Austin today is the land of liberals, congested traffic jams and a strange mix of slackers and yuppies trying to fit the “Keep Austin Weird” vibe. But, news flash, that “Austin vibe” was almost completely obliterated about five years ago.

Austin developed the weird, funky lifestyle during the 1960s. Starting as a mere state capital and becoming known as the live music capital of the world, Austin has been the home to many artists, musicians and other creative know-hows.

This group of like-minded people, the good music and the beautiful city itself heightened the regional narcissism of Austin. In other words, this city used to be so divine in its own funky way, and Austinites were highly proud to call Austin home.

It was not until the early twenty-first century that the eccentric and kooky presence slowly started to dissipate. As more and more people poured into the city, the weird and homey vibes became seemingly less present.

The worst blow to Austin was when Forbes named Austin one of the best places to live in the nation. Businessmen began tearing down iconic music halls and replacing them with highrises. Property taxes began rising so high, and forcing people to move, and, well, Austin just became like every other city. Why yes, thank you for recognizing the pure excellence of Austin. However, inviting everyone and their mom to live here is one way to really kill something good.

However, before I get too far ahead of myself, let us forget the type of people that live here. Forget the traffic they bring, forget their ideology and focus on why Forbes named Austin one of the best places to live.

For starters, the weather in Austin almost year around is 75 degrees or higher. Yeah, the spring, summer and part of fall are sweltering, but Austin offers a ridiculous amount of watering holes. Barton Springs, Barton Creek, Deep Eddy, and Hippie Hollow, are just to name a few. With the hot weather, and the surplus of swimming areas, living in Austin practically leaves you with unlimited options for free outdoor activities. I don’t know about you, but free and outdoors are two of my favorite words.

More of a food person? Austin offers a wide range in exquisite cuisine. Options for meat lovers, vegetarians, vegans and whatever else lies in between. From the fabled food trucks to more indoor eating options, Austin has you covered, with options you’ve never even heard of.

Let me not forget though what makes Austin stand out from everywhere else in the world, live music. Austin is the live music capital of the world. With festivals like Austin City Limits and South by Southwest happening every year in addition to the abundance of music venues present in the city, bring world class acts to the city every month.

So yeah, we are still proud to call Austin home. We still love living here, and we still have a pretty high sense of regional pride, for a few very good reasons. Is it as weird and wild as it used to be during its heyday? No, it isn’t. It can’t possibly be, with new residents from other places moving to the city every day and diluting the unique Austin atmosphere. However, is it still a wonderful place and somewhere we’re proud to live in? It sure is.