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The Wall Street Journal singled out Austin in a report that highlighted the growing exodus from big cities like New York and San Francisco in favor of the Texas capital—a trend longtime residents have been well aware of.
Locals and natives alike already know the city is growing and attracting more people and businesses by the minute, but since the onset of COVID-19, Austin's growth has been in hyperdrive.
Although this year has had a damper put on it with the pandemic, companies like Tesla, French luxury retailer Hermès and venture capital firm 8VC are expanding to Austin and helping to create around 10,000 jobs, the highest single-year figure on record, according to the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Austin added 17,400 jobs in October, narrowing pandemic-related job losses to 28,300. Austin’s leisure and hospital… https://t.co/VkClDxpnWW— AustinChamber (@AustinChamber) 1607103900.0
So what does Austin have that other big cities don't?
WSJ reported that Austin is becoming popular in the pandemic because of this influx of remote and corporate jobs as well as its lower cost of living (and with more bang for your buck—remember, they don't have backyards in NYC) and mild winter climate. There is also the absence of a state income tax.
People are also entering the city faster than others are leaving. Between April and October this year, for every one person who left Austin for the Bay Area, almost three people moved in the opposite direction, and for every one person who left Austin for New York City, more than two New Yorkers came to Austin.
Plus, due to constant construction, Austin has tens of thousands of apartments to rent. According to the National Apartment Association, between 2014 and 2018 more apartments were built in Austin than in any other U.S. city. The massive number of apartments has managed to keep up with demand.
However, while Austin is the number one tech town in the U.S. and chock full of opportunity, locals know it is not without its fair share of issues.
Austin is growing progressively more expensive—surpassing other major metropolitan areas like Houston and Dallas. In fact, Austin ranked as one of the least affordable cities in the country this year.
WSJ also noted that, although housing is abundant, it is not necessarily affordable. In Texas, developers are not required to include affordable—or below market-rate—units, which means a majority of them cater to the most affluent Austinites.
And don't even try to get by without a car, as Austin has a relatively small public transit system compared to major cities. However, with Project Connect in the works, that is gearing up to change ... over the next 13 years.
All things considered—with more celebrities and businesses moving to the city—it is safe to say Austin is just getting started.- Austin reigns as top Tech Town for the second year in a row - austonia ›
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Popular
(Austonia)
May's second election is here, in which voters will decide on the candidates to represent their party in the November general election after the winner in some March primary races was unclear.
Just like the March primaries, voters will choose which party they choose to vote in. Then based on location, each ballot will show which races are in a runoff.
In Texas, candidates must win at least 50% of the vote to be elected. In the races where the top candidate only received a plurality of votes, a runoff is being held.
Here's everything you need to know before heading to the polls.
Know before you go
Early voting for the Texas primary runoff election begins Monday and will last through May 20; Election Day is May 24.
The registration period for this election has passed; check if you're registered to vote here.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. As long as you're in line by 7 p.m., you can vote.
You'll need a valid photo ID to present once you're at a polling location.
Here are the early voting locations in Travis County.
View wait times at polling locations here.
Races to watch in Travis County:
Statewide
Lieutenant Governor
- Republican: Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Mike Collier and Michelle Beckley are vying to be the Democrat candidate on the ballot.
- Republican: Incumbent AG Ken Paxton is fighting for his seat against George P. Bush.
- Democratic: Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski will face off to be the Democratic candidate in this race.
View all the statewide races on the ballot here.
U.S. House of Representatives
View the district you live in here.
District 21
- Republican: Incumbent Chip Roy won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Claudia Andreana Zapata and Ricardo Villarreal are hoping to secure this vote.
- Republican: Dan McQueen and Michael Rodriguez are going head to head to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Former Austin council member Greg Casar won this race in March.
District 19
- Republican: Ellen Troxclair and Justin Berry are vying to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Pam Baggett won her primary in March.
(Reconstruction Experts)
One of Austin’s oldest high-rise condos on the shore of Lady Bird Lake is getting a makeover.
The 183-unit complex with 13 stories known as Towers of Town Lake first rose up in the 80s when Austin was seeing a tower boom with offices like One American Center and 100 Congress.
Adam Maldonado, Reconstruction Experts’ Regional VP of Texas, said the refurbishment project started when the team dropped by for a roofing job. It turned out that the material of the exterior facade was due for a touch-up, and the Colorado-based company was game for renewing it.
“To have those original buildings still there and have so much life in front of it is really exciting. I think it's an important part of the history of Austin's development and growth—that density, the condominium lifestyle, if you will, kind of started there,” Maldonado said. “You've got so many new and beautiful buildings, but this is kind of that anchor point of where the high-rise condos started in Austin.”
That anchor point has led to an array of developments in the area as the city undergoes its latest tower boom. Rather than condos alone, one of the trends that have come out lately is mixed-use developments like Sixth and Guadalupe where penthouses will be placed in the same building as office space for Meta’s offices.
Maldonado talked about the importance of maintaining the original character of the condos even though it wasn’t all that long ago that its first residents moved in.
“It's not like an ancient architectural, historical building, but it has been important to the community,” Maldonado said. “It's been very clear through the process that preserving the architectural details of the building has been a highlight.”
The team at Reconstruction Experts has done that by managing components like color schemes, the balcony railing details, light fixtures and more.
With the project first beginning last summer, the eight-phase project is wrapping up with an expected July completion date.
Given its teams in other Texas cities like San Antonio, Houston and Dallas, Reconstruction Experts is looking ahead in Texas for the long haul, and the Towers of Town Lake is just one piece of that plan.
“It’ll be a monumental event to have that building reclad with the new roof really kind of fresh look as it goes into the next hopefully 40 or 50 years of its lifespan,” Maldonado said.
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