ATXplained

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? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

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 than in other parts of Texas? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

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 -- Podcasts.

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.

Who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt? But is any of it real? KUT’s Skye Seipp tries to find the X. The post Is there really a buried treasure in Walnut Creek Park? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We first met Yorkie Louie in 2020. Now, he’s leaving the dance floor — at least in Austin. The post Saying goodbye to Austin’s Godfather of Clubbing appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The bizarre tale of completely made up stories about one of Austin’s oldest trees — and an even more bizarre tale that’s completely true. The post Is Treaty Oak still alive? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A traffic median can be anything you imagine. A field of green grass. A pedestal for a classic statue. Or a vegetable garden. The post Who maintains and decorates the teeny-tiny traffic median on Enfield Road? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

You’ll find no signs for now — but that doesn’t mean you can drive as fast as you want. The post Why is there no speed limit on the new 183 tollway in East Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We spend a lot of time in Austin talking about how many new people move here. But most of us don’t talk much about the people who came before us — way before us. If you’ve ever taken a walk along Shoal Creek or gone to Barton Springs on a hot summer day, you’re doing […] The post Where have Austin’s Indigenous people gone? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

No. But there is more to it than that. The post Was there ever a tug-of-war over Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Austin thinks it has great food going for it. But does it? We look into the mystery of why more restaurants don’t make this staple from scratch. The post Why don’t more Austin restaurants make their own tortillas? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We’re back with a story about a weird sculpture near MoPac and Enfield. But there’s more to it than that. The post What’s the story behind this weird sculpture next to MoPac? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

One ATXplained listener wanted to know how women going topless at public pools came to be popular in Austin. The post Why Is It Legal To Be Topless In Public In Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Remember the movie Die Hard? It’s kinda like that. The post Why Are There So Many Caterpillars Hanging From The Trees This Spring? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A plumber. Who sings? As part of our Hi, Who Are You? spinoff, we get introduced to Herman Bennett. The post Who Is Herman the Singing Plumber? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Who will remember you when you die? Family? Friends? We got a question about a cemetery in Central Austin for ATXplained. It got KUT’s Matt Largey thinking about what happens when people are forgotten. The post Who Is Buried In This Cemetery On 51st Street In Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

It’s January, so that means cedar fever is at its peak. Amid a global pandemic, this is the last thing we need. But here we are. KUT’s Nadia Hamdan answers this question about the annual trial in Central Texas. The post Why Do Some People Not Develop Cedar Allergies For Years? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The words would appear on the bridge overnight. The artist would come and go like a ninja. But who is it? And why did they do it? The post Who Has The Ninja Style And Kung Fu Grip To Spray-Paint Austin’s Most Visible Graffiti? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

If you’ve ever been near Lamar and Oltorf, you probably saw it. But what’s the story behind the now-gone mural there? The post What’s Story Behind The ‘Will You Marry Me?’ Mural That Was On South Lamar? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Voting should be easy, right? Well, can it get any easier than going to your local supermarket? KUT’s Jimmy Maas has the history behind what’s become an election season tradition in Austin. The post What Is The History Behind Polling Locations In Grocery Stores In Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Yorkie Louie is known as the Godfather of Clubbing in Austin. But his story is more complicated than that. Someone asked about him for our ATXplained spin-off, Hi, Who Are You?. The post Austin’s Club Scene Has A Godfather. Here’s His Story. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Traffic sucks. But every so often a sign in the distance might give you a chuckle. Or a groan. So who writes those electronic road signs with (sometimes) funny rhymes? The post Who Writes The ‘Funny Little Messages’ On Signs Along Austin Roads? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

A year ago, we answered a question from an ATXplained listener: Where did all the families that used to live on Rainey Street go? One man was still there. But now, even that has changed. Audrey McGlinchy has this follow-up. The post What Happened To The Last Man On Rainey Street? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Tickets are running out for our Jan. 23 ATXplained Live show at the Hogg Auditorium. Details and tickets here. The post We’re Doing A Live Show! Last Chance To Get Tickets. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Austin’s 37th St. lights aren’t the only holiday light display in town, but it did draw this question about its origins. The post Who Started Austin’s 37th Street Christmas Light Tradition? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Christine Hannon wanted to meet this postal worker who seems to know everyone who come into his East Austin post office. The post Who Is The One Chatty Guy Who Works At The Post Office In East Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There are many ways. But what’s the best way? Can medical science tell us? The post What’s The Best Way To Get Into The Chilly Waters Of Barton Springs? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

They usually only appear when there’s and drought and lake levels are low. But who named them? The post How Did Lake Travis’ Sometimes Islands Get Their Name? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Uber and Lyft said their services would give other transportation options for people who’ve been drinking in Austin. So — did they? The post Have Ride-Hailing Services Like Uber And Lyft Reduced Drunk Driving In Austin? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

No matter how jet-lagged, or sweaty, Austin tourists may find themselves when they reach the Texas Capitol Visitors Center, they’ll find a breath of fresh air waiting for them just inside its doors: Mary Jackson. The post Who Is This Texas ‘Ambassador’ Who Works At The Capitol Visitors Center? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.