Thriving Austin neighbor declared America's 4th biggest boomtown for 2022

Population goes boom

Photo via areavibes.com

This year, New Braunfels is one of the most booming cities in America. The Austin neighbor ranks No. 4 among the top 100 U.S. cities for economic and population growth in a new study from personal finance website SmartAsset.

To rank the top “boomtowns” in America, SmartAsset analyzed data for 500 of the largest U.S. cities. The site evaluated topics such as five-year population change, average yearly growth in economic output (GDP), five-year growth in number of businesses, five-year change in number of housing units, one-year change in unemployment rate and five-year change in household income.

New Braunfels was not the only Texas city to make the list, coming just two spots ahead of the Houston suburb of Conroe (No. 6) and a Dallas-area suburb, Lewisville, which came in at No. 9.

What helped New Braunfels become the top boomtown in Texas and No. 5 nationally? The historic hill country town had the second-highest population and housing growth between 2016 and 2021 (36.10 percent and 40.86 percent, respectively), according to the study. Additionally, Comal County, where New Braunfels is located, had the eighth-highest business growth rate between 2015 and 2020 (23.94 percent) and average annual GDP growth has exceeded 4 percent.

Other Central Texas cities made the top-100 list, including: Cedar Park (No. 26); Round Rock (No. 48); Austin (No. 67); and College Station (No. 73). Notably, Austin was the only major metropolitan city in Texas to make the list.

Elsewhere in Texas
The Houston area's Conroe (No. 6 nationally) ranks highest in five-year housing growth and secured the No. 22 spot for that specific metric. It has also seen a considerable five-year population growth of 14.71 percent. Conroe, the report notes, is in Montgomery County, which ranks in the top 30 for both its annual GDP and business growth rates.

Meanwhile, Lewisville (No. 9 nationally) has seen a nearly 16 percent increase in the number of available housing units. Lewisville's population grew almost 8 percent from 2016 to 2021; according to the city's website, Lewisville has a population of 127,008. The average household income in Lewisville rose 30 percent during the same time frame. The SmartAsset study notes that Denton County, which Lewisville is located in, is also doing well, ranking No. 10 for business growth and No. 21 for its annualized GDP growth rate.

Five other Dallas-area cities cracked the top 100, and one other Houston suburb: Denton (No. 19), McKinney (No. 33), Frisco (No. 42), Flower Mound (No. 50), and Allen (No. 69). In 2021, Denton ranked No. 36, while McKinney sat at No. 39. Sugar Land, a Houston suburb, ranked No. 46.

The No. 1 U.S. boomtown overall is Nampa, Idaho’s third most populous city.

“Moving to a boomtown at its earliest stages can be a great opportunity for entrepreneurs and investors, as there's still plenty of room for growth. And for those who are looking for a job, there are usually plenty of opportunities available in rapidly growing cities,” Edith Reads, senior editor at TradingPlatforms, tells SmartAsset. “However, if a city has already reached its peak, it may be too late to get in on the action. In this case, it may be wiser to wait until the city's growth slows down before making the move. This way, you can avoid getting caught in the midst of a housing or job crunch.”

Photo courtesy of The Westin in The Woodlands

Airbnb promises it will deter rogue New Year's Eve parties in Austin

Wet Blanket News

With lots of fanfare, Airbnb is announcing that it's here to stop unauthorized rowdy parties on New Year’s Eve.

According to a release, the short-term home rental company is enacting restrictions on certain kinds of bookings over New Year’s Eve, to deter rentals from unsavory characters whose entire mission is to host rogue events.

These restrictions include:

a ban on one-night bookings of entire home listings for guests without a positive account history
a ban on one-night bookings of entire home listings for guests with no previous bookings at all

They're also placing tighter restrictions for guests who try to book two- and three-night reservations, with an emphasis on attempts to book locally.

The restrictions will be in effect over the New Year’s Eve weekend not only in Austin, but in 11 countries, including the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands. They're stamping out New Year's Eve debauchery around the world!

These restrictions are on top of other restrictions instituted previously, such as focusing on people under 25 without positive reviews who are trying to book a space. Young people are trouble, everyone knows that.

The 2022 rollout follows a trial they enacted in eight countries on New Year's Eve 2021, when approximately 340,000 guests globally were blocked or redirected from attempting to book on Airbnb over NYE, including more than 120,000 guests in the U.S., over 34,500 guests in the UK, and almost 13,000 guests in Australia.

Stats from last year:

In Austin, they deterred more than 1,350 people from booking entire home listings over NYE 2021
In Dallas, they deterred more than 2,450 people from booking entire home listings over NYE 2021
In Houston, they deterred more than 1,950 people from booking entire home listings over NYE 2021

They also have a 24/7 Neighborhood Support Line, accessible at Airbnb.com/neighbors, with a team that can investigate complaints.

Courtesy photo

Early voting begins October 24 for November 8 election in Texas

Civic news

Election day is November 8, 2022, but early voting starts Monday, October 24 and runs through November 4.

Texans will be voting for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, agricultural commissioner, and land commissioner, among other slots.

In the race for Governor between incumbent Greg Abbott and challenger Beto O'Rourke, Abbott has so far led in polls, but an October poll by Beacon Research shows the gap narrowing to 2 percent.

O'Rourke has received endorsements from top Texas newspapers Houston Chronicle and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, as well as Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves, and Harry Styles. Abbott received an endorsement from bottom Texas newspaper Dallas Morning News.

In the Lieutenant Governor race, candidate Mike Collier, running as a Democrat against incumbent Dan Patrick, has earned a number of high-profile endorsements from Republicans including State Rep. Lyle Larson and former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff. Collier is a former Republican who ran against Patrick in 2018.

In the Attorney General race, Democratic challenger Rochelle Garza is running against incumbent Ken Paxton.

Paxton was most recently in the news for fleeing his home to avoid a subpoena in a lawsuit from nonprofits that want to help Texans pay for abortions out of state. KVUE in Austin has a list of all of Paxton's various legal woes over the years including charges of bribery, intimidation, extramarital affairs, and his involvement in the January 6 insurrection.

Information on early voting can be found at votetexas.gov.

Registered voters can go to any polling location in the county. A list of 50 early voting locations is available on the county website. Registered voters should bring one acceptable form of photo identification to the polls such as Texas Driver License, Texas Election ID card, Military ID card, U.S. Citizenship Certificate, or U.S. Passport.

Registered voters without a photo ID can sign a Reasonable Impediment Declaration and present a supporting form of ID such as a voter registration certificate, a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, or a birth certificate.

Photo courtesy of the St. Elias Mediterranean Festival

Join an 88-year dabke line at Austin's Mediterranean Festival this fall

Weekend By The Sea

Believe it or not, the Mediterranean is not that far away. It’s quite a hike to get there, but it’s nearly identical in latitude — a great predictor of harmonious culinary styles and ingredients. Austin and Cairo are less than a quarter of a degree apart.

The 88th annual St. Elias Mediterranean Festival is closing that gap longitudinally on September 30 and October 4, with food, cocktails, and more. The open-air festivities are loud and certainly not as reserved as many would guess at an Orthodox church. “He’s Baptist, so he’s not supposed to be drinking,” says a festival attendee in a video from 2012, arm around the giggling rule-breaker.

Along with food vendors, who in past years have represented Lebanon, Palestine, Greece, Eritrea, Russia, Romania, and likely many more countries, other craft vendors will run their own bazaar. It’s all set to live music, with both performed and social dancing (like dabke, the Middle Eastern line dance in which participants hold hands), something incredibly rare to run into for Austinites who aren’t regularly involved in these communities.

Nothing is truly Mediterranean without wine, and the festival is known for its wide and sometimes exotic selections. Cocktails will be provided by Absolut and Aperol — the aperitivo maker most associated with the citrusy, bubbling spritz from Italy — and no one is allowed to get tired of dancing with Arabic coffee nearby.

A press release quotes a member of the family that owns and operates Twin Liquors, a current sponsor that has worked with the festival since it started in the 1930s. “Medfest is more than a tradition for our family, it’s ingrained in our culture,” said David Jabour. “We’re honored to continue to play a role in the festivities this year, and look forward to seeing friends and families celebrate with food, cocktails, music, and dancing.”

The nearly 90-year-old tradition has garnered a reputation in its hometown for its uniqueness and high spirits, and is welcoming to anyone interested in the culture. Kids are welcome, and encouraged to join with photos from past years including face painting and a bouncy house.

The 88th annual St. Elias Mediterranean Festival will take place on September 30 from 6 pm to 11 pm, and on October 1 from noon to 11 pm. Tickets ($5 donation) will be sold at the door at St. Elias Orthodox Church on East 11th Street, except for opening to 4pm on Oct 1, which is free.

Photo courtesy of Defend the Dream

Former Longhorn and pro football star transforms reading spaces in AISD

Reading Huddle

There’s much to discover at the library, and now Austin Independent School District kids are getting a specially dedicated space, thanks to the Defend the Dream Foundation.

Derrick Johnson, a former Texas Longhorn who played with the Kansas City Chiefs and garnered prestige in both positions, started Defend the Dream in 2012 to connect low-income and inner city youths with better resources and opportunities. He moved back to Austin in 2019, and committed to supporting the nonprofit even further.

On September 15, the foundation will present Austin’s first Discovery Den to Oak Springs Elementary School in East Austin near Airport Boulevard. Defend the Dream has been installing Discovery Dens in other schools for years, transforming school library spaces into well-stocked, football-themed reading areas with bright colors and lots of seating.

The low-tech, low-convolution goal is to create a comfortable and engaging space to encourage reading. In this case, it’s nearly $58,000 of donations for a “multi-functional space,” with donated furniture, bookshelves, and new flooring. In addition to a more exciting atmosphere, this donation covers more than 1,000 new books, selected for diversity, in an effort to modernize the current library selection.

In April of 2022, Defend the Dream announced a partnership with Horns with Heart, another nonprofit that uses the social and media pull of University of Texas student-athletes to promote community outreach and charity. The latter organization will help build the dens and assign reading ambassadors to keep up the activity.

“When I moved back to Austin a few years ago, I wanted to continue my work with Defend the Dream and help those in need be able to reach their full potential,” said Johnson in the April press release. “Partnering with an organization that supports my Alma Mater, UT, was a no brainer. Horns With Heart really pinpoints the heart of what I believe in - people helping others in their own community.”

Defend the Dream will continue with similar projects across the district after the Oak Springs Discovery Den is handed off on September 15, from 9 am to 10 am. More information about Defend the Dream is available at derrickjohnsonfoundation.org.

Photo courtesy of The Cathedral and Ventana Ballet

10 ways to make your community proud this Hispanic Heritage Month

Everybody y su madre

Unlike many months of celebration, National Hispanic American Heritage Month is not tied to one calendar month. It starts on September 15, a sort of super-Independence Day, encompassing celebrations for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, followed by Mexico on September 16, and Chile on September 18. It then runs through the second Monday in October for Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, and ends October 15.

Redubbed Latinx Heritage Month by some celebrators, in both cases it honors both personal and communal histories, and contributions to life in the United States year-round. Texans are accustomed to many Mexican traditions and cultural fusions, but this month also stretches to family ties in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, making for an endlessly diverse opportunity to get to know Austin businesses, artists, and community members.

These 10 recommended events cover traditional Mexican and Tejano music and dance; as many accordions as possible; contemporary theater; Austin community leaders and their work; tireless food trucks from across the cultural gamut; and more. Ride a bike to learn about history, or get moving with some social dancing. The best part is, most of these are happening on different days and times, so there should be plenty of time to explore what Hispanic Heritage Month means to you.

"Cultivating Community through Art: Sam Coronado's Series Project and its Continuing Legacy" opening reception
The late Sam Coronado, a former Austin Community College professor whose pioneering Chicano art movement works are celebrated by the Smithsonian, advocated for cultural diversity through screen printing. This retrospective display draws attention to other artists Coronado taught or inspired, both in Austin and farther removed. An opening reception on September 15 from 6 pm to 8 pm gives a free first look at the exhibit, which runs through December 8. No RSVP required.

Austin Latino Heritage Bike Ride
This September 17 bike tour is modeled after the Black History Bike Ride, making 15 stops over 7 miles of Latino community markers. The event description specifies “counter narratives,” suggesting that this tour may include familiar landmarks in a different context, taught in a series of history lessons as the group progresses. The group stops first at A.B. Cantu Pan American Recreation Center, and finishes up at ESB-MACC's 15th Annual Viva México: A Quinceañera! Celebration. The organizer is posting updates on Instagram and Facebook.

"Salsa for the Soul!" fundraiser for Latinitas, AVANCE, and Con Mi Madre
Three major Austin organizations for women, girls, and families — Latinitas, Avance, and Con Mi Madre — are teaming up on September 17 to throw a salsa-centric fundraiser at the Latinitas headquarters. Corazon Latino Dance Studio will teach a dance lesson to get visitors up to speed for a live set by DJ Kickit. Tito's Handmade Vodka and Maudie's Tex Mex have food and beverages handled. Also joining the party are local vendors, and some guests will win raffle prizes. Tickets ($35 or less) available on Eventbrite.

ESB-MACC's 15th Annual "Viva México: A Quinceañera! Celebration"
The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center is 15 years old, so it’s quinceañera time. This will be the last onsite event before the MACC undergoes construction. The annual event is pulling out all the stops on September 17 with a range of live music from traditional performers to a DJ collective, panels about identity and community, an artisan market, and a lowrider car show. The free event runs from 5 pm to 10 pm, with food trucks on hand. Register on Eventbrite.

“Night Birds — An Intimate Celebration of Art + Dance”
Reprising a popular 2021 event, The Cathedral and Ventana Ballet are teaming up once again for Night Birds, a 360-degree dance performance. The scores are by Hispanic composers, representing (originally or retrospectively) nocturnal birds on September 22 and 23. The Cathedral is also completely re-curating its display for the first time since opening in 2019, featuring works from local Hispanic women and nonbinary visual artists, for the entire month. Tickets (starting at $45) available on Eventbrite.

Teatro Vivo and Austin Public Library's Victory
The Little Walnut Creek Library really is little, but it’s big on community. In the heavily Hispanic Rundberg neighborhood (head to this H-E-B for specialty items), it’s hosting bilingual theater company Teatro Vivo on September 24 from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. It’s a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, but it’s also a way to start a conversation about Victory, the after-school tutoring program in collaboration with AISD. Admission is free and snacks are provided. This event is for all ages.

Squeeze Box Market Day
A short drive from Austin into Kyle will be worth it for this event for squeeze box lovers — that’s the accordion, for traditionalists. On September 24, from 10 am to 6 pm, Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park will be filled with accordionists playing Tejano music and anything else that might suit the instrument. This is a special Hispanic Heritage Month edition of Kyle Market Days, with all the same local vendors as usual. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and coolers. No RSVP required.

Makuyeika Colectivo Teatral: "Andares"
A conversation about heritage would not be complete without Indigenous voices. Makuyeika Colectivo Teatral, a theater collective that focuses on Mexico’s Indigenous stories, shares a multilingual piece on September 24. The stories told by one live musician and three actors will be in Spanish and Indigenous languages with English supertitles on the stage, representing everyday Mexico and scenes from its “remote corners.” Tickets available at texasperformingarts.org.

Mariachi Herencia de México
One mariachi performer is especially interesting during this month of heritage; famous ranchera singer Pedro Infante’s granddaughter, Lupita Infante. The younger singer and her huge band of 14 musicians from the United States and Mexico promise “a vibrant celebration of Mexican music and culture” at the Long Center on October 13 at 8 pm. The group is based in Chicago, but employs some Texans making a homecoming on this tour stop. Tickets ($29-64) available at thelongcenter.org.

Sazon Latin Food Festival
Restaurants all over Austin are offering specials for this month, but they’re hard to track down. The Sazon Latin Food Festival is eliminating the guesswork, bringing together a dozen food vendors together from Caribbean, Central and South American cuisines to close out Hispanic Heritage Month on October 15. This fiesta will take place at Ani's Day & Night, a relatively small venue for so many vendors, so visitors are encouraged to register now on Eventbrite and arrive early for the 5:30 pm to 9 pm food market.

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Janelle Monáe brings her Age of Pleasure tour to Austin this fall

Lipstick lover

Janelle Monáe's upcoming Age of Pleasure album is already making headlines with her latest single (and music video) "Lipstick Lover." And thankfully for Austinites, we won't have to wait long after the album's release (June 9, via Atlantic Records) to watch it come to life on stage.

The critically acclaimed and award winning singer and actress will bring her Age of Pleasure Tour across North America later this year, with a 26-city lineup kicking off on August 30 at WAMU Theater in Seattle, WA. The Texas leg of her tour will include a stop in Dallas (October 9 at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory) before moving on to Houston's Bayou Music Center on October 10 and Austin's Moody Ampitheater on October 11.

Known worldwide for her inimitable style and visionary sound, Monáe is an eight time Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, performer, and fashion icon. According to a release, she promises to light up your body, soul, and all of your senses with an unforgettable performance featuring songs off her latest album and classic hits from her discography.

Tickets for the tour go on sale Thursday, June 1, starting with a Verizon presale at 10 am local time; the exclusive presale via Verizon Up gives customers access to purchase presale tickets for select shows until Tuesday, June 6, at 10 pm. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Wednesday, June 7 at 10 am on Ticketmaster.

The full list of tour dates is below:

Wed Aug 30 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater
Thu Aug 31 – Vancouver, BC – UBC - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Sat Sep 02 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Wed Sep 06 –Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Thu Sep 07 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 09 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
Mon Sep 11 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory
Wed Sep 13 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre
Thu Sep 14 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Sun Sep 17 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Mon Sep 18 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met
Wed Sep 20 – Montreal, QB – Mtelus
Thu Sep 21 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Sun Sep 24 – Washington, DC – The Anthem*
Tue Sep 26 – New York City, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Thu Sep 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
Mon Oct 02 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tue Oct 03 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Wed Oct 04 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
Fri Oct 06 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre Atlanta
Mon Oct 09 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Tue Oct 10 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
Wed Oct 11 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
Sun Oct 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Tue Oct 17 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Wed Oct 18 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater

* non-Live Nation date

Austin Airbnb prices are the 3rd most expensive in the U.S., report says

SUMMER TRAVEL SZN

Summer has arrived, and so have the summer tourists. For visitors looking to stay within their budget while traveling to Austin, or those who are looking for a staycation in their home city, you might want to allocate a little more for lodging. A new study by business website ChamberofCommerce.org has revealed Austin has the third least affordable Airbnb prices in the country, and was the only Texas city to make the top 10.

For the last 12 months, the average rate for "all [Airbnb] property types" in the city was $373 per night. However, the study did mention a dramatic decline of nightly rates as of May 22 to $243. There are a total of 3,761 active listings around town, which means there are 606 Airbnbs per 100,000 Austinites.

Looking deeper into average rates, a one-bedroom listing will cost you about $127 per night, while a two-bedroom will set you back $203 a night. The study says the average nightly rate for a three-bedroom Airbnb is $297.

This isn't the first time Austin-area Airbnb prices have caught the eye of budget-conscious travelers. In April, a Forbes Advisor study discovered visitors pay an average surcharge of 33 percent for an Airbnb in the city. At the time of Forbes' study, Austin Airbnbs cost an average of $244 a night.

Overall, California dominated the top 10 in the Chamber of Commerce report with three cities total making the list, and Oxnard ranking ahead of Austin in first place.

The top 10 U.S. cities with the most expensive daily rates are:

No. 1 – Oxnard, California
No. 2 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 3 – Austin, Texas
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 6 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
No. 7 – Nashville, Tennessee
No. 8 – San Diego, California
No. 9 – Santa Clarita, California
No. 10 – Miami, Florida

The next Texas city that appeared in the ranking after Austin was Houston (No. 27), with their average rate for any Airbnb type at $224. Over in San Antonio (No. 32), their average rates are even lower at $218 a night.

In a separate ranking of cities with the most Airbnb listings, Austin ranked No. 12. The report looked at over 160,000 Airbnb listings within the largest American cities, analyzing the average daily rate and the total number of listings per 100,000 city residents.

Space-inspired screenings invade Austin Film Society ahead of Wes Anderson's upcoming release

Asteroid City

Yes, Wes Anderson was born in Houston, but we like to claim the UT graduate as our own here in Austin. With his latest film Asteroid City set for release in just a matter of weeks, the anticipation is high. Thankfully, Austin Film Society (AFS) is helping locals get ready.

On June 9 and 10, AFS will screen a series of three films the Texas director cites as influences on his new project. The series is free and will culminate with a special sneak preview of Asteroid City on June 10 at AFS Cinema.

Set in a fictional American desert town circa 1955, the film follows the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention. Organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition, the convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

In true Wes Anderson form, the large ensemble cast features both previous collaborators (Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton and Adrien Brody, among others) and newcomers in the Anderson universe such as Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Maya Hawke, and more. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May to rave reviews.

The trio of AFS screenings leading up to the sneak peek will include On The Waterfront, directed by Elia Kazan, on Friday, June 9, at 5 pm, followed by Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind at 9 pm. The series continues on Saturday, June 10, with John Huston's The Misfits at 5 pm before the Asteroid City preview screening at 8:30 pm.

A new book about the mid-century cinematic influences on Asteroid City will also be available for purchase throughout the weekend series. Edited by Jake Perlin and published by Pushkin Press, Do Not Detonate Without Presidential Approval focuses features essays, photography, and a new conversation between Perlin and Wes Anderson.

This series of films is free, and tickets will be available to the public on Tuesday, May 30. To reserve tickets to these events, click here or visit austinfilm.org.

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