While maps might have indicated that New Spain included much of what is now Texas, the Spanish, in fact, rarely controlled territory beyond a few scattered presidios, missions and villages. The exceptions might be found in the brushy South Texans land around San Antonio and La Bahía, where Tejanos operated productive ranches.

Austin is officially a global gastronomic powerhouse. That's according to lifestyle news site Yardbarker, which recently crowned the Texan capital the second-best foodie destination in the entire United States.

Hundreds of cities have cut back parking requirements for real estate projects. That’s led to more housing development, but it has also resulted in backlash from residents.

Besides being the state capital of Texas ... of the city. Take some time to consider where you will work (or are likely to work) before you pick where you'd like to live. Austin's traffic is notoriously bad, so if you can live close to your new workplace ...