About Austin

About the Texas MBA The full-time MBA program at The University of Texas at Austin develops business leaders who aspire to make a difference in society. Through a flexible curriculum and an array of hands-on opportunities, students customize their education to develop a skill set designed specifically for their career goals. Situated in vibrant Austin, TX, our top-ranked MBA program thrives on the city’s entrepreneurial mindset and dynamic business environment – not to mention its reputation as a fabulous place to both work and play. We invite you to become a part of our MBA community and discover how the Texas MBA can help you chart your path to success.

McCombs School of Business | http://mba.mccombs.utexas.edu | 512.471.7698

Absolutely Austin

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q

An international music venue featuring down-home

Capitol Building

181 Texas state

barbeque, Stubb’s is one of the best and biggest outdoor concert halls in Austin.

legislatures fill the capitol building and walk on the

Stubb’s features the finest brisket in town and a gospel brunch every Sunday.

seals of the six nations that have ruled over Texas, featured on the rotunda floor.

Barton Springs

Fed by underground springs,

Barton Springs remains a constant 68 degrees and is a great place to escape a Texas summer.

UT Tower

The tower is usually lit

white at night, but for special occasions, such as an athletic victory or graduation, the tower is illuminated in orange.

Skyline

Austin architecture continues to reach for the skies,

but still remains grounded in creativity; like City Hall which features a 49-foot “armadillo tail.”

Hike & Bike Trail

Runners, bikers and dog walkers all enjoy this path along the Lower Colorado River (Lady Bird Lake to Austinites). A memorial to Austin’s beloved son, Stevie Ray Vaughan, stands on the banks of Auditorium Shores, where he held a number of concerts.

Photo – ACVB / Dan Harron

Breakfast at Maria’s Taco Xpress

Austin Activities There’s always something happening in Austin. If you’re

looking for an early morning cup of joe, an afternoon shopping Swimming at Barton Springs

Jo’s Hot Coffee

South Congress

With the number

Home to eclectic vintage

stores, fine art galleries, and clothing boutiques, South

spree, or a late night horror movie marathon – you’ll be able to

of coffeehouses in Austin, you’re never very

find it in Austin.

far from getting your caffeine fix. Most of the

Congress is the perfect location to shop away a day. On

Once a year, Austinites gather together

cafés in town offer a comfortable place to

the first Thursday of every month, shops stay open late

for these special events. Most of them

study and free Wi-Fi.

while vendors, artists, and musicians line the street.

will attract a significant amount of out-

Hiking on the Greenbelt

Photo – Lauri Johnston

of-town guests as well. From music to art to sports to just plain fun, these annual events cover all aspects of Austin.

Your Weekend

Window shopping in SoCo

• South by Southwest

Visit to the Blanton Museum

• Austin City Limits Music Festival

Studying at Spider House

• Capitol 10K • Carnaval Brasileiro

Running on the Hike & Bike Trail

• Zilker Park Kite Festival

Drinks at The East Side Showroom

• Austin Gay and Lesbian

Dancing at The Broken Spoke

• East Austin Studio Tours

Film Festival

• Blue Genie Art Bizarre Movie and dinner at the Alamo Drafthouse

• Eeyore’s Birthday Party • Fun Fun Fun Fest

BYOB at Peter Pan Mini-Golf

• Maker Faire

Vino Vino

You can hone your palate

with a big cab at this neighborhood wine Late night queso at Kerbey Lane

Alamo Drafthouse

The Alamo Drafthouse is the #1 Movie

Theater in the Nation according to Entertainment Weekly. Whether you’re

East Side Showroom

6th Street

6th St. is the heart of downtown Austin.

Live Music

Stevie Ray Vaughan,

Half artist gallery, half social gather place,

You can hear the beat pumping from the clubs, pubs,

Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson, and Spoon have all

bar and walk away with a bottle or two of

taking in a free horror flick on Terror Tuesdays or eating a 12 course hobbit

The Eastside Showroom mixes its intimate

and live music venues that line both sides of the street.

called Austin home. You can see live music any

your favorite selection.

feast while watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Alamo Drafthouse

size with grand spirits. Photo – Aimee Wenske

gives movie-going a new spin.

• Austin Air Guitar Tournament • Out of Bounds Improv Fest

night of the week in Austin, usually without a cover charge.

Photo – ACVB / Andy Schrader

• Hairy Man Festival and 5K

Food & Culture

With one of the highest number of restaurants per capita in the United States, you can find Tex-Mex and barbeque on almost any corner in Austin, but you don’t have to look too hard to spot five-star restaurants or your favorite ethnic cuisine. When you’re finished eating, you can head over to one of Austin’s museums or theater productions for an evening show.

Barbeque

Austin Bike Zoo

Barbeque is an art form in Austin.

Each barbeque joint will most likely have their own smoking pit and sauce. It’s best to try them all to find

at the Austin Bike Zoo.

your favorite. Photo – Tosh Brown

Driskill Grill

team of chefs carefully selects the menu for this

Farmers’ Market

The Austin Farmers’ Market is a 100%

slinging of Amy’s employees and marvel at the amazing taste

Kerbey Lane is open 24 hours, 7 days a

five-star dining room. Housed in the landmark

local, growers-only market. Enjoy chef

of gummy bears crushed into their signature Mexican vanilla.

Driskill Hotel, the Driskill Grill combines a grand atmosphere with delicious entrees. Photo – ACVB

An award-winning

East Austin Studio Tour

Lyndon B. Johnson Library

the Kennedy assassination, the civil rights movement, and

museums in the country, the Blanton Museum of Art features over 18,000 works

week. They serve over 150 gallons of their

doors to the general public. This free, self-guided

Vietnam from the ex-President’s point of view. You can also

from Europe, the United States and Latin America in its permanent collection.

demos, children’s activities, and live

trademark Kerbey queso every week.

tour includes more than 200 artists in the Austin

view exquisite gifts of state and a life size Oval Office replica.

music as you stroll through rows of fresh

Photo – Davis Ayer

community.

produce.

Photo – Sustainable Food Center

Amy’s Ice Cream

Have you ever seen a 80’

long rattlesnake bike or a 17’ tall butterfly trike? You will

Watch the acrobatic scoop

Kerbey Lane

A local favorite,

Once a year local artists throw open their studio

Photo – Donald S. Mason Jr.

Learn about

The Blanton Museum of Art

One of the foremost university art

Day Trips

Getting Around Town If you’re car-less in Austin, there are plenty of ways to get around.

According to Prevention Magazine, Austin is one of the best walking cities in the country. Whether it’s by foot, bike, pedicab, rail or car, Austin is a town to be explored.

Biking

Bike lanes on many main roads make biking one

Austin CarShare

Capital Metro

Austin might feel like a world unto itself, but it is surrounded by many natural and man-made wonders. Just a short drive outside of Austin can lead to new adventures and thrilling experiences.

• Pedernales State Park

• Luckenbach

• Gruene Hall in Gruene, Texas

• Kayaking on the Neches River

• McKinney Falls State Park

• Schlitterbahn Waterpark

• Inner Space Cavern

• Hill Country Wine Tours

• Exotic Animal Safari

• Fiesta in San Antonio

• Hamilton Pool

• Historic Georgetown

• Waterskiing on Lake Travis

• Lost Maples State Park

• Dr. Pepper Factory

University of Texas students are

able to ride all bus lines for free. With special UT shuttles, For a small fee you can have the

express services to the airport and late night safety rides,

Enchanted Rock

Tubing

Jacob’s Well

of the easiest ways to get around the large UT campus. If your

convenience of owning a car without the hassle of trying to park

you can get almost anywhere in Austin on the bus. The soon-

bike happens to breakdown, the non-profit Austin Yellow Bike

in the city. Pick up groceries, go furniture shopping, or drive to the

to-board commuter MetroRail will help connect downtown

of Austin, Enchanted Rock is a prime location for camping,

or enjoying the lazy float of the Comal, tubing with a pack of

Texas, the natural spring waters of Jacob’s Well not only make a lovely

Project will help you repair it.

hill country – all without the cost of actually owning a car.

Austin to outlying areas with future expansions expected.

hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, and star gazing.

friends and a six pack is a summer tradition in Texas.

summer getaway, they source many other swimming holes and rivers.

Located about 75 miles outside

Whether it’s braving the rapids of the Guadalupe

Believed to be the longest underwater cave in

Bragging Rights

Austin Neighborhoods

With all the green space, fascinating history, diverse culture, and downright weirdness, it’s no wonder that Austinites hold a special Capitol Building – Congress Ave. & 11th St.

place in their hearts for this city. Other people seem to like it too.

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q – 801 Red River St., stubbsaustin.com

no.2

East Side Showroom – 1100 E. 6th St., eastsideshowroom.com Alamo Drafthouse • Ritz – 320 E. 6th St., drafthouse.com Farmers’ Market – 4th St. & Guadalupe, austinfarmersmarket.org Hike & Bike Trail Entrance – S. First St.

no.3

Barton Springs – 2201 Barton Springs Rd. Whole Foods Landmark Store – 525 N. Lamar Blvd., wholefoodsmarket.com

no.5

Waterloo Records – 600 N. Lamar Blvd., waterloorecords.com The Blanton Museum of Art – 2 San Jacinto Blvd., blantonmuseum.org

YOUTH MAGNET CITIES, WASHINGTON STREET JOURNAL, 2009

McCombs School of Business – 2100 Speedway Ave., mba.mccombs.utexas.edu Kerbey Lane – 2606 Guadalupe St., kerbeylanecafe.com

no.3

TOP CITIES TO LIVE + PLAY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ADVENTURE, 2007

SMART CITIES FOR COUPLES, KIPLINGER'S PERSONAL FINANCE, 2009

Spider House Café – 2908 Fruth St., spiderhousecafe.com Jo’s Hot Coffee – 1300 S. Congress Ave., joscoffee.com

no.6

New Bohemia – 1606 S. Congress Ave., newbohemiaaustin.com

Hyde Park

Downtown

South Congress

to UT makes it a favorite region for graduate students to live.

to be walking distance from the center of the city. As Austin

at Blackmail (a store dealing in exclusively black clothing) for

Mid-century bungalows and quaint, local shops give this

continues to grow upwards, people who live downtown will

that little black dress, eat an El Presidente taco (named after Bill

section of Austin a real neighborhood feel.

find more restaurants, recreation, and retail on their block and

Clinton, who occasionally stops in) at Guero’s, and grab a drink

in their building.

at the historic Continental Club.

East Austin

Clarksville

Campus

musicians, and young professionals live in new construction built

living. You’ll find Whole Foods’ landmark store, BookPeople and

gives you a location close to your classes as well as a number of

where the old airport used to be, in officer’s quarters previously

Waterloo Records (one of the best independent record stores in

parks, grocery stores, diners, coffeehouses, and shops.

inhabited by Air Force brass, and in renovated bungalows of various

the country) all on the same corner.

Originally a streetcar suburb of Austin, Hyde Park’s proximity

East Austin offers the most varied housing options: artists,

vintages — while still being close to campus and downtown.

Mixed-use condos and high-rise apartments allow residents

Clarksville is a quiet neighborhood with all the amenities of urban

STUDENTS PACK THE STADIUMS, THE PRINCETON REVIEW, 2009

Creative and trendy only hint at the vibe of SoCo. You can shop

People here bleed orange. At the heart of UT, campus-area living

no.6

GREAT COLLEGE TOWNS, THE PRINCETON REVIEW, 2009

no.5

no.4

FARMER'S AND SPECIALTY GOOD MARKETS, TRAVEL+LEISURE’S FAVORITE CITIES, 2009

BEST CITIES FOR A SMALL BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEUR.COM, 2009

no.2

GREEN PLACES TO LIVE, NATURAL HOME, 2007

BEST LIVE MUSIC/BANDS, TRAVEL+LEISURE’S FAVORITE CITIES, 2009

no.1

no.1

no.2

ACTIVE PEOPLE, TRAVEL+LEISURE’S FAVORITE CITIES, 2009

AMERICA'S FASTEST GROWING METROS FORBES, 2008

AMERICA'S BEST BARGAIN CITIES, FORBES, 2009

no.1

BEST CITIES FOR RECESSION RECOVERY, FORBES, 2009

no.1

US CITY FOR JOB GROWTH, US BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, 2009