Austin, Texas is hip, hot and weird.

It’s eclectic and electric, bringing together aspiring musicians of all sorts, foodies, a thriving tech sector, politicians — it is the Capital of the Lone Star State, after all — and 40,000-plus University of Texas students.

What’s it all add up to? Well, according to many, it adds up to Austin being the best place to live in the country.¹ And lots of folks are living the high life. Yes, Austin is also the fastest growing city in America. (It’s been stuck in a permenant boom since the mid-1800s.)²

But don’t worry, while you may need a reservation to land a table at Guild or wait in line to get into Sixth Street’s finest drinking establishments, the crowds are still manageable. And better yet, you don’t need to live in the Live Music Capital of the World to appreciate its Texas-sized heaping of cuisine, entertainment and in-your-face oddities. You can simply swing by for a visit and belly up to the honky-tonk bar, food truck or swank Tex-Mex spot with 20 million new friends. Yes, that home many folks are making their way to Austin each year.³

So, what are you waiting for?

I made my first extended trip to Austin this past Spring, and together with a little bit of help from my friends and locals, will give you the skinny on how to live large in Bat City (yes, another Austin nickname.)

When in Austin, Be Weird.

It’s the local mantra, tourism tagline, and really just a way of life the reverberates throughout Austin: “Keep Austin Weird.”

Read between the lines and you can glean that Austin residents living in a spicy fondue of ethnicities, cultures and lifestyles want to keep and embrace their weirdness, especially as more and more folks call the city home. So, what does it mean to be (and stay) weird?
Here are a few examples…

• Going Batty: Austin claims the world’s largest city-dwelling bat colony on Earth. Of course it does. The nocturnal creepers, about 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, like to chill under the Congress Avenue Bridge between March and October, escaping en masse at nighttime for dinner. The bats chow down on more than 10,000 lbs. of insects each night. There is even an observation center to watch it all go down.⁴ Sounds like the ultimate Austin first date, right?
• Where It Stinks to Win: Bingo games may sound more like the pace of life during a visit to Branson, Missouri, not Austin. But come out to The Little Longhorn Saloon for a bingo at its weirdest. Chicken $#!% Bingo is less about the luck of the draw and more about wherever a chicken decides to relieve itself.⁵ We think you get the picture. So eat before you come — and good luck!
• Herding Up Fun: GOGA, or goat yoga, is just what it sounds like, really. Grab a mat and do your best Downward Dog. Then don’t be weirded out when a goat climbs on your back and pitter patters around. We mentioned they’re baby goats, right? Cute little baby goats. You can find GOGA Goat Yoga studio downtown; don’t forget the hand sanitizer.

SXSW and the Austin Music Scene

Stop by a bar at Austin’s airport, and you’ll be treated to live jams better than a concert you actually paid to attend in other cities. Austin is famous for music venues and festivals, but perhaps the coolest part of its eclectic music scene is all the little unexpected spots you can hear genuinely good music, from street corners to Taqueiras, grocery stores and Terminal B of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. You may have heard of Austin City Limits, too, the venerable televised concert series that kicked off with Texas-only artists and transformed to include the likes of Pearl Jam, Neil Young and others.⁶

Things started really cooking for the Austin music in the ‘70s, when the city become an alternative to Nashville’s thriving country scene, drawing both stars and castaways who were turned off by the increasingly corporate atmosphere. Most notably, Willie Nelson bolted for Austin, and stars such as Stevie Ray Vaughan made their chops in Sixth Street venues. Soon, the city become a hotbed for the new wave and punk genre, showing early on that Austin wasn’t about one type of music, but about all types of music, and even mixing things up a bit.

But enough of the history lesson. Whether you know Austin or not, you’ve likely heard of South by Southwest (or SXSW as the cool kids call it). It was conceived by a group of Austin Chronicle staffers in the late ‘80s, when it overshot expectations out of the gates: 150 registrants quickly turned into an audience of 700. By 1995, attendance increased to nearly 5,000 registrants, and the focus on music opened up to “Film & Multimedia” as well. (Now called “SXSW Interactive,” the film and tech-geared expo and panel recently drew more than 70,000 participants, compared to the music festival’s 167,000-plus attendees.)⁷

On the music side, which combines up-and-coming talents with recognized acts, performers range from Australia’s Amy Shark to rapper Action Bronson. On the Interactive side, top speakers recently included Elon Musk, Bernie Sanders and director Darren Aronofsky. And this doesn’t include the hundreds of “unofficial” SXSW acts, ranging from A-listers to open-mic’ers looking for a big break.

SXSW is weird in its own right, and I can attest having attended SXSW Interactive. Here are three things that stood out about the festival and the city itself:

• Reality is not always what it seems. You might see a futuristic army walking down the street in the middle of the day, only to learn they’re hired extras promoting a new sci-fi flick. Likewise, entire buildings and blocks are taken over and rebranded with marketing messaging and interactive content. This past year, HBO built up a faux western town on the outskirts of Austin to promote its “Westworld” hit. By the end of a long week, I was questioning everything. For example, was the double-parked De Loreon a ticket waiting to happen or some sort of tie-in to a reboot of ‘80s film “Back to the Future?” And was that an actual mailman delivering actual mail — or something else altogether? You get the picture…
• It’s a global event. This isn’t a Texas thing, a southern thing or even a U.S. thing. SXSW is an international phenomenon. In fact, 22% of the attendees hailed from 101 nations.⁸
• Sleep is a precious commodity. Forget bitcoin or VIP passes and wristbands; sometimes sleep is the rarest of currency or luxury when you’re jetlagged and potentially able to take in shows and speakers 24/7. Without pacing yourself, you’re bound to hit the wall. This took me two days to figure out.

There is always a party in Austin, whether SXSW is in season or not. Some of the city’s most storied venues include the Paramount, the former site of the War Department of the Republic of Texas. The historic building and Congress Avenue mainstay packs a ton of character, playing host to everything from touring musical acts and comedy stars to film screenings. Another reliable Austin option is the Continental Club, home to country and swing bands; be sure you know where to stick you boot before jumping in line. And if you want a more intimate space, try the upstairs for jazz and locally curated artwork.⁹

Of course, no trip to Austin is complete without a trip down aforementioned Sixth Street, or “Dirty Sixth” as locals call it. Join tourists, college students and others at spots including Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, and yes, even Coyote Ugly, for some bar top dancing and Jell-O shooters… if that’s your thing.

BBQ & Beyond

Here’s the thing about Austin: You could ask 100 locals the best place to eat, and you could receive 100 different answers. And guess what? They’re all be something to write home about

At its heart, Austin is a true meat market. You’ll find oak-smoked BBQ and Tex-Mex creations in abundance, as well as food truck courts, plenty of vegan options and everything, really. Here are a few spots I frequented — and was not disappointed.

• ATX Cocina: This newer entry in Downtown Austin is in the running for my all-time favorite meal. Some of it has to do with the service; our server described each dish in exquisite detail, with each recommendation stronger than the last. And he was happy to talk to the bar or kitchen to accommodate special requests, such as blending up jalapeño in the margaritas and fixing up Mexican coffee cocktails when they weren’t even on the menu. He was so good that at the end of the meal, we hugged and took a photo together. (What, you’ve never done that?). Even better, the food lived up, from savory duck tacos to a delicious Tex-Mex take on Branziano. Add a contemporary décor that’s still casual enough to pull off shorts and flip-flops, and you’ve got more than a meal — you have an unforgettable experience.

• Lambert’s: You knew barbecue had to make the cut, right? Lambert’s boasts about its “Fancy Barbecue” and it was dressed up just right to hit the spot while standing out. The Wild Boar Ribs are a signature item. And my pork chop special was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and ringing with flavor. Stick around afterward for the lively music scene on the second floor of the bustling Second Street dining destination.
• Contigo: This is the quintessential Austin dining experience: a laid back, open-air eatery built on a sprawling ranch, complete with lights strung up above tables, kids having a ball, and a relaxed pace hanging over the entire place. The East Austin spot is supposedly known as the place that Austin locals bring their visitors to convince them to make the move there. And after mowing down some rabbit dumplings and downing a Rosie Dove cocktail, you might be inclined to visit a few open houses in the morning.¹⁰

Go to all of these spots. Or go to none of them. It would be rare to find a disappointing meal in Austin, whether you’re hitting up the hot spot de jour, swinging by a food truck for a quick lunch, or even driving out to one of Austin’s established eateries, such as Salt lick, an off-the-grid meat market that only takes cash. (Don’t worry, they have an airport location, too.)

A patchwork of 270-plus-square-miles of patchwork of urban architecture and distinctive neighborhoods straddling the city limits, Austin is the rare city where sprawl and growth haven’t diluted its charm; they’ve grown it.¹¹ But that doesn’t give you an excuse to delay your visit. Ride into town for a long weekend and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Austin. There is a really good chance you’ll be back — maybe even for good.

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