By Jim Gleitman and Christopher Chung
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Set deep in the heart of Texas, the Austin
area is home to one of the nation's largest universities, a
thriving technological community and a variety of outdoor
attractions. Names such as the Live Music Capital of the World,
River City and Silicon Hills are testimony to what this eclectic
capital city has to offer. This is Austin and Surrounding
Communities is an annual publication designed to guide your
exploration of the things that make the Austin area an enjoyable
place to live and visit. Whether you call Austin home or are
visiting for the first time, This is Austin is sure to
show you the best of what's around.
While the Live Music Capital of the World is
renowned for its music and nightlife, it has an abundance of
other attractions. If the arts spark your interest, visit
Austin's many galleries, theaters and museums.
South by Southwest is one of the largest music festivals in the
nation, but it is only one of many festivals during the year. Those who crave spectator sports can find
numerous professional and collegiate teams.
Built around the Colorado River, which forms
Town Lake, Lake Austin and Lake Travis, Austin is referred to as
the River City. Along the river, numerous trails and parks that
provide plenty of outdoor activities. Even in
summer, many Austinites jog at Town Lake or hike, bike and rock
climb at the 8-mile Barton Creek Greenbelt.
Apart from these earthly attractions, Austin
has many distinct shopping centers and family
attractions to explore.
With companies such as Dell, Motorola and IBM
leading the way, Austin has become known as the Silicon Hills,
challenging California's Silicon Valley as a high-tech center.
At the same time, many residents hold public-sector jobs with
the state of Texas, the University of Texas and the city of
Austin.
But Austin is not all work and play. Its
strong community provides many ways to get involved. Volunteer
groups, charitable organizations and family resources abound.
We hope This is Austin and Surrounding
Communities will entice you to explore new places in this
vibrant community and help you find those favorites you visited
once before. It comes in handy when hosting friends, too. So
look inside now for some of the things that make Austin uniquely
Austin and put it aside for a rainy (or sunny) day, too.
Be sure to visit
www.statesman.com
for more great articles about Austin.
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