surviving the 9 to 5

Weekday Warrior: Avoiding a Pre-SXSW Hibernation

ACL Live Presents: The Civil Wars
KGSR Presemts: Gomez at Antone’s
Photo via Gomez
Dropkick Murphys @ Emo’s East
Photo by Robert Perachio
14th Annual Austin under 40 Awards Gala

The year’s shortest month has come and gone, and with it, the weeks leading up to SXSW. This week is a little light on activities (presumably the city’s way of telling us to stay in and front-load on sleep), but there are a few activities to keep you out and about. Here’s our weekly guide to keep you busy during the days that don’t start with S.

Monday, February 27th

Everything is Terrible! Presents: DoggieWoggiez! PoochieWoochiez! @ The Ritz

The cinema world is full of found footage films, but few as squee-worthy as this. The folks over at Everything is Terrible! decided to take their love of canines to the next level, creating a found footage film comprised completely of dog clips (and strangely, an homage to the 1973 film The Holy Mountain).

KGSR Presents: Gomez @ Antone’s

Join KGSR in welcoming the English indie rockers of Gomez, in the first show of their two-night run at Antone’s. The British quintet will perform tracks from their latest album, Whatever’s On Your Mind.

Tuesday, February 28th

Punch! @ Cap City Comedy Club

With Punch, local comedian Matt Bearden works to bring you a weekly dose of high-caliber comedy at a low-caliber price tag.

Terror Tuesday Presents: Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde @ The Ritz

Terror Tuesdays presents a special Black History Month screening of this groundbreaking follow-up to the cinematic gem Blackula. The trailer boasts Dr. Black’s creepy conundrum quite well: “A screamin’ demon rages inside, turnin’ him into Mister Hyde. Don’t give him no sass or he’ll kick yo’ ass!” What more could you want?

Wednesday, February 29th

ACL Live Presents: The Civil Wars

The chemistry between John Paul White and Joy Williams is more-than-apparent on-stage, but on their debut album

Barton Hollow, it shines through every note. The Grammy-winning duo return to Austin to perform an episode of Austin City Limits, a “bucket list” occasion if ever there were one.

Dropkick Murphys @ Emo’s East

It maybe a few weeks until St. Patty’s day, but what better way to ring in March with an evening of Irish-tinged punk?

Thursday, March 1st

Texas Independence Day Gala @ Bob Bullock State History Museum

Join the Bob Bullock State History Museum in celebrating the independence of the Lone Star State with this gala, which honors James A. Baker, III and Robert S. Strauss.

ACL Live Presents: Earth, Wind & Fire

Six time Grammy-winning soul staples Earth, Wind & Fire are back in 2012, kicking off the year with a bang with the release of

Now, Then & Forever. With more than 90 million albums sold worldwide, the band remains one of the 10 best-selling musical groups of all time.

Friday, March 2nd

Stateside at the Paramount Presents: The Second City’s Laugh Out Loud Tour

Partake in an evening involving the next generation of the comedy world’s best and brightest, brought to you by the company that launched the careers of Gilda Radnor, Bill Murray, Tina Fey and many more.

14th Annual Austin under 40 Awards Gala

Austin’s Young Women’s Alliance and Young Men’s Business League partner to host this annual event honoring the future of Austin. Nominees include Andy Roddick, Bobby Bones and many more, one of whom will take the veritable torch from last year’s winner, Sweet Leaf Tea founder Clayton Christopher.

There you have it. While in all honestly, it’s probably best to begin a pre-SXSW hibernation, there are still a few activities this week that will make you feel okay about getting out and tapping into those energy reserves.

unspecified

WFH life

Austin plugs in as 2nd cheapest large U.S. city for remote workers

Photo by Lewis Guapo on Unsplash

Working remotely in Austin is far more affordable than many other U.S. cities.

Austin's thriving telework industry is already known for being among the most prominent in the country, and as it turns out, it's one of the most affordable, too. A recent study by online retailer The Perfect Rug has revealed Austin is the No. 2 cheapest U.S. city center for remote work.

The report ranked the top 10 largest U.S. cities based on population data, the number of coworking spaces and cafes per capita, statewide average internet speeds, average apartment rent prices, and more.

Austin falls second to the far west Texas city of El Paso (No. 1), and is followed by Houston in the No. 3 spot.

When it comes to finding the best place to work remotely, Austin has an abundance of options including coffee shops, coworking spaces, and local library branches. According to the report's data, there are about six coworking spaces and 26 cafes per capita in the city, but Austinites know best that there is a much wider variety of places to work from "home" than whatever number a study determines.

The average internet speed in Texas is 425.9 mbps (megabits per second), which is the fourth-highest internet speed out of the six total states (and the District of Columbia) mentioned in the study. Pennsylvania, Washington, and Washington, D.C. all have faster average internet speeds, at 430.8, 451, and 473.8 mpbs, respectively.

The Perfect Rug also calculated the average costs for meals, coffee, and monthly rent in Austin:

$1,467 per month – Average apartment rent cost in central Austin
$21 per hour – Average cost for a desk at a coworking space
$16.99 – Average cost for a meal
$5.36 – Average cost for a coffee

Furthermore, Austin-based remote workers are technically saving on fuel costs compared to those who have to commute into the city daily for their jobs.

A spokesperson for The Perfect Rug said Texas cities like El Paso, Austin, and Houston are far more popular for "budget-conscious" remote workers partially because rent costs are far lower in comparison to many other U.S. cities.

"On the other hand, cities like Washington, D.C., and Seattle, while more expensive, compensate with faster internet speeds and a higher density of workspaces, which can enhance the remote work experience," the spokesperson said. "Finding the right balance between cost and amenities is key for remote workers seeking both productivity and affordability."

Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio ranked as the fifth most affordable city for teleworkers, followed by Dallas (No. 7).

The top 10 cheapest U.S. cities for remote workers are:

No. 1 – El Paso, Texas
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Houston, Texas
No. 4 – Seattle, Washington
No. 5 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 6 – Washington, D.C.
No. 7 – Dallas, Texas
No. 8 – Denver, Colorado
No. 9 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 10 – Nashville, Tennessee

austin reports rankings remote work

surviving the 9 to 5

Weekday Warrior: Avoiding a Pre-SXSW Hibernation

WFH life

Austin plugs in as 2nd cheapest large U.S. city for remote workers

New Hill Country treehouse resort tops Texas travel ideas for October

Leon Bridges, Chappell Roan, and more highlights from Week 1 of ACL Fest 2024

Delta adds 5 nonstop routes from Austin including San Francisco, Memphis