Austin Through the Year and Beyond

There's just one week to go until the big day, Christmas, and two weeks until the new year. It's at times like this that the year seems to have flown by, and the pages of the calendar will only flip by even faster now that we're at the top of the hill on the roller coaster headed down.

Most people right now are trying to finish their holiday shopping. List checking, double list checking, and party going are just a few examples of what keeps us busy. Luckily for Austin, the economy is doing better than the other large Texas cities. The Austin American-Statesman reported in October, there were 0.4% fewer jobs in central Texas while the unemployment rate stood at 7.2%. The Austin Business Journal reported that Austin ranked #4 on a list of job creation, technology growth and salaries. Last year, the ABJ said Austin ranked #20.

The malls certainly don't seem hurting judging by the traffic near stores and the vehicles jammed into tiny parking spaces. People are swarming the clearance isles and Christmas specials to cash in on a bargain or two. But MarketWatch said initial numbers across the country showed sales dipped 0.3% compared to September and October performance numbers. (MarketWatch sources the International Council of Shopping Centers.) Sometimes it's still hard to find a checkout line with very few people in it.

The good news for buyers, though, is that in order to catch your eye, stores will be offering additional promotions to boost sales in what is their biggest quarter of the year. Be sure to check online and the paper for ads.

Certainly the economy and unemployment rate are two news items Austinites heard about in 2009. Among the other big stories included the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the first African-American president, the Ft. Hood mass shootings in Killeen, the sentencing of Paul Devoe and the acquittal of two yogurt shop suspects.

It's bittersweet to see the year come to a close as much as it is exciting to look forward to Christmas and the promise of a new year. For me, the year blessed me with the birth of my son, Luke, and in countless other ways. I think I'll be most excited to challenge myself professionally and personally next year, especially with this blog and my growth in faith.

But I also got to experience many Austin-only events for the very first time - yeah, I'm still pretty new. SXSW was amazing. I especially loved interactive. (Hmm, I wonder why?) And SXSW 2010's schedule is looking pretty awesome. I also got out to see ACL, although I did not experience the massive mud pit it became on the last day. Also, remember the burning clock tower at Auditorium Shores last year? I haven't heard anything about another one, so I don't think that will be happening again.

As we look back, what stories did you find interesting, unique, weird, jaw dropping? What do you look forward to in 2010? Send an e-mail and let me know.

Whatever 2009 held for you, and whatever 2010 holds for us all, may the spirit of the season be with you. Thank you for reading The Austin Citysphere, which began in early November. It is my hope that this site becomes a daily stop on your web tour, and that I can provide content you find useful. As always, please let me know what you think, what you want to see more or less of, and how I can do a better job serving the great community of Austin!