In September, 2009 I made a quick three-day weekend trip to Austin to visit UCPlanner while he was there on business.  I had a pretty good time although I didn't nearly get to see everything that I wanted to...so I might have to head back again sometime soon.  I was able to grab some photos while we were there though.  Enjoy!

 

1. I just had to get a photo of these sexy two-wheelers parked along E. 7th Street.

 

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3. On the famous E. 6th Street (aka Old Pecan Street) area the Pecan Street Festival was taking place with lots of music, food and people.

 

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5. UCPlanner breaks for some lemonade.

 

6. Wish I remember the name of the band playing here because they were pretty darn good.

 

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8. One of the few cosmopolitan feeling areas of Austin.

 

9. There were lots of pedicabs all over the downtown area, and they were quite heavily used.

 

10. Looking north along Congress Avenue towards the Texas State Capital.

 

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12. The Texas State Capital building is impressive and looms over the city by design. It is the largest state capital building in the United States and the third tallest.

 

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14. Lots of "flair" on the grounds of the Texas State Capital.

 

15. Looking south back into downtown Austin.

 

16. Tourists and wedding parties filled the Texas State Capital on the weekend.

 

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20. Inside the Texas House of Representatives Chamber.

 

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22. Looking out from the Texas House of Representatives Chamber towards downtown.

 

23. Back out onto the streets now with Segways!

 

24. I wish I could have been around for the famous Austin City Limits Music Festival...maybe in 2010.

 

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27. Looking back at the Texas State Capital from further south along Congress Avenue.

 

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29. The Paramount and State theatres along Congress Avenue in downtown Austin.

 

30. Built in 1915, the Paramount Theatre is a live theatre/movie venue that has hosted the premiers of movies like Batman and Sin City.

 

31. No, I did not take this young man up on his offer. I can not speak for UCPlanner though.

 

32. More of those damn Segways.

 

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34. Austin takes aim at that pesky Wolf Camera chain.

 

35. Back in the Pecan Street Festival area now at E. 6th Street and Brazos Street.

 

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38. You practically trip over live music in Austin.

 

39. This one may be my favorite shot of the bunch.

 

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43. The historic structures along Old Pecan Street stand in the shadows of newer high rises that keep popping up.

 

44. Yes, bas ass fajitas.

 

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48. Hook 'em Horns...I guess.

 

49. Before I headed back to the airport for my flight to Atlanta we stopped for coffee at the Flightpath Coffee House in the bohemian Hyde Park neighborhood.

Quite a few shots not showing up, but the ones that are look good! :-)

Yeah, quite a few are X's but the ones I see are nice!

Yeah sorry...they uploaded at an incorrect size.  I'm reloading them now, so everything should be good within the next few minutes.

Ahh...now I see it.  Nice!

Great thread! Austin is looking really good, and I enjoyed the interior views of the state capitol.

 

^I had a lot of fun in Austin, but I could never live there.  I do look forward to going back to see the rest of the city and checking out a few more notable places outside of the downtown area.

Looks quality. Why couldn't you live there? It's liberal, has a large university, and is much warmer than Ohio.

Looks quality. Why couldn't you live there? It's liberal, has a large university, and is much warmer than Ohio.

 

It's got a very small town feel to it, plus the housing stock is low-quality.  Once you get outside of the new areas in many southern cities you are encountered with depressed feeling neighborhoods even though that may not even be the case.  Plus I wouldn't want to go through the trouble of applying for citizenship in the nation of Texas.

Austin = The Hotness.

Looks like Michigan's state capital except there's no giant coal power plant right next to it. 

Looks quality. Why couldn't you live there? It's liberal, has a large university, and is much warmer than Ohio.

 

Austin is a not a very nice place to be from May till September. The heat is ridiculous. My wife has a lot of family there, so I've been there a bunch of times.

Doesn't look too bad!  I'd love to visit Texas sometime and see some of these cities in person.

I love any city with the nerve to boil its development guidelines down to three words.

 

I really enjoyed Austin when I was there. Thanks for the pics!

Someone said that Austin was a bit like Louisville. Outside of the more vibrant music scene at Austin, I can see why.

I love the pedicabs and would love to see them up here.  I wonder they'd be street legal in most other places, or if a specific ordinance had to be passed to allow them.

 

  I think there is no law restrictng pedicabs in Ohio except that they are prohibited on Interstates and certain highways.

 

 

I love the pedicabs and would love to see them up here.  I wonder they'd be street legal in most other places, or if a specific ordinance had to be passed to allow them.

 

I think for the most part they're unregulated.  NYC recently passed a first of its kind regulation over pedicabs that requires them to register and what not.  So far it has not gone over well with the struggling pedicab industry there.

Someone said that Austin was a bit like Louisville. Outside of the more vibrant music scene at Austin, I can see why.

 

I've only driven through Louisville (about 30 times) and I've been to Austin many times. My impression is that Louisville has a lot more Pre-WWII architecture. What is your impression?

It does, over Austin considerably. But I would say Austin has a much more thriving arts and music scene. Louisville has a large underground music movement that is known nationally (stemming from ear X-tacy and other large festivals), but the city just doesn't have spontaneous music scenes that Randy photographed.

It does, over Austin considerably. But I would say Austin has a much more thriving arts and music scene. Louisville has a large underground music movement that is known nationally (stemming from ear X-tacy and other large festivals), but the city just doesn't have spontaneous music scenes that Randy photographed.

 

I'll be in Austin this weekend and early next week. What struck me last time that I was there was how desolate the 6th St area was when the bars weren't open (morning and afternoon). It is crazy at night, but a ghost town otherwise.

Thanks for the shots!!  I am definitively impressed by the amount of vibrancy in downtown...  Its certainly looks like a nice place to visit

I will say that downtown Austin was quite lifeless outside of the festival area where all the activity was, and I would assume that during non-event times that even E. 6th Street could be somewhat lifeless during the day.

 

As for the Austin/Louisville comparison, I think it's somewhat odd, but I'll bite.  Austin's economy is set on completely different standards than Louisville's and is much more technology focused.  Austin also has a tremendously younger population and their music scene is known world-wide and surely helped by one of the largest universities in the United States and the liberal oasis of Texas.

 

Louisville, on the other hand, has a much older and well-built housing stock.  It is obviously more Midwestern than Austin which is obviously more southern.  I would also give Louisville's downtown and older neighborhoods an edge over Austin's...but I give Austin the edge in terms of things happening and positive vibe which often goes to the faster growth southern cities.

It does, over Austin considerably. But I would say Austin has a much more thriving arts and music scene. Louisville has a large underground music movement that is known nationally (stemming from ear X-tacy and other large festivals), but the city just doesn't have spontaneous music scenes that Randy photographed.

 

I'll be in Austin this weekend and early next week. What struck me last time that I was there was how desolate the 6th St area was when the bars weren't open (morning and afternoon). It is crazy at night, but a ghost town otherwise.

 

Ditto.  I was there when it was quite dead as well.  I honestly didn't care for Austin when I was there (except for the food) and Louisville's annihilates it.

Louisville also has Ollie's Trolleys.