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Is The Driskill Hotel Really Haunted?

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Driskill Hotel Haunted

The Driskill Hotel, built in 1886 (Credit: John Cabuena)

When you first walk into The Driskill Hotel, you wouldn’t think it’s haunted. From the dozens of columns brilliantly lining the lobby, to the spotless marble floors, the hotel is gorgeous. The ambience screams luxury and comfort. But if you listen closely, it also screams bloody murder.

Look, this place was built in 1886. That’s plenty of time for some messed up stuff to go down within the walls of The Driskill. For example, did you hear the one about the young girl who fell to her death down the grand staircase? How about the two “suicide brides” who killed themselves in the same bathtub in the same room, 20 years apart to the day?

Who knows if these ghost stories [Read more…]

The Domain Creates Mass Appeal With Infusion of Local Austin Businesses

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The Domain Austin

The Domain in North Austin

Look; I get it. The first time I went walking through The Domain, I passed places like Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s and Michael Kors, ALL IN A ROW, and my first thought was, “Oh, crap. I need to get out of here immediately.”

All pretentiousness-bashing aside, I’m here to talk about why you shouldn’t necessarily jump to conclusions when you think about North Austin’s Domain. While your preconceived notion probably suggests it’s an uppity tourist trap with nothing to offer us common Austinites, I’m happy to report that you’re wrong. [Read more…]

Clay Campania Band Mixes Blues, Reggae, R&B for Stimulating Rock Sound

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Love the blues? Check these guys out at Friends Bar

Love the blues? Check out Clay Campania Band at Friends Bar

Rock and roll as we know it is mostly inspired by the blues. As a fan of music, especially live music, I tend to appreciate bands that give the blues the credit it deserves, while introducing some of their own influence to an otherwise traditional pattern. Clay Campania Band does this well.

[Read more…]

4th Tap Brewing Co-op Brings First Worker-Owned Brewery to Austin

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4th Tap Brewing Cooperative Sign

4th Tap Brewing Co-op in North Austin

I’d like to talk about beer.

Since Austin is really starving for microbreweries right now, it’s nice to finally see one open up. JOKING. It’s actually quite the opposite. Honestly, I can’t go a day at work without some craft beer snob gloating about this new hops-shop he/she “discovered.”

Bottom line, there’s no shortage of microbreweries around here, so it can be overwhelming to find one that will suit all your needs. That said, I totally want to tell you about this new microbrewery, 4th Tap Brewing Co-op, that I discov…uh…that just opened up in North Austin. #hypocrite [Read more…]

Tele Novella Brings Haunting, Psych-Pop Fun to Austin’s Local Music Scene

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It’s difficult to describe music in general, nevermind attempting to explain Tele Novella, a red hot, psychedelic, 60s-inspired rock band straight out of Austin. The description found on their Facebook page captures their unique sound quite accurately: “Tele Novella is a fresh strain of sugar-crash dream-psych popsicle punch out of Austin, TX.” Yep, that about sums it up. [Read more…]

The Best Bars for Watching Out of Town Sports in Austin

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Best Bars Watching Out of Town Sports Austin

For us transplants, it can be tough to watch our favorite sports teams around here. With all these hipsters running around, it’s tough to find a good sports bar in general. Never mind finding one that favors your out-of-town teams.

Take it from a guy who had to watch the Bruins lose game six of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs with 20 Blackhawks fans. Brutal. I know, I know. I don’t have too much to complain about as a Boston sports fan, but you know what I mean (sorry not sorry).

Bottom line, it sucks being the away team all the time. For that reason, I’ve put together [Read more…]

Guide to the Diviest Dive Bars in Austin

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Dive Bars in Austin

Credit: Lisa Taylor

Ah, dive bars. Places with lights so dim, you can barely see the dirt on your pint glass. Where the beer-soaked wood creeks under your boot, between skips from the jukebox. Where you can’t tell whether the wall is holding up the dusted rows of decades-deep décor, or vice-versa. Where the hangover comes in smell-form. Where the only good Tinder dates ever happen.

I could go on, but you get the point. Roll up your sleeves, my fellow patrons. We’re about to go diving. But before I list a few of my local favorites, let’s clear something up. If a dive bar says it’s a dive bar, it isn’t a dive bar. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of quality, local watering holes around town. But not all dives are created equal, and that’s my point. A good bar is like a good guitar. The more history it has, the more authentic it becomes. [Read more…]

The Best Places to Work Remotely in Austin

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Radio Coffee and Beer Outdoor Patio
The patio at Radio Coffee & Beer is the perfect spot to be productive (Credit: Reagan Hackleman)

Step aside, Starbucks. I know you think you’re cool because you supposedly started the whole “blogger at a coffee shop” movement, but we’re in Austin, bucko. We’ve been laptopping with lattes since before you even thought it was a thing. Busted.

[Read more…]

SHED Barbershop Gives Classic Service in Modern Setting

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SHED Barbershop

Andrew Chase Needs a Haircut

Think it might be time for a trim?

In case you haven’t seen me lately (or ever), I’m about 16 months deep into growing my hair out, which has increasingly become a pointless and comical experiment gone wrong. You know when your hair gets longer and goes through “awkward stages”? Well, it has pretty much been awkward every step of the way for me.

When my hair isn’t down/taking the shape of Darth Vader’s helmet, I’ll often put it up in what’s known as a “man bun.” Or, in my case, “thousands of frizzy hair strands stretching outward as if to literally run away from the devastation that is my head.” My own mother makes fun of me.

Anyway, you get the point. Luckily for me and everyone around me, I got word of this place in Austin called SHED Barbershop and decided to book an appointment. I thought I was going in to get a haircut, but what I actually got was an unbelievably fun night at one of the hippest joints in town. Don’t worry; I got the haircut, too. [Read more…]

Successful Food Truck Owners Fueled by Friendly Competition

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Chi'Lantro Food Truck

A look at the Chi’Lantro food truck in Austin

I’m new to this whole food truck thing. The Boston idiot in me always ignorantly associated food trucks with low-quality, 2 AM sausage carts one accidentally staggered upon amidst a night of heavy drinking. Since moving to Austin, I stand corrected.

I now associate food trucks with magical, utopian dreams filled with unicorns and happiness. Seriously though, I’d approximate that food trucks now represent over 90% of my diet. Where have they been all my life?

As if I couldn’t be more captivated by the enchanted universe of street food, I recently sat down with Jae Kim and Eric Silverstein, founders/owners of Austin’s Chi’Lantro and The Peached Tortilla, respectively. Now with brick and mortar locations as well as food trucks, both Jae and Eric offered an insightful behind-the-scenes take on what it’s like to grow a successful business, through a long road of early struggles in a relentlessly dense market.

More insightful than the business side of things, however, was the story of their friendship, and how the competition between one another was perhaps the most critical ingredient to their shared success. [Read more…]

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