The ability to find well-paying jobs is one of the main reasons people flock to Austin. In 1987, Austin created and continues to host South by Southwest (stylized as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By), an annual conglomerate of parallel film, interactive media and music festivals and conferences held in mid-March. To strengthen the region's park system, which encompasses more than 29,000 acres (11,736 ha), the Austin Parks Foundation (APF) was established in 1992 to develop and improve parks in and around Austin. The APF works to fill the funding gap for the city's parks through the support of volunteers, philanthropists, park advocates and strategic collaborations to develop, maintain and improve Austin's parks, trails and green spaces.
In the city, the population was scattered: 22.5% of the population was under 18, 16.6% were aged 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. Other Austin-based companies include NXP Semiconductors, GoodPop, Temple-Inland, Sweet Leaf Tea Company, Keller Williams Realty, National Western Life, GSD&M, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Golfsmith, Forestar Group, EZCorp, Outdoor Voices, Tito's Vodka, Indeed, Speak Social and YETI.
According to Austin's comprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers by number of employees in the county are as follows. NR indicates that the employer was not among the top ten employers that year. The Capital Area Rural Transportation System connects Austin to outlying suburbs and surrounding rural areas. The Henry House Museum houses the annual O.Henry Pun-Off, a wordplay contest in which successful contestants show ingenuity similar to that of author William Sydney Porter.
From 1962 to 1998, the Austin Aqua Festival, or Aqua Fest, took place on the shores of Lake Town (now known as Lady Bird Lake). Originally conceived as a summer tourism event, the event, which lasted several days, went from being aqua-themed activities to a larger civic festival, due to the growth and interest of the community. Over time, attendance and financial solvency began to decline as the big music and summer festivals they gained prominence. The Long Center for the Performing Arts is a 2,300-seat theater built in part with repurposed materials from the old Lester E.
Law enforcement in Austin is provided by the Austin Police Department, with the exception of state government buildings, which are patrolled by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The University of Texas Police operates out of the University of Texas. In 2003, the city passed a resolution against the U.S. Patriot Act that reaffirmed constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Other institutions of higher education in Austin include St. Edward's University, Huston-Tillotson University, Austin Community College, Concordia University, Southwest Seminary, Texas Health and Science University, St. Augustine University of Health Sciences, Austin Graduate School of Theology, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin Austin's Austin campus of Austin, Austin campus of Austin, Austin campus of Virginia College Austin, Austin campus of Virginia College, Austin Institute of Art, Institute of South Austin Careers, the Austin Conservatory, and the branches of Case Western Reserve University and Park University. The University of Texas System and the Texas State University System are headquartered in downtown Austin. Austin has two types of relationships with other cities, sister and friendship.
After the mid-20th century, Austin established itself as one of the major metropolitan centers in Texas. Since Austin's official motto is The Live Music Capital of the World, the city has a vibrant live music scene with more music venues per capita than any other U.Texas Instruments headquarters established in Austin two years later, Motorola (now NXP Semiconductors) began manufacturing semiconductor chips in 1974. Austin also hosts the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, which brings comedic artists from all disciplines to Austin. A controversial turning point in the political history of the Austin area was the redistricting of Texas in 2003. Best known as the screenwriter of “The Perfect Storm” and the television adaptation of “The Lone Dove”, he was a giant of the Austin film scene and a mentor to young directors and screenwriters. Austin has been the scene of several movies, in part due to the influence of the Radio-Television-Film Department at the University of Texas at Austin. The Texas Observer, a biweekly political journalistic magazine, has been based in Austin for more than five decades.
Several months ago, I was able to include Joe Ely, the rocker troubadour from Texas, in the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. Keep reading for the ultimate guide to Austin, Texas, that you need to know before you move, from a thriving music and arts scene to incredible dining and fun activities. Although Austin is home to many large companies such as Amazon, Apple and eBay, it still differs from other Texas metropolises, such as Dallas and Houston. The Austin Chronicle is Austin's alternative weekly, while The Daily Texan is the student newspaper of the University of Texas in Austin.
