Austin frequently appears on "best of" lists. RelocateAmerica's "Top 10 Overall" Money Magazines's "Best Big City", MSN's "Greenest City in America" just to name a few.

Austin is quite simply a melting pot of sights and sounds that can't be found anywhere else. From the quirky cast of characters that populate Congress Avenue to burnt orange-clad University of Texas students, bats to Longhorns, four-star restaurants to down-home barbecue joints, corporate CEOs to struggling musicians, Texas' capital city stands apart from the rest. Austin became a tech center, home to many large employers, in the 1990s. Today it maintains these identities and also fosters an increased prominence in the film industry.

It's hip and trendy, yet in a vintage sort of way. It's high-tech and laid-back. It's politically charged and culturally rich. It's eclectic by nature and creative by design. Most of all, it's a place where people like to have a good time.

The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area with a population of more than 1.7 million residents. Its diverse neighborhoods include urban lofts and large country estates; starter homes and affordable apartments, making Austin truly a community for everyone.

People
 Residents of Austin are known as "Austinites" and include a mix of university professors, students, politicians, lobbyists, musicians, state employees, high-tech workers, blue-collar workers, and white-collar workers. The city is home to enough large sites of major technology corporations to have earned it the nickname "Silicon Hills." Austin's official slogan promotes the city as "The Live Music Capital of the World", a reference to its status as home to many musicians and music venues. In recent years, many Austinites have also adopted the unofficial slogan "Keep Austin Weird"; this refers partly to the eclectic and progressive lifestyle of many Austin residents, but is also the slogan for a campaign to preserve smaller local businesses and resist excessive commercialization.

Economy
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 and defense industry sectors. Its biggest employers include the State of Texas, The University of Texas, the SETON Healthcare Network, Dell, IBM and Freescale Semiconductor (spun off from Motorola in 2004). Other high-tech companies in Austin include Apple Inc., Vignette, AMD, Applied Materials, Cirrus Logic, Hoover's, Inc., Intel, Motive Inc, National Instruments, Samsung, Silicon Laboratories, Sun Microsystems, and United Devices. The proliferation of technology companies has led to the region's nickname, "the Silicon Hills," and has spurred rapid development that has greatly expanded the city to the north, south, east, and west. Not only is Austin home to many high-tech companies, it is also headquarters for Whole Foods and Gatti's Pizza, a pizza buffet chain.

In addition to global companies, Austin features a strong network of independent, locally-owned firms and organizations such as the Austin Independent Business Alliance. The success of these businesses reflects the high level of commitment by the citizens of Austin to preserving the unique spirit of the city, and has been tied to the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign. Small businesses in Austin enjoy a lively existence gained by direct competition with large national and global rivals.

Music Scene
As Austin's official slogan 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.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. The Urban Music Festival is held during the Texas Relays weekend every April. Other annual events include Eeyore's Birthday Party and the Austin Reggae Festival (previously named Bob Marley Festival) in April and Carnaval in February. Halloween, St Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras, July 4th, and Juneteenth (Emancipation Day) are all celebrated.

Art & Culture
Austinites take pride in eccentricities 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.

Austin is also home to a lot of artists. They can be seen selling their art at the Renaissance Market on Guadalupe, across the street from the University. Every first Thursday of the month, during what is known as First Thursdays, the eclectic shops on South Congress stay open late, artists sell their works on the sidewalks, and musicians play in the streets. This is truly a spectacle of Austin, and exemplifies its cultural side.

Austin hosts the annual Austin Film Festival, as well as South by Southwest, which draw films of many different types from all over the world. Austin also has a strong theater culture, with dozens of itinerant and resident companies producing a wide variety of work.

When we say "come as you are" in Austin, we mean it. The Live Music Capital of the World® plays to a diverse population of cultures, political leanings and lifestyles. The Mexican American Cultural Center anchors the Hispanic community, as does the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center for the city's African-American neighborhoods.

An increasing Asian influence has resulted in many festivals, parades, marketplaces and cultural performances. In fact Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, along with the Austin Asian American Chamber of Commerce and the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce created an alliance called MECA (Multi-Ethnic Chamber Alliance) that brings diverse groups together for the purpose of advancing business initiatives, leveraging resources, and creating networking opportunities for small business owners.

Whether you're here for a day, a week, or a lifetime, Austin has something for everyone. Welcome!

Forbes in partnership with the Praxis Strategy Group, recently examined what the next decade has in store for America's 52 largest cities. The publication used recent U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics growth and demographic data to compile a list of the expected "boom towns." The Central Texas region from Round Rock to San Marcos came in first.

The report lauded the Austin area for its impressive two-year employment and population growth, as well as the local number of college graduations and children. A separate report said Austin is expected to add 6,000 residents in one month this summer.

Other Texas cities high on the list included: San Antonio/New Braunfels (No. 4), Houston (No. 5) and Dallas (No. 7).

A slideshow of Forbes' top boom towns is available here.

The ranking comes as no surprise, as Austin is a regular on regional "best of" lists. Click here for a roundup of its recent appearances.

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From www.austinist.com

The Barton Springs El Chile has officially reopened as El Alma Cafe, the new interior Mexican restaurant by El Chile Group executive chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas. The menu is here, but highlights include Mexico City-style food and major happy hour deals.

El Alma Cafe is open Tuesday through Saturday 11-10pm, Sunday through Monday 11-9pm, with a Brunch from 11-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. Click here for the Press Release. 

Lucy's Fried Chicken to open on South Congress