America's Best Music Cities

#3 Austin

Long considered a mother ship for indie rock and alternative country types, the Texas capital established itself nationally decades ago with the TV show Austin City Limits and then its ultrahip annual cultural festival South by Southwest. Classic venues include Antone’s, the Continental Club, and the Broken Spoke, but for the latest hot spots, ask a local: they rank among the most intelligent (No. 2), attractive (No. 5), and friendly (No. 4) in the AFC survey.

See all the America’s Favorite Cities survey results!