What Makes Austin Liveable? Caring Corporations (Part 1)

One of the reasons Austin is such an incredible place to live is because we are surrounded by entrepreneurs and corporations who actually care about human beings. Case and point RunTex Corporation, flagship location 422 W. Riverside Drive, CEO Paul Carrozza, www.RunTex.com . The company’s mission is to make Austin, Tx the “fittest city in America”!

RunTex is a company that specializes in running shoes and apparel, that’s what you see from the outside; but what you don’t see  is that the founder Paul Carozza is an activist and author who likes to run and wants everyone in the city to live a healthier life by exercising.  I first discovered RunTex in the summer 0f 1999 when I decided to run a marathon. Until that point, I hadn’t trained for a race since I was a little girl when I got my first pair of Adidas and challenged my father to a race.

Anyway, the thought of running a marathon had always been in my mind, but I had no idea how I’d achieve this goal. One day while driving to work, I heard a radio ad which asked, “Wanna run a marathon? Join Austinfit this Saturday, call RunTex for more information!” I was amazed my prayers had been answered. That following Saturday morning at 7am, I met Paul Carozza and thousands of other people at the Riverside RunTex which is located right next to Town Lake/Lady Bird Lake’s hike and bike trails. The location’s proximity to the hike and bike trails is perfect because we’d be forced to do our first training run that day or  be embarrassed in front of thousands of Austinites. 

After my training run, I signed up for the marathon’s 6 month training program and completed my first marathon with the help of RunTex, AustinFit and Paul Carozza, but that not what makes RunTex such a caring corporation. What I discovered by training with AustinFit and buying my shoes thru RunTex is that for each pair of old shoes returned to RunTex, they will clean and donate these shoes to the homeless people of Austin, that’s what makes RunTex a ”Caring Corporation”! Thanks Paul for all that you do for our community!

Your Austin Ambassador!

Socar Chatmon-Thomas

Question: Why Austin? Answer: Location, Location, Location

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Location, Location, Location…this is the first rule in real estate, anything can be overcome if it’s located in the right place and Austin scores triple digits in this category.

Austin is located in the middle of what is fondly called the Tech Triangle…but since everything is bigger in Texas, the sides of the triangle are VERY LONG. The sides of the triangle are,  San Antonio (65 miles South of Austin, 1 hr drive time), Dallas (215 Miles North of Austin,  3  hr drive time) and Houston (150 miles Southwest of Austin, 2 hr drive time). These four cities have everything a person could ever want or need. The industries represented in the Austin Metro Area include  everything from high-tech companies, oil and gas companies,  state government and major universities. 

What makes Austin unique excluding it’s natural beauty and the live music scene, is the people. The profile of the average Austinite is a someone between 34-45, college educated, with 1.5 children working in the high-tech industry or state government. Most people here have moved from some place else, so we all decided to migrate to Austin.  Most of us realized how awesome this city is and we moved here as quickly as we could!!! I invite you to visit our great city and learn to love it as much as I do!

You Austin Ambassador,

Socar Chatmon-Thomas

2009 Fall Foliage in Austin, Incredible Colors!

Hello, 

As most of you know, our normal fall foliage colors go from green to not so green to brown to GONE, but we have had some beautiful colors this year. I think it’s due to the rains we received a few months ago. I’ve noticed tremendous yellows, reds, oranges and purples throughout the city ranging from far SW Austin/Shady Hollow to Central Austin/Hyde Park and all the way to Round Rock. This year’s fall foliage  will probably go on record in my mind as one of the most incredible showings I’ve ever witnessed. I’ve included a few pictures of the phenomenal colors…enjoy! 

  

   

   

   

Your Austin Ambassador, 

Socar Chatmon-Thomas 

Ho Ho Ho…and a Happy New Year!

Greetings from my hometown of Houston, TX!

I really love visiting my family during the holiday season. I love the pecan pies, cornbread dressing, and giblet gravy…oh yeah of course the SMOKED TURKEY. I’m mostly pescatarian (fruits, veggies and fish), but I make a huge exception for holidays and eat lots of Smoked Turkey. My friend Erika always has a great smoked turkey from Tyler, TX. It’s one of Oprah’s favorite, called A Greenburg Smoked Turkey and it tastes goooooooood!

Don’t have much time to talk about Austin today ’cause I’m in Houston, but I must admit I do miss the rollings hills and limestone bluffs that populate Austin. It’s okay though, ’cause I’m   distracted by fabulous food, a fun family and phenomenal shopping! I’ll continue my wonderful posts about Austin tomorrow!

Oh yeah…hope you’re having a great holiday season, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Your Austin Ambassador,

Socar Chatmon-Thomas

10 Reasons I Like Living in Austin, Texas!

After I completed my last post, I received a comment from someone (my husband), who challenged me to enumerate why I love living in Austin, Texas. So in response to his request, below are the top 10-11 reasons why I love loving in Austin, TX:

1. It’s a very progressive city (art, music and film scenes are above most others in Texas).
2. It’s very clean and green! Having moved here from Houston, Tx, the difference is quite noticeable.
3. There are lots of activities in the community. Visit www.austin360.com for the latest mainstream Austin info and www.auschron.com for alternative Austin info.
4. It’s a very compact city, very easy to navigate.
5. Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) is located in Downtown Austin.
6. Lots of outdoor activities, hike and bike trails for running and cycling, dog parks, and rowing.
7. Festivals for all people…SXSW, ACL Fest, Urban Music Festival, Austin Film Festival, Pecan Street Festival, etc…etc…etc.
8. The Pennybacher/360 Bridge, it’s beautiful. I truly enjoy driving to the lake or just around town near Cap Tx Hwy/360, the views are spectacular!
9. People are very friendly and helpful. It’s a truly “laid back” town.
10. It’s a great place to raise kids! My girls love living in  the state capitol.
11. The ARTS: Ballet Austin is awesome, The Austin Lyric Opera, and The Austin Museum of Art are both phenomenal. (My daughters are ballerinas at Ballet Austin Academy and this year both girls performed on the Long Center stage in Ballet Austin’s the NUTCRACKER! Both Mommy and Daddy are sooooo proud!)

 

Austin is a great city! I’d invite anyone to visit our great city! It’s unlike any other city in Texas!

Your Austin Ambassador,

Socar Chatmon-Thomas

My Love Affair with Austin Began in High School

Hello,

First I’d like to give you some background info on my love affair with Austin, Tx. It began a long time ago when I was in high school in Houston. I attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) as most of us called it. I majored in Theatre Arts and as a Theatre Arts major we travelled to Ausitn, TX each year to visit one of Austin’s Theatre legends, Dr. Ruth Denney. We visited her each year because she  once taught at ‘PVA in the Theatre department  and our main theatre was named for her. Each year we visited Dr. Denney, she’d give us a “behind the scenes” view of University of Texas’ Theatre Arts department. We’d sit next to Bass Concert Hall, eat our sack lunches and dream of attending UT and living in Ausitn. Dr. Ruth Denney was an incredible professor and Thespian.

Soon after graduation I thought about moving to Austin, but I delayed that dream. After college and a short professional career as a Project Engineer in Houston, I got married, changed careers and moved to Austin. I must admit moving here after growing up in Houston was kinda scary, but I loved my husband and he did not want to move back to Houston.

Today, I am sooooo thankful that he didn’t because I’ve had a 16 year-long love affair with this great city. In the coming days, weeks, months and years…I will show you some of the reasons I think Austin is the best city in Texas. I live here, I work here, I give here and I raise my family here. Austin is a great little quirky haven for cool hip people, techies, musicians, students and just ordinary people like me…maybe I’m considered ”cool & hip” too! And as my voicemail always says…it’s an AWESOME DAY IN AUSTIN, TX!!!

Your Austin Ambassador!

Socar

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