Q: What is the population of Austin?
A: City of Austin: 718,900
Travis County: 888,185
Austin/San Marcos Area: 1.3 million
Q: How many hotel rooms are located downtown?
A: 5,500 downtown hotel rooms.
Q: How many hotel rooms are in Austin?
A: 25,000 hotel rooms in the metro area.
Q: How many tourists visit Austin annually?
A: 17 million, Austin MSA
14 million, Travis County
Q: What are the area's major industries?
A: According to Austin-based AngelouEconomics Inc., the top industries are:
1. Government and University Education
2. High-Tech Manufacturing
3. Software & Information Services
Q: Why is Austin called the Live Music Capital of the World®?
A: With nearly 200 venues, the city has more live music entertainment per capita than any other U.S. city.
Q: I have heard of SXSW; does Austin have other big music festivals?
A: The South by Southwest Music, Film and Multimedia Conference and Festival brings bands and fans from all over the world to Austin for 10 days each March. September became another big music month for the city when the Austin City Limits Music Festival started in 2002. The three-day outdoor music extravaganza spreads over 16 acres in Zilker Park and features some 130 of the best music acts in the world.
Q: Why is Austin referred to as the "Third Coast?"
A: Austin has topped Texas cities in film and television total production budgets for five consecutive years, and MovieMaker magazine consistently places the Capital City on its "Top 10 Cities For Movie Makers" list. In addition, the annual Austin Film Festival, one of the top film festivals in the country, shines the spotlight on the screenwriters of indies and top-billed films.
Q: How does Austin's performing arts scene compare to other cities?
A: Austin is one of only a few U.S. cities with professional ballet, symphony, opera and theater companies. With 20 museums, dozens of galleries and as many as 60 performance companies, the city is experiencing a cultural renaissance.
Q: What are the top ten things "to do"?
A: Barton Springs- Three acres in size, the pool is fed from underground springs and water temperatures remain a constant, cool 68 degrees year-round.
2101 Barton Springs Road (located in Zilker Park) Austin, TX 78704, 512-476-9044
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/bartonsprings.htm
Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum- From rare artifacts to interactive displays, the Bob Bullock Museum creatively tells the story of Texas.
1800 N. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, 1-866-369-7108
http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/
Texas State Capitol- With more than one million visitors per year, the Texas State Capitol ranks as one of Austin's most popular attractions. Completed in 1886, the Texas State Capitol is the largest in square footage of all state capitols and surpasses the national Capitol in height by 14 feet.
1100 Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78701, 512-463-00
http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/spb/plan/tours.htm
Warehouse and Sixth Street Entertainment Districts- Four blocks of Fourth and Fifth Streets comprise the Warehouse District. The buildings have been renovated from warehouses to trendy, distinctive hot spots. Austin's Sixth Street is widely known for its unique blend of dance clubs, live music venues, restaurants and bars.
Congress Avenue Bats- Only in Austin will you find millions of bats and thousands of humans all hanging out under the same bridge every night. Austin boasts the largest urban colony of Mexican free-tail bats in North America with a population of 1.5 million. The sunset exodus of the bats creates a nightly spectacle from March through October with onlookers watching as the nocturnal creatures emerge from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge.
First Street & Congress Avenue; Bat Conservation International, 512-327-9721;
http://www.batcon.org/
Highland Lakes- Austin stands as the gateway to seven Highland Lakes that stairstep 100 miles through the Central Texas Hill Country. Area lakes offer a variety of aquatic adventures, from sailing on Lake Travis to water-skiing on Lake Austin and canoeing along Town Lake.
Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail- Ten miles of trails border Town Lake in downtown Austin and serve as a social hub for runners, walkers and cyclists.
SoCo- One of the hippest Austin hangouts is SoCo, a colorful stretch of Congress Avenue lined with funky shops, trendy dining spots, unique accommodations, art galleries and music venues. On the first Thursday of each month, merchants keep their doors open until 10 p.m., playing host to an array of events and activities.
South of the Congress Avenue Bridge; http://www.firstthursday.info/
Harry Ransom Center- Home to the Gutenberg Bible and the world's first photograph, the HRC also archives thirty million literary manuscripts, one million rare books, five million photographs and more than 100,000 works of art.
471-8944; http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/
