Environment
Austin
Austin is home to over a million people. The moderate climate and average temperature of 68 degrees allows Austin citizens to enjoy the outdoors almost year round. The long summers and mild winters are especially conducive to outdoor activities such as golf, tennis, water-skiing, sailing, hiking, biking and swimming. There are several hike and bike trails around the city.
Austin also offers an exciting, highly diversified cultural life. The city has a symphony orchestra, numerous live theaters, dance companies, galleries and museums. The local nightclub circuit features live music from virtually every genre. Austin is home to the South by Southwest (SXSW) music and film festival and to a great many actors and musicians. The city is often on the speaking circuit of national political figures.
The University of Texas campus is situated just a mile and a half from downtown Austin and Town Lake, one of four lakes for boating and fishing within a 30 minute drive from campus.
The University adds to the "Austin experience" by sponsoring many cultural events and exhibits. The College of Fine Arts presents recitals, plays, musicals, operas, art exhibits and dance concerts. The Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery is one of the outstanding university art museums in the country. The Performing Arts Center also hosts a broad range of performances including; Itzak Perlman, Marcel Marceau, American Ballet Theatre, Paco de Lucia, Yo-Yo Ma, Van Cliburn and Phantom of the Opera. The Frank Erwin Center, a University arena that seats 17, 000 also presents many concerts and basketball games. Austin City Limits, a music program for public television is recorded on the UT campus.
Austin is home to two of the earliest and largest computer consortia, the Microelectronic Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) and Sematech. It is also home to such companies as IBM, Dell, Texas Instruments, Motorola, 3M, Samsung, Advanced Micro Devices and National Instruments. Austin360.com has more information about the city, its industries, recreation and entertainment.
