Where are the hot spots in Austin, TX? And what Hotel should I book?
September 1st, 2010I live in Dallas but I’ve never been to Austin! I’m going for spring break and I need to book a relatively cheap hotel that is somewhat near the fun spots (mainly good drinking, eating, and whatnot)
Spring break is not the best time to come if you want it to be economical, because that’s when SXSW is going on, and most of the decent cheaper hotels are booked way in advance, so bear in mind that you may end up spending more that you wanted to. However, if you don’t mind being a few minutes away (by cab or even bus) you could try any of the hotels near the Ben White (aka Hwy 71) and IH-35 intersection – there’s a Days Inn, a Red Roof, Hampton Inn, and more. Anything from that intersection and along Ben White going west to about Lamar, or going north on 35 to Riverside (a Wyndham is there) – should be more affordable than you’ll find downtown.
During spring break, the whole of downtown and S. Congress is a madhouse, which is why we (locals who aren’t attending the festival) often avoid it like the plague that week. You will see and meet the most incredible folks, but they won’t necessarily be from here – so it won’t give you the truest "Austin experience", but it will certainly make for great people-watching! With so much going on, it’s almost like a street carnival at night, and you can hear great music just walking past different places on and around 6th and 4th streets… you may want to check the SXSW schedule and see if you can hear your favorite bands even from outside their venue. Definitely pop into the Driskill Hotel on 6th, just for the sense of history.
The variety of bars is amazing… everything from Speakeasy (which is supposed to vaguely emulate a secret prohibition-era place) to goofy college frat boy places. It’s totally a matter of taste. While this doesn’t apply as much when SXSW is on, generally speaking 6th street attracts the younger college age crowd, while people in their late 20s and on gravitate more toward the places on 4th. It’s not that 4th is for old people reliving their lost youth – more like, after 26 or so, some of the places on 6th start looking really cheesy. Not all – but you’ll know what I mean when you see some of these bars.
If you head south on Congress (which intersects both 6th and 4th), you’ll eventually run into the little shopping/restaurant district some call "SoCo", but people who have been here more than 5 minutes generally avoid that term. It’s fun to wander around that way, and you can walk from downtown as it’s technically just down the street, but you may prefer to take a cab. There are a bunch of fun spots, as well as several trailers set up as snack stands in an empty lot.
As for restaurants in the vicinity – we love the Melting Pot for fondue (yes, I know it’s a chain, but it’s still really good!) – no need to order the multicourse expensive thing. Get a cheese and then a chocolate and you’re good for two people – it’s at San Jacinto and 3rd right near the Convention Center. Everyone’s favorite pizza is Homeslice on S. Congress. If you’re into BBQ, Stubbs is a restaurant and a music venue, and will no doubt have a lot of bands playing that week. There’s also a really good Mongolian BBQ very close to the Melting Pot. Decor is a little economical but the food is great and it’s affordable.
If you rent a car at any point, you could go climb the steps up to Mt. Bonnell, which has an incredible view; drive out to the Oasis restaurant on the lake, where everyone claps when the sun sets (old tradition), head up north to the Domain (which is kind of like a mini-village with super fancy shops and restaurants), and of course go play frisbee, fly a kite or rent a canoe at Zilker Park. There are also some good spots along Barton Springs Road for lunch, most notably Chuy’s and Shady Grove.
Have a great time!
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