Plus, Austin's ranking in festivities and "house richness."
 
11.28.2023 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

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

🎁 Keeping the cheer here

ATXtoday’s 31 days of local shopping
A graphic with a calendar of December, reading "31 days of local shopping"
Help us lift up Austin-based businesses this holiday season. | Graphic by ATXtoday
You’ve probably heard it a thousand times (including from us): shop local.

But why is it important to shop locally?
  • It keeps the money in our community. Keeping your dollars — and sales taxes — local means that income is more likely to be distributed in Austin, helping other Austinites make a living. Research finds that for every $100 spent on a local business, $73 remains in the community, compared to $43 from a non-local business.
  • It helps the environment. Buying goods made in your own city reduces shipping, cutting back on emissions and pollution related to transporting products across long distances in turn.
  • It preserves local culture. Shopping locally helps build relationships. Plus, only Austinites know how to create products that reflect our city’s distinct vibe.
  • It builds community. People who are invested in the community invest in the community. Small businesses donate 250% more than large businesses to local nonprofits and causes.
With all this in mind, and amid the hubbub of the holidays, we’re launching a series to support local shopping in December.

Here’s how it’s going to work: every day in the newsletter, we’ll reveal our local shop of the day, alongside a few favorite items. (Psst — keep an eye out on Friday newsletters to also see our Saturday + Sunday picks.) Think of it as a local shopping advent calendar.

Bookmark this page, because it’s where we’ll store all 31 of our store features as a resource for those buying local gifts this season or anytime of year.

Now is where you come in. We want to know where your favorite local stores are and what you buy from them. If you’re following along and buying cool gifts from our featured shops as you learn about them, we want to know that too.
Asked

Get in the spirit — tell us where you like to shop local.
Click the button below to share your favorite stores in the Austin area.
Lift up locals
 
Events
Tuesday, Nov. 28
  • The Traffic Show | Now-Wednesday, Nov. 29 | Times vary | Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | Free | This biannual wholesale trade show offers goods from outdoor, fashion, sport, and travel brands.
Wednesday, Nov. 29
  • Luminations | Now-Saturday, Jan. 6 | 5:45-9 p.m. | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave., Austin | $23-$28 | This glowing exhibition is inspired by the four elements.
  • TV Book Club: “Lessons in Chemistry” | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Vintage Bookstore & Wine Bar, 1101 E. 11th St., Austin | Free | The first-ever meeting of the TV Book Club will dig into the novel by Bonnie Garmus, which was recently adapted into a television series featuring Brie Larson.
Thursday, Nov. 30
  • Lost Books: The Dark Matter of the Early Modern English Book Trade | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Harry Ransom Center, 300 W. 21st St., Austin | Free | Hear from Ohio State professor Alan B. Farmer about the loss of early books from England and Europe, and how it could change our view of history and culture.
  • “The Golden Bachelor” Finale Party | Thursday, Nov. 30 | 7-9 p.m. | Vacancy Brewing, 415 E. St. Elmo Rd., Austin | Free | Take in the finale of “The Golden Bachelor” at this event featuring raffle prizes, roses, and BOXT rosé.
Plan Ahead
  • Passport To The World Festival 2023 | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 12-3 p.m. | Austin Central Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | Free-$200 | Join Austin Sister Cities International for an afternoon of cultural exploration.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Cause

Unwrap the gift of giving
SM-GivingTues-970x545-V1.png
Do yourself and others a favor by shopping with our partners that give back. | Photo by 6AM City
This Giving Tuesday, we’re excited to shine a light on our brand partner, Major Darling, an Austin-based business that sells ethically made + high-quality dog collars, leashes, and all-natural sustainable shampoos.

What warms our hearts is that this business also features adorable dogs from local shelters in its advertising.

A portion of the proceeds from items sold by this business is also donated to rescue groups and nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping homeless animals.
Shop more gifts that give back
News Notes
Travel
  • Austin-Bergstrom International Airport may receive two additional air traffic controllers in December and January. The change is one of several upcoming safety upgrades for the airport, including a new tower simulator system and Surface Awareness Initiative. (KXAN)
Trending
  • Gov. Greg Abbott jumped out of a plane with Al Blaschke, a 106-year-old World War II veteran, in San Marcos yesterday. Following up a jump from three years ago, Blaschke broke his own world record as the oldest person in the world to skydive. (Texas Tribune)
Transit
  • New Braunfels is one step closer to a citywide public transportation system, after the town’s city council voted to adopt its Transit Development Plan earlier this month. The city may launch an initial effort to provide “microtransit” as early as next year. (Austin Business Journal)
Sports
  • Former Texas volleyball player Logan Eggleston is the first Longhorn ever to become a finalist for 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year. Eggleston completed her college career by helping lead the UT team to their fourth national championship in 2022. (Austin American-Statesman)
Seasonal
  • They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. The sun currently sets at 5:30 p.m in Austin, the earliest it will set all year long. Sunshine lovers, hang in there until Monday, Dec. 11, when the sunset begins to shift later once again. (KXAN)
Closing
  • Old Thousand will permanently close its Burnet Road location this Sunday, Dec. 3 due to increased rent and equipment issues. The Chinese American food restaurant will maintain its original location on East 11th Street. (Eater Austin)
Ranked
  • Austin is the most festive city in the US, according to a new ranking from Thumbtack, based on holiday light decorations. The Dallas-Fort Worth area took the No. 2 spot, followed by Houston at No. 3, and San Antonio at No. 5.
Pets
  • Ever wanted to decode your pet’s DNA? Basepaws’ pet DNA tests provide insights into 300+ dog breeds and 280 health markers — and they’re $85 for Black Friday.*
 
Real Estate

“House rich” Texas cities

Austin may be one of the nation’s most “house rich’"cities, but not when compared to the rest of Texas
The skyline of Austin, Texas at sunset as seen from the lake.
How does Austin’s housing scene compare to other Texas cities? | Photo by @chris_k83
Austin ranks among one of the top “house rich” cities in the US, according to a new analysis from All Star Home, an online resource for homeowners.

If you’re thinking, “Okay, but what does that mean?” let’s break it down.

What it means to be “house rich”

All Star Home defines a “house rich” community as a city where housing is affordable and the majority of people live in homes they own. “House rich” scores were developed using census data on:
  • Median home values
  • Median household incomes
  • Homeownership rates

How Austin compares

Austin’s “house rich” score ranked No. 16 among the 25 largest cities in the US. This placed the Capital City above Denver and San Jose, CA, but below every other major city in Texas.

Notably, El Paso took the No. 1 spot, with Fort Worth and San Antonio also ranking Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
See the full report
The Buy

The Buy 11.28.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A great deal on a professional chef’s knife — get the Henckels German-engineered slicing knife for $70 off (yes, $70).
Share ATXtoday
 
ReferralGIF1-ATX.gif

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

{{profile.vars.rh_reflink_5}}
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_5}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.
Claim your rewards
 
 
The Wrap
 
London Gibson

Today’s edition by:
London
From the editor
I can’t wait to shout out some of my favorite local stores for y’all. City Editor Figi and I always do our best to shop locally for gifts, and I spent much of my Sunday this past weekend picking up the cutest little items for the friends and family on my list.
Missed our previous newsletter?     ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback     ›
Become a Member     ›
Advertise     ›
Shop     ›
 
 

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY