Five Things You Need to See in Austin
March 13th, 2009
There's really nothing quite like being in Austin. You can feel the city’s inherent coolness flow through every park and down every street, leaving each Austinite feeling as though they’ve hit the absolute jackpot in terms of where they've chosen to live. We at Star Nine relish our adventures around the city and want to pass a few of our favorite spots along to you. Enjoy!
Town Lake Trail
Town Lake Trail has been featured in several national publications as one of the best hike and bike trails in the country. The 10.1 mile track of serene outdoor entertainment is one of the best ways to take in the views of Austin while you get some exercise. We definitely recommend heading out and renting a kayak or canoe if you’ve got enough time.
Congress Avenue Bats
You’ll want to make a point of checking out the world’s largest urban bat colony swarm out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset. The 1.5 million plus are just returning to the River City after vacationing all winter in Mexico, so they may not be at peak performance right now, but during high season the phenomenon can last for over an hour every night.
The Continental Club
Many SXSW-goers are well aware of Austin’s unparalleled live music scene. There are clubs and venues on every street and corner of the downtown area, but one of our favorite spots is south of the river where the crowds aren’t as thick. Housing a myriad of local talent every night from Gary Clark Jr. to James McMurtry to John Dee Graham, The Continental Club’s small but soulful and provides the perfect setting for a night of Austin music.
Alamo Drafthouse
For anyone who has ever watched a movie at the theater and had a good time, The Alamo Drafthouse will raise the bar in ways you never thought possible. Ever thought it'd be ideal to have a cold beer during the movie? Now you can. Or maybe you thought it would be a great idea to have surprisingly good local comedians do voice-overs during classics like Titanic? The Drafthouse has got you covered.
It's worth taking a couple hours out of your trip to experience this Austin staple that will leave you wishing there was a Drafthouse where you live. There are 4 locations in Austin, but our favorites are The Ritz (conveniently located on 6th St.) and the South Lamar location.
Uncle Billy’s Barbeque
There's actually a strong micro-brew scene here in Austin. Not only can you get great beer, but most breweries will give tours of their operations so you can get to see the beer-making guts. Whether you swing by the breweries or not, look out for local beers all over town.
Live Oak Brewery – brewers of one of the best Hefeweizens in the world -- distributes all over town, as does the Independence Brewing Co. and (512) Brewery. Uncle Billy's, The Draught House Pub & Brewery, North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery and Neches Street’s LoveJoys all serve their own homemade beers on location.
The most amazing thing about our city is that all we’ve mentioned barely scratches the surface of Austin’s world-class culture and nightlife. Read on for our complete list of recommendations!