As one of the most sustainable cities in the U.S., it’s not hard to fall in love with Austin.

There is one reason I’d consider leaving the Big Apple for the Lonestar State, and that reason is Austin.

Anyone who’s been to the state capital has experienced the progressive and liberal personality that juxtaposes much of the rest of the state and Austin is the inoffensive exception. While on a road trip through part of the former Mexican territory, I was able to glean just how much so. From San Antonio to Frisco, with stops in Fredericksburg, Austin, Round Rock, Parker and Dallas, I took on the wide, open Texas road and realized that it leads to both a delightfully charming and calorically appalling Texas.

Here’s a list of things about the capital city that in a small way might contribute to slowing down the global warming process.

People are active and always outside.
Austin is quite possibly a land of productive freelancers. Everyone and their dog seems to be out and about throughout the workday and doing exactly what they should be doing – relishing the great outdoors. I spent a late morning with Barton Springs bike-tour company where our guide, Kelly took us over pedestrian bridge extensions, through Zilker Park, past the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue, along Auditorium Shores, around Lady Bird Lake and past Barton Springs Pool. While riding I was joined by dozens and dozens of other bikers and as many runners. In the early afternoon I joined another few dozen locals on Lady Bird Lake where I walked across water stand-up paddle boating alongside kayakers, canoers and water bicyclists. Austin feels like everyone is outside living a well-balanced life where people can pay their bills and spend time outdoors.

Barton Springs Pool

Everyone is in it together.
One night a chatty pedi-cab driver told us we had to go to Lambert’s for fancy BBQ. While devouring some fennel and coriander rubbed pork ribs we saw Japanese female drummer Masumi Jones and the Gentlemen, and The Warm Guns tear things up on stage. Then the next day I saw the music stars casually frolicking with the rest of Austin in the swampy Barton Springs Pool.

Bicycles, motorcycles and cars coexist here in harmony.
Bicycle riders share the lanes with cars and drivers don’t even seem to blink an eye. Nary is there a horn honked at a bike rider slowing down traffic, and signs remind everyone to be mindful of fellow cyclists and motorcyclists. On some blocks its seems like the streets have more bikes than cars. Besides bike lanes there are bike paths too—which the latter is known as the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, named for the championship cyclist.

SXSW, Denise Chambers photo

Keep Austin Weird.
The slogan was dubbed to promote small businesses in town and so far considering the city is said to get 1,500 new residents a week, it’s doing a decent job. The famed SXSW festival has grown more corporate and less grassroots, whereas the Austin City Limits concert has retained local and less is more roots. And as for the truly weirdest thing about Austin (besides the lizard people), is that the closest thing to weird is that the city is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world. But until you’ve checked it out – be it on a cruise, kayak, canoe, paddle boat, boat bicycle, or, you’re just standing on the Congress Avenue Bridge, you can’t knock it until you see over a million Mexican free-tail bats take off a just as the sun is setting.

There are a lot of places to stay the night.
Besides hotels like the new W, there are also a lot of new condos and high-rises. Like many fast growing cities, a lot of new development has been hit hard by the struggling economy so there’s an inordinate number of luxury rentals lying around unused. Many of these rentals have side gigs in the short-term rental world and are listed on Roomarama and Airbnb. I booked with Roomarama and stayed two nights in downtown Austin in a balconied high-rise just a few blocks from the infamous Sixth Street.

Roomarama

The live music scene truly rocks.
It’s hard to find a joint that doesn’t have live music playing in it when walking through the warehouse district, along Sixth, Fifth, or Fourth, along South Congress, or, in the Warehouse District. What may look like a non-descript spot easily ends up the stage for the next Jeff Buckley or Elliot Smith. At The Red Fez, the band Atash played a mix of Persian and Indian music replete with a sitar that had a rock and roll backbone. In recent years, Austin has become world renowned thanks to it’s killer music festivals.

It’s the birthplace of Whole Foods.
The local, seasonal, organic corporate food chain, Whole Foods got its start here in Austin so it’s possible to keep it weird and still shop here. Plus, everyone’s so proud of Whole Foods that between the classes and samples inside the store, it’s actually pretty fun to tour for an afteroon.  And who can resist poking fun at the obsessive quinoa-loving, Kombucha-eating counter culture that’s emerged there?

The BBQ is damn good.
Sure there is excellent BBQ to eat within Austin’s city limits, but the real deal that locals and tourists alike consistently recommend is the Salt Lick. With locations in Round Rock, Driftwood and the Austin Airport, I headed north to Round Rock (less than an hour from Austin), and it was totally worth it. A dinner of smoky beef ribs, hot mashed potatoes and refried beans finished with a warm pecan pie is hard to pass up. Did I mention the horseradish-infused bloody Mary’s? Drinks pair nicely with the live music that plays for those enjoying the outdoor seating. Because it’s a popular spot, it’s advised to go early or late in the night to avoid the crowds.

Austin is near Texas wine country.
Yes, in Texas’ Hill country is the Texas wine country. Just 67 miles away is Fredericksburg a charming stretch with adorable boutiques, quaint restaurants and a healthy dose of vineyards a few miles away.  I stopped by the family-owned Grape Creek Vineyards and Torre di Pietna. The Becker Vineyards also have a lavender farm. For further exploring stop by the tourism office just across from the where Curly, the octogenarian on staff who will offer to leave work early and take you out for a drink or two over his old war stories.

Becker Vineyards

“Dallas” fans can geek out on the TV show’s old location.
I’ve actually never seen a single episode of the 13-year series and I still found the tour located 214 miles from Austin absolutely fun and engaging. Our guide Tim, a Texas local who has spent decades working with the J.R, Ewing Mansion on Southfork Ranch, has salacious stories that are more dramatic than the series. (He’s caught countless people sneaking off to have sex on various parts of the property.)

There’s an artist colony of Brooklyn hipsters in the middle of nowhere.
Marfa, 375 miles west of Austin is a high desert oasis of awesome, where modern art and expression thrive. The colony was founded by minimalist artist Donald Judd who moved from New York City to Texas to create a more affordable and spacious home for his art installations. After he died, the area transformed into a haven for two foundations that maintain Judd’s vision: The Chinati Foundation and the Judd Foundation. Other large scale projects have formed in Marfa in recent years too including the Marfa Film Festival, Lannan Foundation and Ballroom Marfa where art films, music shows and art installations are featured. Marfa is also known for its night skies and for being the location of the films There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, and Giant starring Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean and Dennis Hopper.

Ready for a road trip?

Image: StuSeeger, Austin Post

The post Austin: Texas’ Most Sustainable Oasis appeared first on EcoSalon.

St. Patricks’ Day this week turned cities green literally – from landmarks to libations. But how green have major metro areas around the U.S. been throughout the year? The American Cities Business Journal group has released a new study on the matter.

Their inaugural Green Cities Index examined 43 U.S. cities, and ranked them based on 20 criteria encompassing residents’ environmental behavior, cities’ use or abuse of land and water, and presence of a variety of environment related projects and industries. The Green Cities Index 2010 survey results have been hot in the blogosphere ever since, with bloggers and residents bragging or bummed about their scores.

Portland topped the Green Cities Index 2010, with San Francisco in a close second place, Honolulu at third followed by Austin and Boston. The new study’s rankings fell in line with related studies by the Natural Resources Defense Council, and by Popular Science. But not exactly.

Surprising Strengths

Green Cities Index 2010 gave areas lacking environmental credibility overall some surprising points. Houston, one of the most traffic-choked cities in the U.S., held the top spot for Energy Star rated facilities, saving it from a much lower score.

Meanwhile, Albany ranked in the top ten on this list, though traditional manufacturing plants have caused severe pollution there for years. The city’s high score was influenced by Albany’s top score for “green jobs.”

At least the presence of more green jobs per capita in the area indicates the promise of a sea change.

It ain’t easy being green…

How important are green aspects of a city to the quality of life there? We think entirely important. That’s why we’re surprised that Green Cities Index 2010 chart topper Portland did not rank so highly in a separate happiness survey, the Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index which was released last month. The happiness study examined 162 cities, and Portland came in at 59. (That compares indirectly to 16th place on a 43-city list like Green Cities.)

Greensboro, North Carolina which came in dead last on the Green Cities Index, with the worst ranking for sprawl and its result, carbon emissions per capita, ranked 97th on the well-being index, which would put it at about 25th on a list of 43.

While there’s no apples-to-apples comparison between the studies, it’s worth asking: why aren’t the greenest cities always the happiest? Where does your city rank, and how happy are you?

Basic reading:

“A few hundred miles up the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Pittsburgh sits as a shining example of sustainability. After decades of working to clean its smoky skies and polluted waterways, the Steel City also has become a model for green building and sustainable design…” – A news feature discussing the reasons why Cincinnati Business Journal decided to launch its Green Cities Index

“Nine of the 10 cities that fare best on ‘life evaluation,’ assessments of life now and expectations in five years, boast a major university, a big military installation or a state Capitol – institutions that presumably provide some insulation from recession.” – A news feature breaking down a Gallup study of how happy people are in American cities, via USA Today

“If you want to be good to the environment, stay away from it…” From a 2009 study on Suburban vs. City living by Edward L. Glaeser

“No Northwest city is yet close to the destination of sustainability: carbon neutrality; widely shared prosperity; stable populations in strong communities; educational and economic opportunity for all; hyper-efficient use of natural resources; zero-pollution industries; and low-stuff, high-satisfaction lives.” – a different assessment of green cities from the Vancouver, B.C. news site, The Tyee

Further Resources:

News from OregonLive.com about the lack of trees in an otherwise green city, Portland: “Green Portland Isn’t Green Enough”

An Environmental Protection Agency air quality report

For contrast, a news report on air quality in Islamabad

A Greenbang.com story about London’s aim to imitate Copenhagen, Europe’s greenest city

A blog post calling for public transit support in Nashville, and referencing its low ranking on Green Cities Index 2010

Image Credit: Keith Skelton

This is the latest installment of EcoMeme, a column featuring eco news, tech and trends by EcoSalon writer and columnist Lora Kolodny.

The post EcoMeme: Green City, Happy City? appeared first on EcoSalon.