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Welcome to Austin, Texas.
Austin is the state capital of Texas and the county seat of Travis County. Situated in the region of Central Texas, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 16th-largest in the United States. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, Austin had a population of 690,252.
The city is the core cultural and economic center of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area with a population of 1.4 million. Austin is situated on the Colorado River and on the Balcones Fault, which in much of Austin runs roughly the same route as the MoPac expressway.
Austin, Texas skyline from Town Lake. Photo by Hephaestos
Residents of Austin are known as Austinites and include a mix of university professors, students, politicians, lobbyists, state employees and high-tech workers. The city is home to enough large sites of major technology corporations to have earned the nickname "Silicon Hills". Austin's official slogan is The Live Music Capital of the World, and many try to follow one of its unofficial mottoes of "Keep Austin Weird". ATX is a popular abbreviation for the city of Austin.
For several hundred years before the arrival of European settlers, the area around present-day Austin was inhabited by a variety of nomadic Native American tribes. These indigenous peoples fished and hunted along the creeks, including present-day Barton Springs, which proved to be a reliable campsite. At the time of the first permanent settlement of the area, the Tonkawa tribe was the most common, with the Comanches and Lipan Apaches also frequenting the area.
Waterloo was chosen to become the capital of the new Republic of Texas in 1839 and was purchased by the republic for that purpose. Mirabeau B. Lamar renamed the city in honor of Stephen F. Austin. The city's original name is honored by local businesses such as Waterloo Ice House and Waterloo Records.
In 1842, Austin almost lost its status as capital city during the Texas Archive War. President Sam Houston had tried to relocate the seat of government from Austin to Houston, and then to Washington-on-the-Brazos. In the dead of night on December 29, 1842, a group of men was sent to take the archives of Texas from Austin to Washington-on-the-Brazos. Angelina Eberly fired a cannon at the men, who made their escape, only to be caught by another group of men who returned the archives to Austin.
A popular point of prominence in Austin is Mount Bonnell. The third-highest point in Austin proper at about 780 feet above sea level, it is a natural limestone formation overlooking Lake Austin on the Colorado River, approximately 200 feet below its summit.
Thousands of graduates each year from the engineering and computer science programs at The University of Texas at Austin provide a steady source of young, talented, and driven employees that help to fuel Austin's technology sector. The metro Austin area also has much lower housing costs than Silicon Valley. 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, although recovery is proceeding rapidly.
Austin's official slogan is The Live Music Capital of the World. Austin has a vibrant live music scene boasting 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 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.
Other annual events include Eeyore's Birthday Party and the Austin Reggae Festival in April and Carnaval in February. Halloween, St Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras, July 4th, and Juneteenth (Emancipation Day) are all celebrated with enthusiasm, Austinites being eager for any excuse for a public party.
Austinites take great pride in being eccentric and celebrate the differences between themselves and other U.S. cities. "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.
At night, parts of Austin are lit with "artificial moonlight." Several moonlight towers, built in the late 19th century and recognized as historic landmarks, illuminate the central part of the city. The towers were prominently featured in the film Dazed and Confused. The "Zilker Tree" is a Christmas "tree" made of large lights strung from the top of the Moonlight Tower that stands in Zilker Park. The Zilker Tree is lit in early December along with the "Trail of Lights," an Austin Christmas tradition.
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Local daily news in Austin:
Kim continues to accuse Shade of public safety pledge
"We did not ask for any promises, nor were we offered any" Austin City Council Member Jennifer Kim offered up more evidence Wednesday that she says proves that her re-election opponent, Randi Shade, agreed to increase public safety spending to get the public safety ... via Austin American Statesman
All I-35 lanes south of Austin to close
Motorists this weekend face a complete closure of Interstate 35 just south of Austin.
Police foil Wal-Mart shooting plot
"He was ready to take his plan and spring into action." Austin police said they stopped a man from attempting a shooting spree in South Austin. via News 8 Austin
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Places of interest:
Rollingwood, TX (3.1 miles), West Lake Hills, TX (4.1 miles), Lost Creek, TX (6.3 miles), Sunset Valley, TX (7.0 miles), Barton Creek, TX (8.2 miles), Jollyville, TX (10.6 miles), Wells Branch, TX (11.0 miles), Onion Creek, TX (11.4 miles).
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Weather in Austin:
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Hotels in Austin
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Hyatt Regency Austin
208 BARTON SPRINGS - Austin, TX, US 78704
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Austin Marriott At The Capitol
701 EAST 11TH STREET - Austin, TX, United States
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Ramada Inn Airport South
1212 WEST BEN WHITE BLVD - Austin, TX, US 78704
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Holiday Inn Austin South
3401 SOUTH IH-35 - Austin, TX, US 78741
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Courtyard Austin Northwest/Arboretum
9409 Stonelake Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78759 USA
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Hawthorn Suites North West
8888 TALLWOOD DRIVE - Austin, TX, US 78759
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Best Value Inn And Suites
6911 IH-35 NORTH - Austin, TX, US 78752
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La Quinta Inn/Stes Mopac North
11901 NORTH MOPAC EXPRESSWAY - Austin, TX, US 78759
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Renaissance Austin Hotel
9721 ARBORETUM BOULEVARD - Austin, TX, United States
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Omni Austin At Southpark
4140 GOVERNORS ROW - Austin, TX, US 78744
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Comfort Inn
700 DELMAR AVENUE - Austin, TX, US 78752
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La Quinta Inn Austin Ben White
4200 I-35 SOUTH - Austin, TX, US 78745
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La Quinta Inn Highland Mall
5812 I-35 NORTH - Austin, TX, US 78751
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La Quinta Inn Austin North
7100 I-35 NORTH - Austin, TX, US 78752
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La Quinta Inn Austin Oltorf
1603 E. OLTORF BLVD. - Austin, TX, US 78741
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Hilton Austin North & Towers
6000 MIDDLE FISKVILLE RD - Austin, TX, US 78752
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Doubletree Suites Austin
303 W 15 ST - Austin, TX, US 78701
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Red Roof Austin North
8210 INTERREGIONAL HWY - Austin, TX, US 78753
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Rodeway Inn University-Downtown
2900 NORTH I35 - Austin, TX, US 78705
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Embassy Stes Austin North
5901 NORTH I-35 - Austin, TX, US 78723
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