momerath66

Prairie Hen Cove is one of the cul de sac streets off of Prairie Hen Lane in the Gracy Woods neighborhood of north Austin, where I lived for several years. The neighbors are very friendly; when someone has a baby they take turns bringing full dinners to the new family. The kids play together at each other's houses, often snowballing into a big group ranging in age from 3 to 10. About half the street is families with children, but there are also several couples, young students, singles with dogs, and two retirees. The only downside are the regular populations of feral cats, they're so cute and you feel sorry for them. Usually the neighbors wind up setting out bowls of food for them though.

Neches is a little street off of the main drag of 6th Street in downtown Austin. It's worth a detour if you're out at night for the couple of establishments you'll find here. Lovejoy's is a dark little bar, full of antiques and wooden parlor atmosphere, in which everyone seems to flout the no smoking law, there is an excellent wide selection of world and micro-brew beers on tap, and strange little bands groove away on the small stage. All your local touristy souvenir needs can be taken care of at Aaron's Rock n Roll shop, especially t-shirts.

Red River street in downtown Austin is where you'll find more of the rock clubs of Austin. At the intersection with 6th street there is Emo's, a three stage all ages multiplex which features both touring and local acts. I like their big outdoor hang out area in between two of the stages, which is one of the few places left to smoke cigarettes while you drink in Austin. Clubs like Mohawk and DeVille draw more rock acts and feature neat decor, Headhunter's caters to the heavy metal crowd, and Stubb's is a 3,000 person venue with the bigger national bands. Walking down here at night is always a little scary though, so make sure you remain vigilant or with friends. Austin has a pretty low crime rate, but there are a lot of random shady people prowling here and in adjoining alley ways (probably due to the proximity to ARCH, a homeless shelter a block away).

Being on the renovated 2nd street feels way different than a visit to Austin's older streets. It feels like a half million dollar condo loft (of which there are plenty here) and makes the rest of Austin seem like a ramshackle cottage. Neatly laid bricks, well placed matching benches, upscale boutiques (including one for dogs!) make up this street. The Austin Children's Museum is here, with a suitable sandwich place down the street where you can take the kids and be surrounded by business types on their lunch break. City Hall is located here and it also houses a cafe with great coffee. Farther down is Lambert's, an excellent place for BBQ and live music. It's my favorite place for my band to play, because the sound guy is very thorough and attentive, so the bands always sound well balanced. The crowd here reflects a bit of the old and new mix in Austin; hippies in psychedelic dresses intermingle with business casual yuppies.

First of all, Barton Springs park and pool located on this road are one of the most amazing places to visit in Austin. Being inside the long pool, especially facing the natural rock wall, makes you feel like you're on some remote wild retreat... until you see the Austin skyline over the treetops. The park is a child's dream, with an enormous series of connected playgrounds, a kiddie train ride, and carnival food vendor. Leading up to Barton Spring Road's main attraction, however, are a lot of great local places to chill out in. Flipnotics is an excellent cafe, with its own ecletic clothing store downstairs. I had an iced mocha latte there on a hot day that was simply to die for, and I love the old wood sitting rooms and outdoor shaded patio. Also notable is Shady Grove, a burger & margaritas type place with an airy brick patio punctuated by large twisty trees. This place is always crowded, with everyone from hipsters to toddlers, grandparents and teens gathering for a good meal in a great atmosphere.

Guadalupe by the University is a good street for a long walk, surrounded by college students. It has an interesting mix of local & chain eateries and small boutiques that are fun to browse, not to mention the formidable Church of Scientology headquarters. The huge wide sidewalk unfortunately doesn't provide much shade, so make sure you are well watered for the Texas heat.

This cute little street is home to the original Kerbey Lane Cafe, a cute eclectic local eatery that's great for lunch or brunch. All the stores here look like quaint gingerbread houses, painted in bright colors. A great children's store with a huge doll selection, clothes and toys is the other main attraction. A fancy restaurant, a spa, and a drum shop round out the street's other offerings, among others. It's a very small street that's fun to visit.

South Congress, or SoCo to the locals, is a great place to shop for local handmade products. Stores like Parts and Labour showcase items made only by Austinites, from cute jewelry and wry T-shirts to fun baby clothes and fashionable purses. Restaurants such as El Sol Y La Luna let you sample the local Tex-Mex fare. This is the street I take family and friend visitors to for some good walking and people watching.

Just north of the bridge is my favorite section of Congress Ave in downtown Austin. Austin's only jazz club, The Elephant Room, is here, in a basement beneath a sushi restaurant. Across the street is a great place called The Light Bar. They have a cool lit wall fountain that runs behind the seating bench. Try the terrace upstairs for great views of the skyscrapers and great dance beats.

If you've ever heard of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Austin's 6th street between Congress Ave. and Red River Str. is just like it. On busy weekends the street is closed to traffic and pedestrian revelers crowd the street. Every inch of real estate is socially geared; bars, clubs, music venues, restaurants, and a few tourist shops. Each street feeding into 6th street also has its own venues. The street is mostly college students, but you'll also see older adults strolling after a restaurant meal or show at Esther's Follies. This is THE place to be on a weekend night if you want to be social.