In recent weeks, news out of Austin City Hall hasn't been too great. In fact, as more and more stories of "improper" or, shall we say, "uncomfortable" relationships between our elected officials and businesses float to the surface, it looks as though one of the nation's most admired muncipal governments may, in fact, be a tad more crooked than we all thought. Of course, only time will tell, but things are not looking so good at present. more ›

When Laurie Limbacher (pictured above right) of Limbacher & Godfrey Architects stood in front of a skeptical crowd at last Monday's Town Hall Meeting to discuss her firm's renovation plans for Barton Springs, she told a brief story of an old, wooden bathhouse that once sat atop the north hill next to the pool. The bathhouse at Barton Springs Pool was a romantic building, built of iron and wood and outfitted with a bar... more ›

For the first time in its two-decades-plus history, SXSW is getting an official break from the City of Austin, after the city council last Thursday approved over $90,000 in fee waivers for this year's festival. According to the Statesman, most of this covers the cops and barricades needed for street closures (much of 6th Street and Red River Street will be shut down to car traffic). SXSW co-founder and Austin Chronicle editor Louis Black alluded... more ›

For the sixth year in a row, MovieMaker Magazine has ranked Austin in the top 3 of its “Top Ten U.S. Cities to Live and Make Movies” list. And though we’ve slipped a little this year (we sat at number two for the last two years, just behind New York City), we still beat the crap out of Shreveport, which feels pretty good. Moviemaker cited the “unique education and support that the [Austin] community fosters... more ›