Discover the Best Things to Do in Austin, Food & Drink deals and more!
Rowing machines out on the deck of Rō Fitness (photo credit Rō Fitness)
Even if you love running, rowing – or better yet the rowing machine – is the best low impact cardio alternative out there. And Rō Fitness is Austin’s only indoor rowing studio.
You’ve probably tried the rowing machines at the gym before with no results. But that’s likely because you were doing it wrong. After taking just one class at Rō Fitness (your first class is free), your workout routine will be changed. [Read more…]
It’s no secret that running a restaurant or bar is difficult, especially in Austin. With so many opening every month, only the truly exceptional have what it takes to compete long term. So how admirable is it when an establishment can keep the doors open for 15, 20 or even 50 years?
The purpose of this article is to celebrate 15 restaurants and bars in Austin that have served hungry and thirsty Austinites for 15 years or more. My list comes from Austinites who have lived here long enough to remember when quarter beer night was a thing.
This isn’t a ranking by any means. My goal is to focus on what led to the success of each establishment. To do so, I sat down with someone at each business to get the real story. I’ve included their explanations for the lasting success of their local businesses (spoiler: customers come first). Without further adieu, here are Austin’s 15 over 15.
Don’t miss the live music on Tuesdays and Fridays
Before the over abundance of Video on Demand, video stores were almost the only way to find most movies. Having vastly more of a selection than movie theaters, you could always discover older movies you had never heard of, or find goofy-awesome looking movies made for video.
Across the country, video rental is a dying business. But Austin loves its movie rental stores and these local businesses remain strong here. [Read more…]
Guest article by Dawn Sarnecky
Every Austinite knows that dressing appropriately for the Texas weather is an absolutely necessary task each day. The trick is to be comfortable as the beads of sweat drip down during summer and to be cozy during the winter (a.k.a. fall?). If you to dress like an Austin local with wardrobe pieces no one else will have, skip the mall action and check out these local stores.
Hatbox (Credit: Ashley Brinkman)
If you are looking to cover your dome from the severe sun with style, then look no further than
Lady Bird Johnson, inspiration for MOD: A Modern Take on 60’s Fashion (Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons, Painting by Elizabeth Shoumatoff)
Guest article by Lisa Taylor
Fashion has left an indelible mark on our social conscience, whether we’re aware of it or not. If you were alive in the 80’s, you know what “Hammer” pants were and who they were associated with. Music and fashion have often melded into a unique expression of the artist, but it’s not just music that has brought fashion into our social stream of awareness.
Not surprisingly, fashion made its way into politics as well. One of our most photographed First Ladies was Jacqueline Kennedy, known for her fabulous sense of style. From her sheath dresses to her statement scarves or pillbox hats, she was always turned out impeccably. The same was true of Texas’ own, Lady Bird Johnson. And on September 12th at the LBJ Library [Read more…]
Vintage First Thursday (Credit: David Ingram via Flickr CC)
I’m always excited to find our city supporting local artists, like you’ll find at 23rd Street Artists Market. It’s even cooler when it’s a whole neighborhood affair.
For several years now, businesses of all sizes have been congregating on South Congress Ave. for a monthly event called First Thursday. You can probably guess when this event takes place. Yes, the first Thursday of every month.
It is a neighborhood affair. The businesses up and down South Congress stay open late, many until about 10 PM. The bars in the area are known to offer drink specials for the monthly gathering, and parking areas and lot spaces are opened for artists to set up tents and sell their wares. [Read more…]
Ivy-covered facade at Hotel San Jose (Credit: Bunkhouse Group)
You may be familiar with Hotel San Jose, or its big red Jeep parked out front, or the famous Jo’s coffee shop which sits in the hotel’s parking lot. But did you know you can listen to live music at the San Jose? Did you know you can have your tarot cards read at the San Jose? And most importantly, did you know you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy these events or to simply hang out in the lounge and bar area? Yes, you read that right. One of the best kept secrets in Austin is [Read more…]
Linda Asaf, Design Lab Founder
The Oasis has always been known to Austin as a restaurant for its great drinks and amazing views. A few years ago after the restaurant recovered from its 2005 fire, The Oasis expanded with a whole shopping center that now includes stores, a winery and a craft brewery. The newest addition is a new boutique store called Design Lab.
Design Lab was founded by Austin designer, Linda Asaf. The fashion venue features 20 diverse Texas designers whose creations range between jewelry, eyewear, children’s clothing, as well as apparel for men and women. “It’s all about promoting Texas designers,” Asaf explans. “We celebrate the best designers in Texas. It’s a platform for designers who don’t have their own storefront to sell here and to test new [Read more…]
Your author and her man at “Olive You” by SprATX artist Sweet
Art is represented in many ways within a city, from traditional art museums and historical buildings to theater and music. Graffiti, however, hasn’t always been accepted as a viable art form and has often been stigmatized.
But here in Austin where murals are a plenty, graffiti has transformed into street art, and a mural is a must if you are looking to be Austin. And thank goodness for that because art lives in the soul of every city.
Austin’s weird and eccentric vibe is what draws people in, but it’s also most at risk of changing as people continue to move here. At the forefront of keeping this creative energy alive in Austin through street art is a small group of people known as SprATX.
SprATX is unique in that it’s both a collective of artists and a business. The lines are often blurred, but the end results are the same – SprATX makes art [Read more…]
BatBox logo designed by Delicious Creative
When my friend Amber announced she was starting a new company, Austin BatBox, I was confused by the product. But the more I knew what a “bat box” was, the cooler it sounded.
BatBox is a monthly subscription box service that delivers 4-5 curated collections of Austin made products every month for $25. “It’s putting Austin in a box,” owner Amber Golightly describes. “Whenever you hear the saying ‘you could put it in a bottle and sell it,’ that’s what I’m doing. I’m putting Austin in a box for people.” [Read more…]