I am very proud to say that I live in Austin, Texas. The city was goodly enough to accept me as a transplant back in 2006. I’ve since forged a challenging, but mostly interesting, relationship with the city.
Austin is, above all, a transformative city. It engages you with a pacing diversity that you can’t help but be changed by. Austin is rare in that it makes you work for its affections. It is not a city of mainstay hot spots. What works about our recreation is that it is elusive.
You have to stop and meld a bit with us before you see what is truly unique. While I love the classics, we’ve come a long way from the Zilker Botanical Garden and East Sixth Street. Being sick of such pooped-out attractions, I’m going to try to give you a fresh perspective of what’s new about what we have to offer.
Near the southeast corner of downtown is a sweep of chalet-styled homes and buildings built before 1934. Once a laboring-class neighborhood, Rainey Street was rezoned in 2005 to be included as a business district. Since that time, bar innovators have refurbished of the area’s crumbling 1930s homes into pleasant night spots, complete with sprawling back yards and food trailers. Many of the homes turned bars have been made to retain their original character – peeling paint, rough wood floors, and all. The lack of alteration lends to a homey, unassuming state of mind for a fun night out. The margins of Rainey Street are still largely residential, making the district a pleasant escape from the frenzied energy of Sixth Street.
While visitors to downtown Austin will have no shortage of casual daytime eateries to choose from, the litany of ever-changing establishments can be overwhelming to even the most seasoned natives. Located on the corner of Fourth Street and Colorado, Frank avows itself as a purveyor of artisan sausage. Think high-end meets butt-end hot dog. All sausages are made fresh in-house and sport accoutrements such as sriracha aioli, huckleberry compote, curry BBQ sauce, and white cheddar. As far as the dogs, you have your choice of anything from antelope to Vienna beef. Frank has a weekday happy hour from 4-6 p.m. and a tougue-in-cheek roster of seasonal cocktails like the Moustache Ride and the Red-Headed Stranger (a concoction of Bloody Mary origins that’s garnished with bacon). For the teetotalers, Frank offers an impressive list of Direct Trade farm coffees.
Boggy Creek Farm
You needn’t leave the Austin city limits to get an animate farm experience. Boggy Creek Farm is located two and a half miles east of downtown. Today a USDA-certified organic urban market farm, the site was originally founded by a North Carolinian family in 1838. The settler family used the farm for crop bearing in addition to operating a grist mill along the Colorado River. The picturesque farm puts on market days year-round during Wednesdays and Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. On market days, their produce can be purchased along with local dairy products. The farm also puts on family-friendly urban farm tour events available to the public through ticket purchase.
Austin has often been referred to as the Third Coast due to its rich film market. While Austin’s film industry has relaxed since the mid-2000s, Texas having lost many of its budget for film incentives during the height of the recent recession, Austin is still home to the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) and the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (aGLFF). Additionally, many ultra low-budget SAG and independent movies are still shot in the city. But if faring the crowds (and costs) of SXSW is not your thing, the Lake Travis Film Fest offers a relaxed alternative to those who crave a more offbeat film experience. Founded by local filmmaker/actor Jeff Cooper, the festival screenings are ongoing and host both internationally and locally produced films. Recently, screenings have grown to include visits and Q&A; sessions with cast and crew of hosted films. Another plus: Many festival events are either low-cost or free. The festival venue also overlooks Austin’s beloved Lake Travis for those who’ve yet to experience it.
