For over three decades Westbank String Shop has provided local students with affordable options to continue their music journeys. From partnering with school orchestra programs and offering scholarships to students, owner Todd Sloan has made it his mission to make an impact in the growing orchestra world.

A family affair: Sloan’s father, David W. Sloan, launched the business out of his garage before relocating to its current location on Menchaca Road. David was inspired to expand the options for kids looking to step into the classical music scene. In 2011, Sloan joined his father at the business and purchased the shop from him a year later when his father retired.

Learn more: The space features a rent-to-own program where for 10 months 100% of a customer's payment goes toward the full-size instrument and after this time period, 70% of the payment will go toward the instrument until the customer owns it or buys it out.

• 6301 Menchaca Road, Austin

Coffee space and bar Cosmic has reimagined its South location with its first major renovations.

What’s changed: Renovations include:

• An expanded covered patio
• A double-sized deck
• A new traditional seated bar
• Upgraded bathrooms
• An added walk-up service window
• New landscaping
• A reimagined chicken coop
• Green spaces

• 121 Pickle Road, Austin

CapMetro is marking its 40th anniversary with a forward-looking overhaul of how it serves a region where commuting patterns have shifted. With hybrid work reducing traditional peak-hour demand, the agency adopted Transit Plan 2035 as a “recalibration” aimed at building a more equitable, reliable and widely used system.

A closer look: Key strategies include expanding on-demand Pickup zones, boosting frequency on core MetroRapid corridors and improving all-day service on the Red Line in the coming years.

The plan also highlights system gaps in many outer neighborhoods, where bus stops remain far from homes and business centers, while Central Austin riders continue calling for more dependable service.

The outlook: CapMetro leaders say increasing frequency is the most effective way to attract riders.

Safety remains a focus as well. The agency’s community-centered public safety program blends ambassadors, intervention specialists and a new Transit Police Department, contributing to stabilizing incident trends. Long-term, CapMetro is investing in transit-oriented development to connect more Austinites to housing, jobs and high-frequency routes.

Texas has grown rapidly in recent years, and data indicates that development is not slowing down. The Lone Star State gained about 168,000 jobs from September 2024-September 2025, leading the nation in job growth, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

The overview: Texas is attractive to businesses looking to relocate or expand their operations due to its tax incentives and grants, lack of a personal income tax and roughly 200 higher education institutions, business leaders said during a Dec. 10 summit held in College Station by industry network YTexas.

As businesses of all sizes continue to move to Texas, local governments and associations also need to “support the ones that are already here,” said Dean Browell, the chief behavioral officer for Feedback, a digital ethnographic research firm.

Zooming in: In an October study, Feedback found that long-term Texas residents want to live in growing communities with strong education systems and plentiful job opportunities. That growth, however, can lead to rising property taxes and living expenses before residents begin feeling the benefits, Browell said.