recently , the one matter cooler than hold out in Austin seems to be complain about it – whether it ’s tripping about traffic , ranting about rent , or complaining invariably about Californians . That being said , we ’ve still got it moderately ripe , and that ’s why , in the wake of all this whining , we ’re here to say " Austin ’s still awe-inspiring , so shut up . " In fact , we ’re firm believers that the rest of the country should take note and adopt some of the attribute and posture that make this city seriously astonishing . We ’ve listed them here for your restroom .
There are amazing shows happening – every single night
It goes without enjoin that the alive Music Capital of the World has a scene desirable of thwartwise - country riposte , with some of the good fabled and up - and - coming venues , festival and creative person in America / The World / plausibly The Universe ( no Holy Scripture on the celestial concert situation )
The city is totally Fido-friendly
Not only are there Austin bar , parks , and patios aplenty where your dog is welcome , but there are destinations –Yard Barand Barking Springs , for example – designed specifically with canine in mind , consequence likeDogtoberfestandPaddle for puppy , and an overall pro - pup attitude that ’s been adopted by business ranging from boutiques to breweries to bars . ( There ’s also acat cafeif that ’s your thing . We ’re adequate - opportunity fur fans here . )
Convenience stores have kick-ass beer selections
We could tell you about theHyde Park Market– aka the Flag Store – but the reviews essentially do it themselves : “ Holy crap ! ! undivided large beer selection I have ever seen anywhere , ever ! ” ; “ maybe the greatest selection of beers in township ” ; “ may just have the best beer selection in the integral city … hundreds of individual bottles , which you may mix to form the sodding 4 or 6 multitude . ” ( TL;DR : Insane beer pick . And obviously the internet does n’t lie . )
There ’s alsoQuickie Pickie , a neighborhood grocery coffee bar that bluster 24 beers on tap and build your own six - packs;Whip In , a corner store that also offers Indian culinary art and a craft beer legal profession ; and Sunrise Mini Mart , where in 2014 the owner take to carry over 500 varieties of craft beer .
Everything (or, rather, anything) can be a competition
Who needs a professional sports team when you ’ve got more important free-enterprise events to love : The Quesoff is the annual pursuit to coronate a mellow - Malva sylvestris protagonist , Come & Shave It is an yearly issue in which the bearded - and - mustachioedFace Offand the Air Sex Championships play a rowdy and raunchy part in the Fun Fun Fun Fest amusement lineup for multiple old age .
Flip flops > formalwear
When Jezebel , essentially the city ’s only jacket - required dining administration , shutter in 2015 , we take in something : this is why we ca n’t have skillful things !
But it ’s not that Austinites do n’t appreciate a night out or some high - end culinary art , it ’s that – by from the West Lake - support , gala - attending , Real Housewives of Austin - esque sliver of the universe – we do n’t want to have to dress up to do it . Which is commodious , yield the fact that …
Even food truck offerings are gourmet
While the food truck phenomenon is nothing novel , both in Austin and in ecumenical ( we’vegot some good ones ) , it ’s not every metropolis where across the country rank culinary art is served from a kitchen on four wheels . For instance , while Paul Qui is the wit and knives behind high-pitched - class and gamy - buck dapple likeOtoko(a casual $ 150 dining experience ) , the Qui - created house trailer Thai Kun ( located outsideWhisler ’s ) has earned interior restaurant , not trailer , acclaim . What can we say – full food for thought is in our pilothouse .
It balances being a college town and a town with a college
There ’s no denying the momentous role UT Austin has play in shaping the city , both on a macro and micro level , and we all get to enjoy the burden of living so tight to one of the biggest universities in the country : tailgating , museums , a broadly frontwards - thinking attitude and approach to life story , and more . Hell , you could even take classes if you miss the glorious highs and lows of academia .
But if youwouldn’tcall yourself a fan whether it ’s because you immigrate from A&M or you just DGAF – you could go on and live a normal , full , wonderful creation without getting sucked into a burnt - orange tree whirl . ( You will still get stuck in game - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. traffic , though . Some thing are unavoidable . )
We embrace – and celebrate – our infestation
Austin is home to the world ’s turgid urban chiropteran settlement , and while in some places , people might be moderately horrify by the medical prognosis of billion of potentially - rabies - carry winged rodents residing in the eye of the city , Austinites have not just accept , but encompass the creepy-crawly piffling creatures . sin , there ’s even afestivalin their honour . Beat that , Batman .
Junk and graffiti make for masterpieces
Plenty of cities have impressive artistic production museums ( ours included ) , but what ’s more telling are the ways in which Austin artists and creative contributor have think outside the frame and created firearm that are anything but ordinary , likeThe Cathedral of Junk , and collective works such as residential district rouge parkHOPE Outdoor Gallery .
Meanwhile , there are no more iconic signs in Austin than those that are atomiser - painted on the sides of building : The “ I love you so much ” sign on the side of Jo ’s Coffee and Daniel Johnston ’s funky toad frog accompanied by the cultivated question , “ Hi , How Are You ? ” on the Drag .
There’s equal appeal for barbecue fanatics and veggie fiends
From Stubb ’s to Salt Lick , Franklin to your Church Father – who is probably grill some shit up in the backyard as we mouth – it ’s no closed book that Austin is a bona fidebarbecue hot spot(pun obviously intended ) . But we get extra comestible point for delivering every bit on the other end of the spectrum with a sweet selection ofvegetarian spots , which offer options fashion more all-embracing and savory than stupid salad .
Oh , and if you want to combine the two , fortunately they ’ve been Frankensteined together with delicious result at vegan barbecue jointBBQ Revolution . We call soy curls are way better than they sound .
We’re No. 1
Austin was recently rate the best big US urban center to live in . So we ’ve got that goin’ for us , which is nice .
Streets shut down for proper partying
Not only is a tidy section of Downtown blocked off during SXSW annually , but every Thursday , Friday and Saturday , Sixth St is close to traffic , allowing footer to flood the streets and political party properly .
Whether it ’s because cops do n’t desire to deal with dealings , the goal is but to mitigate drinking injuries or they ’re just attempt to facilitate a funky unspoilt clock time , it ’s pretty rad to live in a city that occasionally prioritise the convenience of drinkers over drivers .
Grocery stores are drinking (and date) destinations
Like a food Margaret Court for your liver , theWhole Foods flagship store Downtowncontains multiple legal community orbit ( plus small beer and bouncy music ) , and a demographic that ’s not only more attractive than you ’d gestate at the average supermarket , but in many cases way hotter than the clientele of existent bars as well . Must be the lucre , military personnel … must be the sugar .
City icons include a crossdresser and a pigtailed pot advocate
Two of Austin ’s most worshipped and famous figureheads include Leslie Cochran – the later homeless crossdresser who epitomize everything uncanny and fantastic about Austin and evenhas his own holiday– and , of course , mankind - noted musician and marijuana enthusiast , Willie Nelson . Which we can probably all agree are preferable to athletes and politician .
We take pool time seriously
There are51 public pool facilitiesin Austin ( not even enumerate the natural watering holes in and surrounding the metropolis ) , include Barton Springs , Stacy Pool , and Deep Eddy — which , wayward to what you might believe , is not fill up withvodka .
Movie stars work side gigs
Several actors and actresses have recognized the epicness of Austin and made it their house , but they ’re not just drop their sentence lallygag around Lake Travis or gorging on taco in between flick projects . Elijah Wood is a legitimate disc jockey , Sandra Bullock went restaurateur with Bess Bistro ( now closed ) , and Matthew McConaughey late took a break from the bongos to expend this semester teaching a flick course at UT . No Christian Bible on whether or not he ’s been wearing a shirt to class .
Tacos
If this were an Austin - theme episode ofFamily Feud , and the topic was Austin ’s most amazing dimension , this would be second only to the live music prospect . More of a food than a food grouping , greaser are the most pervasive and versatile of edible item , and can be consumed for breakfast , dinner , or luncheon and stuff with almost everything . Whether you prefer Torchy ’s or Tacodeli , Maria ’s Taco Xpress or tortilla - wrapped parcels of mystery story filling from some guy rope in the parking lot of a 7 - Eleven , there are hundreds of spot on handwriting to help you fulfil your gentle - or - crunchy cravings .
Video stores still exist
Despite Netflix ’s near monopolization of the at - rest home flick - watching market ( RIP Blockbuster ) , rental spotsI Luv VideoandVulcan Videohave survived , thanks to Austinites ’ local allegiance and appreciation of the fact that when you really got ta watchGremlinsat 11:30pm on a Wednesday , there are still a few places that have got you address . Plus your great - grandma only possess a VCR , and who the hell else can hold that ?
We’ve already #freedthenipple
Between the " no two-piece top , no job " attitude at Barton Springs and the free - for - all nudist Zion Hippie Hollow , no one cream an eye at a boob … or pretty much any other extremity … these days . Austin has even been dubbed atopless - tested metropolis , and – to protect our right to bear … uh , more than arms – there ’s even a Keep Austin Topless movement .
Breweries, wineries, cheeseries
We ’ve get all of the " -ies . " Austin is abode to a sizable amount ofbreweries ; wineries both within well-off driving aloofness ( the way back may be more difficult ) and in the form of urban validation likeThe Infinite Monkey Theorem ; distilleries likeDeep Eddy VodkaandTreaty Oak ; and even cheeseries likeAntonelli’sandHenri ’s .
And , on another note , gyms . You ’ll probably need one of those afterwards .
Bars double as adult playgrounds
Kitty Cohen’sandRioboast pools , HandleBarhas a rooftop with teeter , and both The Market and speakeasyRed Headed Stepchildhave jive for your acting pleasure . Whether any of these affair are safe for people who ’ve been downing frosé ? That ’s a dissimilar story entirely .
Kanye can’t cut
We do n’t know what luxuriousness Kanye experiences in other city , but we imagine there ’s an entourage , a cherry-red carpet , and some serious backside - kissing involved . ( Note : This is based alone on data gleaned from excessive screenings ofKeeping Up With the Kardashians . ) But it ’s squeamish to lie with that , in Austin at least , for a abbreviated consequence in time , you were totally his equal . Because no one can cut in line at Franklin , except Obama . POTUS > Pablo incessantly .
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KGSR Austin
Yard Bar
Flickr/Nash Cook
Courtesy of The Whistler & the Well
Flickr/Phil Roeder
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Flickr/Geoff Livingston
Flickr/Lars Plougmann
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
Annie Ray
Flickr/Robb1e
