Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

You’re an Austinite now 🏙️

The Austin skyline, as seen at nighttime

The Austin skyline has seen some changes in 2022 — and even more are yet to come. | Photo by @kateheartscake

Picture this: You just moved to Austin and you need some help with the practicalities of life (we can’t just sit back and float Lady Bird Lake all day, unfortunately). That’s where we come in. Keep reading for Austinite 101, our guide to all things ATX citizenship.

The essentials

Voter registration
Make sure you’re eligible and registered to vote, find your polling location, and preview upcoming elections and sample ballots here.

Driver’s licenses and vehicle registration
New residents in need of a Texas driver’s license will need to provide proof of US and Texas citizenship, Texas vehicle registration, vehicle insurance, proof of your identity (in the form of a driver’s license, passport, or ID card), and Social Security documentation.

Library card registration
If you think libraries are only for renting the occasional book, think again. Register for a library card at your nearest Austin Public Library branch, to take advantage of:

Language learning services
Events
eBooks, music, and movies
Online databases
Private meeting spaces for groups
The seed library
Home tools
And more library perks

The Austin Central Library — The Austin Public Library offers resources to learn 100+ languages.
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Photo by ATXtoday

The ultimate Austin initiation

You’re not officially an Austinite until you’ve taken part in some local fun that is only found in the Capital City.

Get outdoors
Soak up some Central Texas sunshine with the Austin area’s many natural wonders. Consider a trip to Barton Springs Pool (pro tip: go on a weekday to skip the crowds), visit the Congress Avenue Bridge from March-November to see the city’s bat population at dusk, hike up Mount Bonnell for a breathtaking view of the Hill Country, or drive to Hamilton Pool to take a relaxing dip.

Is there something you’re still left wondering about to get you properly established in Bat City? Ask us your question and we’ll do our best to answer, like a good neighbor.

Get the ATX 4-1-1

Asked

Approximately, what percentage of people fail their driver’s exam on the first attempt?

A. 16%
B. 32%
C. 44%
D. 52%

Give us the eats

Events

Thursday, April 13

“The Austin” 1920’s Inspired Pop-Up Restaurant | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 4-7 p.m. | Stephen F’s Bar and Terrace at The Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta, 701 Congress Ave., Austin | Take a step back in time inside of one of Austin’s oldest landmark hotels, established in 1924.
Chloé Cooper Jones: Easy Beauty | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 7 p.m. | BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | Join Chloé Cooper Jones in conversation with Deb Olin Unferth to celebrate the release of “Easy Beauty: a Memoir.”

Friday, April 14

Spring Market Happy Hour | Friday, Apr. 14 | 4-7 p.m. | Blue Owl Brewing, 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | Free | Spring into shopping at this happy hour and local market.
Vir Das | Friday, Apr. 14 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $45 | Emmy nominated-Vir Das is known for performing comedy shows around the globe.

Saturday, April 15

Girls in STEM Conference | Saturday, Apr. 15 | 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Girlstart, 1400 W. Anderson Ln., Austin | $35 | Girls in 4th-8th grades will discover the fun side of STEM careers at this unique annual conference just for them.
Donate Blood at We Are Blood | Saturday, Apr. 15 | We Are Blood Donor Centers or Mobile Drives, 4300 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | Get $5 credit toward Torchy’s Tacos when you donate blood.

Sunday, April 16

Wonders & Worries “Yappy Hour & Pup Fashion Show” | Sunday, Apr. 16 | 4-6 p.m. | Zilker Lodge, 2225 Andrew Zilker Rd., Austin | $10-$35 | Don’t miss out on yummy food and drinks, and the best-dressed dogs in Austin.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Closing

Hyde Park’s JuiceLand, at 4500 Duval St., is closing at the end of the month due to rising rent prices. The adjoining vinyl shop, Exploded Records, will move to the local chain’s store at 2828 Guadalupe St. (The Austin Chronicle)

Biz

Austin-based real estate tech company OJO was named one of the fastest-growing companies in the US. A total of eight local companies — including Farmer Law and Digital Turbine — made the list. (Financial Times)
The robots are coming and Austin-based startup Apptronik is helping to build them. The company partnered with NASA to develop a humanoid robot named Apollo to serve as a resource for astronauts in space. (KXAN)

Health

After helping lead the charge on COVID-19 vaccines, UT Austin researchers believe they have found the “Achilles’ heel” of coronaviruses with the discovery of epitopes. Learn what that means. (KUT)

Outdoors

There will be catfish aplenty in Texas lakes this year, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which plans to stock 18 lakes across the state through October. (KXAN)

Try This

Looking to flex your creative muscles? There’s still time to submit to our poetry contest. Using our Wednesday, April 5 newsletter as your word bank, craft a 75-word or less poem. Finalists will be selected based on criteria including originality + creativity — show us what you got by Sunday, April 16.

Travel

What trip would be worth leaving Austin? For City Editor Figi, it’s Bemidji, Minnesota — to take a picture with the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues. Sign up for Going to get notified when flight prices drop so you can book your dream trip and feel great about it. Join for free.

Tech

Get the eats 🍽

Screen Shot 2023-04-12 at 2.22.31 PM.png

Uchi is known for its elevated Japanese food from chef Tyson Cole. | Photo by Ruben Cabrera

Austin is such a foodie city, even artificial intelligence knows it.

We asked ChatGPT, an artificial-intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI, to name the best restaurants in Austin. While it doesn’t “have personal experiences or preferences,” it picked restaurants based on online reviews.

Franklin Barbecue | 900 E. 11th St.
What ChatGPT says: “Known for its mouth-watering brisket and sausage, Franklin Barbecue is often regarded as one of the best barbecue joints in the country.”

Uchi | 801 S. Lamar Blvd.
What ChatGPT says: “A Japanese-inspired restaurant with a creative sushi menu and dishes that use local ingredients.”

Kemuri Tatsu-ya | 2713 E. 2nd St.
What ChatGPT says: “A unique fusion of Texas barbecue and Japanese izakaya (a type of casual gastropub), Kemuri Tatsu-ya is a favorite among foodies for its innovative menu and funky vibe.”

Let us know which restaurants you think should be on the list.

ChatGPT's other picks

Answered

On Tuesday, we asked if you would ever take an autonomous taxi service. Here’s what you said:

ATX_driverlessresults — Austinites are almost half and half on whether or not they would take a driverless taxi.
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Graphic by ATXtoday

Out of 164 responses from readers, 88 said they wouldn’t ride in an autonomous vehicle, 70 said they would, and six people said they already have.

Readers in support of autonomous taxis said:

“The fact it is driverless is immaterial. This is the future of commuting. How cool will it be for the blind to be freer to travel!”

“It’s the wave of the future. I dislike driving and this would help push the technology forward.”

Readers against driverless taxis said:

“AI and road lane safety regulations are nowhere close to the level of sophistication required to prevent random accidents.”

“I am not confident in the safety of driverless cars at this time.”

One reader who had already taken an autonomous taxi shared their experience: “It was a good experience except very brake happy and cautious, which we understood and were appreciative for.”

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

Thanks to everyone who sent in a picture of their pet — a lot of your furry friends made a cameo on our Instagram page.

Here’s my next question for you — do you agree with ChatGPT’s picks for best restaurants in Austin? Let me know which restaurants you would pick.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? How to cut down on packaging waste by shopping in bulk.

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