Gifts on the Fly

Ultimate last-minute gift guide: Snag these local finds from the Austin airport

So you waited until the last minute to do your shopping, and you have to catch a plane. There's no time to head to the mall, but luckily, it is entirely possible to shop for your complete holiday list at the airport.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has gifts in abundance, many with a distinct Austin flavor. If you are stressed to the max and haven’t found time to shop, just relax — there is an alternative to that $20 tucked into a card. Once you have successfully completed your shopping spree, enjoy a relaxing massage at Knot Anymore (gates seven and 13) or grab a cocktail and soak up the live music. (The airport in the Live Music Capital of the World has 15 live shows a week at five different venues.)

For the book lovers: For best-selling books and more, visit Austin Article at gates five and nine, and BookPeople at gate 11. Also recommend: Music in the Kitchen and Austin City Limits: 35 Years in Photographs at the Austin City Limits/Waterloo Records store at gate 15.

For the music lovers: For an amazing selection of Austin and Texas music head to the ACL/Waterloo store, or the Austin Warehouse District at gate 11.

For Longhorn fans: Everything and anything Longhorns, including a burnt orange leash for Fido, can be found at the Longhorn Specialty Store at gate 18.

Keep Austin Weird: Stock up on T-shirts for all sizes and ages, mugs, key chains, magnets, and shot glasses at Stars of Austin at gate nine.

For foodies: ABIA has a plethora of local food gifts like Berdoll’s pecan pie for $19.95 at Austin Warehouse District and Amy’s Ice Creams' freezer-packed pints near gate 12 (not to be missed are the Mexican vanilla marshmallows). The Salt Lick's fully cooked brisket (available in the West Concourse) serves four to six people, and gift packs of Salt Lick products come gift-wrapped.

For coffee lovers: Gift one pound of Austin’s favorite coffee, Ruta Maya, found in the East Concourse between gates six and seven, or Austin Java at gates 10 and 15.

Stock up on T-shirts for all sizes and ages, mugs, key chains, magnets, and shot glasses at Stars of Austin.

Keep Austin Weird shirt Stars of Austin store Austin-Bergstrom International Airport ABIA

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport/Facebook

Stock up on T-shirts for all sizes and ages, mugs, key chains, magnets, and shot glasses at Stars of Austin.

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings