Howdy, neighbor!

Austin district welcomes nod as one of the friendliest neighborhoods in U.S.

2nd Street District presents 2nd Street Social

2nd Street District is one of the friendliest cities in America.

Photo courtesy of 2nd Street District

Not all that long ago, the land where Austin’s 2nd Street District now sprawls was hardly a downtown destination — let alone a bustling neighborhood.

It wasn't until the early part of this century that the six-block area evolved into a bustling urban hub with shops, bars, restaurants, apartments, condos, hotels, and entertainment venues. Today, the 2nd Street District continues to thrive as an urban neighborhood — a neighborhood that’s now hailed as one of the friendliest in the country.

On June 3, National Geographic Traveler unveiled its list of the 28 friendliest neighborhoods in the U.S., and the 2nd Street District was the only neighborhood in Austin to make the cut. Neighborhoods in Houston and El Paso also appear on the list.

Among the high-profile tenants of the district are Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater, Violet Crown Cinema, Urban Outfitters, Jo’s Coffee, La Condesa, Milk + Honey Spa, Lamberts, Austin Java, RIDE Indoor Cycling, W Austin, and AMLI on 2nd.

National Geographic Traveler teamed up with Resonance Research Consultancy to develop the list. In a survey created for the magazine, the consultancy combined its proprietary "Best Cities" analytics with statistics and user-generated data that included walkability, housing affordability, public spaces, and places like cafes and restaurants. In addition, the survey examined social media and perception data from TripAdvisor and Yelp.

The research produced a list of ZIP codes that National Geographic Traveler editors then paired with existing neighborhoods to generate the country’s friendliest neighborhoods.

“Friendliness and goodwill go a long way. We want the traveling world to discover destinations that embrace diversity and hospitality when they extend a warm welcome,” George Stone, National Geographic Traveler’s editor in chief, says in a release. “That’s why we’re excited to share this list of the 28 most welcoming neighborhoods in the U.S.”

“These vibrant, unique enclaves are friendly, surprising, and rewarding for locals and visitors alike,” Stone adds. “These destinations offer starting points to experience local city culture through food, people, art, history, and outdoor spaces.”

Joining the 2nd Street District on the list of friendliest neighborhoods in the U.S. is The Heights in Houston.

The Heights features an array of boutiques, thrift stores, antique shops, and restaurants. The first Saturday of each month, the neighborhood hosts the First Saturday Arts Market, complete with crafts, plants, artwork, and live music.

AG Antiques, Jubilee, Manready Mercantile, Mary & Moss, and Retropolis are just some of the prime shopping stops in The Heights. Among the well-regarded eateries in the neighborhood are Boomtown Cafe, Cane Rosso, Field & Tides, Morningstar, and Revival Market.

According to Houston Realtor Paige Martin, The Heights contains more than 450 Yelp-rated establishments, ranks among the city’s most walkable neighborhoods, stands out as a great place for family-friendly activities, and offers one of Houston’s best collections of well-preserved Victorian architecture.

The only other Texas neighborhood to show up on the National Geographic Traveler list was the Chihuahuita and El Segundo Barrio in El Paso.

downtown drinks shopping hotels

share the road

Texas races to the bottom in new list of best states for cyclists

Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Austin, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around Austin, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling-friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

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