10 Things I “Heart” about Austin, Texas

Here you go–I’m not being paid for this people, but here’s my favorite things about Austin in a nutshell. If you live there, hopefully you’ll enjoy this and if you don’t you might get a sense of why I think of it as my home away from home!

1. The Landscape–With patches of hills and trees scattered in the middle of even busy shopping areas, this does NOT look like a Texas city. Drive up Hwy 2222 for some GREAT views!

2. The Attitude–Now, keep in mind that I do not consider myself liberal or a hippie, but I do love the artsy and the very accepting nature of this city.

3. The MUSIC–When you’re an Austinite, live music becomes something you take for granted. Until you move, that is. Only then will you realize that it is unusual to have live performers in restaurants, bookstores, and other businesses, or just on the street, most every day of the week.

4. SXSW–Need I say more? If there were ever an event that was tailored to fit a city more perfectly, I’d like to see it. Not to mention, it’s a blast to attend!

5. Hippie Grungy Wait Persons with Attitudes– Last weekend, our waiter, who looked just like River Phoenix just before the OD, informed me that a salad dressing I asked about “tastes like crap” and not to get it. I recall visiting family members disturbed by our server at Kerby Lane because of the body piercings and tatoos, when I hadn’t even noticed. That’s how I knew I was an official Austinite!

6. The Freakin’ Festivals–Some are downright freaky (read: Eeyore’s Birthday), but no festival is boring. We used to love going to the Pecan Street Art Festival every year downtown. There is a festival almost every weekend during the spring and summer months.

7. The Weirdness of it All–There’s a reason you see those “Keep Austin Weird” t-shirts everywhere. While some of the weirdness is a tad too freaky for me, at least it isn’t boring and ordinary!

8. The New Yuppie Areas–OK, tried and true Austinites HATE these places and will curse me for this, but I always was a Yupster Austinite and I love The Domain and several other new trendy shopping areas on the North side of town.

9. Street People/Panhandlers - I know you’ll say, what? Especially if you read my last post, but my husband and we actually had a few favorites when we’d go downtown. Once you see some of the same guys making street art with spray paint or chalk, or watch the same dancing guy every Friday night on a corner, it starts to feel like you know them!

10. Town Lake/Lake Travis/Lake Austin/Congress Bridge Bats–These are the tourist hot spots in Austin, but they are for a reason and if you’re going, you have to see every one of them!