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Wood Hollow Drive is a great place to live for UT students who want a nice, safe, and affordable place to live without the hassle and expense of living on campus. The Far West UT shuttle offers a quick ride to campus, and there is plenty of affordable apartments in the neighborhood that cater to the student crowd. All the right neighborhood conveniences are nearby: a grocery store, library, post office, and restaurants are all within walking distance.

Bolm Road may not look like much with it's drab Texas government offices and warehouses, but it is home to one of the coolest stores in Austin - the Texas state surplus property store. Ever wonder where that pocketknife that you got confiscated at the airport went? Look no further. There are bins of cheap Swiss Army knives, leathermans, and an entire warehouse full of cool retro office furniture from old state offices.

Sixth Street may get all the credit for being the heart of Austin nightlife, but Red River is really where it's at for the local Austin music scene. Sure, big venues like Stubb's and Emo's may get a lot of the national acts, but here there are lots of cool, dingy rock clubs for the more adventurous music enthusiast.

When in Austin, it's well worth your time to go see the bats at the South 1st Street bridge just south of Town Lake. In the balmy summer months, the United States' largest urban bat colony flies out at dusk to go catch bugs and do whatever it is that bats do during the night. The sight of hundreds of bats flying out of the darkness into the summer evening is really something else.

Lamar Boulevard stretches nearly the entire North/South length of Austin. It's a great main thoroughfare to take if you're not into getting on the highway. Driving down Lamar will take you past UT, past the Whole Foods flagship store, and into the heart of South Austin. There are lots of Austin landmarks to see along the way.

If you want to get a view of the natural beauty that Austin has to offer, a casual drive down 360 (also known as The Capital of Texas Highway) is sure to do the trick. Take some time on a weekend to drive from 183 North to 290 on the south side of Austin. Going on a weekday probably isn't a good idea, since you'll probably get stuck in traffic.

No trip to Austin is complete without a trip to "The Drag" - Guadalupe Street on the west site of the UT campus. There are lots of shops and little restaurants to check out, as well as some great people-watching as college students stroll by. Stop by the UT Co-op to deck yourself out in burnt orange and head over to Madam Mam's for some tasty (and cheap) pad thai.

South Congress tends to get all the credit for keeping Austin weird, but if you like Austin weirdness without the taint of gentrification, Burnet Road is your spot. Driving up and down this street will give you a taste of what makes Austin great - garish signs, funky second hand stores, and lots of nondescript dive bars with decades of stories locked within their smoky walls.

If you are going to live in North Austin, chances are you're going to find yourself on Anderson Lane sooner or later. It may not be very exciting, but there are plenty of staple places that will take you there. The Alamo Drafthouse is always a great stop for a movie and a beer. Be sure to try Zen for quick and tasty Japanese food.

Far West Boulevard may seem to be a little out of the way for seasoned Austinites, but it's actually a pretty great place to live. There are plenty of apartment complexes nearby that cater to the University of Texas student crowd (there's a UT shuttle route that starts on Far West). There are all the conveniences that bring a neighborhood together on Far West - there is a library, post office, grocery store, video rental place, and restaurants in the shopping center at Far West and Wood Hollow.