By Madison Day | Assistant News Editor
Sooner or later, we will be graduating, getting jobs and moving to new cities. There are many great cities in the state of Texas and the rest of the country, but none truly compare to the glory of Austin. As is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country right now and the top city to live in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report, the job opportunities and activities are endless. Austin is chock-full of beautiful outdoor sites and yummy taco places and is not named the live music capital of the world for nothing. There are a lot of choices as far as cities to move to post-graduation, and here are a few reasons why you should consider Austin as your future home.
1. Austin has been named the one of the best places to start a business for several years.
The Austin culture is centered on promoting small businesses, and as the business industry is flourishing in Austin, so are the job opportunities. Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking start your own business or simply in need of job, the opportunities in Austin are plentiful. With hundreds of new startups looking for young and fresh employees, it’s a great place to get your start in the tech or business world and learn the ropes of the industry.
2. Austin is home to two of the biggest music festivals in the country: Austin City Limits and South by Southwest.
The famous statues of Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn adorn the city, and coined the live music capital of the world, you can find live music in a plethora of bars and restaurants on any given night. Twice a year, in October and March, Austin’s most famous music festivals return and flood the city with top-notch musicians and a plethora of visitors. Does traffic during these times extremely suck? Yes. But is it worth it? Obviously. Every October, Austin City Limits returns, bringing two glorious weekends of headliner bands and smaller artists performing at Zilker Park, and every March SXSW takes over the city for a full week of music and movies.
3. Tacos, tacos and more tacos.
If you love tacos — and who doesn’t? — Austin is the perfect city for you. You can have tacos for literally every meal in Austin, even dessert — yes, there are dessert tacos at places like TacoSweets. It has been said that true Austinites can exist on tacos alone, although this may not be the healthiest way of life. Some of the best taco places in the city are Taco Shack, Fresa’s, Taco Deli, Dai Due Taqueria, El Primo and Vaquero Taquero — although this is just the tip of the iceberg. Austin also offers a plethora of other amazing dining cuisines from the brisket at Franklin Barbecue to the soup dumplings at Wu Chow.
4. Outdoor glory fills this beautiful city.
Austin is a city for nature lovers. You can go hiking in the Barton Creek Greenbelt, and if you’re feeling adventurous, go cliff jumping into the creek. You can take a lovely stroll or jog around the hike and bike trail on a Saturday morning, or escape the smoldering summer heat by taking a dip in the healing cool waters of Barton Springs. You can even rent paddle boards or kayaks and watch the famous bats emerge from Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset.
I may be slightly biased since I’ve lived in Austin my whole life, but it is the perfect city to live during your 20s.
Madison is a sophomore journalism major from Austin.
