While Austin may be world-renowned for its indie art scene, famous festivals like SXSW and commitment to waste-free and organic living, the best things about Austin are secrets that only the locals know. But if you are from out of town or are looking to relocate to Austin, don’t worry. We’re going to let you in on a few of them so that you can run the streets like a local. So, without further ado, here’s a look at what locals know about Austin that tourists don’t.

While haggling may be commonplace around the world, save for country fairs, open markets and occasional trips abroad, it is a skill not commonly utilized by Americans. While it is true that during those trips to the Moroccan souk, we gleefully delight in bringing the cost of an item down to half the offered price, generally trips like these are few and far between. Thus, not giving us time to practice our negotiation skills and learn how to haggle like a pro.

As the old saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas. And in the case of the city’s capital of Austin, that includes what most citizens across the country value the most—the economy. But non-Austinites may wonder what exactly is driving Austin’s nitro fueled economy? The answer, of course, is an open secret that has become to define Texas’s capital city—innovation.

In the year 2000, Red Wassenich a librarian at Austin Community College had no idea that he had coined what would become his city’s official slogan. Unlike the previous catchphrases “Live Music Capital of the World” and description, “A Blue Dot in a Red Sea,” this three-word phrase effortlessly captured its vibrancy. Despite its brevity, it seemed to sum everything that made the city so unique in a way that nothing else had before.