Dustin Vegas - 2/8 - The Austinot

Grounded In Music Celebrates 10 Years of Musical Mentorship

April 12, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Credit: Grounded in Music

Want to hear a sad song? Over the past decade, schools in the U.S., including Texas, have seen a decline in arts education. It’s getting harder to compete for funding in an era of shrinking budgets, test-based curriculum and growth in STEM fields.

To add an even sadder note, the problem is even worse in low-income schools. If an affluent school has its arts budget slashed, the students still have opportunities to be creative outside of the classroom. There are private lessons, after-school programs, and more.

That is not the case for low-income students. If we believe the arts are valuable to individuals and our society, then stripping art education from low-income kids should be unacceptable. [Read more…]

Find Your Old Texas Watering Hole at Buddy’s Place in Austin

April 5, 2017 by Dustin Vegas 4 Comments

What a deal at Buddy’s Place

There are many types of bars in Austin, offering different things for different people. The hipster bars have the creative, infused cocktails. The frat bars have top 40 music and cheap shots. Whatever the theme, each new bar of its type tries to outdo the competition with stranger cocktails, or cheaper shots, and the list goes on.

One bar on Burnet Road stands out by taking the opposite approach. This Texas bar is distilled to the essentials. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. [Read more…]

It’s Always Christmas at Lala’s Little Nugget in North Austin

March 20, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Lala’s Little Nugget is the definition of “hole in the wall”

Drive around Austin with anyone who has been here more than five years, and you’re likely to get into the I remember whens. I remember when downtown was boarded up and always quiet. I remember when The Domain was a field. The frenetic pace of Austin’s growth has a lot of us wishing time would stand a little more still.

Luckily, there is Lala’s Little Nugget. With all of the young, trendy bars that come and go all the time, Lala’s feels like a relic trapped in time. It’s an “old Austin” bar that has switched ownership in recent years, been renovated and somehow managed to survive in today’s bar scene. Undoubtedly one of my favorite bars in North Austin. [Read more…]

Give Texas Art Its Due With Hotel Ella Salon Series

March 6, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Hotel Ella is the home of a monthly artistic salon series (Credit: Jake Holt)

Austin has a reputation for being Texas’ city of art and creators. We are the Live Music Capital of the World, right? Throw a rock in any direction and you have a good chance of hitting some type of self-expression. Music everywhere, indie filmmakers, glassblowers, painters. Nearly any and all kinds of art can be found within Austin city limits. We are a city of art makers.

But are we a city of art appreciators? One group at Hotel Ella is doing its best to make sure we are. The Hotel Ella Salon Series is a monthly gathering of art aficionados and regular folks who care deeply about supporting Austin’s unique artistic community. At their regularly hosted artistic salon, Austinites can get to know both the art and the artists who keep our city weird. [Read more…]

Dine Peruvian Style at Lima Criolla in Austin

February 23, 2017 by Dustin Vegas 1 Comment

Austinites can access authentic Peruvian cuisine at Lima Criolla

Austin is known for Tex-Mex. Much less noticeably, there has been a recent surge in other Latin American cuisine. It’s about time we start branching out to try these restaurants inspired by Central and South America.

Lima Criolla is one such restaurant. Small and tucked away in North Austin, it’s owned by a family that moved here from Peru. They’re dedicated to introducing Austinites to the authentic food of their home country. [Read more…]

Become an Easy Rider for the Day With Lone Star Moto Rentals

February 9, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Lone Star Moto bikes in front of Circuit of The Americas (Credit: Lone Star Moto Rentals)

Sometimes I imagine myself riding a motorcycle through Texas Hill Country in an Easy Rider-esque montage. Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” plays as the camera slowly pans past my rotating front tire. Longhorns stop grazing, mouths agape, to watch me roar past bluebonnet fields and over rolling hills. Austin shrinks in my mirrors as I ride west to discover myself, and America along the way.

I am as free as a bird, and this bird you cannot change.

But then the film goes off the reel as I’m snapped awake to bumper-to-bumper I-35 traffic. I taste gasoline fumes, hear a cacophony of horns, and see the frustration of tech workers stuck heading downtown. There is no guitar-filled Americana here.

Luckily for us city folk, Lone Star Moto Rentals exists to help us channel our inner road warrior. Lone Star is an Austin-only shop that rents motorcycles five days a week (including weekends). The idea is simple. Anybody with a valid motorcycle license can visit them and choose one of their motorcycles to ride for the day. [Read more…]

Switch Cowork Converts Austin Eateries Into Community Spaces

January 31, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Switch Cowork transforms existing Austin restaurants and bars into unique co-working spaces

Working from home seems pretty glamorous: controlling your own hours, guiding your own fate, wearing nothing but sweatpants.

Take it from someone who has lived that life, though. The shine wears off pretty quickly, and the walls can seem to close in around you. It can become lonely, and you can become nocturnal and a hermit.

Enter co-working spaces. Austin has experienced an explosion of them as digital professionals, startups and entrepreneurs seek enjoyable ways to work among others. Community and collaboration are everything–the cornerstones of the co-working way of life.

I recently spent a day working in a space that takes these cornerstones and adds a third: innovation. [Read more…]

What to Do When It’s Cold in Austin

January 9, 2017 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Snowy Austin in 2010 (Credit: Jim Nix/Nomadic Pursuits)

Let’s face it: Austinites don’t know how to handle cold weather. We’re used to living in a land of perpetual summer, drinking our Topo Chicos and paddling across Lake Austin shirtless. When the temperature drops closer to freezing, however, we’re forced inside our homes to hibernate.

That doesn’t have to be the case! The cold season can be your opportunity to explore the parts of Austin you would otherwise ignore. There’s a whole world of local Austin originals waiting for you to walk in the door shivering. [Read more…]

Last Minute Austin New Year’s Eve Ideas

December 31, 2013 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

As 2013 rolls to a close tonight, Austinites are prepping their best outfits to welcome the new year in style. In a city like ours, there is no shortage of bashes and events to enjoy tonight.

But what about us procrastinators who haven’t lined up a venue yet? 2013 came and went quickly, so you may not have had the chance. Don’t worry! The Austinot is here with three last minute Austin New Year’s Eve ideas. Check them out and let us know what you think!

Light Show at Mozart’s

Light shows are one of the best parts of the holiday season. If you’re looking for a fun, relaxed way to ring in the new year, go enjoy the lights at Mozart’s on Lake Austin. The famous coffee house is putting on their annual light show now through January 5th. It’s a great destination for families and first dates. Take a look at the video below to see what I mean.

[Read more…]

Old Austin Still Alive at North Loop Food Park

November 29, 2013 by Dustin Vegas Leave a Comment

Photo credit: North Loop House & Yard

The North Loop House & Yard is a slice of Austin located just off of 53rd and Airport Blvd. Despite showcasing some of our city’s most unique food and people, it’s an easy place to pass without noticing. If you get the chance, stop by. You won’t be disappointed.

This small cluster of trailers is the center of Austin renaissance. Many Austinites are worried about how quickly Austin is changing. Dozens of people (including me) move here every day. The massive growth of our city has been good in many ways, but there are some who are concerned about Austin losing its weird, “small town” vibe.

Enter our own North Loop food park, taking a Braveheart-like stand for Austin’s traditions and neighborliness. Oh, and food. They do a lot of that, too. [Read more…]