ATXplained

Off to Austin’s west, you may have seen a collection of towers with their red lights blinking through the night. ALSO: You can get tickets to our next ATXplained Live show here. The post What are those towers for in West Austin and why are they all there? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

We question a question about the history of this Mexican-American cemetery — one that stands in contrast to many of the more staid cemeteries around Austin. The post What’s the story behind the colorful Maria de la Luz Cemetery in South Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

No matter the season, the iconic Austin dive bar off Justin Lane is filled with snow globes, Christmas trees and strings of red and green lights. But the story behind how this decor came to be is always changing. The post Why is Lala’s Little Nugget in Austin always decorated for Christmas? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

It seems like a simple question, with a simple answer. But there’s more to it. The post What’s the oldest music venue in Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Army veteran Denise Gordon questioned whether it makes any sense for lawmakers from the second-largest state in the country and one of the largest economies in the world to meet so infrequently. The post Why does the Texas Legislature meet for only 140 days every two years? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

The Texas Legislature’s regular session is nearing an end. While some of the laws passed during these sessions are crucial to keep the state running, other laws have been a little more interesting. The post What are the weirdest laws in Texas? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

In a city with a reputation as being young, we got a question about where all of Austin’s older people are. The post ‘Is Austin hiding their elderly?’ What’s the average age of its residents? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

There’s the Moody College of Communication at UT, the Moody Rooftop at the Contemporary Austin, Moody Hall at St. Edwards University, Moody Bank, the Moody Pavilions at Laguna Gloria, ACL Live at the Moody Theater, the Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, and Moody Center. It can be a little confusing. The post Who is ‘Moody,’ and why is everything in Austin named after them? app...

The process can leave him feeling “beat up,” but he still gets the thrill he felt when he painted for the first time after an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. The post For mouth painter Jared Dunten, the trick is to just keep going appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Every week banana peels, coffee grounds, moldy strawberries and pizza boxes are placed in green bins and rolled out to the street as part of the city’s residential composting program. The post What happens to all that stuff you throw in compost bins in Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Plastic in the U.S. is largely going unrecycled, but the city says that’s not so for the plastic we put in the blue bins. The post How much of the stuff we put in the blue bin in Austin actually gets recycled? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Two-stepping originated from foxtrot and has been danced to country music in dancehalls around Austin for ages. Influenced by other music genres played in the region, people here have put their own spin on it. KUT listeners Allyson Lipkin and Cristopher Juarez wanted to know why people in Austin and San Antonio dance the two-step […] The post Why is the two-step danced differently in Austin...

One of the oldest homes still standing in Austin was once known as The Chateau. Its residents hosted legendary parties that were often safe spaces for gay people in the 1960s and ‘70s. Today, the home is boarded up — but there’s a new effort brewing to ensure it’s preserved. The post What’s the story behind the abandoned house by Dell Medical School? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios...

Brian Vargo was 20 years old when he disappeared in 1976. The UT Austin student seems to have simply vanished. The post What happened to Brian Vargo almost 50 years ago? His niece is still looking for answers. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

The landmark theater in downtown Austin has been a source of movie entertainment for more than a century, while many of its contemporaries have closed for good. The post Is Austin’s Paramount one of only a few century-old theaters still operating in the country? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

According to the Public Works Department, the city is missing about 1,600 miles of sidewalk — a length of concrete that could stretch from here to Winnipeg, Canada. The post Why do sidewalks in Austin suddenly end? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

The Zilker Zephyr stopped running almost four years ago, and there’s still no miniature train in Zilker Park. The post What happened to the Zilker Park minitrain? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

As an enticement to get tickets to our next ATXplained Live show at the Paramount Theatre on Feb. 22 — here’s a taste of our last live show from back in September 2022. The post How did H-E-B’s Combo Loco get its name? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Decades ago, the public event space was full of life. Now it’s rundown, like an old relic. The post What was the grandstand on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in East Austin used for? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Does it make any sense to live in a dark-colored house in a state like Texas? We ask experts whether these homes are less energy efficient. The post Black houses are so hot right now. But are they hotter? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

Your grip on the steering wheel tightens as you squint to find the road markings and avoid smashing into another car. The post Why are lane lines so hard to see on Austin’s roads? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

The Pinnacle building in Oak Hill was intended to be an office tower, but then the economy tanked and it was sold to Austin Community College.   The post What’s the deal with that out-of-place 10-story building in southwest Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

There’s expensive stuff, and then there are those things that just have value. The post What’s the most valuable thing in a museum in Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

El Camino Real de los Tejas is a National Historic Trail that traces back to before the start of Texas. The 2,600 miles stretch all the way from the Texas border to Natchitoches, Louisiana. Part of the historic trail runs right through San Marcos. The post What’s the story behind the Camino Real in Hays County? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .

We’re bringing our show back to the stage next month at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin. Tickets available now at austintheatre.org The post Get tickets now for the next edition of ATXplained Live on Sept. 28! appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts .