The Austin dating scene isn't quite like that of any other Texas town. If your immediate impressions of the Lone Star State are of 10-gallon hats, drawling energy-company CEOs, and Bronco trucks, a trip to Austin might serve you well. The capital city is far more liberal and left-leaning than any other city in Texas and draws its fair share of artists, writers, and scholars.

One of the primary reasons for this is the annual South by Southwest Arts Festival, which brings in the most exciting bands and filmmakers on the arts scene. Many of them haven't yet arrived, as it were, but are making noise throughout independent channels such as local music scenes, newspapers, and radio stations. Many acts that are now mainstays on commercial stations got their first real recognition at Austin's premier festival.

The Austin Dating Scene

As a college town, Austin has plenty of other perks to offer. Not only are residents and students surrounded by academia, they also enjoy the benefits of the money it draws. Big institutions bring in even bigger research dollars, which then trickle down to the community at large. This means the Austin scene has plenty of fine restaurants, theaters, parks, sports venues to make even the biggest city-dwellers comfy.

One way to find a perfect match in the city is to join any national online dating service, then narrow down your pool using the ZIP code field. Sure, your sortal set will shrink dramatically from that of your nationwide search, but were you really planning to drive to Boise to meet that cute, hazel-eyed fashion designer who likes romantic beach walks and volunteer fire-fighting? Start in your own backyard. If that leads you nowhere, you can always expand your search from the Austin dating environs to the entire state of Texas. But you may be afraid of what you find.