Austin is the capital of Texas and the home of the University of Texas.  It is located on the Colorado River at the edge of the  Texas Hill Country, marked by rugged limestone hills, cliffs, caves and natural springs.  The Austin area has retained much of the charm and beauty of its original landscape by preserving areas as parks and greenbelts and providing many miles of hike and bike trails for all to enjoy. 

Metropolitan Austin has a population of roughly one million, and is often voted as one of the most desirable U.S. cities in which to live.  Austin is culturally and ethnically diverse, with many fine restaurants and an abundance of indoor and outdoor activities to choose from year round.  Austin is internationally renowned for its live music scene, being a major center for blues, country/western, rock-and-roll and other forms of popular music.  You will find more than 50 clubs in town that present live performances throughout the year. Some parts of the city actively strive to maintain the charm of the old Southwest, but the downtown area has a cosmopolitan air with a great variety of restaurants and many good local breweries.

General - The UT-Austin homepage provides a link to finding out about Austin - check out Around Austin.  In addition, there are numerous websites that will help you get the most out of your Austin experience, including Austin City Connection and Austin Visitor's Bureau.

Entertainment - a quick reference to entertainment options while you are in Austin can be found on the web at Austin 360.