City Cast Austin

According to recent reports, Austin’s tree canopy is something to be proud of — but only if you don’t zoom in. Locally, there’s a big difference between the concentration of lush shade trees on the West Side of town and those in East Austin, and some in town are trying to change that. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by TreeFolks’ Executive Director Andrew W. Smiley to talk about Austin’s latest Tree Canopy Report, how our canopy compares to those in other cities across the country, and why it matters. Plus, they discuss the Ashe Juniper and why one state lawmaker is trying to make it easier to cut them down, and why now’s the time to nominate your favorite tree in town for the Tree of the Year awards.   Learn more about the sponsors of this May 12th episode: Tecovas Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Austin PBS Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

To kick off Mother’s Day weekend, City Cast Austin’s got a great story about a special pair of Concordia University graduates to share on this week’s Friday News Roundup. Plus, the ACL Festival lineup is officially here, and host Nikki DaVaughn has some thoughts — as do newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. Love it or hate it, though, you can’t deny the festival’s enormous impact. Also on the agenda: What the City of Austin removed from an East Side park encampment, which was prioritized to be cleared in preparation for flash flooding season; and our weekend picks.     Learn more about the sponsors of this May 9th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

East Side favorite Nickel City recently landed a spot on North America's Best Bars list, proving that the Austin bar scene can hold its own on the national stage. But as beloved staples like Skylark Lounge and Outer Heaven shut their doors, a wave of new bars are reshaping the city's drinking landscape. Beer, food and drink writer Ruvani de Silva sits down with host Nikki to unpack the shifting bar scene–which new spots are worth the hype, which ones to skip, and what these changes say about Austin right now.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 7th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

The University of Texas’ Women’s Basketball team came closer to being national champions this year than almost ever before. And among the millions of fans who watched the pennant chase was one Austinite who was simultaneously digging into the program’s very beginnings. Even before Title IX, Lady Longhorns played basketball — and for some time, played the sport exclusively, before it gained popularity among Texas men. Journalist and newly-minted PhD Jessica Luther joins host Nikki DaVaughn to dive into how the team’s past is still impacting its performance.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 7th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

If you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve experienced the loss of your favorite bar/restaurant/coffee shop/corner store closing, only to be replaced with something substantially less cool. Why does it feel like things in this old city —  it was founded in 1837, then called “Waterloo” — are constantly in a state of change? Is it absolutely necessary for Austin to tear down the old to make way for the new? Preservation Austin’s Meghan King joins host Nikki DaVaughn to discuss how we’re trying to honor the past while planning for the future.  This episode originally aired on August 19, 2024  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 6th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

They call it “The Texfactor” — maybe it’s the tacos, or the stars at night, or the friendly people — it’s that bit of extra magic that makes people fall in love with shooting movies and TV shows in Texas. But that Texfactor comes at a price, and our incentives to film here aren’t high enough for Texas-set shows like “English Teacher” and “Ransom Canyon” to actually shoot in the Lone Star State. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Chase Musselwhite of Media for Texas, which has joined forces with Austin’s biggest stars to push lawmakers to adopt more lucrative film incentives.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 5th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

There’s a second case of the measles in Austin — and this time, it’s in a vaccinated adult. On today’s Friday News Roundup, host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to talk about how the city is responding to the statewide outbreak amid federal funding cuts, and what Austinites should be doing now to be protected. Plus, the lineup for ACL Festival comes out soon, so we’re sharing our predictions for this year’s throwback band, and sharing our recommendations for what to do this weekend. At the top of our list: Celebrate the Skylark Lounge’s last weekend before the legendary blues bar closes for good.   If you enjoyed the interview with Austin Bergstrom's International Airport Public Information Office Division Manager, Kimmie Hey, learn more here! Learn more about the other sponsors of this May 2nd episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Visit Port Aransas Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

It’s that magical, very short-lived time of the year just before it gets scorchingly hot: May! Now is the time to squeeze in that last outdoor activity during Austin’s final gasp of spring, and we’ve got a few ideas for you. Check out Waterloo Greenway! Find a watering hole before the kids are out of school! Explore one of the area’s trails! Local musician Alex Marrero joins host Nikki DaVaughn and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec in sharing our best tips to get outside this month, plus the live music we’re heading out to see (don’t sleep on the Continental Club Gallery), and what we’re looking forward to eating in May (we’re still obsessed with KG BBQ). For even more food recommendations, don’t miss Hey Austin’s guide to our city’s best new restaurants.  For even more tips on how to make the most of May in Austin, check out Hey Austin’s take on what to do this month.  Learn more about the sponsors of this May 1st episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Visit Port Aransas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

At the beginning of April, Austin City Council learned that they’d be facing a $33.4 million budget deficit that’s only expected to get larger. Meanwhile, council members finally made a plan to accept $32 million in grant money to replace the bridge over Barton Springs, and add a cool $8 million of the city's own. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of The Austin Common, to talk about all that — plus why outreach teams are crucial to the city’s homelessness response, what we’re doing with a new batch of EPA money, the future for historic Palm Park, and a new AC rule that will keep all Austinites cool this summer.  Learn more about the sponsors of this April 30th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Visit Port Aransas Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Austin’s very short-lived patio season is upon us, and now is the time to eat, drink, and be merry under shade trees and umbrellas beneath the not-too-scorching sun. So, executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined by Nicolai McCrary, senior staff writer at The Infatuation, to bring you a guide to Austin’s best patios. We’re getting into which patios have the best food, where to go if you love beer, the best patio for a first date, our favorite spots if you’re working-from-patio, and more. Plus, find out what makes Meanwhile Brewing Co.’s patio Nicolai’s all-time favorite patio in town.  Learn more about the sponsors of this April 29th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST Visit Port Aransas Cozy Earth - Use code COZYAUSTIN for 40% off best-selling sheets, towels, pajamas, and more. Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE