Austin Education Directory
Austin is the coolest city in the state by far. The capital of the state and home to a world-class university, Austin has grown a lot in recent years as high tech and movie companies have arrived. But it still has its unique, funky personality.
Things to See & Do:
- Zilker Park consists of over 350 acres on the south side of Town Lake, near downtown Austin. Bike or walk the 10-mile trail around the lake, rent a canoe, ride the Zilker Zephyr (a tiny train that loops around the park in less than half an hour). The park hosts an annual kite festival, a Shakespeare Festival each summer, as well as ballet and other performances.
- Take a dip in Barton Springs, also in Zilker Park. This spring-fed pool takes up three acres. You might want to start at the shallow end where the rocks have been baking in the sun, because the spring water is an extremely cold 68 degrees.
- Austin Museum of Art downtown is one of two museums operated by Laguna Gloria. The downtown site shows mostly 20th century modern and contemporary American art, with listening and reading stations and films to enhance your experience.
- The South Austin Museum of Popular Culture presents several exhibitions each year, with an emphasis on posters reflecting the history of Austin's music scene.
- Stroll through the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, and wander down the Drag (Guadalupe St.) for souvenirs or a bite to eat.
- Visit the Capitol Building—possibly the only pink capitol building in the country. See a history in pictures of the building's renovation and drop by the Visitors Center and the gift shop.
- The Congress Ave. Bridge is home to one of the largest colonies of Mexican freetailed bats in any urban area. No wonder there's no mosquito problem in the Texas Hill Country! The local newspaper, the Austin American-Statesman, has created a little park where people congregate each evening to watch the bats emerge. Or take a cruise along Town Lake at sunset to see this amazing sight.
Nightlife:
- Austin City Limits has been running on public television since the 1970s. Tickets to the taping are free but can be kind of complicated to get. Once in Austin, call the KLRU Hotline at (512) 475-9077 for instructions.
- Austin is famous for its music scene—countless artists have gotten their start here. If you're under 21, be sure to check with these venues to see if you can get in.
- Antone's on W. Fifth St.
- Emo's on Red River St.
- Stubb's Bar-B-Q on Red River St.
- Continental Club on S. Congress Ave.
- Lucky Lounge on W. Fifth St.
- Esther's Follies on Austin's famous Sixth St. has magic, vaudeville, improve, and biting parody.
- Texas has great, inexpensive Tex-Mex food everywhere, and Austin is no exception:
- Baby Acapulco on Barton Springs Rd.
- El Azteca on E. 7th St.
- Trudy's Texas Star on W. 30th St.
- Vivo on Manor Rd.
- El Arroyo on W. 5th St.
Accommodation:
Students looking for reasonably priced lodging should contact these hotels for rates and availability:
- Radisson Hotel & Suites on E. Cesar Chavez St.
- Homestead Studios Suites on S. First St.
- Austin Village Motor Inn on Middle Lane
- Days Inn University on N. I-35 near U.T.
- La Quinta Inn on S. 1-36
Sports:
The Texas Longhorns play almost every imaginable men's or women's sport, but Austin has its pro teams as well: the Austin Ice Bats (hockey), Toros (National Basketball Development League), Wranglers (Arena Football League), and Round Rock Express (AAA minor league affiliate for the Houston Astros). Austin has every warm-weather sport you could want from swimming and boating, to hiking, biking, skateboarding, and more.
Transportation:
Capital Metro operates the city bus system, which has very reasonable fares. U.T. students, faculty, staff ride for free while all other students with ID ride for half price. Busses are equipped with lifts for wheelchairs. Visit www.capmetro.org for more information. The free downtown shuttle known as the 'Dillo hits most of the major tourist spots. Austin is also friendly to bikes and pedestrians, but for outlying areas you'll probably still need a car.
