You will never tire of things to do in Austin, Texas! The city is alive with fun events, outdoor activities, and festive hangouts for all of us.

Ballet Austin
	Ballet Austin performs throughout the season, such renowned ballets as A Mid Summer Night’s Dream, The Nutcracker, Cult of Color, and Don Quixote. Ballet Austin also offers a community ballet academy with a varied dance curriculum and educational opportunities.
Austin Symphony Orchestra
	The Austin Symphony Orchestra gives you a taste of classical music legend Beethoven and other greats around the world. Founded in 1911, the Austin Symphony Orchestra is Austin’s oldest performing arts group. The ASO offers a complete season of musical and educational programming. Classical concerts include a series of eight concert pairs running monthly September through May in Riverbend Centre.
Austin Children’s Museum
	Austin Children’s Museum - ACM creates learning experiences for children and families that equip and inspire. Upcoming events include Baby Bloomers, Science Day, Musical Story Time with Auntie E and Community Night.
Austin Zoo
	The Austin Zoo is a place of wonder and intrigue with animals
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a tribute to Lady Bird Johnson who loved wildflowers and who left an environmental legacy. Lady Bird Johnson, our former first lady, and Actress Helen Hayes founded an organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America’s native plants and natural landscapes. First as the National Wildflower Research Center and later as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, this special place exists to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants. Every day, the Wildflower Center brings life to Mrs. Johnson’s vision in its public gardens, its woodlands and sweeping meadows as well as in internationally influential research. In 2006, the Center became an Organized Research Unit of the University of Texas at Austin.
Republic of Texas Museum
	The Republic of Texas Museum offers award-winning hands-on exhibits for children and adults alongside great traditional exhibits at the Republic of Texas Museum. Enjoy our museum scavenger hunts that feature the Republic and early statehood eras in Texas history. Special exhibits are also shown.
Austin Museum of Art
	Austin Museum of Art reflects the unconventional spirit of Austin, offering art experiences that appeal to broad audiences. The welcoming and centrally located galleries serve as the Museum’s principal exhibition site and present continually changing exhibitions and education programs that showcase an array of twentieth-century and contemporary art.
Austin Lyric Opera
	The Austin Lyric Opera’s vision is to improve the community through dynamic artistic productions and educational opportunities. The opera hosts events and operas such as Noche de Pasión, Madame Butterfly, and a Fall Festival.
6th Street - Downtown Austin
	Sixth Street is a National Register District. In the afternoon, visit Old Pecan Street’s many landmarks, restaurants and shops. At night, experience its bustling street life and festive atmosphere with live music and shows. Sixth Street Entertainment District is downtown.
Texas State Capitol
	Seated at one of Austin’s highest points, the Texas State Capitol is an architectural masterpiece that is renowned as one of the nation’s most impressive state capitols. The Texas State Capital was entered into the Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 for its “significant contribution to American history.”
University of Texas Observation Tower
	Completed in 1937, the 307-foot high UT Austin Tower offers a monumental view of the University of Texas, as well as the City of Austin in all directions. This recently remodeled tower offers an observation deck and is wheelchair accessible.
Barton Springs/Zilker Park
	Swim in Barton Springs’ 68-degree spring-fed pool. Or if that’s too cool, try canoeing, hiking or biking. Pack a picnic and let the kids play on the playground or ride the miniature train in Austin’s largest and most popular park. Barton Springs opens early at 5am during the summer and there is a nominal fee for adults. Plenty of parking is available. Zilker Park is a great place to fly kites and enjoy the sunshine.
Mount Bonnell
	Mt. Bonnell offers the most scenic and highest point in the city (785 feet above sea level) to watch the sunset over Lake Austin and Westlake Hills. Open daily, dawn until dusk. Mt. Bonnell is located in West Austin.

11/17/2008
By: News 8 Austin Staff

If you’re not sure how to get your TV ready for the digital conversion deadline, the City of Austin can help.

The city will host a forum tonight to answer questions and help prepare citizens for the Feb. 17 deadline.

You will learn how to get digital channels on your current set without having to buy a new one and you will learn about effects of the conversion.

The forum is from 7-9 p.m. Monday at the Ruiz Branch of the Austin Public Library (1600 Grove Blvd. in Southeast Austin).

Click to read more about the digital transition.

Source

11/17/2008
By: News 8 Austin Staff

If you’re looking for a job this holiday season, Goodwill Industries has a solution.

The nonprofit will be holding a job fair and will be hiring on-the-spot from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Goodwill is looking for retail supervisors, cashiers and production team members at the Brodie Lane and surrounding south locations.

The job fair will be at 9801 Brodie Lane.

If you can’t attend the job fair, you can fax your résumé to Kristine Womach at (512) 280-2205.

You can find out more information at AustinGoodwill.org.

Source

11/17/2008
By: News 8 Austin Staff

Having a sick child can be tough, but trying to figure out where you’re going to stay when that child is in the hospital can be even more daunting.

Fortunately, the Ronald McDonald House helps families deal with that problem.

The Williams family, from Temple, has spent a great deal of time at the hospital as their baby daughter Reagan has a severe heart defect. The family commutes to Dell Children’s Hospital when Reagan needs treatments, and they are thankful for the Ronald McDonald House.

Full Story

11/16/2008
By: Jennifer Borget

It’s like a new sanctuary for students, or just a really good place to learn, concentrate and hit the books.

The Round Rock Housing Authority teamed up with Round Rock Independent School District to create a new Community Outreach Center.

“I can learn more and get my homework done,” student Josea Bowsen said. “I’m falling behind pretty bad.”

Full Story

Austin considers itself to be the “gateway to the hill country” with many natural parks, lush landscape, and water throughout. The focus of outdoor activity in Austin centers on the Townlake area which sets along the western edge of the city, separating the flat prairies from the rolling hills. Three lakes surround the city, with Town Lake bisecting downtown. Some 10 miles of hike-and-bike trails border the lake.

• Austin 360 Bridge
• Lake Travis
• Austin Hike & Bike Trails
• Austin Nature & Science Center
• Leash Free Dog Parks - 12 in Austin

“Live Music Capital of the World”

Nestled along the rolling hills and lakes of Central Texas, Austin serves as the the capital of Texas. This great city has many things to offer from it’s educational facilities and world-renowned entertainment complexes offering live music, the arts, culture and outdoor adventure. Austin’s population of 1.4 million people are considered to consist of a highly trained workforce in areas of technology, manufacturing and research. Companies flock to the area for Austin’s excellent quality of life, moderate cost of living and vast resources and the laid-back lifestyle. Austin is 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

Austin Kudos:

• Travel & Leisure, “America’s 25 Favorite Cities”
• USA Today, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport lands on the “10 great places to hang out during a layover”
• America’s 5 “Best Mountain Biking Towns”
• USA Today, “Ten Great Places to Run Away from Home”
• Cities to Go, “Best City in U.S. and Canada to Pretend You’re 20 Again:
• Corporate & Incentive Travel, “Sixth Most Popular Destination for Corporate Meetings”
• USA Today, “Ten Great Places to Find Splendor in the Grass”
• Moody’s Economy.com “Best Place for Business in US”

  
  

Austin is the Best Place for Business in the U.S.

Austin is the best place for business in the U.S., according to Moody’s Economy.com Inc. Moody’s, an independent economic research firm, reported that the Austin -Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) earned the top spot over almost 400 metropolitan areas tracked by the company’s economic vitality index. In the last index, published in March 2007, Austin -Round Rock MSA ranked seventh.

Austin Accolades

• Austin ranks as the 4th Best City in Overall Standard of Living by Expansion Management, June 2006
• CNN.Money.com, “Austin ranks 2nd among the Top 10 Best Big Cities in the Country” - 2006
• Austin ranks as the 3rd Smartest City in the country by Bizjournals.com, June 2006
• Austin ranks in the Top 5 “Smart Places to Live” by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and the Austin Business Journal, June 2006
• Austin ranked 28th in Best Places for Business and Careers by Forbes, May 2006
• Austin ranks 2nd in the 50 Best Places to Live by Men’s Journal, March 2006
• Austin ranks 6th in the Top 10 Cities for Walking by Prevention magazine, August 2006
• Austin ranks as the Best Place to Live in America for Hispanics by Hispanic magazine for the second year in a row, August 2005
• Austin ranks as the 2nd Best Place to Live for Movie makers by Moviemaker Magazine, December 2005
• Austin ranks 3rd Best Wireless Place to Live in America by Livescience.com, June 2005
• Austin ranks 2nd among the 10 Best Places to Live, judging on financial, educational and quality of life criteria by Money magazine, July 2006
• Austin was included in the 8 Cheapest Places You’d Want to Live survey by Sperling’s BestPlaces.com and msn.com, July 2006
• Austin ranks 2nd among the 50 Best Places to Live comparing the combinations of adventure, attractiveness, and affordability by Men’s Journal, April 2006
• Austin was voted the Best Place to Live for Future Business Locations by Expansion Magazine, August 2006
• Austin ranks 9th in the Top 10 Hot Cities for Entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur.com, September 2005
• According to DogFancy Austin is one of the Top 10 Cities to Be a Dog, November 2005
• Austin ranks 8th of America’s Cleanest Cities by Reader’s Digest, July 2005
• Austin ranks 10th in the Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America by Sperling’s, July 2006
• Austin ranks 11th in the 25 Best Running Cities in America poll by Runners World, July 2005
• Austin makes the cut as one of 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live by Gregory A. Kompes, December 2005
• Austin ranks 2nd on Vegetarian Times’ Ten Greenest Cities list, July/August 2005
• Pollstar names Austin City Limits Music Festival the ‘Festival of the Year’ during it’s annual Concert Industry Awards, February 2006
• American Way magazine features ‘The Top 10 Lists of Great American Music’ and Austin appears on three of the lists including ‘great music towns,’ ‘great bigger-is-better music festivals’ for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and ’sacred ground’ for Threadgill’s restaurant, June 2005
• Austin ranks 6th in a study by Silicon Valley naming the nation’s Top Tech Hubs. The study compared business and quality-of-life issues, claiming Austin has affordable housing, electricity and state taxes, September 2005
• Austin is among the Coolest Cities for Young Professionals according to Kiplinger.com, September 2005
• Austin ranks 1st among U.S. cities in the fourth annual Mayors Challenge rankings of the Best Cities for Future Business Locations by Management magazine
• Each year, Intel ranks the Top 100 U.S. Cities and Regions with the Greatest Number of Commercial and Public Wireless Internet Access Points and Austin ranks third, October 2006
• Austin ranks 3rd in a list of America’s Most Innovative Cities by the Wall Street Journal

Austin Large Businesses

• 3M
• Vista Chemical
• Dell Computers
• IBM
• State Farm Insurance
• Hill Country Galleria
• The Domain Mall
• Lakeline Mall
• National Instruments

Steiner Ranch is Austin’s premier master-planned community located in the northwest Austin, perfectly positioned between Lake Austin and Lake Travis. The main entrance is located at Quinlan Park Rd. and RM620.

Steiner Ranch is in walking distance to elementary schools and within minutes of several major shopping centers, restaurants, and entertainment venues with easy access to FM2222, Mopac, Hwy 183 and Hwy 360.

Spicewood, Texas is located about 22 miles northwest of Austin, and 16 miles SE of Marble Falls. It intersects with Blanco, Burnet, and Travis counties and also boasts various watery boundaries such as Cypress Creek, Colorado River, Fall Creek, Lake Travis, and Pedernales River. In Spicewood, most subdivisions include their own marina or access and park areas.  In addition,  the area that surrounds Spicewood has numerous lake and creek settings to play in the sun, including the infamous Pace Bend Park, featuring 1,368 acres landmass with 9 miles of Lake Travis waterfront of it’s own,  and our latest donation of Reimer’s Ranch. Hill county views and vast waterfront make the Spicewood area a favorite.

Lakeway is an Austin suburb located on the prestigious south shores of Lake Travis in what is considered to be the Lake South area. Lakeway is a breathtakingly scenic city with a population of 8,000 as of the 2000 census. Lakeway offers unsurpassed privacy with rolling hills, and wildlife such as deer and waterfowl. Year round, residents and visitors relish life on the shores of Lake Travis. Along these crystal clear waters, you can indulge your passion for sailing, windsurfing, cruising, and fishing. Ashore, discover world-class golf and tennis, dining, and shopping to dream about.