As you prepare for SXSW we thought some facts about Austin would be appropriate.
Here are some top line facts you can tell the person sitting next to you on the plane.
1.The Texas state capitol building, located in Austin, is the largest state capitol building in the U.S.
2. Austin holds the world’s largest urban bat population.
3. The University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest employers in the city.
4. Austin boasts 300 days of sunshine annually.
5. The University of Texas at Austin has the fifth-largest single-campus enrollment in the nation.
6. Austin is considered the live music capital of the world, with 100 live music venues and music festivals.
7. The Colorado Rivers runs through downtown Austin but the dammed water is called Lady Bird Lake.
8. Historically, Austin has 99% more tornado activity than the overall U.S. average.
9. Austin is the only city in the world known to still operate a system of Moonlight towers, lighting structures from the 19th century.
10. Sandra Bullock owns a home in Austin and two local businesses: Bess Bistro and Walton’s Fancy and Staple.
11. Antone’s Nightclub helped launch the careers of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Los Lonely Boys and The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
12. SXSW, started in 1987 as a music conference, has grown from 700 registrants its first year to 16,000 today, in addition to the 32,000 registrants for SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive.
13. “Keep Austin Weird,” was originally a slogan used to promote small businesses in the city, and now reflects a culture of artistic and individual expression.
