Are you curious about what’s going on in Austin, Texas? Wondering if you should get to know this city? 

You’d have good reason to be curious. For a few years, Austin has been popping up on lots of “hot city” lists, from Conde Nast Traveler to Atlanta Magazine to Travel + Leisure.

We’re taking a small group to Austin–the city we know better than anyone–March 27-30, 2025. All the details here. If you’d like more details, join our Info Session on Oct. 1st (with a chance to get a $200 discount on the trip). RSVP here.

Recently, corporations big and small have moved their HQs to Austin. Love him or hate him, Elon Musk got tongues wagging for bringing his Tesla, Space X, and X headquarters to Austin. And with the corporations, along came new jobs, followed by a superheated housing market. Ergo, long lines for more expensive tacos.

It’s also considered one of the coolest, most fun and alive places to visit in our state. So if you are thinking about seeing Austin for yourself, welcome! NextTribe was born in Austin, and I lead its local events and then some. Let me tell you about Austin’s hidden gems: everything you want to do, see, taste, and enjoy while here.

Austin: It’s All About the Buzz

This city has all kinds of amazing, up-to-the-minute things going on: There are many, many young tech bros and gals in every coffee shop and co-working space in Austin. It’s not unusual to see teams of VCs office-ing next to tiny tech startups.

SXSW has grown from being a music-only festival for locals, to an international scene of film, creativity, tech innovation and connectivity stretching over several weeks and taking over the city’s venues.

The University of Texas, nicknamed The 40 Acres, immediately adjacent to Austin’s state Capitol building, is well-known for being Matthew McConaughey’s alma mater and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s incubator. In higher education circles it’s well known as a top 10 public university in the U.S., and some of its graduate programs are ranked number one.

Now that we’ve celebrity name-dropped a little, let me say that when I arrived in Austin, Texas in the early 1980s, as a fresh ad-school graduate, Austin was a far smaller, far humbler city than it is today. Michael Dell (of Dell Computers) was still sitting in his UT dorm room, dreaming of his startup.

Even in the 80s, Austin had a cooler, more laid-back vibe. Everyone knew about the nude beach at Hippie Hollow, and being topless at Barton Springs wasn’t scandalous (yet).

Even then, Austin definitely had a cooler, more laid-back vibe. Everyone knew about the nude beach at Hippie Hollow, and being topless at Barton Springs wasn’t scandalous (yet). The creative community was close-knit in Austin then, and it still is today. Writers, artists, filmmakers, digital creators, makers of all stripes collaborate here. Even people with boring corporate jobs have some sort of creative side project going on. Richard Linklater, Academy Award-winning writer and director, created the Austin Film Society in 1985, followed by the AFS Cinema, Austin’s only nonprofit art house theater, to nurture and showcase local filmmaking talent.

All of these forces collide and have resulted in Austin becoming a top destination for loads of visitors, as well as those seeking new job opportunities. Whether Austin is still the cool, laidback, hippie town of yesterday is debated every day of the week, over margaritas and longnecks by everyone from old hippies to college kids moving into their new dorms.

So, now that you have a little backstory of our city, here’s a little lay of the land.

When to Visit Austin

Gotta admit, it can be hot as Hades here in the summer. Locals beat the heat by basically finding great air-conditioned venues (or high-tailing it outta Texas). The rest of the year is pretty nice though! Spring can be spectacular, autumn is invigorating, and winter is usually mild, with an occasional ice storm. 

Summer in Austin can be hot as Hades, but the rest of the year can be spectacular!

Check American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United for flights, and, to be honest, don’t rent a car. Take a Lyft or Uber. Driving is awful in the city center. You don’t want to have to cross the river at rush hour, which extends from roughly 3 pm to 8 pm. And given the incredible Austin nightlife scene you’ll soon learn about (live music, bars, and more), a rideshare makes a lot of sense so you don’t have to have a designated driver.  

Here’s another tip on visiting Austin: You might want to keep certain big events in mind. Festivals like SXSW (held annually in March) and Austin City Limits Music Festival (typically held over two weekends in October), Formula I with race cars spinning through town (October), and the Texas Book Festival (a November event) bring in visitors from all over the world to enjoy everything Austin has to offer.

Next, learn all about these hidden gems and beloved spots worth exploring in Austin. 

Austin’s Landmarks: Guitar Heroes and More

Let’s start with some cool things to see (and snap selfies with) in Austin. There are several well-known and well-loved sculptures around the city that reflect its strong spirit. 

From the minute you land at the Austin Airport, you’ll see that bold actions are appreciated and thought leaders taken seriously here. In the Terminal named in her honor, a larger-than-life size statue of the late Barbara Jordan with her tented fingers and serious visage, greets you on the ground floor. She was the first African American to serve in the Texas Senate, and the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress from the South. This beloved sculpture sets the tone for ethical leadership and racial equality that we aspire to, and is the perfect monument to greet visitors.

One of the best-known and most Instagrammed landmarks is the statue of Willie Nelson in front of the Austin City Limits Studio. Willie is easily Austin’s most beloved citizen, even if he’s usually in Hawaii.

One of the best-known and most Instagrammed is that of Willie Nelson in front of the Austin City Limits studio. The studio is home to the PBS television show Austin City Limits, the longest running music series in television history. ACL Live at the Moody Theater is one of Austin’s favorite live music venues.

A portion of nearby Second Street was renamed Willie Nelson Boulevard, and the statue was unveiled on 4/20/2012 at 4:20 in the afternoon, with Willie himself present. It’s been rumored that locals can hear a mysterious voice singing “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” while shooting selfies. Willie is easily Austin’s most beloved citizen, even if he lives in Hawaii most of the year.

The Second Street District surrounding Willie and Austin City Limits Studio is a wonderful, walkable neighborhood of upscale high rises, with shopping, restaurants and cocktail lounges to match.

One of the city’s favorite hiking trails is what’s commonly known as the Hike and Bike Trail, the one snaking around Lady Bird Lake in the heart of downtown. It’s 10 miles of beautiful shoreline on the Colorado River. If you’re observant, you can find a bronze sculpture of guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan on the north shore. People often leave flowers or little notes at his boots.

Another fantastic bronze sculpture can be found in the shadow of the Texas State Capitol on North Congress Avenue, the statue of Angelina Eberly. She is known as a “bold woman whose vigilance and short temper preserved Austin as the capital of Texas.” She was an innkeeper and one of Austin’s earliest residents. The story is, when Sam Houston sent a military detachment to Austin in 1842 to take all official documents from the Land Office, Eberly stymied the attempt by firing the town cannon and alerting the populace. The Austin Chronicle voted Angelina Eberly’s sculpture as Best Commission of a Heaving Bosom.

Austin’s History of Feisty Women

Feisty women have long been part of Austin’s cultural DNA. Acquaint yourself with this while visiting. It extends from Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, Texas’ first female governor in the 1930s to Ann Richards, our beloved 45th Governor of Texas, whose quick wit and strong personality got her national attention when she was the keynote at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. There is a wonderful series of banners on Congress Avenue (the route she famously walked after her inauguration) that showcases some of her best-known quotes, such as “You can put lipstick on a pig and call it Monique, but it’s still a pig.” And, “I’ve been tested by fire, and the fire lost.”

There are banners on Congress Avenue featuring past Governor Ann Richards’ best-known quotes like, ‘I’ve been tested by fire, and the fire lost.’

These days Austin is considered a “blueberry in the tomato soup of Texas” in that Austinites tend to vote blue in the middle of a red state. People will clarify, “I’m moving to Austin,” not “I’m moving to Texas,” because of the difference in attitudes. In many neighborhoods, progressive political signs are proudly displayed year- round.

Have an Awesome Time: Austin’s Entertainment Districts

Ready to explore, shop, dine, and hear some music? Austin has several entertainment districts in a relatively compact and walkable city center. 

• Sixth Street is perhaps the oldest, and best known for historic hotels, comedy clubs and shot bars. This is where you’ll see loud bridesmaids in matching tutus and tiaras whooping it up as they bar-hop and drink while working up a sweat on a Hipside Peddler, a party bike tour (BYOB). Locals call it Dirty Sixth, so use your best judgment if you want to be adventurous and see for yourself.
• A more upscale scene can be found on South Congress (not sure if any locals actually call it “SoCo,” but you may hear it called that). If you’re in the market for cowboy boots, vintage or new, there are three great stores within a few blocks of each other: Texas-based boot company Tecovas, the beloved 50-year- old Allen’s Boots, and the female-owned Heritage Boots all have South Congress addresses. There’s Maufrais and Goorin to get fitted for a Stetson, or a scarf at Hermès. Yes, it’s touristy, and more than a little bougie, but it’s also where we locals sometimes meet our friends when we want to a glamorous setting. 

Whether you want to get fitted for a Stetson or buy a silk scarf at Hermès, Austin will oblige.

Low-brow fun can be had at the Big Top Candy or you can sip a Shiner and listen to tunes under the massive oak tree at Guero’s. Prima Dora, a little bit farther south near old-school Magnolia Cafe has the wacky gifts and local artist’s treasures you’ll want to bring home. The Herb Bar is Austin’s oldest apothecary, right off South Congress on Mary Street. It’s witchy and wonderful and has been covered in ivy since the 1980s.

Austin’s Hidden Gems: Best Music Venues

Don’t even think about coming here and not catching some live music. In fact, with over 250 live music venues, (including our ABIA airport), Austin is hyped as the Live Music Capital of the World. But actually, it’s not hype; it’s the truth. “Whether it’s jazz at the Elephant Room, Motown Mondays at Highball, two-stepping at the historic Broken Spoke, or hanging out at our neighborhood Cheers bar, Donn’s Depot…we’ve got it all!” says NextTriber Peggy Miller.  

Local bands, dance lessons, and a graffiti-covered bathroom in a former caboose are all part of Austin’s irresistible music scene.

Here are a few of our favorites:

• The Broken Spoke offers live music, and boot-scootin’ since 1964. Dance lessons every Wednesday evening! Be there at 7:30 to sign up.
• Continental Club is a not-to-be-missed destination for national and local bands. It’s been a legendary hangout on South Congress since 1955. 
• Donn’s Depot, established in 1978, is a railcar-themed dancehall (it was a train depot originally), with happy hour and live music daily. Sit piano-side to get the best view of the dancers. Oh, and it’s got the best Instagram-worthy ladies’ room, housed in a former caboose and covered with graffiti that’s a must-read.

Art in Austin: Mural Mecca and Other Cultural Attractions

Another great thing to immerse yourself in while spending time in Austin is all the art it offers. For instance, you’ll notice fantastic painted murals everywhere. Although some are done by internationally known artists such as Shepard Fairey and Josef Kristofoletti, most of the are done by local artists, many who are chronicled in the ultra heavy book ATX Urban Art put together by mosaic artist J Muzacz and his team at the ATX Mosaic Workshop. There’s a great PBS documentary about the scene called Muraliing Austin. Some of these local artists are paid and promoted by the City’s Art in Public Places Program.

Go ahead: Find and photograph as many different murals you can in Austin. It’s a fun way to explore this vibrant city.

A fun and adventurous activity would be finding and shooting photos of many different landmark murals for your ‘Gram (it’s not hard to find tourists taking turns at the “I Love You So Much” mural on South Congress.

Other places to visit: The Blanton Museum of Art (home to a 21,000-piece permanent collection, including Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin), The Contemporary Austin (for modern art fans), and the Carver Museum in East Austin, celebrating the contributions of Black people to Texas and the world.

Austin’s Best Dining: Let’s Eat and Drink

If you’re visiting Austin, you are here to eat! The Austin restaurant scene is a study in contrasts. Some of the now world-famous restaurants started as food trucks, and some, like Franklin BBQ continue to have lines snake around the building, waiting to taste the irresistible brisket. Many chefs and restaurants have gotten big buzz, and high-end and high-dollar cuisine are as ubiquitous as humble food trucks.

Texas Chili Parlor near UT has been featured in films and songs for 40 years. If you want to learn the proper way to eat chili (that means no beans!), head to the Parlor near UT.

Taco Treasure Hunt

Tacos are the official food of Austin. And I believe the best taco is the one right in front of you. Tacos, especially breakfast tacos, are a big thing here. Everybody has an opinion about worthy tacos in Austin.  Seriously, people can practically come to blows over what’s good and what’s not deemed authentic. Let us set the record straight.

When it comes to tacos, the official food of Austin, people can practically come to blows over what’s good and what’s not deemed authentic.

• Las Trancas Taco Stand: “Utilitarian food truck” on the east side
• Tacodeli: Home-grown restaurant chain with great salsas. All over the city.
• Torchy’s: Damn good tacos, many locations. (Some folks loathe Torchy’s, saying it’s touristy; judge for yourself.)
• Veracruz Tacos: all natural tacos and smoothies. Food trucks in various locations
• Nixta Taqueria: Very upscale in a fancy downtown restaurant with a James Beard Award-winning chef.

Upscale Eateries

For finer dining, try these insider favorites:

• Barley Swine: A great place to try new foods (like chicken-fried eggplant with chevre mayonnaise) with their adventurous tasting menu. On Burnet Rd.
• Kemuri Tatsu-ya: Texas /Japanese smokehouse in East Austin.
• Odd Duck: Locally sourced food, great service and hospitality. South Austin.
• Justine’s Brasserie: Swanky late-night hip and sexy spot in East Austin.
• Uchi: A very popular Japanese spot (with inventive sushi and dishes like flounder with candied quinoa), especially at their discounted happy hour.
• Leroy and Lewis: This popular BBQ restaurant started as a food truck.
• Fonda San Miguel: Austin’s best-known upscale Mexican restaurant for over 40 years.
• Loro Asian Smokehouse: Brought to you by celebrity chefs from Uchi and Franklin’s with a casual South Austin vibe. The smoked meats and boozy slushees are unbeatable.
• La Condesa: An upscale Mexican in Downtown Austin with James Beard-nominated chefs.

Food Trucks and Trailer Parks

For an only-in-Austin experience, try these spots while in town for a fun vibe and great food:

• The Picnic: Located at 1720 Barton Springs Rd, near the Springs, this is Austin’s original food truck park.
• South First Food Court: Pasta, shawarma, pastries, ice cream, and more at South 1st at Live Oak.
• Arbor Food Park: Picnic tables, tacos, matcha drinks, pizza and more. 1108 E 12th
• Cosmic Coffee: Need a coffee break as you tour Austin? Head to this garden coffee shop with food trucks. 121 Pickle Rd.

Woo-Hoo! Best Bars in Austin

Maybe because Austin is such a young city (median age is 34.2 years), there’s a whole lot of partying going on. Perhaps that’s why drinking culture is so prevalent. Can’t swing a dead cat, as the saying goes, without hitting a bougie bar next to a crusty old joint, and both are packed.

While I love a high-end cocktail like most gals, I’ve also included some of Austin’s older and most-beloved places to catch a glimpse of the Austin endeared by us old-timers. For a fancy-ass cocktail, try Tiki Tatsu-ya. It’s a Tiki bar with fancy cocktails above a ramen shop. Drinks concocted with rum, fruit, ginger, sake, and more will take you on a taste adventure. Also fun: Midnight Cowboy, a former brothel, now an upscale bar on 6th Street, and Here Nor There, a stylish, hidden speakeasy with pretty and pretty pricey cocktails. More upscale: The Retreat at the Nest. Killer views of downtown and Lady Bird Lake.

For a fancy-ass cocktail, try a Tiki bar with drinks concocted with rum, fruit, ginger, sake, and more for a Texas taste adventure.

Prefer a neighborhood bar? Take a break at Nickel City, a popular spot on E. 11th Street. Great jukebox and frozen Irish coffees! Or pop into LaLa’s Little Nugget, an old school dive bar with year-round holiday decor at 2207 Justin Lane, or Mean Eyed Cat, a Johnny and June Cash-themed joint in an old chainsaw repair shop just west of downtown.

Breweries (and a Distillery) in Austin

Austin has a true love for craft beers. The oldest and arguably the most authentic is Live Oak Brewery. Their tasting room is situated amongst live oak trees by the Colorado River, close to the airport. They are a favorite spot for Disc Golfers who like to drink beer while flinging round objects and for European beer nerds waiting for their delayed flights.

Or come visit ABGB in South Austin while exploring our city. Drink up, enjoy the pizza and salads, and watch the dancers spinning around the floor. Or pull up a stool at Austin Beerworks, with its large, well-appointed tasting room and food trucks waiting for those who are hungry. And for a fun immersion into spirits, find your way to Still Austin for award-winning whiskeys, gin, and rye, all locally sourced and bottled in South Austin. 

Explore Austin’s Great Outdoors

Now that you’ve heard about all the incredible shopping, entertainment, art, and food and drink, you might forget that Austin is also a wonderful place to experience nature. 

You might forget that Austin is a wonderful place to experience nature. A personal favorite: Barton Springs, a spring-fed pool that’s considered to be the crown jewel of the city.

I will start with a personal favorite. Few of the bars and restaurants I haunted in the 80s and 90s are still open,  but “Barton Springs is Eternal,” as we locals say. Barton Springs, a spring-fed pool, is considered the crown jewel of Austin. It sits within the 358 acres of Zilker Park in the heart of the City of Austin, and its natural beauty is breathtaking. You can see the downtown skyline while doing a backstroke. The pool itself is three acres in size and because it’s fed from underground springs, the average temperature is 68-70 degrees, and people swim there all year around. 

So pack a bathing suit, and schedule a stop while in town. Several Austin NextTribers are devotees, including Karen Furey and Jeannie Edmunds. Says Furey, who’s a daily swimmer there, “The water feels like a refreshing embrace, providing a perfect respite from the Texas heat. Swimming here surrounded by such beauty feels like a little piece of heaven.” 

There’s more to do at Zilker Park than just swim. Austin’s oldest park, at the juncture of Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake, contains Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Botanical Gardens, Austin Nature and Science Center, Umlauf Sculpture Garden, Zilker Hillside Theater, and more.

The newly refurbished Zilker Eagle, Austin’s miniature train, has been beloved by generations of Austinites. It snakes through Zilker Park, showing you views of the river, pool bathhouse, playgrounds and picnic areas. A perfect way to spend a bit of time outdoors. You can buy tickets and board at the Train Depot.

Take a Hike on Austin’s Trails

You’ll also love exploring the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail and Boardwalk Trail, which offer 10 miles of easy access-trails through downtown. The Waterloo Greenway winds along Waller Creek in downtown Austin, and you might also love seeing the enormous troll sculpture by Thomas Dambo, a Danish recycling artist and activist, at Pease Park; it’s fantastic.

How about getting outdoors and exploring Great Hills, with a lush canopy overhead, fun creek crossings, and fossils?

Melissa Gray, one of our Austin NextTribe members who frequently organizes hikes for our groups, shares two other great destinations for visitors to Austin: Great Hills (“It’s very rarely crowded, with a lush canopy overhead and multiple fun creek crossings to navigate. And fossils!,” she says) and Bull Creek, with a roaring scenic waterfall that she describes as a salve to the ears and eyes. 

More of Austin’s Hidden Gems: A Little Bit of Weird

Austin is known for its quirky side–after all the city’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird.” And if you are visiting our city, why not get acquainted with it? Here are a few only-in-Austin favorites:

• Esther’s Follies: Austin’s vaudeville troupe has brought political and topical humor for almost 50 years (525 E 6th Street). 
• Chicken Shit Bingo: every Sunday for over 40 years at Little Longhorn Saloon (5434 Burnet Road). Give it a shot!
• Take a load of photos while marveling at the Cathedral of Junk, a work of outsider art made of found objects in South Austin. 
• Museum of the Weird/Lucky Lizard. Located at 412 E 6th Street, this is a wild collection of oddities, with everything from movie props to, um, shrunken heads on display.
• Peter Pan Mini-Golf. This family-owned mini golf has been a favorite since 1948. Who doesn’t love a giant T. Rex guarding an 18-hole course? 

Head Out to Texas Hill Country

You know what we said about not renting a car? Well, here’s an exception. Texans love a good road trip, especially with a great playlist and a fun friend alongside you.

Hill Country Wine Tours

There are several towns in the Texas Hill Country known for their wineries. Fredericksburg and Driftwood among them. It’s under an hour drive from Austin to the closest wineries in Driftwood; the 290 Wine Trail between Johnson City and Fredericksburg is about 90 minutes. Make a day of your excursion stopping at some nice small towns, like Stonewall for peaches in the summer or to visit the LBJ Ranch. Other charming towns worth a visit are Blanco, Luckenbach, and Llano.

One winery to consider? Vanessa Sinclair, NextTriber who works at Fall Creek Vineyards in Driftwood, says she started out by just being a customer and then got more involved. Most of the wines are 100 percent Texas, and they have won plenty of awards. “With terraced gardens overlooking mature trees and fields, it’s a very relaxing setting to sit and sip wine and listen to the birds,” she says. With Salt Lick BBQ directly across the road from the winery, this spot is the perfect place to experience Texas Hill Country, which blooms in spring with famous Texas bluebonnets, poppies, Indian paintbrush and Black-eyed Susans. Blankets of wildflower make the perfect back drop for photos, so you’ll want to pull over and go selfie-crazy.

Day-trip to Hill Country. Sit and sip wine while listening to the birds and surrounded by Texas bluebonnets, poppies, and Black-eyed Susans.

Now you know all there is to do in this incredible Texas town. Everyone has an opinion about Austin, whether they’ve visited once, or lived here for decades. Was it cooler, cheaper, more authentic back in the day? Perhaps. But with a little knowledge and a sense of adventure, you can still find the old soul of Austin, living alongside a fun, energizing new spirit. And both camps really like their tacos.