizens. [9]
Residents of Austin are known as "Austinites," and include a mix of university professors, students, politicians, lobbyists, musicians, state employees, high-tech workers, blue-collar workers, and white-collar workers. The main campus of the University of Texas is located in Austin. The city is home to enough large sites of major technology corporations to have earned it the nickname "Silicon Hills." Austin's official slogan promotes the city as "The Live Music Capital of the World", a reference to its status as home to many musicians and music venues.[1][2] In recent years, many Austinites have also adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird"; this refers partly to the eclectic and progressive lifestyle of many Austin residents, but is also the slogan for a campaign to preserve smaller local businesses and resist excessive commercialization.
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[edit] History
Before the arrival of settlers from the United States, the area that later became Austin was inhabited by a variety of nomadic Native American tribes, including the Tonkawa tribe, the Comanches, and the Lipan Apaches.[10]
Edward Burleson laid out the town of Waterloo in the mid-1830's. In 1838 Mirabeau Lamar, vice-president of the Republic of Texas, visited Waterloo, where he stayed with one of the earliest settlers, Jacob Harrell. Lamar was elected president shortly thereafter. When the Texas Congress formed a commission to seek a site for a new capital to be named Austin, Lamar advised the commissioners to investigate Waterloo, which was then indeed chosen. In May 1839 Lamar's designated government agent Edwin Waller organized and led a workforce of about 200 men from Houston to Waterloo to construct the new city.
At first, the new capital thrived. By the early 1840's the population stood at about 850 people. But when Lamar's political enemy Sam Houston regained the presidency in 1841, he used two Mexican army incursions to San Antonio as an excuse to move the government to Washington (now known as Washington-on-the-Brazos). Within months Austin's population had shrunk to about 200, and many Texans assumed that the city would die. Remaining Austin residents responded to the threat by forcibly keeping the national archives in their city in defiance of President Houston's attempts to bring them to Washington.
Anson Jones became president in 1844. The following year he called a convention in Austin to discuss annexation to the United States as well as to consider a new constitution. Once annexation became official, delegates wrote a new state constitution in which Austin was again named the seat of government.
The Texas State Capitol was completed in 1888 advertised as the 7th largest building in the world. Funded by the famous XIT Ranch, the building still remains part of the Austin skyline. The state capitol is slightly smaller than the United States capitol.
In September of 1881, Austin public schools held their first classes. The same year, Huston-Tillotson College opened its doors. The University of Texas at Austin held its first classes in 1883.
In the 1950s, Austin's first research labs and think tanks were built. As Austin's economy prospered, several movie theaters, public pools, and a local library system were opened.
The Austin music scene was born in the 1970s when artists such as Willie Nelson and venues such as the Armadillo World Headquarters brought national attention.
Today, Austin is known as much for its cultural life as its high-tech innovations. It is also known for the senators and schoolteachers who shaped its beginnings. The same success that has gained the city a national reputation has brought with it many difficult choices.[11]
[edit] Geography
Austin is located at [12] and is approximately 541 feet (165 m) above sea level. According to the 2000 census, the city has a total area of 258.4 square miles (669 km²). 251.5 square miles (651 km²) of it is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km²) (2.67%) is water.
Austin is situated on the Colorado River, with three man-made (artificial) lakes wholly within the city limits: Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Walter E. Long. Additionally, the foot of Lake Travis, including Mansfield Dam, is located within the city's limits. Lady Bird Lake, Lake Austin, and Lake Travis are each on the Colorado River. The city is also situated on the Balcones Fault, which, in much of Austin, runs roughly the same route as the State Highway Loop 1 (Texas) or Mo-Pac Expressway. The eastern part of the city is relatively flat, whereas the western part and western suburbs consist of scenic rolling hills on the edge of the Texas Hill Country. Because the hills to the west are primarily limestone rock with a thin covering of topsoil, portions of the city are frequently subjected to flash floods from the runoff caused by thunderstorms. To help control this runoff and to generate hydroelectric power, the Lower Colorado River Authority operates a series of dams that form the Texas Highland Lakes. The lakes also provide venues for boating, swimming, and other forms of recreation within several parks located on the lake shores.
Austin is located at the intersection of four major ecological regions and is consequently mostly a temperate-to-hot green oasis but has some characteristics of the desert, the tropics, and a wetter climate. It is very diverse ecologically/biologically and the home of a variety of beautiful animals and plants, notably the wildflowers that blossom throughout the year but especially in the spring, including the popular bluebonnets, some planted in an effort by Lady Bird Johnson.
A popular point of prominence in Austin is Mount Bonnell. At about 780 feet (238 m) above sea level, it is a natural limestone formation overlooking Lake Austin on the Colorado River, about 200 feet (61 m) below its summit. From the observation deck, many homes are visible.
The soils of Austin range from shallow gravelly clay loams over limestone in the western outskirts to deep fine sandy loams, silty clay loams, silty clays or clays in the city's eastern part. Some of the clays have pronounced shrink-swell properties and are difficult to work under most moisture conditions. Many of Austin's soils, especially the clay-rich types, are slightly to moderately alkaline and have free calcium carbonate.
- See also: List of Austin Neighborhoods
[edit] Climate
Austin has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by hot summers and mild winters.[13] On average, Austin receives 33.6 inches (853.4 mm) of rain per year, with most of the precipitation in the spring, and a secondary maximum in the fall.[14] During springtime, severe thunderstorms sometimes occur, though tornadoes are rare in the city. Austin is usually at least partially sunny.
Austin summers are usually hot and humid, with average temperatures of approximately 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) from June until September. Temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are common. The highest recorded temperature was 112 °F (44 °C) on September 5, 2000.[13][15][16] For the entire year there is an average of 111 days above 90 °F (32 °C) and 198 days above 80 °F (27 °C).[13]
Winters in Austin are mild and dry. For the entire year, Austin averages 88 days below 45 °F (7 °C) and 24 days when the minimum temperature falls below freezing. The lowest recorded temperature was −2 °F (−19 °C) on January 31, 1949.[13] Snowfall is rare in Austin, but approximately biannually Austin may suffer an ice storm that freezes roads over and shuts down much of the city for 24 to 48 hours.[13]
| Weather averages for Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas, USA | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 90 (32) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 99 (37) | 104 (40) | 108 (42) | 108 (42) | 110 (43) | 112 (44) | 100 (38) | 91 (33) | 90 (32) | 112 (44) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 65 (18) | 73 (23) | 79 (26) | 85 (29) | 91 (33) | 95 (35) | 96 (36) | 90 (32) | 81 (27) | 70 (21) | 62 (17) | 79 (26) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 40 (4) | 44 (7) | 51 (11) | 58 (14) | 65 (18) | 71 (22) | 73 (23) | 73 (23) | 69 (21) | 60 (16) | 49 (9) | 42 (6) | 58 (14) |
| Record low °F (°C) | -2 (-19) | -1 (-18) | 18 (-8) | 30 (-1) | 40 (4) | 51 (11) | 57 (14) | 58 (14) | 41 (5) | 30 (-1) | 20 (-7) | 4 (-16) | -2 (-19) |
| Precipitation inch (mm) | 1.89 (48) | 1.99 (50.5) | 2.14 (54.4) | 2.51 (63.8) | 5.03 (127.8) | 3.81 (96.8) | 1.97 (50) | 2.31 (58.7) | 2.91 (73.9) | 3.97 (100.8) | 2.68 (68.1) | 2.44 (62) | 33.6 (853.4) |
| Source: NOAA [14] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: weather.com [16] | |||||||||||||
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- Table Note: Averages are from the 30 year average from 1971–2000 at Camp Mabry, and records are from Camp Mabry and from previous climate sites, spanning from 1897 to present.[14][16]
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[edit] Government and politics
[edit] Law and government
Austin is administered by a city council of seven members, each of them elected by the entire city, and by an elected mayor under the mayor-council government system of municipal governance. Council and mayoral elections are non-partisan, with a runoff in case there is no majority winner. Austin remains an anomaly among large Texas cities in that council members are elected on an "at large" basis by all voters, as opposed to elections by districts.
The current mayor of Austin is Will Wynn. His second term ends in 2009.
Wynn is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,[17] a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets."
Austin is located in Travis County, Texas.
[edit] Politics
The main political actors in Austin city politics are interest groups such as the pro-environmental Save Our Springs Alliance, Save Barton Creek Association, Equality TX, the Austin Police Association, and the Austin Business Council.[citation needed] Texas Democrats are very active here as well are several youth groups, including the Youth Activists of Austin.
The controversy that dominated Austin politics during the 1990s was the conflict between environmentalists, strong in the city center, and advocates of urban growth, who tend to live in the outlying areas. The city council has in the past tried to mitigate the controversy by advocating smart growth, but growth and environmental protection are still the most divisive issues in city politics. Today conservatives in Austin argue that the city's various highway traffic problems are rooted in the denial of past highway/infrastructure development by political action committees who do not support highway expansion. Environmentalists counter that their efforts contributed to the city's large green spaces, which many Austinites enjoy. Progressives also maintain that unlike several other cities in Texas, Austin's smart growth policies have contributed to a rapidly-increasing population density in and around the downtown area.
Austin is well known as a center for liberal politics in a generally conservative state. Suburban neighborhoods in Austin, especially to the west and north, and several satellite municipalities, however, tend toward political conservatism.
As a result of the major party realignment that began in the 1970s, central Austin became a stronghold of the Democratic Party while the suburbs tend to vote Republican. One consequence of this is that in the most recent redistricting plan, formulated by former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and enacted by the Republican-majority legislature, the central city has been split among multiple, sprawling districts. Opponents characterized the resulting districting layout as excessively partisan gerrymandering, and the plan was challenged in court on this basis by Democratic and minority activists; of note, the Supreme Court of the United States has never struck down a redistricting plan for being excessively partisan. The plan was subsequently upheld by a three-judge federal panel in late 2003, and on June 28, 2006, the matter was largely settled when the Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision upheld the entire congressional redistricting plan with the exception of a Hispanic-majority district in southwest Texas. This may later affect Austin's districting, as U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett's district was found not to be sufficiently compact to compensate for the reduced minority influence in the southwest district.[1]
Overall, the city is a blend of downtown liberalism and suburban conservatism, but leans strongly to the political left. In 2003, the city adopted a resolution against the USA PATRIOT act which reaffirmed constitutionally guaranteed rights. In the 2004 presidential election, Senator John Kerry won a substantial majority of the votes in Travis County as illustrated in this pictorial of votes by-county. Of Austin's six state legislative districts, three are strongly Democratic and three are swing districts all of which are held by Democrats. However, two of its three congressional districts are presently held by Republicans; this is largely due to the 2003 redistricting, which left downtown Austin without an exclusive congressional seat of its own. Travis County was also the only county in Texas to reject Texas Constitutional Amendment Proposition 2 — effectively outlawing gay marriage and status equal or similar to it — and did so by a wide margin (40% for, 60% against).
Austin is also an active area for the Libertarian Party. Although the Libertarians remain a third party, they occasionally garner substantial votes, and one of the past Libertarian presidential candidates, Michael Badnarik comes from Austin, while another, Ron Paul who ran for the 1988 presidential election as the Libertarian nominee, and for the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2008, and represented a congressional district that includes part of the greater Austin area.
Two of the candidates for President in the 2004 race call Austin home. Michael Badnarik, mentioned above as the Libertarian Party candidate, and David Cobb of the Green Party both have lived in Austin. During the run up to the election in November, a presidential debate was held at the University of Texas student union involving the two minor party candidates. While the Commission on Presidential Debates only invites Democrats and Republicans to participate in televised debates, the debate at UT was open to all presidential candidates.
[edit] Sister cities
List of sister cities of Austin, Texas, designated by Sister Cities International.[18]
Adelaide, Australia - since 1983
Koblenz, Germany- since 1991
Lima, Peru- since 1981
Maseru, Lesotho- since 1978
Ōita, Japan - since 1990
Saltillo, Mexico - since 1968
Taichung, Taiwan - since 1986
Old Orlu, Nigeria - since 2000
Gwangmyeong, South Korea
Xishuangbanna, China - since 1997
Cities whose claims to sister city status are not recognized officially by the City of Austin (or Austin claims and are not recognized)
Edmonton, Canada
Antalya, Turkey- Toronto, Canada- since 1991
Belo Horizonte, Brazil - since 1965- Porto Alegre, Brazil
[edit] Economy
Thousands of graduates each year from the engineering and computer science programs at The University of Texas at Austin provide a steady source of employees that help to fuel Austin's technology and defense industry sectors. The metro Austin area has much lower housing costs than Silicon Valley, but much higher housing costs than many parts of rural Texas. As a result of the relatively high concentration of high-tech companies in the region, Austin was strongly affected by the dot-com boom in the late 1990s and subsequent bust. The general consensus is that high-tech recovery is proceeding rapidly. Austin's biggest employers include the State of Texas, The University of Texas, the SETON Healthcare Network, Dell, IBM and Freescale Semiconductor (spun off from Motorola in 2004). Other high-tech companies with operations in Austin include 3M Company, Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, AMD, Applied Materials, Cirrus Logic, Cisco, eBay/PayPal, Google, Hoover's, Inc., Intel, National Instruments, Samsung, Silicon Laboratories, Sun Microsystems and United Devices. The proliferation of technology companies has led to the region's nickname, "the Silicon Hills," and spurred development that greatly expanded the city to the north, south, east, and west.
In addition to global companies, Austin features a strong network of independent, locally-owned firms and organizations such as the Austin Independent Business Alliance. The success of these businesses reflects the high level of commitment by the citizens of Austin to preserving the unique spirit of the city, and has been tied to the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign. Small businesses from restaurants to clothing shops to salons to arts companies in Austin enjoy a lively existence gained by direct competition with large national and global rivals. The state government, non-profits, and schools (the university and colleges, preschool-12th grade) also provide many jobs. Whole Foods, a market/grocery store specializing in organic, local, and natural foods and other goods (now a corporation) started in and is based in Austin, and work in the food industry/farming/culinary arts also provides a surprisingly high amount of employment/income for many people.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 656,562 people, 265,649 households, and 141,590 families residing in the city (roughly comparable in size to San Francisco, Memphis, and Columbus). The population density was 2,610.4 people per square mile (1,007.9/km²). There were 276,842 housing units at an average density of 1,100.7/sq mi (425.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.36% White, 10.05% Black or African American, 4.72% Asian, 0.59% Native American, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 16.23% from other races. 2.99% were from two or more races. 30.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino, who can be of any race. 52.94% of the population were Whites of non-Hispanic ancestry.
There were 265,649 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 105.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,689, and the median income for a family was $54,091. Males had a median income of $35,545 vs. $30,046 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,163. About 9.1% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over. From the year 2000 to 2005, the median house price in Austin grew 34 percent.
The Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Area had 1,513,565 people as of 2006. If combined with the population of the San Antonio metropolitan area (over 80 miles (129 km) to the southwest) the region is home to about 3.6 million people.
Austin is consistently ranked among the three safest cities per capita of any size in many categories and for many reasons, especially because annually, per 100,000 people there are fewer than 5 people murdered.
[edit] Culture
As Austin's official slogan is The Live Music Capital of the World,[1][2] the city has a vibrant live music scene with more music venues per capita than any other U.S. city. Austin's music revolves around the many nightclubs on 6th Street and an annual film/music/multimedia festival known as South by Southwest. The city also has a burgeoning circle of live performance theater venues such as: Zachary Scott Theatre Center, Vortex Repertory Company, Salvage Vanguard Theater, Arts on Real, Scottish Rite Children's Theater, Hyde Park Theatre, and Esther's Follies, a comedy and magic show. The longest-running concert music program on American television, Austin City Limits, is videotaped on the University of Texas at Austin campus. Austin City Limits and Capital Sports & Entertainment run the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual music and art festival held at Zilker Park in Austin. The long-running outdoor musical, the Zilker Park Summer Musical, expects to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2008. The Urban Music Festival is held during the Texas Relays weekend every April. Other annual events include Eeyore's Birthday Party, Spamarama, and the Austin Reggae Festival in April and Carnaval in February. Halloween, St Patrick's Day, Independence Day, and Juneteenth (Emancipation Day) are all widely celebrated, in addition to two important Mexican holidays, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) and September 16.
Austinites take pride in eccentricities and celebrate differences and being different (in lifestyle, character, beliefs, etc.). "Keep Austin Weird" has become a local motto in recent years, featured on innumerable bumper stickers and t-shirts. This motto has not only been used in promoting Austin's eccentricity and diversity, but is also meant to bolster support of local and independent businesses.
According to the Nielsen Company, adults in Austin read and contribute to blogs more than those in any other U.S. metropolitan area.[19]
Austin is also home to the O. Henry House Museum. O. Henry lived in a house built in Austin in 1891. The O. Henry House Museum hosts the annual O. Henry Pun Off, which is a pun contest where the contestants exhibit amazing wit.
Ballet Austin is the fourth largest ballet academy in the country.[20] Each year Ballet Austin's twenty member professional company performs ballets from a wide variety of choreographers, including their international award winning artistic director, Stephen Mills. Ballet Austin has traveled around the world performing in Europe, the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), and New York City's Joyce Theatre.
Nationally known Austinites include Willie Nelson, Lance Armstrong, Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Costner, Richard Linklater, Robert Rodriguez, and Michael Dell. Other well-known Austinites can be found in the List of Austinites.
[edit] Media
Austin has been the location for a number of motion pictures, partly due to the influence of The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Radio-Television-Film. Films produced in Austin include Man of the House, Secondhand Lions, Waking Life, Spy Kids, Dazed and Confused, Office Space, The Life of David Gale, Miss Congeniality, Doubting Thomas, Slacker, Idiocracy, Road Trip, A Scanner Darkly,The Wendall Baker Story and most recently, Grindhouse and How To Eat Fried Worms. In order to draw future film projects to the area, the Austin Film Society has converted several airplane hangars from the former Mueller Airport into filmmaking center Austin Studios. Projects that have used facilities at Austin Studios include music videos by The Flaming Lips and feature films such as 25th Hour and Sin City. Austin also hosted the MTV series, The Real World: Austin in 2005.
Austin's main daily newspaper is the Austin American-Statesman. The Austin Chronicle is Austin's alternative weekly, while The Daily Texan is the student newspaper of the University of Texas. Austin also has smaller newspapers such as the Oak Hill Gazette, Austin Business Journal, and Texas Family Magazine. Texas Monthly, a major regional magazine, is also headquartered in Austin.
Austin hosts the annual Austin Film Festival, as well as the nationally acclaimed South by Southwest, which draw films of many different types from all over the world. In 2004 the city was first in Moviemaker Magazine's annual top ten cities to live and make movies. The 2007 South by Southwest festival included Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Tom Morello, and Rickie Lee Jones.
Austin also hosts the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, based on its own Austin City Limits television show. The festival and television show alike attract musical artists from around the world.
Local businesses and artists produce a lot of interesting handmade indie-fashion and organic-and-eco-friendly fashion, as can be seen on the 32nd street artist market, at festivals, and in many shops. Independent film is prominent in the city.
[edit] Theaters
Austin also has a strong theater culture, with dozens of itinerant and resident companies producing a wide variety of work. From Esther's Follies on East 6th Street to Zachary Scott on South Lamar Boulevard, live entertainment can be found around the city. Many, many other theater groups exist and often perform publicly, collaborating often with dance and music groups. Public art and performances of many kinds in the parts and on bridges is popular and it is easy to find a myriad of diverse and creative free productions.
The Paramount Theater opened in downtown Austin in 1915. Managing to escape destruction throughout the years, it contributes not only to Austin's theater culture, but also to its film culture, showing a variety of classic films throughout the summer. The summer program features a series of double features, often paired with vintage cartoons or serials to complete the retro feel. Gone With the Wind is always the last movie shown. The theater also hosts regional premieres, for films such as Miss Congeniality.[2]
Alamo Drafthouse is another stop for Austinite movie and food fans, showing a combination of current releases and cult favorites while patrons are served dinner.
In January 2007, Austin Lyric Opera hosted the American Premiere of the Philip Glass opera, Waiting for the Barbarians, an allegory of oppressor and oppressed based on the novel by John Maxwell Coetzee of South Africa. Coetzee, the Nobel Prize Winner for Literature in 2003, is a University of Texas at Austin graduate and former UT professor.
[edit] Sports
Austin is the largest city in the United States without a franchise in the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, or the National Hockey League. However, many Austinites enthusiastically support the University of Texas Longhorns' sports programs. The University of Texas football and baseball teams each won their respective national championships during the 2005-2006 seasons. Minor-league professional sports came to Austin in 1996, when the Austin Ice Bats began playing at the Travis County Expo Center. Since then, they have been joined by many other teams.
Known for its active outdoor culture, Austin is home to many rock-climbers, swimmers, divers, snorkelers, mountain bikers, cyclists, as the city's numerous trails, mild year-round climate and limestone rock formations support such outdoor activities. Cycling is popular partly due to an environmental awareness and also due to the popularity of Lance Armstrong, who lives in the suburb of Dripping Springs. It is a city of volunteering, activism, intellectualism, charity, and giving to the community; the sense of community is strong and people participate in many events to help their neighbors and many causes.
In addition to team sports, the combined draws of the bicycle-friendly Texas Hill Country that begins in Northwest Austin, the centrally-located Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail, and local pools like Barton Springs make Austin the home of several endurance and multi-sport races and communities. The Capitol 10,000 is the largest 10 K race in Texas, and approximately fifth largest in the nation. The Austin Marathon has been run in the city every year since 1992. The Austin-founded American Swimming Association hosts an open water swimming event, the Academy Capital 2 K, and other closed-course, open water, and cable swim races around town. Austin is also the hometown of several cycling groups and the champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. Combining these three disciplines is a growing crop of triathlons, including the Capital of Texas Triathlon held every Memorial Day on and around Lady Bird Lake, Auditorium Shores, and downtown Austin.
[edit] Tourist attractions
Many of the tourists that visit Austin come for its vibrant nightlife; however, there are many other attractions in Austin, including the Texas Memorial Museum, the Blanton Museum of Art (opened in 2006), the galleries at the Harry Ransom Center, and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum across the street (which opened in 2000). The Texas State Capitol itself is also a major tourist attraction. The Driskill Hotel built in 1886, located at 6th and Brazos, was finished just before the construction of the Capitol building. Sixth Street is a musical hub for the city but also includes annual festivals such as the Pecan Street Festival and Halloween night. A very strange and eccentric, unique Austin haven for weird arts such as fire-dancing and circus-like-acts is the Enchanted Forest, which hosts many outdoor art and performance events. The Austin City Limits Music Festival also brings many tourists from around the nation.
The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge houses the world's largest urban population of Mexican free-tailed bats. Starting in late February, up to 1.5 million bats take up residence inside the bridge's expansion and contraction zones as well as in long horizontal grooves running the length of the bridge's underside, an environment ideally suited for raising their young. Every evening around sunset, the bats emerge in search of insects, an exit visible on weather radar. Watching the bat emergence is an event that is popular with locals and tourists, with more than 100,000 viewers per year. The bats migrate to Mexico each winter.
Considering Austin's "Earth-friendly" persona, it is appropriate that the Austin Zoo, located in the Oak Hill neighborhood just north of U.S. 290, is a rescue zoo that provides sanctuary to displaced animals from a variety of unfortunate and often neglectful situations.
Austin also has several well-known swimming locations. These include Deep Eddy Pool, Texas' oldest man-made swimming pool, and Barton Springs Pool, the nation's largest natural swimming pool in an urban area. Both are spring-fed and maintain a constant temperature of 69 degrees year-round -- swimming in Barton Springs at Christmas is an annual tradition for many Austinites. Hippie Hollow, a county park situated along Lake Travis, is the only clothing-optional public park in Texas. Activities include rockclimbing, kayaking, swimming, exploring, and hiking along the greenbelt, a green, lush, long-spanning area that runs through the city. Hamilton Pool is a gorgeous and cool (temperature-wise) pool and wildlife park located about 30 minutes from the city and is strongly recommended by many locals.
Farmers markets are popular attractions, providing a variety of locally grown and often organic goods.
[edit] Architectural landmarks
Buildings that make up Austin's skyline are modest in height and somewhat spread out. The latter characteristic is due to a restriction that preserves the view of the Texas State Capitol building from various locations around Austin. This is according to the report produced by the Downtown Commission (June 2007). Downtown Development and Capitol View Corridors. The city's tallest building, 360 Condominiums, is under construction and topped out in late 2007. Austin's second tallest building and tallest completed structure, the Frost Bank Tower, opened in 2004 and stands at 515 feet (157 m) and is located at the corner of Congress Avenue and 4th Street. Austin is currently undergoing a skyscraper boom, which includes construction on the 360 Condominiums at 563 feet (172 m), the Austonian at 683 feet (208 m), and the T. Stacy Towers at 830 feet (253 m) and 420 feet (128 m) tall. By 2011, the Frost Bank Building will be the only skyscraper built before 2005 to remain in the top ten tallest buildings in the city.
The iconic Pennybacker Bridge, also known as the "360 Bridge", crosses Lake Austin to connect north and south Loop 360.
At night, parts of Austin are lighted with "artificial moonlight." Several 165-foot moonlight towers, built in the late 19th century and recognized as historic landmarks, illuminate the central part of the city. Only 17 of the 31 original towers remain standing. The towers are featured in the film, Dazed and Confused. Austin's Zilker Park Tree is a Christmas display made of lights strung from the top of a Moonlight Tower in Zilker Park. The Zilker Tree is lighted in December along with the "Trail of Lights," an Austin Christmas tradition.
[edit] Transportation
Central Austin is bracketed by Interstate 35 to the east and the Mopac Expressway to the west. U.S. Highway 183 runs from northwest to southeast, and State Highway 71 crosses southern part of the city from east to west, completing a rough "box" around the central and north-central city. Austin is the largest city in the United States to be served by only one Interstate Highway.
U.S. Highway 290 enters Austin from the east and merges into I-35. Its highway designation continues south on I-35 and then becomes part of Highway 71, continuing on to the west. Highway 290 becomes its own road again southwest of the city, when it splits from Highway 71 in a busy interchange in Oak Hill known as "The Y." Highway 71 continues as far west as Brady, TX, and Highway 290 continues west to intersect Interstate 10 near Junction. Interstate 35 continues south through San Antonio, TX, and continues to its culmination at Laredo, TX, which is on the Texas-Mexico border. Interstate 35 is the highway link to the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex in northern Texas. There are two links to Houston, TX (Highway 290 and State Highway 71/Interstate 10). Highway 183 leads northwest of Austin and is a route with other major highways to such cities as Abilene, San Angelo, Lubbock, Amarillo, Albuquerque and Denver.
In the mid-1980s, Austin completed construction on State Highway Loop 360, a scenic highway that curves through the hill country from near the 71/Mopac interchange in the south to near the 183/Mopac interchange in the north.
In November 2006, Austin opened the first segments of its first-ever tollway system: State Highway 130 runs from Georgetown, Hutto, Round Rock, Pflugerville, where it connects with 45, passes US 290 just between the city limits of Austin and Manor, extending around the east side of the city until it ends at 71 just east of the airport. The next segment will loop around the airport to the east and meet with US 183 south of Creedmoor, then the last few segments will continue southward until it reaches Interstate 10 in Seguin, east of San Antonio.
State Highway 45 runs east-west from just west of Highway 183 in Cedar Park to 130 inside Pflugerville (just south of Round Rock). From there it becomes 45 North/South and is cosigned with 130, currently where 130 ends.
The project also included a tolled extension to Mopac that allows direct access to I-35.
The 183A Toll Road opened as of March 2007, providing a tolled alternative to 183 through the congested cities of Leander and Cedar Park.
Remaining segments of 45 and 130 are scheduled for completion in 2007. A separate segment of 45 still under development (Texas 45 SE) will eventually connect U.S. 183/Texas 130 to I-35, in south Austin.
Austin's airport is Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (IATA code AUS), located 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the city.
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) provides public transportation to the city, primarily by bus. CapMet is planning to cange some routes to "Rapid Lines". The lines will feature 60-ft long, train-like high-tech buses. This addition is going to be implemeted to help reduce congestion. Capital Metro also is building a commuter rail system that is scheduled for completion in fall 2008. The system will be built on existing freight rail lines and will serve downtown Austin, East Austin, Northcentral Austin, Northwest Austin, and Leander in its first phase. Future expansion could include a line to Manor and another to Round Rock. Capital Metro is also looking into a circulator system of streetcars to connect most of Downtown, the University of Texas, and the 700-acre Mueller Airport Redevelopment. The streecar system would help connect the new rail line to key destinations in Central Austin. An Amtrak Texas Eagle station is located west of downtown. Segments of the Amtrak route between Austin and San Antonio are under evaluation for a future passenger rail corridor as an alternative to the traffic congestion of Interstate 35.
[edit] Education
Given the title of America's #1 College Town by the Travel Channel,[citation needed] Austin is home to The University of Texas at Austin, one of the largest universities in the country and the flagship institution of The University of Texas System — the largest state system of higher education in Texas. Other institutions of higher learning include Austin Community College, Concordia University, Huston-Tillotson University, St. Edward's University, the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, the Acton School of Business, Austin Graduate School of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and a branch of LeTourneau University.
Most of the city is covered by the Austin Independent School District. Parts of Austin are served by other districts, including Round Rock Independent School District, Pflugerville Independent School District, Leander Independent School District, Manor Independent School District, Del Valle Independent School District, Lake Travis Independent School District, and Eanes Independent School District. Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Austin the 23rd most literate city in America for 2007.[21]
Private and alternative education is also available for children in preschool-12th grade. Institutions include Garza (which is public), the Waldorf schools, The Griffin school,St. Stephen's Episcopal School (Austin, Texas), St. Mary's, St. Michael's Catholic Academy, St. Andrew's, St. Francis School, Trinity Episcopal School, Huntington-Surrey, and many Montessori schools. Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin at LBJ High School has been considered by many magazines and scholars to be one of the best public high schools in the country[citation needed], and Kealing and Fulmore middle schools offer similar and similarly nationally-acclaimed programs known as the magnet programs[citation needed]. There are also some elementary, middle, and high schools that offer gifted and talented, and International Baccalaureate programs.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c Live Music Capital of the World. City of Austin. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
- ^ a b c The ATX. ATX Fest. Retrieved on 2007-04-06.
- ^ a b Population Estimates for the 25 Largest U.S. Cities based on July 1, 2006 Population Estimates (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ The fastest growing U.S. cities - Jun. 28, 2007
- ^ http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top100/bigcities.html Money.cnn.com
- ^ http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/greenarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=4848625 "The 10 Greenest Cities in America. " (MSN City Guide)
- ^ Best People in U.S. Cities. Travelandleisure.com and CNN Headline News (2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
- ^ What Native American tribe was most common in the area?. Austin City Connection. Retrieved on 2007-09-20.
- ^ The History of Austin last 5 paragraphs. Austin City Connection. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b c d e Austin Weather & Climate. About.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
- ^ a b c Austin Climate Summary. NOAA. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
- ^ VERY HOT EARLY SEPTEMBER 2000 WEATHER. National Weather Service. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
- ^ a b c MontAverages. Weather.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
- ^ Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members.
- ^ http://www.cityofaustin.org./siscity/ Austin Sister Cities - general information
- ^ The Nielsen Company Issues Top Ten U.S. Lists For 2007, from the Nielsen Company website
- ^ PRWeb (2006-10-06). "Ballet Austin Celebrates Golden 50th Anniversary Season". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.
- ^ Central Connecticut State University study, accessed August 1, 2006
[edit] External links
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- Austin, Texas is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] Official sites
- City of Austin
- Austin, Texas Public Information Center and Visitor guide
- Austin Airport
- Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 16 May 2006
- Capital Metro - Public transportation in Austin. Retrieved 16 May 2006
[edit] Media and entertainment
[edit] TV
- Public Access Community Television (PACT)
- KLRU (PBS member TV station)
- News 8 Austin (24-hour local cable news channel)
- KXAN-TV Austin (NBC Affiliate for Austin)
[edit] Newspapers and magazines
- Oak Hill Gazette
- Austin Business Journal
- Austin Chronicle
- Austin American-Statesman
- Texas Family Magazine
[edit] Bars
[edit] Museums
[edit] Festivals
[edit] Places
- Austin Public Library
- Travis County Law Library
- Austin History Center. Retrieved 16 May 2006
- Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 16 May 2006
[edit] Nature and environment
- Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory
- Bat Conservation International page on the Congress Avenue Bats
- Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
[edit] Photos
- Austin Music Photos
- Historic photographs from the Austin History Center, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- AustinPostcards.com - Postcards, photographs and ephemera of historic significance to Austin. Retrieved 16 May 2006
- The Austin Map Project
- Urban Austin - Architecture and urban design in Austin
[edit] Statistics
- Austin from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Population Estimates for Metropolitan, Micropolitan, and Combined Statistical Areas
- Austin City Data – Demographic and geographic info, crime data, housing, businesses and other research material.
- AustinTowers Database of Downtown Condos - Online database of new and existing high-rise condo projects
- Emporis database of Austin skyscrapers - Skyscraper database of facts and information about Austin's skyscrapers
- Austin - Best Place to Live - How Austin Ranks Among US Cities. Retrieved 16 May 2006
- Austin House Statistics. Retrieved 16 May 2006
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Hays County, Texas |
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Travis County, Texas |
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| County seat: Austin | ||
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Austin‡ | Bee Cave | Cedar Park | Creedmoor | Elgin‡ | Lago Vista | Lakeway | Manor | Mustang Ridge‡ | Pflugerville | Rollingwood | Round Rock‡ | Sunset Valley | West Lake Hills |
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Anderson Mill‡ | Barton Creek | Del Valle | Garfield | Hudson Bend | Jollyville‡ | Lost Creek | Manchaca | Onion Creek | Shady Hollow | Wells Branch | Windemere |
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‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties |
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Williamson County, Texas |
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| County seat: Georgetown | ||
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Austin‡ | Bartlett‡ | Cedar Park‡ | Florence | Georgetown | Granger | Hutto | Jarrell | Leander‡ | Liberty Hill | Round Rock‡ | Taylor | Thorndale‡ | Thrall | Weir |
 |
| CDPs and other unincorporated areas |
Anderson Mill‡ | Brushy Creek | Coupland | Jollyville‡ | Jonah | Norman's Crossing | Serenada | Waterloo |
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‡This city also has portions in adjacent county or counties |
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