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4th Street is known as the Warehouse District in Austin and, like 6th Street, is home to dance clubs, bars and speakeasy's. The big difference though is that while the bars cater to college kids on 6th Street, the bars on 4th Street are looking for a more sophisticated customer. Places like 219 West offer wine tastings and martinis instead of Jaeger-bombs and other shots. Alongside the new 2nd Street District, 4th Street is the real future of turning Austin into a great city.

While many old time Austin residents despise many of the changes that are happening downtown, I think they are vital to the success of transforming Austin into a true City. The newly renovated 2nd Street District is a perfect example of this. Fancy high rise condos and apartments line the street now and the bottom floors are full of boutique shops and a mix of restaurants. The sidewalks are wide and well lit which makes it very pedestrian friendly. City Hall is located here and Austin City Limits is moving to the area soon.

Flip Happy Crepes is located in an Airstream trailer on Jessie Street in South Austin. I first noticed this place when it was featured on 'Throwdown With Bobby Flay' on the Food Network. They make the best savory (similar to wraps with the crepe replacing the tortilla) and sweet crepes ever! Check to make sure they are open before heading there though, they are only open for lunch on most days.

South First Street in Austin has a quainter feel than the touristy South Congress and the busy South Lamar. Located between the two behemoths, South First seems to focus more on relaxation. There's a Torchy's Taco trailer sitting alongside a creek and lots of small businesses where you can get that nice personal touch that is missing from the big chains.

The SoLa area of South Austin is the place to go for all your food cravings. There is a Kerbey Lane Cafe here which is Austin's answer to the 24 hour diner - except way better. There is an Alamo Drafthouse which is pretty much the greatest movie theater ever - great food and drink plus first run movies equals genius. Some other South Lamar highlights include a Pluckers (great wings), Maria's Taco Xpress (great tacos), Lulu B's (great Vietnamese) and the Broken Spoke (southern cooking and legendary two-stepping). You can't go wrong spending an evening here!

The City of Austin has recently made West Cesar Chavez a two way street which should really help with downtown traffic. This is part of a major renovation project which, when finished, will be a great addition to the downtown area. City Hall is the anchor to the street and during the summer, they put on free concerts on Friday afternoons. The new esplanade in front of City Hall is almost done and it will really be a great place to gather. Also coming to the area is the huge re-utilization of the old Seaholm Power Plant. When finished, it will be a mixed use area with retail, office and living space.

Barton Springs Road is home to some of the most famous restaurants in Austin. The original Chuys is here - the one made infamous by serving the underage Bush daughters! Also here is Shady Grove, featuring the coolest patio in town and live music on Thursdays. Rounding out the list is Baby Alcapulco's, Romeo's, Green Mesquite, Uncle Billy's, Austin Java, Flipknotics and a few others. This is a great alternative to the brashness of 6th Street. This gateway to Zilker Park is super laid-back and casual.

Spyglass Drive is located off of Mopac just south of Zilker Park and offers awesome views of downtown. It contains a mix of apartments, duplexes, office buildings and a few mansions hanging off the cliffs overlooking Barton Creek. It is rumored that the largest of these mansions is owned by Sandra Bullock. The access to the Barton Creek Greenbelt is located at the intersection of Spyglass and Barton Skyway and is 1.1 miles from the Barton Springs Pool. Also located at the intersection is Taco Deli, which has some of the best tacos in Austin! This is a great place to live if you like to hike and bike.

We enjoy West Riverside Drive a few times a week. We usually park by Butler Park and walk on the Town Lake Trail. We love watching the dogs swim and play at Auditorium Shores, seeing performances on the lawn of the Long Center and relaxing on the hill in Butler Park, watching the kids play in the dancing fountains while enjoying the sunset. The sidewalks are wide and pleasantly winding, the bicycle lanes are well marked and the crosswalks are excellent. West Riverside Drive is perhaps the most pedestrian-friendly street in Austin.

On the first Thursday of each month, the shops stay open late on South Congress. In the open lots people set up artisan markets and sell their wares. There is music, dancing and performances all over and the area has a festival atmosphere. We usually start on the southbound side and walk down to Magnolia Cafe and then cross the street and head up the north side. This allows us to finish the evening with a treat from Amy's Ice Cream.