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 Forklift Masts Austin - 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 about 800,000, and is the 4th biggest city in the nation (2000-2006). In 2006, Austin was selected as the second Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine and 3rd during 2009. MSN even named it the "Greenest City in America." It ranks second on the list of cities with the best individuals, based on CNN Headline News and Travel & Leisure magazine. During 2009, the city of Austin was chosen as the least stressful big metro area by Forbes magazine.
People from Austine take great pride in their individuality and eccentricities in lifestyle, beliefs and character; never taking themselves very seriously. This particular city is the only one within the state of Texas which permits women to appear topless in public. Among its local motto is "Keep Austin Weird," and this statement not only promotes diversity but is likewise intended to improve and support independent and local companies. SoCo, a shopping district that extends down South Congress Avenue from Downtown, is overflowing with many restaurants, coffee shops, and cultural events. Some of the yearly 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 during the month of February, Austin Reggae Festival and Art City Austin during April, Spamarama, and Eeyore's Birthday Party. The city, which is called The Live Music Capital of the Globe, has a vibrant music scene that revolves around the various nightclubs situated on 6th Street and annual film/music/interactive festivals called 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 festival and television show both draw musical artists from all-over the world.
The city is home to more than fifty public swimming pools, and many of them are spread all over the city. Amongst the most popular ones include the Deep Eddy Pool, Texas' oldest man-made swimming pool, and Barton Springs Pool, the nation's biggest natural swimming pool in an urban area. During 2004, The Austin Parks and Recreation Department received Excellence in Aquatics award in 1999 and the Gold Medal Awards in 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 could likewise be a great location for everyone to go kayaking, swimming, rockclimbing, hiking and exploring along the greenbelt. Zilker Park forms part of the greenbelt along the Colorado River.
Austin's biggest companies consist of the United States Federal Government, Freescale Semiconductor (spun off from Motorola in 2004), St. David's Healthcare Partnership, IBM, 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 core of the city's financial system. Every year, there are thousands of graduates from the computer science and engineering programs at the University of Texas at Austin. These graduates normally work at technology and defense industry sectors. Among the high-tech businesses that hire them comprise: Hewlett-Packard, Google, Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, National Instruments, Samsung Group, Cirrus Logic, Applied Materials,3M, AMD, eBay/paypal, Apple Inc., Silicon Laboratories, Hoover's, Sun Microsystems and United Devices.
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