A Walk About Austin
I had the opportunity to visit Austin, Texas for the first time, in April. Austin is a great small town, even though it is America’s 11th largest city. I was only there for twenty-four hours but I found plenty of time to be a judge for the creative OMA awards as part of the Shop! Marketplace event at the Palmer Center, as well as spend an afternoon walking downtown.
World famous Terry Black’s BBQ in downtown Austin, Texas.
After arriving I settled into my boutique hotel accommodations at Canopy Austin Downtown. The hotel, conveniently located in the heart of it all on W. 6th Street, has and absolutely cool vibe to it. There is a wonderful outdoor atrium that separates the casual lobby from an indoor bar and dining area. There are electric bikes you can rent right on sight. Neat art and vignettes abound in and around the small hotel compound. The rooms are well detailed in a traditional boutique hotel manner, and comfortable.
There are a myriad of bars within walking distance of the hotel. I had gotten some insider information from my Lyft driver as we drove in from the airport and knew that W. 6th Street’s personality changed every few blocks from older more sedate crowds to rowdier college crowds. In addition to outdoor seating, live music was seemingly intrinsic to every bar, I noticed as I took a stroll before dinner. Austin has a long history as a music town, not unlike my beloved hometown of Cleveland, and other places such as Detroit, Memphis, Seattle, and Nashville.
With one dinner to spend in Austin, I met my brother at the world famous Terry Black’s BBQ. Terry’s is an open table, cafeteria type set up and there was a huge crowd of people. We made our way through the line grabbing a few beers, slices of bread, and selected sides to go with our brisket. The meal was delicious and the smoky tastes stay fondly with you in your mind long after you’ve cleaned off your tray. We enjoyed a wonderful night conversing, and enjoying the outdoor seating, albeit while dodging rain drops. The overall atmosphere was relaxed and authentic. It’s likely that no one feels like it is their first trip to Austin when they visit Terry’s.
Maybe now I’m 3/16th Texan after that meal.
I was flying out the evening of day two, so after wrapping up OMA judging I took my own made up self guided walking tour that took me from the Palmer Events Center, past the Library, to the Texas Toy Museum from which I departed to the airport. Fun fact: the Palmer Events Center has zero places to sit, so if you’re super tired don’t look for a place to rest and collect yourself. Walk on over to Starbucks and enjoy a seat and a coffee.
The rain of the previous day departed and left clearer skies and warmer temperatures - perfect for exploring this “new to me” city. Crossing from the south side of the river to the north side, I was intrigued by the multilevel park that adorns each bank and spans above the river, giving spectacular views of Austin’s diverse and growing skyline.
One of my first stops was to take a rest at the library. The only thing I checked out was the amazing lobby that stretches about four floors towards the sky. The open space features huge windows, and what must be one of the largest indoor clocks. The library is contemporary and has a feel that is educational and welcoming. Going out the back door you are greeted by a little park that points you back to W. Cesar Chavez Street, and a tiny little tributary feeding into the Colorado River. I love the matrix of paths and elevation changes you get near the river. There are a lot of smaller “pockets” of interest to go along with the grand views of the skyline. An artistic eye was applied to most of what one sees as they explore the city.
As an aside, nearly every person I talked to after I got back home asked if I saw the bats. No. But I saw where the bats were on the map but, you guys, I was super hungry and tired of walking so I skipped the bats under the South Congress Bridge.
Around lunch time I stopped for subs at Which Wich! which I didn’t know was a thing, but it provided sustenance and it’s interior was clean and stylish for a sub chain, including a self ordering kiosk.
Near the lunch spot, I paused to read the marker for ‘Austin City Limits’ (ACL) and gaze at the Willie Nelson statue. I don’t know much about Austin’s music history, but I know Willie and have heard of ACL so it was pretty neat to be standing on the corner of Willie Nelson Way Boulevard (2nd Street).
As I continued to wander I stopped in at Wild About Music and spent about an hour in there exploring. The best part of the shop was there was a tuxedo cat. Beyond that fantastic feline friend, other high points included an extensive band T-shirt offering and excellent customer service. I spent half my time hemming and hawing over a shirt that I ended up getting even though it doesn’t fit me very well. I’ll aspire to fit in it properly by time the holidays get here.
With my shirt and some souvenirs in hand, my last stop before the airport was the Texas Toy Museum on Congress Avenue. This home grown hole in the wall attraction was a lot of fun. I wish I had more time to spend there but I was able to gaze upon all the toys from my childhood. Many of the collections were broad and seemingly complete. There was a scavenger hunt that I tried feebly, as it was easy to get overwhelmed and distracted and forget your’e supposed to be finding Waldo in order to get a bonus sticker pick out of the basket. For the price of admission you get to play all of their vintage video games as much as you want during your visit. I saddled up to Oregon Trail and barely made it to Colorado, but I had to go.
In closing, Austin is an incredible city that will require many more days for me to fully explore and experience. Universally, the city did a great job of creating interesting experiences to create fond memories by yourself or with a friend. There is good attention to detail, and an authenticity that creates a uniquely Austin point of view on how to show up for guests.
I look forward to going back soon!
We are always out and about in the world getting inspired by the world around us, including going to cities we’ve never been to (and been to before). If you want us to help you create memorable experiences for your guests, give us a holler. We look forward to working with you. Call me at 330.858.8926 or email me at chris@neon-carrot.com