Discover the Best Things to Do in Austin, Food & Drink deals and more!
Credit: Bronko Box
How many people move to the Austin area every day? It depends on who you ask, but most say its just over a hundred.
More importantly to your every day Austinite, however, how many people are moving within Austin on any given day? That number is not as easy to pinpoint, but it’s a pain that anyone with a truck and a few friends knows all too well. With apartment occupancy rates in Austin hovering around the 99% mark, and rental prices continuing to go up [Read more…]
There is one thing Austinites love more than breakfast tacos, and that’s local businesses.
But not all local businesses are created equally. Just as an up-and-coming chef might begin their journey with a food trailer, local artisans often open virtual storefronts before they are able to expand to brick and mortar. Etsy is one of the best websites to find quality craft items, but it can be a little overwhelming. Especially if you’re searching specifically for Austin artists.
So I decided to do the work for you and find 10 amazing local artisans to follow. Many have full-time day jobs and work on their craft on the side. Another thing they all have in common? Perfect 5-star ratings. So without further ado, here are the top Austin Etsy artisans. [Read more…]
Helios Glass class work and color samples
Helios Fused Glass Studio is one of the few studios in the world that focuses entirely on fused glass. Since 2007, Helios has offered classes and retail to the Austin community. I was fortunate enough to take the Absolute Beginners class from founder Paul Tarlow to jumpstart my discovery of this versatile medium and unique studio.
Paul’s interest in glass inspired him and his wife Karen to start the business. In January 2015, they moved to their new, more spacious location off of Highway 183. I found my class to be incredibly organized, accessible and not at all intimidating to a beginner. [Read more…]
Hotel Saint Cecilia’s “SOUL” Pool (Credit: Nick Simonite courtesy of Hotel Saint Cecilia)
Something all Austinites can be proud of: our city is a premiere vacation destination with 30,000 hotel rooms accommodating 19.7 million visitors each year.
So why settle for a big box hotel when you can stay at some of the city’s coolest boutique hotels in Austin? These hotels are located in prime locations around town and offer guests a unique opportunity to experience Austin. And you don’t have to be visiting from out of town to enjoy them. Staycation, anyone?
Mikaila Ulmer got her start through Lemonade Day Austin (Credit: Josh Huskin)
Her long lashes accentuate bright eyes that radiated one word, happiness. Sporting a plaid skirt, white button down blouse and a pair of Nike tennis shoes, the young woman sitting opposite me exuded a vibrant energy that was contagious!
I’m not sure which was sweeter, Mikaila Ulmer, the founder of BeeSweet Lemonade, or the liquid in my glass that tasted like summer. Mikaila bounced in her seat with excitement as she explained a recent trip to Los Angeles where she was invited to swim with the sharks, though not the kind that slice through the Pacific. She was invited to appear on a recent episode of Shark Tank, a TV series where entrepreneurs pitch their business idea in hopes one of the judges will financially back their creative endeavor. [Read more…]
Jennifer blends her love of pop culture and art (Credit: Rebecca L. Bennett)
As an artist, mother and comic book geek, Jennifer Cunningham is the embodiment of Austin, TX.
Her life long love of art started early. Despite life throwing her curve balls, Jennifer has never forgotten how it feels to create. In her own words, “I’ve been drawing and creating various things for as long as I can remember. My mother still has a thing I drew when I was about 4 years old, an illustration of a dinosaur behind an X-ray screen with a mouse in its belly among the bones. My first recollection of getting in trouble at school was a result of me coloring the bunny’s eyes the wrong color in a kindergarten class assignment.” [Read more…]
One of Christopher Locke’s “Heartless Machines:” an old brass instrument which connects to your iPod or iPhone
Thankfully the sun wasn’t shining the day I met Christopher Locke, owner of Heartless Machine, or I would’ve been blinded by the countless brass instruments strung across his shop, oddly resembling the dangling nocturnal colony that clings to the underbelly of Congress Bridge.
These discarded musical remnants wait to be freed from restraint. Though the metal scraps may not have a heartbeat, Mr. Locke has engineered a way to unlock a melody that caused my heart to skip a few beats.
Alternating from smooth as glass to an aching quiver, Ruthie Foster’s cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” was amplified and clear. Her lyrics weren’t coming from a live performance and I wasn’t idling in traffic listening to the radio, nor was this melody coming from an electrical box requiring an outlet. Instead, it came from a recycled brass instrument attached to an iPod [Read more…]
Breakaway Records (Credit: 1138Studios.com)
Guest article by Gino Barasa
There’s a vinyl revolution going on out there and Austin is neck deep in it. What once was relegated to hard core audio nerds and fans of the John Cusack/Jack Black cult classic movie High Fidelity has become – *gasp!* – trendy.
Cool new chic bars and hipster stores not only spin albums, but display and sell them. There’s even an official National Record Store Day (April 18th, get ready!). Every act that rolls through the Moody Theater or the Back Yard has a fat stack of vinyl goodness ready for you to take home.
Why? [Read more…]
There’s a new trend in Austin, with businesses playing convenience store, restaurant, bar and neighborhood hangout all in one (Credit: gina pina via Flickr CC)
Where can you go to buy locally sourced groceries, hang out with friends, have a fresh cup of espresso, grab a beer, hear good music and eat breakfast, lunch or dinner all under the same roof?
As you try to imagine what sort of establishment might be able to pull all that off, you’re probably thinking it has to be a large location or national chain. Well in Austin, that’s just not the case. Turns out, we have quite a few places that bring all these things together in a one-stop-shop for the surrounding community. You’ve probably heard of a couple of them, like Whip In and Quickie Pickie.
These types of stores/restaurants seem to be becoming a trend in Austin. They’re the result of a conglomeration of concepts from around the world like the American general store, the Indian dhaba, the Spanish bodeguita and others, but with a distinctive Austin vibe. [Read more…]
View from the entrance of Yard Dog
For almost 20 years, Yard Dog Gallery has resided at 1510 S Congress Ave. When I first moved to Austin and visited the South Congress shops, I was excited to find a gallery space full of intriguing art. Since my curiosity was piqued back then, I’ve always wanted to know more about this space and the artists whose work lines the walls. Last week, I spoke with owner Randy Franklin about what makes Yard Dog a uniquely Austin art gallery.
Jan, Randy’s wife, had considered the idea of a Southern Folk Art gallery for a while. Once the perfect space opened on South Congress, they had to act fast to get started. They dove in without a business plan, consulted their folk art book collection and reviewed art shows done in museums in order to track down artists. From there, Yard Dog was born. [Read more…]