Austin: A city where you can "be yourself". What makes Austin a "Creative Class" city?

Austin Texas Tour – SXSW 2010 Edition. Here’s a glimpse of what makes Austin… well, Austin.



Austin leads the nation in small business climate, creation. City programs and “buy local” attitude help entrepreneurs succeed in Austin. According to Community Impact News, Austin was ranked:

• #1 city in America for small business creation, Portfolio.com
• #1 large city in America for jobs, Forbes.com
• #1 (tie with Washington, D.C.) city best surviving the recession, Forbes.com
• #8 best place to launch a business, CNNMoney.com

The number of small businesses in Austin increased by about 6 percent between 2006 and 2007 compared to the national average of about 1.4 percent.

• 90 percent of companies in Austin have fewer than 10 employees.
• 75 percent of all Austin jobs are with companies that employ fewer than 100 people.
• In 2009, 14,590 Doing Business As, or DBAs, were filed in Travis County, compared to 12,919 in 2000.

Bijoy Goswami of The Austin Equation project says: “Unlike other large, vibrant cities which tell you what you should be, Austin is the ‘be yourself city.’ We’re dedicated to discovering, expressing and being ourselves.” So, what's your 'scene'?




Experience + Community = Scene. The Austin Equation - See larger image here.

And finally... Keeping Austin Weird, for many, means thinking independently and shopping locally owned in order to create a vibrant Austin economy.



In your opinion, what makes Austin a "Creative City"? Would you say that you are part of a particular scene?