Austin Texas Austin is the capital of Texas and the state's fourth largest city. Austin is an apex of culture and education serving the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. The population was estimated to be 690,252 as of 2006, with a population of over 1.5 million in the metro area. The city sits on the Colorado River and the Balcones Fault. Its major roadways include Interstate 35, the Mopac Expressway, Hwy 183, Hwy 290 and Hwy 71.



Austin's educational experience is grounded most notably by the University of Texas. University of Texas has the largest enrollment of all colleges within the state and, with nearly 50,000 students, had the fifth largest single-campus enrollment in the nation in 2006. Other institutions include Austin Community College, Concordia University, Hutson-Tillotson University, St. Edward's University, the Action School of Business, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and LeTourneau University.

Austin is known for its eclectic mixture of culture, entertainment, large corporations and local businesses. The official slogan for the city is, "The Live Music Capital of the World" however many Austinites live by the locally adopted slogan, "Keep Austin Weird".

The cultural experience in Austin, TX is endless and ranges from live music to film festivals to Broadway productions and more.

Most well known for country and blues music, the city nurtures an ever-growing diversity of music genres. Some of the city's most famous artists include The Dixie Chicks, Janis Joplin and Willie Nelson. Live music is sought after in venues such as Saxon Pub, Cedar Street Courtyard, Momo's, Continental Club, Lucky Lounge, Shady Grove and more.

Sixth Street hosts a colorful blend of nightclubs, restaurants, live music and characters. Esther's Follies anchors Sixth Street with over 20 years of comedy, parody and magic. The Warehouse District is another one of Austin's hot spots and offers more live music, concert halls, clubs and restaurants. Austin's collections of music can also be heard from places like the Frank Erwin Center, Zilker Park, Antone's Night Club, Stubb's Bar-B-Q and Broken Spoke. Music festivals such as The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day celebration of Austin music. The Urban Music Festival is an outdoor, family orientated festival featuring live music and activities held along the banks of Town Lake at Auditorium Shores. The Zilker Hillside Theater also hosts the annual Zilker Summer Musical where you can spread a blanket over the grass and settle down to enjoy the show.

Filmmaking has become another attribute contributing to the allure of Austin. More than 350 major features and made-for-television movies have been filmed in the city. In 2007 the city ranked third in a list of top ten cities for moviemakers. An annual film/music/multimedia festival known as South by Southwest showcases hundreds of musical acts, hosts a frenzy of creative media entrepreneurs and has gained international acclaim for its emphasis on independent filmmaking.

Austin rounds off its cultural experience by offering much in the way of Fine Arts. Enjoy Broadway musicals or concerts at Walden Magic Productions, Capital City Mystery Players, Austin Murder Mystery Musicals, City Lights Theatres, University of Texas Performing Arts Center, Gobotrick Theatre Company and Strings Attached Concerts.

Austinites embrace the diverse lifestyles and opportunities found within the city and the city's residents include a mix of professors, students, politicians, lobbyists, musicians, state employees, high-tech workers and blue collar workers.

The city is home to major technology corporations and has earned the nickname "Silicon Hills." The city's largest employers include the State of Texas, The University of Texas, the SETON Healthcare Network, Dell, IBM, Freescale Semiconductors, Apple Inc., Vignette, AMD, Applied Materials, Cirrus Logic, Hoover's, Intel, Motive Inc., National Instruments, Samsung, Silicon Laboratories, Sun Microsystems and United Devices.

In addition to global companies, Austin features a strong network of locally owned organizations. The citizens as well as the Austin Independent Business Alliance protect these businesses. The success of small business in Austin has been linked to the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign and reflects the high level of commitment to resist excessive commercialization.

Shopping in Austin is as much a treat as strolling down Sixth Street. The city has everything to offer with stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Al's Formal Wear, American Eagle Outfitters, Ann Taylor, Apple Computer, Arden B., Aveda Lifestyle Store, BabyGap, Bakers, Banana Republic, Bath & Body Works, bebe, Ben Bridge Jewelers, Brookstone, Buckle, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Cache, The Children's Place, Claire's Accessories, Coach, Coldwater Creek, Custom Stickers, Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, Deck the Walls, Dillard's, EB Games, Eddie Bauer, Express, Finish Line, Foot Locker, Gadzooks, Gap, Glamour Shots, GNC, Gordon's Jewelers, Helzberg Diamonds, Hollister Co., Hot Topic, J. Crew, JCPenney, Journeys, Lane Bryant, Macy's, Motherhood Maternity, Nine West, Old Navy, Payless ShoeSource, Rave, Sears, Sephora, Sharper Image, T-Mobile, Talbots, Victoria's Secret, Williams-Sonoma, Yankee Candle and much, much more.

The flavor of Austin's dining is an array of enjoyable meals. Fast food restaurants include Rockets, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, Sandy's Hamburgers, Marble Slab Creamery, Hut's Hamburgers, Cozzoli's Pizza, McDonald's, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Burger Tex, Whataburger, Wendy's, Church's Chicken, Dairy Queen, Papa John's, Jack In the Box and Subway, along with an endless list of locally owned and franchise businesses. Austin steakhouses include Mesa Ranch, Finn & Porter, Kobe Steakhouse, Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse, Hudson's on the Bend, Main Street Grill and more. Delicious Mexican flavor can be found at Jorge's, Rio Grande Tex Mex, La Reyna, Texican Caf? Lakeline, La Cocina de Consuelo, The Garden District, Juan in a Million and Taco Xpress. Some of Texas' best barbecue can be enjoyed at Chief's BBQ, Iron Works, Salt Lick BBQ, Ruby's BBQ, Pok-e-Jo's Smokehouse and more. Austin includes rich Italian flavors at Bellagio Italian Bistro, Andiamo Ristorante, O'Leander Caf?, Gino's, Johnny Carino's Country Italian and Saccone's Pizza.

Austin attracts many visitors to its museums and exhibits. The Blanton Museum of Art and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum both opened in 2006. The Texas State Capitol is also a major tourist attraction. Mother Nature is on Austin's side as residents and tourists flock to watch the migration of the world's largest urban population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats that take up residence inside the Congress Avenue Bridge.

The reputation of Austin's unique and quirky city life keeps Austinites proud and mesmerized visitors. Austin was selected as the #2 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money Magazine in 2006. The city embraces the amenities and large corporations the world has to offer, while still keeping a quaint and personal relationship with its small businesses and entrepreneurs. Austin, Texas is a mixture of musicians, filmmakers, executives, lawyers, professors, students and free-thinkers all dedicated to "Keep Austin Weird".