Google to grace Austin
Not that Austin needs any help in the tech cred department, but Google's decision to open an office in the city can't hurt.
The search giant has leased 25,000 square feet in the heart of hip downtown Austin, Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, according to an article Thursday in the Austin American-Statesman.
So if and when the new Googlers ever leave the office, they can walk right onto Sixth Street--Austin's famed drag of music venues. In their more sober moods, they can peer up Congress Avenue and view the state's austere capitol building.
The new office space is set to become an engineering center, the Statesman said, and Google expects to hire about 100 engineers. There is apparently room for another 50 or so employees as well.
One issue that Googlers will face will be the crawling commute traffic, though Austin keeps threatening to finally launch light-rail trains.
The only real question left: Will Google's new office open before South by Southwest?
Natalie Weinstein is an associate editor who works out of Austin, Texas. She spent a decade as a reporter and editor in the newspaper industry before joining the CNET News staff in 2000. E-mail Natalie. 
