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At the end of the 19th century, in one of his short stories, the great American author O. Henry referred to the then small town of Austin as the city of the “Violet Crown”. In a single phrase he captured the striking violet sunsets that often surround Austin in the evenings. Today Austin is a vibrant city that successfully combines politics, education, high tech, and live music. Settled in 1835 and incorporated as the state capital in 1839, Austin has risen quickly to become the 11th most populous city in the United States. Developed along the banks of the Colorado River, there are three man-made lakes that reside within the city limits. The layout of the city straddles the Balcones Escarpment, which creates limestone hills and cliffs to the west and flatter land with deeper soil to the east.
Culturally, Austin has made a name for itself as a center for music, food and art. In fact, Austin markets itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World”, and famous names like Willie Nelson and Bob Schneider can be found playing to local crowds at dive bars and dance halls. Austin is also an economic powerhouse, with major employers like the state government and University of Texas employing thousands. Additionally, Austin is home to multiple Fortune 500 headquarters and regional offices such as IBM, Apple, Google, AMD, Facebook and Dell. With startup capital continuing to flow into Austin’s tech market, it’s no wonder the city is informally known as the “Silicon Hills” and the real estate market continues to boom.
You may find more information about Austin’s Independent School District here.
Click here to browse a calendar of many of the city’s annual events, including musical events like Austin City Limits, sporting events like Formula 1, and performances at the Walter E. Long Center for Performing Arts. Here is the Austin Chronicle’s live music calendar.
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