Plus, three neighborhoods voted to leave Austin city limits.
 
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🔇 Quiet your mind
A stone wall inside Zilker Botanical Garden with a rock formation in the shape of the state of Texas.
Somehow, Zilker Botanical Garden really feels like home. | Photo via @annakathleen16
Austin is a bustling city, but with all of the excitement, the Bat City can get pretty noisy. Based on research conducted by Earth.FM, the Capital City ranked the No. 49 loudest city in the US — but that doesn’t mean you can’t find some peace and quiet.

The study also found places where locals can escape noise pollution by identifying the top quiet places in big cities. To do this, researchers assessed 3,000+ parks and nature spaces across 245 cities with populations over 250,000 and assigned them “Quiet Scores.” The methodology considered:
  • Reviews of the attractions that include words like “quiet,” “peaceful,” or “tranquil”
  • The average visitor rating at each location
  • The attraction’s popularity and how that impacts its peacefulness
A pond surrounded by rock walls at Westcave Preserve.

There’s no shortage of natural beauty at Westcave Preserve.

|

Photo via @andrewfisher7

So, where can you go in Austin to find tranquility? Here are the five best spots to get some peace and quiet, ranked in order of their Quiet Scores.

1. Mayfield Park — This 23-acre park is filled with history, gardens, ponds, and nature trails. A trip here is peaceful as a peacock, because you might even encounter one of the feathered beauties.
2. Zilker Botanical Garden — Clear your mind by walking through this 28-acre garden with themed sections, live oak trees, a Japanese garden, and ponds filled with koi fish.
3. Lady Bird Lake — Take a calming walk at a trail along this famous body of water, or get some exercise by paddle boarding on the water.
4. Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center — There are many ways to enjoy time at this preserve; there are even guided hikes to make the most of the 76-acre space.
5. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — This botanical garden is the perfect place to stop and smell the roses, plus hundreds of other plant species.
 
Asked
 
How do you get peace and quiet in Austin?
A. Take a walk
B. Go for a drive
C. Find a quiet corner at home
D. Get some sleep
 
Austin Regional Clinic
 
Events
 
Tuesday, May 7
  • “The Fall Guy” | Now-Thursday, May 9 | 4:30 + 7:30 p.m. | Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., Austin | $10-$15 | Watch this film about a stuntman who falls into a mystery after rejoining the movie business.
Wednesday, May 8
  • Guillermo’s Classical Music Trivia Night | Wednesday, May 8 | 7-9 p.m. | Brewtorium Brewery & Kitchen, 6015 Dillard Circle, Austin | Free | Gather your classical music savants and test your knowledge with host Guillermo Delgado.
Thursday, May 9
  • Paws and Plates | Thursday, May 9 | 5-8 p.m. | Central Machine Works, 4824 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | $45 | Dress your pup up in its finest garb and treat them to a five-course tasting menu in support of Emancipet.
  • Phil Hanley | Thursday, May 9-Saturday, May 11 | Times vary | Vulcan Gas Company, 418 E. 6th St., Austin | $25 | You’ll be in stitches after seeing this comedian hit the stage.
  • Jester King Guided Goat Walk | Thursday, May 9-Friday, May 17 | Jester King Brewing, 13187 Fitzhugh Rd., Austin | $15 | Walk amongst 75 Nigerian Dwarf goats at this Hill Country farm and brewery.
Friday, May 10
  • “The Sleeping Beauty” | Friday, May 10-Sunday, May 12 | Times vary | Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $15-$125 | Celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with “The Sleeping Beauty” told through ballet.
Click here to have your event featured.
 
 
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Finance
 
This $1 billion startup is disrupting the retirement industry
SmartAsset_05.06.24_Roman.png
A financial advisor could help you save and invest for retirement. | Photo provided by SmartAsset
This Princeton grad’s startup raised $161M to help people plan for retirement.

If you’re one of the whopping 110 million Americans over age 50 — or a wise millennial planning ahead — SmartAsset’s free quiz makes it easy to find vetted financial advisors who serve your area. Research suggests that people who work with a financial advisor could end up with 15% more money to spend in retirement.¹

Ready to kickstart your retirement plans?
¹ “Journal of Retirement Study Winter” (2020). The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the link to see the methodologies employed in the Journal of Retirement study.
 
News Notes
 
Civic
  • Austin’s new City Manager T.C. Broadnax started work yesterday. Broadnax brings 30 years of experience to the table — in cities including Dallas, Tacoma, and San Antonio — and his immediate priorities include hiring a new police chief + addressing affordable housing.
Outdoors
  • With wildfire season on the horizon, Austin Energy will place 13 Pano AI cameras on cell towers throughout Travis County to help detect blazes. The 360-degree cameras will send an alert to fire departments to help improve response times — five of the cameras are already in use. (KXAN)
Open
  • Lil’ Easy Fine Cajun Food & Bar, from the minds behind De Nada Cantina and Sawyer & Co., opens today at 5000 E. Cesar Chavez St. Expect Southern Louisiana fare like grilled oysters and gumbo and late-night hours. (Eater Austin)
Announced
  • Chinese restaurant Zoé Tong is breaking into the barbecue game. The restaurant’s new food truck, Si Baby-Q, opened at 1530 Barton Springs Rd. over the weekend, serving smoked meats with Southeast Asian and Mexican influences. (Eater Austin)
Ranked
  • The Ivy League has some competition. UT Austin and Rice University are among the “New Ivies,” according to new research from Forbes. The study ranked the top 10 “Public Ivies” and “Private Ivies” known for attracting high achievers.
Community
  • The Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline will move at the end of the month. Starting Saturday, May 25, the market will set up shop at mixed-use development The Bell District, 200 S. Bell Blvd., in Cedar Park, featuring free parking and green space to enjoy.
Number
  • 22%. That’s approximately how much office space is still sitting empty in Downtown Austin, according to Aquila Commercial. On the other hand, The Domain (aka Austin’s second downtown) has a vacancy rate of 13%.
Sports
  • Cornerback Jayvion Cole committed to playing with the Longhorns in the upcoming season. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Texas Longhorns with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
    Community
    • Your ATXtoday Editors here. We care about Austin. We also care about the people in it. That’s why every day, we bring you positive, impactful news stories about our city — skipping the political talk, crime coverage, and biased reporting. Support our approach to local news with a one-time donation.
     
     
    Community
     
    👋 Austin just got a little smaller
    A map of Austin with pins on Lost Creek, River Place, and Blue Goose Road.
    These areas voted to leave the city, which will result in a change of city services, fees, and taxes. | Map by ATXtoday using Proxi Map
    A handful of neighborhoods voted to disannex from Austin city limits in Travis County’s Saturday, May 4 election.

    Half of the six neighborhoods that considered disannexation — meaning they will no longer receive select services like fire and police department access — voted to separate from Austin: Lost Creek, River Place outparcels, and Blue Goose Road.

    The biggest of the three at 738 acres, Lost Creek residents voted to disannex by 91%. River Place received only one vote total, voting in favor of disannexing 212 acres. Blue Goose Road, 28 acres, voted to disannex by 100% with just three votes.

    Those areas will likely see a change in property taxes and will now receive police and fire protection from Travis County.

    The other three neighborhoods voted against disannexation. South Austin’s Lennar at Malone voted 98% to stay incorporated and the other two neighborhoods on the ballot — the Mooreland addition in south Austin and the Wildhorse/Webb Tract in northeast Austin — received zero votes.
     
    The Buy
     
    A gift for your favorite teacher. We promise this is better than a shiny apple on their desk. Check out our teacher appreciation giveaway on Six and Main’s Instagram.
     
     
    The Wrap
     
    City Editor Figi poses with an adorable goat. Today’s edition by:
    Figi
    From the editor
    The ACL lineup drops today at 9 a.m. and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since the announcement came out on Friday.

    In case you missed it, ACL set up a phone number teasing the lineup over the weekend, leading to speculation that Maroon 5, Orville Peck, Foster the People, and Sabrina Carpenter will be at the festival.
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