Austin: A Sparkle of Liberalism in the Star of Texas

Located in the heart of conservative Texas sits a veritable jewel of eclectic liberal thought, the state capital, Austin. A fabulous oasis for those free thinkers looking to relocate, go to school, or even just visit, Austin Texas is weird and proud of it!

Austin is an interesting city for a good many reasons. It was the 17th most literate city in the US for 2008 and was deemed America's #1 college town with a total of ten public universities and colleges including the University of Texas at Austin which is one of the largest public universities in the US.

The city of Austin is an active Democratic area as well as for the Libertarian Party though they remain in third place.

The city bucks the trends of the state of Texas by having no city ordinance against women going topless in public, being the only county in Texas to vote against the Constitutional Amendment to outlaw gay marriage, and containing the only clothing-optional park in the state.

The culture in Austin is a multifarious mix of culture including theatre productions, opera, and ballet as well as the Austin City Limits music festival. Local festivals also include the O. Henry Pun Off, Eeyore's Birthday Party, and the infamous Spamorama Festival. The city also sponsors an annual Austin Film Festival and the Out Of Bounds comedy festival.

The city also has a unique summer attraction that draws a lot of attention from locals and tourists. The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge plays host to a massive population of Mexican free-tiled bats every summer. The swarm of bats, the largest urban group in the world, emerges from the underside of the bridge every evening to devour the city's bug population.

Austin won't only keep you safe from boredom and summertime bugs, but also from crime. Austin ranks the 5th safest city in the US by per capita statistics!

No matter what your lifestyle, Austin Texas supports an eclectic and tolerant population of residents. Whether you're looking for a great post-secondary school to attend, a high-tech job opportunity, or just an artistic, free-thinking environment, Austin could be just the place for you!