Zilker Park
2100 Barton Springs Road
Zilker Metropolitan Park is considered "Austin's most loved park." This 351 acre park is home to a variety of recreation opportunities and special events including the annual Zilker Park Kite Festival, the Zilker Park Hillside Theatre, Barton Springs, the Zilker Botanical Gardens.
Barton Springs
2101 Barton Springs Road (located in Zilker Park)
Austin, Texas 78704
476-9044
Barton Springs has a year round temperature of 68 degrees and that makes it a delightful place to cool off in the heat of the long, hot Austin summers. It is also the home to the Barton Springs Salamander, an endangered species you can read more about at the link. I used to hike up past the Springs to this little spot called Campbell's Hole where you could go swimming for free. It was great fun as a teenager to hike the trails, cooler in tow, and swim in the cool water for free. Up above the trails, on the cliffs, was the old Girl Scout Camp, complete with a bunk house, where we Girl Scouts would go camping. Yes, I was a Girl Scout. No judgements please! I remember one time we went hiking down the cliffs to the springs and found a unopened six pack of beer. That really excited us! Hey, we were kids and this was a LONG time ago. Back then the cliffs were built up with huge homes like they are now and MoPac was a long way off. It was like being in the middle of the wilderness right inside town.
Zilker Botanical Gardens
2220 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin, Texas
(512)477-8672
It includes 18 acres of displays including the Taniguchi Japanese Garden, a rose garden, a cactus garden, the green garden and the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, to name a few. It's free too which is always great. The Botanical Gardens are a popular site for weddings and wedding photo shoots. My favorite is of course the popular Taniguchi Japanese Garden which was opened to the public in 1969. The Garden was built by Mr. Taniguchi when he was seventy years old. Working without a salary or a contract, Mr. Taniguchi spent 18 months transforming 3 acres of rugged caliche hillside into a peaceful garden.
The Elephant Room
315 Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701
512-473-2279
- The Texas Senate unanimously passed a resolution commending the Elephant Room of Austin, Texas for being named one of the top ten jazz venues in the United States as selected by Wynton Marsalis in USA TODAY.
-In February, the Elephant Room also was named by DOWNBEAT magazine as being among the top 50 jazz venues in the nation. The Elephant Room is the only club in Texas that was named by either publication.
- Elephant Room is one of only two clubs recommended in Southern Living's article, "Living it Up In Austin"
Umlauf Sculpture Gardens605 Robert E. Lee Road
Austin, Texas 78704
The Umlauf Sculpture Gardens features more than 130 sculptures, drawings and paintings. In 1985, the sculptor Charles Umlauf and his wife, Angeline Allen Umlauf donated their home, including their studio, sculptures, drawings and paintings to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum. The Gardens are full of Umlauf's sculptures and to stroll through them is a unique and enjoyable experience.
Las Manitas Avenue Cafe 211 Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701-4021
5124729357
One of the last store front restaurants on Congress Avenue which is being threatened by the explosion of condos in the downtown area. Las Manitas and the shop Tesoros are directly in the line of fire and a fierce battle is being fought to keep them (well at least Las Manitas) where they are. So far it looks like the city council is agreeable to some sort of compromise. Let's hope so. This is one of the best small cafes, if not THE best, in town!
Austin Monthly Magazine
"Austin Monthly began as a tabloid-size newsprint publication in 1992. In the fall of 2001 entrepreneurs Jeff and Lyn Brady purchased Austin Monthly and changed the image of the publication to a four-color, glossy magazine. Since that time, Austin Monthly has taken tremendous strides in providing our readers with solid editorial accompanied by captivating photography. Today, Austin Monthly continues to grow at a rapid pace while accurately reflecting the city’s culture and people."
Waterloo Records
Waterloo Records and Videos
600A. North Lamar Blvd.
Austin, Texas 78703
phone: (512) 474-2500
fax: (512) 474-2522
When Waterloo Records opened its doors on April 1, 1982, Austin was not quite the same town that it is today. Waterloo rose from the kindred soul of merchant and customer. Instead of catering to the music consumer, Waterloo catered to the music lover, if only because we were music lovers too. It was true then, it certainly still is today. The store has an extensive selection of music spanning all styles, with a special propensity for Texas artists, and a simple genre free a-z filing system. It's the best in town for local music, or any music for that matter.
Magnolia Cafe
2304 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703
512-478-8645
Local legend has it that The Omeletry and Magnolia Cafe were owned by the same people but they parted ways and one ended up with The Omeletry West on Lake Austin Boulevard which was promptly changed to The Magnolia Cafe. It seems that The Magnolia Cafe also ended up with the better menu and chefs. Although The Omletry on Burnet Road still packs 'em in for breakfast, The Magnolia packs them in all day long.
Bookpeople
"Who We Are!
BookPeople has been Texas' leading independent bookstore since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been voted best bookstore in Austin for over 15 years. The rest of the country has caught on too; BookPeople was voted Bookstore of the Year by Publisher's Weekly in 2005. With visits from some of the most interesting and important authors of the past 35 years, as well as by Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, BookPeople is the destination bookstore in Texas."
Dirty Martin's Burgers
2808 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78705
An Austin Legend, home of the Kumback Burger. It is timeless.
Ski Shores
2905 Pearce Rd.
Austin, TX 78730
Tel: 512-346-5915
Good food out on a dock. It's not unusual for boats to pull up along side and dock at Ski Shores. Bands frequently play out there on the weekend. It's more of a seasonal place since the winter months make it hard to enjoy the outdoors as much.
El Interior
1009 W Lynn St
Austin, TX 78703-3948
(512) 474-8680
"Folk art from internationally renowned woodcarvers and silver jewelry dangle next to embroidered cotton dresses. The walls are covered with metal-framed mirrors and religious icons." Very friendly and helpful staff who make you feel right at home.
Phil's Ice House
5620 Burnet RdAustin, TX 78756
(512) 524-1212I love the sampler with 3 kinds of burgers! And they have sweet potato fries too! Located right next to Amy's ice cream, what more could you ask for??
Barton Springs
Shady Grove 1624 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 474-9991
"Shady Grove truly reflects the Austin lifestyle, one which locals and visitors alike recognize and embrace." The Hippie sandwich is still my favorite, but others like the foot long hot dog or the chicken fried steak. You can sit outside on the patio almost year round. It's almost always packed, so be ready for a bit of a wait.
Cipolina's
Some of the best pizzas in town! And now they have pasta too!
Maudies
oooooooooeeeeeeeeeee! My favorite mexican food restaurant in town!! There are several locations to choose from, my fav being the South Lamar location.
Enchiladas Y Mas1911 W Anderson Ln
Austin, TX 78757
Tue-Sat 7:00am- 8:45pm
Sun 7:00am- 2:00pm
Tel: (512) 467-7100
Fax: (512) 385-8992
purely cheesey! No wonder it's so good, they are related to the owners of Maudies!
Katz's
(512) 472-2037
618 W. 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
It never Kloses! A genuine New York Deli right in the middle of Austin, Texas!
Tesoros Trading Company
209 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas
Open 10am to 6pm seven days a week. A store full to the brim with folk art, furniture, crafts, Sterling silver jewelry, weavings, handmade clothing and many other milagros.
Carnaval Brasiliero
An Austin tradition since 1975, Carnaval Brasileiro has now become an Austin institution, one that nobody really planned as such. A small party grew into a giant public bash because there were Brazilians who needed a celebration, local individuals to nurture it along the way, a radio program (Horizontes) to promote its music, a series of bands to play the music, and, above all, enough Austinites who felt the magic and kept coming back for more. The 2002 Carnaval was the last to be held at the Coliseum. Carnaval Brasileiro came to be what Texas Monthly has touted as the state's "best public bash."
Other Places Soon to be Featured
Breed and Company
Tarrytown Pharmacy
Zingers
Northwest Hardware
Blue Elephant
Emeralds
Le Cadeau
Urban Living
Room Service
Zanzabar
Toy Joy
Oat Willies
Spider House
Ruta Maya
Epoch
Austin Java Company
Upper Crust
Sweetish Hill Bakery
Deep Eddie Cabaret
Poodle Dog Lounge
Draught House
Saxon Pub
Continental Club
Mom's Tatoos
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