Austin offers an array of fitness, outdoor fun, and nightlife. Living in this city, you're surrounded by a diverse group of yuppies, hippies, hipsters, scenesters, tech geeks, cowboys, students, musicians, politicians, celebrities, and rolling in the dough rich folks with one goal in mind, Keep Austin Weird.

Not only do Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Willie Nelson, and Michael Dell call it home, so do 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats that perform their ritual flight at dusk every evening from the Congress Avenue bridge. Why wouldn't you want to live in a city where there's sunny and warm weather 8 months out of the year, cost of living is reasonable, tech jobs are hot, and real estate is still abundant?

The Great Outdoors

Austin is in the heart of the famous Texas hill country. Nestled here is the Barton Creek Greenbelt, offering challenging courses for mountain bikers of all levels. This strip of green meanders from Zilker Park in downtown Austin westward for 7.5 miles (with many offshoot trails), ending at the Hill of Life -- a quarter-mile climb to test your endurance, thighs and lungs.

The brainchild of the late Lady Bird Johnson, Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail runs 10.4 miles, mostly along the shores of the Colorado River on the southern border of downtown. This beautiful, mostly shaded trail is shared by walkers, easy-going cyclists, dog lovers, and Olympic runners and athletes. At Town Lake, you can learn to run with Gilbert's Gazelles or enjoy the water by renting a kayak or joining a rowing team.

Within Zilker Park's 358 acres, lies one of the crown jewels of Austin, Barton Springs Pool (2101 Barton Springs Road), three acres of old-school, spring-fed swimming. Open year-round, it's 68 degrees no matter the weather. Surrounded by pecan trees, the pool has drawn people from all walks of life. Even Robert Redford learned to swim at the pool when he was five years old while visiting his mother's relative in Austin. Today, this popular natural destination still attracts a diverse crowd of people.

I Love The Nightlife

Austin is proud to be regarded as the Live Music Capital of the World. If you have never experienced South by Southwest in March or the Austin City Limits Music Festival (fondly known as ACL) in September, you have not lived.

Not only does South by Southwest (SXSW) showcase hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over fifty stages in downtown Austin, the conference and festival features film and interactive as well. SXSW's original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people to develop their careers and bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or the internet.

Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day music and art festival that brings together more than 130 bands on eight stages, including rock, country, folk, indie, Americana, hip-hop, reggae, and bluegrass, and attracts a crowd of about 65,000 visitors each day.

If it's dancing you love, then historic Sixth Street and the Warehouse District are the places to see and be seen. With clubs ranging from the casual Friends bar and Dizzy Rooster to the more upscale Six Lounge and Cuba Libre.

Bon Appetit

Enchiladas and margaritas, real Texas Bar-B-Q, vegetarian delights, and Duck & Shrimp with Fusilli Col Buco, whatever you're palette desires, Austin has it.

Since 1952, Matt's El Rancho (2613 S. Lamar Blvd.) has been a hot spot for Tex-Mex and margaritas. Austin's self-proclaimed "King of Mexican Food" is big, busy, but well worth the wait.

There is no shortage of delicious Bar-B-Q establishments in Austin, with one of the most famous being Stubb's Bar-B-Q (801 Red River St.). Stubb's, once owned by C.B. Stubblefield, is a restaurant and live music venue ever so popular Sunday Gospel Brunch. Tables fill up fast and reservations are highly encouraged.

Never thought vegetarian sounded delectable, well, you've never eaten at Mother's Caf and Garden (4215 Duval). How does Tomato Artichoke Bisque sound? Try their salad with Cashew Tamari dressing and their award winning Bueno Burger.

Jeffrey's Restaurant and Bar (1204 West Lynn) has a unique relaxed, yet visionary style all its own. The menu not only expresses the best of the heart of Texas, but is captures the flare of internationally renowned cuisine. Jeffrey's has received the prestigious DiRONA Award (Distinguished Restaurants of North America), as well as the Wine Spectator Award for outstanding wine lists since 1990. In addition, The Weiss', Jeffrey's restaurateurs, were awarded 'Who's Who in Food & Wine in Texas' in 2001, inducted into the 'Fine Dining Hall of Fame' in 2002, and selected as '2002 Top 10 Restaurateurs of the Year.'

If that does not get you more excited about Austin, perhaps the latest Forbes Magazine poll ranking Austin as the Number 3 city for a Sellers Market will. Strong in-migration and local economic pop make Austin, Texas, a seller's market. It finished fourth overall in sales rate to inventory size and has the fifth-best home-price appreciation figures of the large markets Moody's measured. Its mediocre 14th-best market-tightening ranking can be attributed, in large part, to its small inventory excess. Austin's vacancy rate is 1.5%, which is also where the national average stood during the most recent housing boom. In other words, that low a vacancy rate indicates a housing market at close to full capacity. No need to be concerned about a declining real estate market in Austin!

The Capitol city of Texas, Austin, is filled with an active nightlife, delectable fare, world famous museums, and music. It is truly one of the best cities to live in! If you are ready to settle down in Austin or have any questions about our local hot spots, please don't hesitate to call HomeCity Real Estate at 1-877- 284-2489 or email us at customerservice@homecity.com.