Latest news with #Austinites
Axios
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Axios
It's the year of adult sports leagues
Team sports have become one of the fastest-growing types of exercise, with 20% of U.S. adults — up from 11% in 2020 — now saying they play them, according to a CivicScience survey shared with Axios. Why it matters: Rec leagues help you stay active and socially connected. What we're hearing: Getting outside with friends (and without screens) has become especially important to younger adults, says Galen Beers, executive director of the Sport & Social Industry Association. "No one's going out of business because people aren't playing. In fact, it's the opposite," Beers tells Axios. State of play: Volleyball (30% of total players), soccer (18%) and softball (15%) were the most popular sports last year, per preliminary data from the trade group, which counts roughly 150 leagues as members. The big picture: Just over half of adults get the recommended 150 minutes of cardio exercise each week, per the latest CDC analysis. And many report feeling lonely, which brings its own serious health risks. Zoom in: "The social aspect is just as important as the sport itself," says Rachel Hogan, who works with clubs in Austin, Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Minneapolis. Players are often new to the city or looking to meet people outside of work, she tells Axios. Some even find romance on the field. One league has been dubbed the "best dating app" in Denver. Between the lines: A rec sports renaissance could help rebuild the fraying community bonds that political scientist Robert Putnam warned about in "Bowling Alone." Reality check: Solo time still has its rewards. Hobbies like knitting and solo camping are also on the rise, in part for their mental health benefits. 💭 My thought bubble: I joined a kickball team with friends this spring and found it delightful to jockey against fellow Austinites whom I'd probably never meet otherwise.
Business Journals
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
U-Haul: California, Florida biggest draws to Austin
Story Highlights California remains the top contributor to Austin's population growth Some Austinites are heading west to Denver, Phoenix and LA U-Haul report tracked one-way moves from January to July Californians and Floridians have been moving to the Austin metro in higher numbers than residents of any other U.S. states, according to one of America's most prominent moving companies. U-Haul released its 2025 mid-year report July 16 regarding migration trends, breaking down where people are moving to and from. It tracked one-way customer transactions from January to July this year to determine the leading origins for trucks, trailers and U-Box moving containers bound for large metro areas around the country. U-Haul found that Austin is a popular destination for people from two of the largest states in the U.S. — California, which has a population of 39.4 million, and Florida, which has a population of 23.4 million. The study listed the top states of origin for people moving to the metro as: California Florida Colorado Louisiana Arizona Oklahoma Georgia Illinois Tennessee New Mexico While the Austin metro has been adding residents overall, the gains have slowed in recent years amid declining job growth in the region and as affordability challenges have made it tougher for people to remain in the city. The city of Austin's growth rate came in at just 0.4% from 2023 to 2024, which was the lowest among all major Texas metros. In addition, Austin is no longer among the top 10 largest cities in the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. But some Austin suburbs — where the cost of living is lower — have continued to be on a tear. Hutto, for instance, ranked as the 13th fastest growing in the U.S., and Georgetown recently crossed the 100,000-resident threshold. Meanwhile, the latest U-Haul trends report also listed the U.S. metro areas that have attracted the most former Austinites. They are: Denver Los Angeles Phoenix San Francisco Atlanta U-Haul also ranked the Texas metro areas that have lost the most residents to Austin. They are: Houston Dallas San Antonio Brownsville Killeen In turn, Austin was one of the top Texas places of origin for people moving to Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Austin ranked second among Texas cities to lose people to Dallas and Houston, and Austin ranked third in Texas for people moving to San Antonio.
Axios
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Waymo expands Austin service area
Autonomous vehicle maker Waymo and its rideshare partner Uber are expanding their Austin service area, the companies announced Thursday. Why it matters: Coming just days after Tesla announced a service expansion in Austin, the move is a window into the broader jousting going on as companies try to prove themselves to investors and grab customers in the early days of AV ride-sharing. Zoom in: Starting Thursday, Uber riders can take fully autonomous rides across 90 square miles of the city, including, neighborhoods like Crestview, Windsor Park and Sunset Valley — as well as to destinations like The Domain and McKinney Falls State Park. The companies' service area previously was 37 square miles. The service is open to the general public, 24/7. By the numbers: There are more than 100 Waymo vehicles on Uber in Austin, "and that number will continually grow to hundreds over time," Waymo officials said in a press release. The company says it has logged 100 million fully autonomous miles driven without a human behind the wheel as it expands to new cities like Atlanta. What they're saying: "The service with our partners at Uber is healthy, and we are ready for more Austinites to experience the magic of fully autonomous driving," Shweta Shrivastava, senior director of product management at Waymo, said. The intrigue: Earlier this week, Tesla announced an expansion to its limited robotaxi service in Austin, first launched in June and is not available to the general public. Between the lines: Tesla, which previously operated robotaxis in a band around South Congress, announced its phallus-shaped expansion through its robotaxi account on X, CEO Elon Musk's social media platform.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas floods overwhelm Lake Travis with over 17 feet of water: See before, after photos
Deadly flooding and heavy rainfall in Central Texas during the Fourth of July weekend caused water levels in Lake Travis to rise over 17 feet. The lake, which is normally a source of drinking water and recreational activities for Austinites, was closed to boat traffic last week after severe floods brought debris and hazardous conditions to its waters. Nine people in Travis County died in the floods, and four remain missing or unidentified as of Sunday, county officials stated in a news release. Travis County officials announced Sunday that Travis Lake is now partially open to boat traffic after closing the lake's waters entirely last week. Statesman photographers captured the dramatic change in Travis Lake's landscape in the days after floods overwhelmed Central Texas. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas floods overwhelm Austin's Lake Travis: See before, after photos
Axios
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Good luck finding Labubu dolls in Austin
Austinites are lining up for Labubu dolls, mischievous little monsters with fangs that have become America's must-have toy. State of play: The "cute horror" character from Chinese toy giant Pop Mart has gone viral worldwide. Sold in "blind boxes," buyers don't know which version they'll get — sparking a resale frenzy and soaring prices. Zoom in: In Austin, demand is outpacing supply. Toy store Ellicor saw lines that wrapped through the parking lot during the store's soft opening, which featured Labubu dolls and other blind box items. Austin Food Adventures, an Instagram account known for food reviews, has hosted Labubu meal popups around the city. The next events are scheduled for Wednesday at 5pm at JewBoy Burgers (sold out) and at Parker and Scott 11-3pm Sunday. What they're saying: Amanda Wong, the creator behind Austin Food Adventures, estimates as many as 400 people have showed up to her previous pop-ups. "I think they're popular because there's so much going on in the world and it's an innocent and fun interest that people can have," Wong tells Axios. "It's fun to try getting the color you want and they're so cute!"
