weekly recap

Hot Clicks: Trouble for Fiona, Alamo's new digs and dishing on Austin's Koreanfood scene

Fiona Apple's unfortunate arrest
New plans for Alamo Drafthouse
Couresty of Michael Hsu Architecture
Austin's Korean food scene
Yelp

September is in full swing, and last weekend's rainy reprieve has given way to moderate temperatures and the beginning of Festival Season in the ATX.

Before you hit up Pride, Fantastic Fest or just the outdoors (Because, hey! It's not 100 degrees outside!), check out the hottest reads from CultureMap this week.

This week's edition of Hot Clicks is all about ingenuity and reinvention... and Fiona Apple's unfortunate bust.

On the eve of her much anticipated night of music at ACL Live, Fiona Apple, music's favorite sultry "Criminal" was detained in a West Texas town for possession of hash.

Austinite Roni Sivan has launched krama wheel, an online scarf shop that does a lot more than just keep your neck warm: Its one-for-one philosophy supports children in Cambodia.

Our beloved Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar is getting a pretty big facelift starting in January — check out the recently unveiled redevelopment plans.

If you're a fan of kimchi fries and bulgogi burritos, dive into Austin's small-but-savory Korean food scene.

Looking for a cheap ride up the I-35 corridor? Mark Killian gives a firsthand account of his recent Megabus journey from Austin to Dallas (er, Grand Prairie).

That's all folks. Enjoy the weekend, and get some rest. Because this town's not slowing down for a while.

unspecified

merry xmas atx!

Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

City of Austin Government - Facebook

undefined

Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

christmas holidays lists bests