Talk to anyone who's lived in the Texas capital for any length of time, and you'll likely hear some variation of the same refrain: I wouldn't live anywhere else but Austin.
Not only is the city known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," it's also unofficially known as the best city in Texas, especially by those who make their home here.
Most cities would shy away from the "Help Keep Austin Weird "moniker, but Austin revels in its weirdness. There is no other city in which you can pass a cop on a horse, a hippie wearing beat up sandals, and a bikini wearing homeless man all on the same downtown street.
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. In this great city you can be whoever you want to be, and no-one would think twice about your oddity. Not only does Austin's inclusive disposition create a friendly atmosphere, it also offers a variety of entertainment for just about every lifestyle you can image.
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. Downtown Austin is widely known for having more entertainment and cultural hotspots per capita than most major cities, and now its thriving high rise market has made investing and living here an accessible choice.
Austin consistently ranks high on lists of best places to live, work, and play. Forbes, Men's Journal, Sperling's BestPlaces, and others regularly publish lists of the best cities to live, best vacation destinations, healthiest cities, and top places for businesses based on research, facts and figures, polls, and surveys.
Home prices appreciated 11 percent in early 2007 compared with a year earlier. Backed by healthy job growth, Central Texas' real estate market is expected to remain strong.
Housing Ask people what they love most about living in the Austin area, and you'll find as many answers. For some, it's the Hill Country, for others, it's the lakes, the creeks, and the swimming holes. Others will say it's the culture, the arts, the laidback attitude. Most of all it's, "The Live Music Capital of the World." What most agree about is a love of the "Austintatious Lifestyle."
Finding a place to live is one of the most exciting experiences a newcomer to the Austin area can have. With the help of Terri McFarland, a trained real estate professional, those new to the area can be assured of making an informed decision about one of the most important investments ever made in their lives.
Leisure Walk down the Town Lake hike-and-bike trail any summer afternoon and you'll understand: Austin loves to play. Considering the giant playground we live in, it's no wonder.
Warm weather means cyclists are out in force nearly year-round. In May 2007, the League of American Cyclists awarded Austin, home of Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, silver status as a bicycle-friendly city.
Want sports? There is the Round Rock Express minor league baseball, the University of Texas Longhorn football or the Austin NBA Toros Basketball games to score ticket to.
Looking for culture? Austin has that too, with numerous museums, theaters, and galleries.
Need to cool off? Beautiful Lake Austin or Lake Travis is great place to spend the day water skiing, sailing, fishing, or spend the day people watching. Don't own a boat, no problem! With numerous marinas around Lake Travis, renting a watercraft is super easy.
Education At one end of the spectrum is the University of Texas, with nearly 50,000 students, a small city onto itself and one of the largest universities in the country. At the other end of the spectrum are a handful of rural public school districts with total student enrollments in the hundreds. There are 29 independent public school districts in the Austin metro area.
According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census 2004 American Community Survey - the most recent survey available - the city of Austin ranks fifth in the number of college graduates, with 45 percent of the population holding a degree.
Fortune magazine has also recognized Austin as one of the country's top five intellectual capitals, and we're ranked number 3 on Forbes "Best Place for Business and Careers" ranking, in part because of a highly educated workforce.
Arts & Entertainment
Music: Start with the South by Southwest Music Festival in March. There's nothing like it. More than 1,000 bands from around the world are all concentrated in clubs around Austin's urban core. The rest of the year, choose from more than 150 live music venues dedicated to every type of tunes.
Movies: Austin Film Festival in October, South by Southwest Film Festival in March, and, in between, Cine Las Americas, Fantastic Fest, Cinema Texas and others. The best way to enjoy these fandangos is to purchase a festival pass, pick up a schedule, then just gorge.
Arts: Austin and the surrounding area are home to a variety of arts performance venues. From outdoor theaters to small ethnic galleries and history museums, Central Texas has it all.
For a FREE Relocation Guide Book click on the BUYERS link below and email me your request.
Terri McFarland, REALTOR® Austin's Downtown Urban Area Specialist 512.297.8199 ph 888.491.0002 fax terri4austin@yahoo.com www.terri4austin.com *Member of Austin's Downtown Neighborhood Association
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