Plan your visit
Austin by neighborhood
Where to eat, hear music and wander, area by area.
Most of what visitors come for sits within a few miles of the Capitol. Here's how the center of the city fits together.
Downtown and Red River
Downtown runs from the Capitol down Congress Avenue to Lady Bird Lake. Sixth Street is the city's best-known nightlife strip, and the Red River Cultural District, a few blocks east, packs in many of Austin's live music clubs. At downtown's southern edge, Rainey Street is a row of old bungalows turned into bars.
South Congress
Across the river, South Congress Avenue, or SoCo, is lined with boutiques, vintage shops, restaurants and food trucks, with the Capitol framed at the north end of the street. The Continental Club has been booking live music here for decades, and the Congress Avenue Bridge, home to the bats, is a short walk north.
East Austin
East of Interstate 35, East Sixth Street and the blocks around it mix bars, breweries, food trucks and murals with some of the city's best-known barbecue. The neighborhood has deep Mexican American and African American roots, and longtime taquerias and family restaurants sit alongside newer spots.
Zilker and Barton Springs
Just southwest of downtown, Zilker Metropolitan Park holds Barton Springs Pool, the Zilker Botanical Garden and the lawns where the Austin City Limits Music Festival sets up each fall. Barton Springs Road, along the park's edge, is lined with casual restaurants, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt starts nearby.
The University and Hyde Park
North of the Capitol, the University of Texas campus is home to the Blanton Museum of Art and the Harry Ransom Center, with the Bullock Texas State History Museum at its southern edge. Hyde Park, just north of campus, is a leafy neighborhood of older homes, coffee shops and neighborhood restaurants.
The Domain
In North Austin, the Domain is an outdoor district of shops, restaurants and bars, a short drive from the center.
Neighborhood questions
Downtown or South Congress. Both are walkable, with restaurants, live music and the lake close by, and it's easy to get a rideshare from either.
Clubs cluster on Red River Street and Sixth Street downtown, on South Congress and in East Austin, with more venues across town. The events calendar shows who's playing tonight.
All over town, often parked together in food truck parks, with clusters on South Congress, in East Austin and along Barton Springs Road.
