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Five Fun Things to do South of the River

By
Real Estate Agent with Sherlock Homes Frisco TREC #574729

South AustinSouth Austin is an invaluable part of Austin's renowned kitsch and culture.  It embodies the saying, "Keep Austin Weird", better than almost any other area of Austin.  Here you can find shops, dining, parks, street festivals and live music.  Here is a quick list of five of the most fun things to do in South Austin:

  1. Barton Springs/Zilker Park:  If you love swimming in insanely cold water on an insanely hot day, then you've surely heard of Barton Springs.  If not, well, let's just say the water stays 65 degrees year round.  That might not sound too cold but let me assure you, you will want to jump in all at once in this water.  During the Winter it's not so bad, as long as it's under 65 outside!  There are also canoe rentals for rowing down the river on a beautiful Spring day.  And let's not forget the Zilker Flyer, every Austin kid's favorite train ride around the park.  In the Winter, Zilker Park is home to the Trail of Lights and the huge Christmas Tree of lights spiraling from the Moon Tower.  It's up right now - walk under it, look up, and spin in circles!  Even better is to do this with a friend to see who falls down first.
  2. Stroll down South Congress on First Thursday:  First Thursdays are a great time to see the best that South Congress (aka "SoCo") has to offer.  Here you can take a look at all the great kitschy costume shops like Electric Ladyland or Lucy in Disguise.  Or you can grab a slice of some of the finest pizza in Austin at Home Slice Pizza.  There are also a number of street vendors selling hand made and locally produced goods, as well as a plethora of live music.  Then again, come to think of it, it's hard to go somewhere in Austin where there isn't a plethora of live music, which is what makes Austin so great.
  3. Visit the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture:  Established in 2004, this is a uniquely Austin sight.  It's located behind the Planet K on South Lamar and features art from Austin's own.  There is also a great memorial wall of dearly departed Texas pop culture icons.  There are about five events per year showcasing artwork, though there is art up on the walls of this outdoor exhibit year round.
  4. Rock Out at the Saxon Pub:  Many of Austin's greats have played and continue to play at the Saxon Pub, one of South Austin's greatest night clubs.  It's not fancy but you're sure to hear some great rock.  Bob Schneider is a regular here, as is the former keyboardist of the Small Faces and the Faces, Ian "Mac" MacLaughlin.
  5. See the Bats on the Congress Avenue Bridge:  From Mid-March to early November, approximately 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats live underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge.  They come out to feed at sunset and it is one of the can't-miss sights that Austin has to offer.  Just be sure to bring an umbrella!  Don't ask why, but you will thank me later.  There are several places to view the bats from all along the river.

 

Garreth Wilcock is a Realtor working in South, Central and East AustinSearch Austin homes for sale at his website.

Comments (4)

Will Goodson
Sheffield Properties/Private Label Realty - Austin, TX

Great post, Garreth.  Those are all great things to do in 78704.  I'm a big fan of First Thursday and Saxon Pub.  A friend of mine is in a band that plays on Tuesday nights (Uncle Lucius) at Saxon.  They're great... check them out sometime.

Dec 21, 2009 04:38 AM
Anonymous
John Els

Very nice post Gareth! The bats at the Congress avenue bridge was the first Austin attraction we saw when we moved to Austin 11 years ago. What a sight that was! Anyhow, if any of your readers were wondering about other things to do in Austin, I wrote a page about things to do in Austin.

Happy Holidays!

John

Dec 21, 2009 05:38 AM
#2
Garreth Wilcock
Sherlock Homes Frisco - Frisco, TX
Sherlock Homes Frisco

Thanks Will. I'm a bit Anglosaxon myself.

Dec 21, 2009 10:53 PM
Garreth Wilcock
Sherlock Homes Frisco - Frisco, TX
Sherlock Homes Frisco

Hey John - you're the king of fun things in Austin it looks like!

Dec 21, 2009 10:54 PM