VZ City Guides: Austin, TX

By Daniela Garcia & Sarah Collins
Published: March 11th, 2010 | 1:35pm

Nicknames: ATX, The Capitol City, Bat City

Population: Around 1.7 million in metro Austin

Happening 'Hoods: East Austin, Hyde Park, SoCo

If you were to call the capitol city of Texas a strange place, you can bet that the locals will take that as a compliment. Settled in the heart of Hill Country, Austin is home to hippies, hipsters, cowboys, students, politicans and techies, the majority of whom strive to live up to the city's unofficial motto: "Keep Austin Weird." It's this diverse mix of residents and unique perspective that has helped create and maintain thriving music, film, and art communities. Indie rock bands Spoon, Okkervil River, and Voxtrot emerged from the local scene, not to mention a long history of off-beat country and western acts that have been tearing up 6th Street for decades. Although it may not be as big as neighbors Houston and Dallas, Austin never lacks for unique things to see and do, kitschy places to eat, and the weirdest (and proudly so!) people you'll meet.

Dates:

Boasting the title "Live Music Capital of the World," it should come as no surprise that Austin is home to a wide array of music festivals that cater to every musical taste. Austin City Limits, a 3-day outdoor gathering at the city's Zilker Park, attracts music lovers from around the country who come to see a mix of alternative, indie, blues, folk, and country acts. There's also South by Southwest (SXSW), an interactive film and music conference that takes over Austin for the majority of March each year. The music showcases alone make SXSW one of the biggest fests in the country, with over 1,000 acts performing in nearly 80 different venues.

If you happen to be in town around the holidays, you can catch Austin's local businesses and artist community at their finest during the Keep Austin Bizarre Bazaar. Take in live music, snack on yummy foods, and sample beers as you shop over 100 vendors selling their handmade wares and crafts. Speaking of yummy, for those who can stomach the Texas brand of spicy, don't miss the Austin Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Festival, which falls in late summer each year. Restaurants, commercial bottlers, chefs, and more submit recipes in various categories (red sauce, green sauce, etc.) in hopes of winning the title of the truly tear-inducing favorite.

Sights:

While you could ride around downtown on a Segway towards the Capitol building, it's usually more fun to stray off the beaten path. The bats of the South Congress Bridge are a creepy yet cool spectacle worth seeing. On hot summer evenings, as the sun sets, you can stand on the bridge or relax on a grassy hill below to watch bats (from U.S.'s largest bat colony) emerge emerge from their hangout and fly out in droves into the night. But if you prefer the gentler side of nature (and who could blame you), take a stroll through Mayfield Park, where resident peacocks will greet you.

For art and culture lovers, Austin has no shortage of galleries and museums. Check out the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture, home to art and memorabilia submitted by the local creative crowd. It also houses work from the Armadillo Art Squad, best known for their psychedelic, comic contributions. In Austin, it's not uncommon to see public works all over, on cars covered with knick-knacks and paint or adorned buildings and shops. But to see the most authentic Austin street art, go to the Cathedral of Junk. Since the late '80s, a resident by the name of Vince Hannemann has taken everything from broken electronics, glass bottles, old CDs, and metal scraps and carefully pieced them together into an explorable wonderland of stuff right in his own backyard.

Fare:

In the past few years, to the city's delight, food trailers have popped up across town. At the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery, you can grab a fried avocado taco topped with poblano ranch sauce at Torchy's or a classic chili cheese dog at Man Bites Dog, and finish with cake balls or frozen hot chocolate from Holy Cacao. While there are plenty of cupcakeries to check out, Sugar Mama’s is definitely the place to get your fix. The little shop is home to delicious daily flavors and a rotating list that includes the "Elvis"—a banana cupcake topped off with peanut butter buttercream frosting. Bonus: Sugar Mama's even serves vegan treats.

For cheap eats 24/7, check out classic diner staples Kerbey Lane Cafe and Magnolia Cafe and fill up on queso dip—locals swear by it. If you've managed to a save a few bucks checking out Austin's free sights, give in and splurge for the best sushi in town at Uchi or get fancy at Wink, where you'll savor a five- or seven-course tasting menu and choice selection of wine.

Nights:

If you're in the mood for a show, go no further than the Red River District, home to renowned live venues like Mohawk, Stubb's and Club de Ville. Down on 6th Street, punk-rockers and metalheads will have better luck at Emo's, and the newly-remodeled Parish is a hidden gem among the throngs of bars. But 6th Street now tends to cater to a rowdy college crowd, so for those looking to relax with a drink that isn't a Lone Star tall boy, you'll have better luck on West 4th Street. Stop by 219 West for a mean Mexican margarita or cross the street to Halcyon, a coffee shop by day and lounge by night. Just around the corner is The Gingerman, a pub with a seemingly endless beer selection. They carry some of the best local brews by companies 512 and Live Oak, along with top-notch imports.

If you're in the mood for dinner and a movie, you can catch both at the Alamo Drafthouse. And if you happen to be at the Drafthouse on Lamar, you can end your night at the Highball. With retro '60s-esque decor, the swanky lounge hosts everything from dance parties to burlesque shows and houses themed rooms for bowling, skeeball, and karaoke.

Merch:

No visitor should ever leave Austin without a new pair of cowgirl boots, so make Allen’s the first stop on your quest. Situated on South Congress, the go-to strip for shops of every stripe, it's a place for true ranchers. It’s worth a trip to experience the overwhelming leather smell (and sense of longing), but hold onto your wallet until you get to New Bohemia. One of the biggest thrift stores on SoCo, this spot consistently boasts a solid collection of second-hand cowboy boots for under $100—and hey, they come already broken-in! Once you have your perfect pair, find the rest of your outfit at Parts & Labour, a local designers' co-op. Then finish your look with jewelry from Uncommon Grounds, a Texas-sized antique store with everything from taxidermy giraffes to Eames-style furniture.

A shopping outing in the Live Music Capital wouldn’t be complete without a trip to a record store. Waterloo Records is the go-to tourist spot, and everyone can find something in its cavernous space—or hit up End of an Ear for a less-crowded afternoon in the stacks. With a well-curated selection and lower prices, it makes music perusing less about being seen and more finding the perfectly weird, Austin-approved, swingy-funky-western-indie album.

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If there is a special city you'd like to see, or a killer hot spot we somehow overlooked in this guide, email VZ City Guides editor, Erica E Phillips, at Cityguide (at) venuszine (dot-com).

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