The capital of the U.S. state of Texas and seat of Travis County, the city of Austin is located in Central Texas on the eastern portion of the American Southwest. It has a population of around 800,000, and is the fourth largest city in the nation (2000-2006). In 2006, the city of Austin was selected as the second Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine and third during 2009. MSN likewise named it the "Greenest City in America." It ranks number two on the list of cities with the best residents, based on CNN Headline News and Travel & Leisure magazine. During 2009, Austin was selected as the least stressful big metro area by Forbes magazine.
Austinites are proud of their individuality and eccentricities in their way of life, character and beliefs; never taking themselves very seriously. This city is the only one in the state of Texas that allows women to appear topless in public. Among its local motto is "Keep Austin Weird," and this particular statement not only promotes diversity but is likewise meant to support and enhance local and independent companies. SoCo, a shopping district that stretches down South Congress Avenue from Downtown, is filled with many coffee shops, restaurants, and cultural events. Among the annual events include the O. Henry House Museum, which hosts the yearly O. Henry Pun Off - a pun contest where contestants show amazing wit. Other events include Carnaval Brasileiro in February, Austin Reggae Festival and Art City Austin in the month of April, Eeyore's Birthday Party and Spamarama. The city, which is referred to as The Live Music Capital of the World, has a vibrant music scene that revolves around the numerous nightclubs located on 6th Street and yearly film/music/interactive festivals referred to as South by Southwest (SXSW). Zilker Park is also the home of the three-day Austin City Limits Music Festival (the longest-running concert music program on American television,) each and every year. The television show and festival both draw musical artists from around the globe.
The city boasts more than fifty public swimming pools, that are spread out throughout the city. The more popular pools in the city consist of the Deep Eddy Pool, Texas' oldest man-made swimming pool, and Barton Springs Pool, that is the biggest urban area natural swimming pool within the nation. In 2004, The Austin Parks and Recreation Department was given Excellence in Aquatics award in 1999 and the Gold Medal Awards during 2004 from the National Recreation and Park Association. For parks, the Hippie Hollow Park is the only officially sanctioned clothing-optional public park in the state of Texas. It can even be a great location for everyone to go rockclimbing, kayaking, swimming, hiking and exploring along the greenbelt. Zilker Park forms part of the greenbelt along the Colorado River.
Austin's largest businesses include the United States Federal Government, Freescale Semiconductor (spun off from Motorola in 2004), IBM, St. David's Healthcare Partnership, Seton Healthcare Network, the State of Texas, the City of Austin, the Austin Independent School District, Texas State University-San Marcos, Dell, and the University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas. High technology is the center of the city's financial system. Every year, there are thousands of graduates from the engineering and computer science programs at the University of Texas at Austin. These graduates often work at technology and defense industry sectors. Among the high-tech businesses that hire them comprise: Google, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, Samsung Group, National Instruments, Cirrus Logic, Applied Materials,3M, AMD, Apple Inc., eBay/PayPal, Silicon Laboratories, Hoover's, United Devices and Sun Microsystems.