Austin is not on the Brazos, or on the Guadalupe. It’s on the Colorado River. And it IS liberal, albeit surrounded by a sea of red. The city government is so kooky-liberal that the state legislature once seriously considered exerting control, a la District of Columbia.

BBQ and TexMex are the culinary draws here, and Salt Lick is pretty good, if a little pricey. It’s true that the real estate boom has priced many of the old places out of the market, and a lot of the funky old feel from the 70′s and early 80′s has been lost is suburban sprawl, traffic and high prices. But there’s still not a better city in Texas, and that’s from the perspective of someone who loves ‘em all, even Houston (my hometown) and Lubbock (where I went to college). And you can adapt to the heat!