Are you thinking about visiting Austin and want to know what there is to do? If so this post is for you!
We moved to Austin 4 year ago because of a job opportunity. We didn’t know much about the city, we just knew that everyone thought it was cool for some reason. Over the past 4 years we have really come to appreciate how great the city is and since we are in fact moving away from this wonderful city pretty soon, we thought we would put together a list of what makes Austin Austin.
What makes Austin Austin
The popular saying around Austin is ‘Keep Austin Weird’ and to some people Austin is very weird, to me its pretty normal. 
Sure you will see the occasional man riding a bike wearing only a banana hammock, but whats weird about that? I will say Austin has a unique culture, one that no other city in the world is quite like. Austin is a city that is defined by five categories Food, Music, nightlife, outdoors, and history.
Food
Austin is a city that offers every type of food. No matter what type of food you are craving, you will be able to find your fix in Austin. The two aspects of Austins food scene that are iconic are food trucks and BBQ. Its true that many cities have food trucks, however Austin supposedly has more than any other city in the United States. When you are in Austin if you close your eyes and walk a few feet, you will run into a food truck, seriously! Once you have experienced a few food trucks, you have to try Austin BBQ. A few places that are very popular right now are Franklin’s, La barbecue, and Michlethwait. If you decide to visit one of these locations, make sure you get there early because the lines can be long!
Music
Austin has many nicknames one of which is ‘the live music capitol of the world’ so if you are a music fiend, Austin is the city for you. When you are in Austin, you will notice that there is live music in even the most unusual places like the airport and shopping malls. Austin truly is a city that smacks you in the face with tunes. Additionally, many great musicians got their start in Austin. Some popular names that came from Austin are Ghostland Observatory, Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and many more. If you plan to see some shows while you are in town, check out this Music Calendar.
Nightlife
Austin has more bars per person than any other city in the United States. As a result you can find any type or style of bar you could imagine. As of 2018, the four most popular drinking districts are East Sixth, Dirty Sixth, West Sixth, and Rainey street. East sixth has more of a hipster vibe and also makes you feel like you are in a neighborhood. You can typically find better drink deals in this area. Dirty sixth is where most of the college kids go as well as the tourists. This is probably the area with the highest concentration of bars in the whole city. On weekends, the street on dirty sixth is blocked off so cars can’t pass through. The whole area is somewhat of a big party. West sixth is more upscale, or as upscale as Austin can get. The drinks are a little more expensive in this part of town and people are slightly more dressed up. One of the newest drinking district is Rainey Street. This district has a unique feel because many of the bars on this street used to be homes.
Outdoors
Austin is an easy city to be active in. There are many parks, rivers, and lakes to explore. Depending on what time of year you visit there are different outdoor activities to choose from. Some of our favorite places to visit regardless of what time of year it is are Lady Bird Lake, Barton Spring Pool, the green belt, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, and the Hope Graffiti Wall. During certain months there is also the bats over lady bird lake and outdoor concerts at Zilker or the Long Center.
History
Austin is full of rich history because over its life its been part of 5 different countries/interests. A great place to learn about Austin as well as Texas is by visiting the bullock museum. If you want to get exposed to a lot of Texas history and avoid paying for it, check out the Texas state capitol. The Texas Capitol offers free tours throughout the day in which they discuss the interesting transitions Texas has had as well as explain how the state government works. You can find the Texas state Capitol tour times here.
Want more insights on Austin? Check out our video about what to do in Austin!
