East Austin

 

East Austin is an urban area that welcomes people from all walks of life: young professionals, students, artists, families, and retirees. Quality of life is important, and residents enjoy a hip area with many restaurants, vintage shops, boutiques, shopping centers, a fun nightlife, and lots of outdoor activities. It’s all walkable, too, which makes it easy to immerse yourself in the eclectic culture of the neighborhood. Emphasis is on local businesses and the lives of the residents.

 

Locals enjoy unique neighborhoods that each have their charm. Some of them, like the Swede Hill neighborhood, go back to the historic 1870s with original structures still on site. Others, such as the “burbs” neighborhoods of Windsor Park and Dellwood, offer parks with old oaks and scenic avenues. Everything from the very old to the entirely new has a way of blending and working. The architecture consists of historic buildings and homes, modern apartments, townhouses, condominiums, and single-family homes.

• Live music capital of the world
• Many restaurants, delis, cafes, and boutiques
• Unique public art and street murals
• Lots of cool nightclubs, bars, and breweries
• Museums, art galleries, and fairs
• Many educational venues for history buffs

Growing and buying organic food is a big part of life in East Austin. Residents can take part in the Community Gardens Program, in which they grow food on individual plots and participate in community gardens and orchards. It’s all about sustainability and keeping things local. It’s also part of the “Keep Austin Weird” movement, an Austin Independent Business Alliance slogan for promoting unique small businesses in the area. What could be more unique than your own garden plot on city-owned land?

Get ready for the best BBQ in Austin at Franklin Barbecue, and their jalapeno cheddar sausage with a side of potato salad is worth it. Salt & Time is an Eastside hipster butcher and restaurant all in one, and the slayer chopper dinner is delicious. Or head over to Suerte, where you will fall in love with a ‘rita and suadero confit brisket tacos. For an evening out, The White Horse saloon is a country bar where you can learn to do the two-step to live music.

 

Enjoy the French Legation, a museum and restored historic site in Austin's oldest standing framed structure, focused on France’s role in Texas history. Active folks can check out the whole city with the Austin Electric Bike Tour, with stops at museums and historical landmarks and lunch at a local restaurant like Nasha, where they fuse Tex-Mex and Indian food for something new and delightful. It’s eco-friendly and easy on the legs. For weekend fun on Lady Bird Lake, there are also kayak and canoe rentals from Rowing Dock. 

Check out the Austin skyline while you golf at the Morris Williams Golf Course, and then sit back and have some lunch at their Fairways Cantina. Outdoor lovers will adore the Fiesta Gardens, a park for picnicking, hiking, and biking along Lady Bird Lake. History buffs will find themselves enthralled at the Texas State Cemetery, the final resting place of the most famous people throughout the history of Texas. Learning their history helps to steer the vision and direction of the present.

East Austin is served by the Austin Independent School District and is notable for the following schools.