Seven Things That Make Austin Unique
Sam Chapman
May 29, 2009
When many people who have not been to Austin hear Austin mentioned, they think of Dallas and Houston and assume that Austin is the same. Even people who have visited Austin, but who have not gotten out of the downtown area donīt understand what makes Austin unique. When I say Austin, I am talking about the five county area that makes up the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area. So what makes Austin so unique? Iīll give you eight things that make Austin unique.
1) Austin is a brainy city. It has the state government, lots of high tech, the University of Texas and additional small, but very good, universities and colleges.
2) Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. OK, this is a slogan, but it might be true. Austin has two massive music festivals South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits Festival. South by Southwest floods the city with musicians and guests from around the globe.
3) Hills and lakes. Lake Travis, just west of the city, is a 63 mile long and sits in the Central Texas Hill Country. Some of these hills rising out of the lake top out at close to 400 feet above the water and offer absolutely amazing views.
4) The University of Texas. OK, this was mentioned before, but it is worth mentioning again. UT is a very good school and it is huge, with an enrollment of up to 50,000 or more students. This has a huge impact on the economy of Austin. UT also cranks out a lot of engineers and that is a great thing for Austinīs high tech businesses. In addition, UT has some amazing sports teams that draw huge amounts of fans.
5) Water. In addition to Lake Travis, Austin has Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake. Lake Austin is a body of water that winds through the Colorado River Valley. Lake Austin is home to some of the most expensive Austin real estate. It is also a great lake for wake boarding. Lady Bird Lake runs through the downtown area and ads a dimension of beauty to the city. More water Barton Springs discharges over 30 million gallons of water into a natural swimming pool just minutes from downtown Austin.
6) Topography. I mentioned the hills before, but they are worth mentioning again. Whether mountain biking or training on paved roads, Austin is an incredible area to bike. There is a loop that is around 38 miles long that offers some serious hills. Drive parts of this series of roads and you will see dozens, if not hundreds, of bikers training on weekend mornings
7) The Hill Country. The Central Texas Hill Country is made up of limestone. Limestone is porous. Rainfall runs into the ground and travels through some of this limestone and exits as springs. Krause Springs is a swimming hole that has 32 springs flowing into it and it is absolutely amazing. Hamilton Pool, just west of Austin, is another amazing place. What once was a cave had much of the roof collapse thousands of years ago. This resulted in a beautiful swimming hole with an 80 foot waterfall falling into it.
1) Austin is a brainy city. It has the state government, lots of high tech, the University of Texas and additional small, but very good, universities and colleges.
2) Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. OK, this is a slogan, but it might be true. Austin has two massive music festivals South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits Festival. South by Southwest floods the city with musicians and guests from around the globe.
3) Hills and lakes. Lake Travis, just west of the city, is a 63 mile long and sits in the Central Texas Hill Country. Some of these hills rising out of the lake top out at close to 400 feet above the water and offer absolutely amazing views.
4) The University of Texas. OK, this was mentioned before, but it is worth mentioning again. UT is a very good school and it is huge, with an enrollment of up to 50,000 or more students. This has a huge impact on the economy of Austin. UT also cranks out a lot of engineers and that is a great thing for Austinīs high tech businesses. In addition, UT has some amazing sports teams that draw huge amounts of fans.
5) Water. In addition to Lake Travis, Austin has Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake. Lake Austin is a body of water that winds through the Colorado River Valley. Lake Austin is home to some of the most expensive Austin real estate. It is also a great lake for wake boarding. Lady Bird Lake runs through the downtown area and ads a dimension of beauty to the city. More water Barton Springs discharges over 30 million gallons of water into a natural swimming pool just minutes from downtown Austin.
6) Topography. I mentioned the hills before, but they are worth mentioning again. Whether mountain biking or training on paved roads, Austin is an incredible area to bike. There is a loop that is around 38 miles long that offers some serious hills. Drive parts of this series of roads and you will see dozens, if not hundreds, of bikers training on weekend mornings
7) The Hill Country. The Central Texas Hill Country is made up of limestone. Limestone is porous. Rainfall runs into the ground and travels through some of this limestone and exits as springs. Krause Springs is a swimming hole that has 32 springs flowing into it and it is absolutely amazing. Hamilton Pool, just west of Austin, is another amazing place. What once was a cave had much of the roof collapse thousands of years ago. This resulted in a beautiful swimming hole with an 80 foot waterfall falling into it.
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