AUSTIN
Population: 790.390 thousand people (2010)
Area: 771.6 sq. km
Founded: 1839
Time zone: UTC-6, summer UTC-5
Altitude: 149 m
The American city of Austin, located a little south of the center of Texas, fully lives up to its own motto: to remain unusual. The slogan put forward to help local businesses emphasizes the versatility and originality of the city. Austin was originally founded as the capital of the independent state of Texas. The city owes its name to the man who led the search for a place for the capital, Stephen Austin. And although soon, due to the raids of the Indians, the city lost its status, with the accession of Texas to the United States, it again becomes the capital of the state, and retains its position to the present. See Texas cities.
Austin’s economy is based on high technology. Due to the location of the offices of many high-tech companies here, the city and its environs got the name – Silicon Hills. The plane, which runs between San Jose and Austin, is jokingly called the “smart bird.”
The economic development of Austin has always gone hand in hand with the development of culture. Since the middle of the 20th century, the city has deservedly been called the “World Capital of Music”. The number of music festivals held here is great, like in no other place. The center of these events is Sixth Street. There is an opinion that Austin is the best city for making films. Many Hollywood films have been filmed here. History buffs will love the city’s numerous museums. The Bob Bullock Museum and the Texas Memorial Museum are the most visited of them. The Museum of Popular Culture is located in South Austin. Fans of the writer O. Henry will be interested to see the house in which he lived. The Texas State Capitol and the Driskill Hotel are not only favorite tourist spots, but also the first stone buildings built in the city.
Those wishing to understand what Austin’s originality is, it is worth taking a sightseeing tour of the city. It usually begins at the monument to legendary Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn. His shadow is always longer than the statue itself, which symbolizes the musician’s influence on generations of guitarists. The most unusual sculptures in the city are the fork and hand near Hyde Park, Mad Mary near Taco Xpress, the Mangia dinosaur and pink flamingos near the botanical garden. After sunset, a huge crowd gathers under the Ann Richards Bridge on Congress Avenue. At this time, you can see how the city’s largest colony of bats goes on a night hunt.
PASADENA
Population: 149,000 thousand people (2010)
Area: 115.3 sq. km
Founded: 1893
City status since: 1928
Time zone: UTC-6, summer UTC-5
Altitude: 9 m
According to itypetravel.com, the city of Pasadena is located in Harris County and is one of its major communities. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the area was inhabited by the Atakapa and Karankawa Indian tribes. The history of the city began in 1893. But after 7 years, he was subjected to a devastating hurricane, which caused great damage to its economy. Pasadena was revived by donations from Galvenston refugees and the establishment of Joseph Cullinan’s strawberry farm, which became the basis of large-scale fruit production over the following decades. A significant contribution to the development of agriculture was made by Japanese farmers specializing in rice cultivation. Later, industrial enterprises were opened, including a paper mill.
In 1929, an oil refinery began to operate in the city, increasing its production every year. Raw materials were delivered to the enterprise from the deposit in Gus Krek. At the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, new types of products began to be produced in the city, which was facilitated by the opening of the Space Center near Pasadena. Now its economy is based on shipping, aerospace technology, oil refining and medical care. Close ties to the Bayport cargo terminal and the Houston shipping canal have a major impact on the city’s prosperity.
Every year, Pasadena hosts a strawberry festival that has long become a tradition. His backstory was a natural disaster that destroyed Pasadena’s economy. To help the victims, Clara Burton, founder of the American Red Cross, bought and sent about one and a half million strawberries to Pasadena. By the beginning of 1930, berry plantations occupied vast territories. In those days, Pasadena was called the Strawberry Capital of the World. Now here every May for three days, the townspeople honor the famous berry, which is the basis of local culture. The celebration is accompanied by open-air dances, live music concerts and ends with a tasting of strawberry cake, the largest in the world.
