Here's some of my favorite things to do in Austin, TX.
Casual fun stuff:
- Buffalo Billiards for pool & shuffle board and watching sports.
- Tuesday night adult skate night at Playland Skating Center
- Get a scooter and ride around the Long Center then use 3rd and 4th St bike path to cruise to the East Side.
- Going to Gold's Gym Downtown.
- Javelina on Rainey St Monday night Trivia Night.
- BuzzSaw on Riverside for s'mores and pancakes.
- Halcyon downtown for S'mores and sometimes live music. Amazing place to chill & read & coffee.
- Cafe Crepe downtown for yum crepes and nice atmosphere.
- Handlebar on 5th St always a solid and not-to-crowded bar to hang on weekdays.
- Wanderlust Yoga has cool classes and a solid fruit/smoothie bar inside.
- Drive in movies on the Eastside (sporadic showings).
- Chicken Bingo.
- Bingo places on Riverside make for an interesting night.
- Elephant Room has live jazz in a downstairs New-York-Like bar every night of the week. Solid place to chill.
- Red Room Wine Lounge, secret wine lounge underground.
- Aviary Wine and Furniture Store on Lamar. Weird combo that somehow works.
- Backspace pizza on 6th St. Small and solid restaurant, has space for about 20.
- Tarbouch Lebanse Grill and Hookah on Rainey St.
- Waller Creek Boathouse behind Four Seasons.
- Alta's Cafe on the trail by the water....has paddleboard and kayak rentals, also a great coffee/wine stop, great view of water.
- Mt. Bonnel, easy hike up 250 steps for a great view of the hills/houses/water, especially at sunset.
- Rocket Electrics has electric bikes so you can cruise all of Austin without breaking a sweat.
- Whole Foods World Headquarters on Lamar. Grab a beer or wine bottle to drink with food.
- Free Thursday Night Swim at Barton Springs during summer months.
- ABGB Brewery - Good music and food.
- Dolce Neve - Ice Cream.
- Amy's Ice Cream by campus and by Lamar.
- First Thursdays on South Congress. Walk up and down SC, tons of shops and interesting booths.
- Zilker Park. Bring a frisbee, blanket, and some sunscreen.
- Capital Picnic. Go to the capital 24 hours a day, super safe, super clean, bring picnic and chill.
- Independence Brewery - Cheap, live music, good beer.
- Phara's on 51st St, mediterranean food and hookah and belly dancing.
- Club Bench: Bring a flask, get food truck food, find a bench downtown, make that your home.
Cool Movie Theaters:
- DOWNTOWN: Violet Crown movie theater (get the 1st row seats, they're the best)!
- DOWNTOWN: Alamo Drafthouse Ritz on 6th St. Has tons of weird and cool movie "events."
- DOMAIN: iPic theater, get the $30/person upgraded seats. Amazing, like watching a movie in a fine dining restaurant.
Fun Activities (several hours):
- Go to The Domain outdoor mall and explore. Lots of fun bars like Punch Bowl Social Club to hangout.
- Go to Hula Hut on the water to eat, then stop by Mozart's next door for coffee or ice cream.
- Go to The Oasis to watch the sunset over the waters of Lake Travis.
- Rent a Boat on Lake Austin for 2 hours. Or jet ski. Easy boating, can't get lost, beautiful home views. Can wakeboard and tube.
- Zip lining.
- Austin Boldering Project - Largest indoor rock climbing gym ever.
- Artificial wake boarding by the airport.
- Blazer Tag on 71 by the big Gold's Gym.
- Comedy Show on 6th St called Esther's Folleys. Can catch a late show then walk around 6th St.
Hype / Dance Places:
- Salsa Dancing on weekends at Gloria's.
- Barbarella: Has dancing, on 6th st.
- The W Lounge is always chill/vibe.
- West 6th St always has packed bars/clubs.
- Kingdom is grungy underground club that goes till 4am on weekends.
- White Horse on the East Side has a variety of country and dancing.
- Vulcan Gas Company on 6th St for electronic music.
Food Places:
- Coopers BBQ downtown, my fav.
- Franklins BBQ, best BBQ in country, but has 3 hour wait.
- Wu Chow for nicer Chinese food.
- Bar Chi - Great price, great sushi and food, safe bet for everyday eating.
- Salty Sow on the Eastside, good food, good price.
- Blue Dhalia on East Side.
- Uchi - Classic nice sushi place.
Enjoy!
-Neville
