City of Austin
Austin | Attractions/Shopping | Culture/Arts | Sports | Dining/Nightlife/Entertainment
Austin
In a city where the music never stops, live music plays at more than 100 venues on any given night. Austin certainly lives up to it's reputation as the "Live Music Capital of the World". The capitol city of Texas boasts a vibrant nightlife and more than 120 unique restaurants in just downtown alone. The city's unofficial motto is "Keep Austin Weird," which is symbolic of Austin's easy-going nature, eclectic mix of people, and cultural uniqueness. Austin's stunning landscape of beautiful gardens, rolling hills, scenic lakes and spectacular skyline, dazzle both locals and visitors alike. Whether you're headed outside for a day of hiking, canoeing or cycling, or headed indoors to check out world-class museums, performing arts or the historic Texas state capitol building, Austin has something for everyone.
Austin fosters the same energy of community and innovation upon which the GDC Online is founded. Sometimes called "Silicon Hills", Austin is home to over 100+ high-tech companies and 60+ game development studios. Discover why the city of Austin is not only a fitting conference location, but also a lively destination with cultural depth.
Attractions & Shopping
The Texas State Capitol
A grand, red-granite edifice befitting the Lone Star state, this building was completed in 1888 in Renaissance Revival style. The nation's largest state capitol, Austin's landmark can be seen from throughout the city, and its visual prominence is protected by law. Named to the National Register of Historic Places, the structure also offers lovely grounds and, thanks to major expansions in 1993, still houses a host of government offices.
Bats of the Congress Avenue Bridge
Between March and November, more than a million-and-a-half free-tail bats spend their summer days under this prominent bridge (whose structure facilitates their habitats) and come out in the darkness to catch and eat thousands of pounds of insects nightly. It's quite an awe-inspiring spectacle to behold and can take all the bats more than a half-hour to take flight at times of heaviest concentration. The best time to catch sight of the bats is around 8:30pm.
Sixth Street
Likely Texas' best known street, the seven blocks of 6th Street between Congress and IH 35 are certainly Austin's entertainment center. With a little help from it's many like-minded sister streets, 6th Street is the heart of Austin's live entertainment scene and the capital of third coast music. Going West from the entertainment area, West Sixth Street offers another suprise with antique stores, art galleries, hair salons, restaurants, and lot's of eclectic shops.
University of Texas at Austin
The sprawling University of Texas, one of the largest universities in the United States, flanks the capitol's north end. Among other things, it is home to both the Blanton Museum of Art and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum. UT's northwestern border is flanked by Guadalupe Street, which for these blocks is known as The Drag, a fun and funky student-centered commercial strip.
Read more about Austin's attractions here.
Shopping
Austin boasts one-of-a-kind shopping finds with an eclectic array of shops and boutiques to break the bank. Head to South Congress, or SoCo, for unique and vintage treasures from apparel to jewelry, artwork and more. For high-end shopping, to bargain shopping at the outlet stores, there's no shortage of shops to go around.
Culture & Arts
Austin is not only home to the University of Texas and the Texas State Capitol, but the vibrant city also boasts an impressive number of museums. From state history to natural sciences, an unbelievable amount of information is showcased in an entertaining and informative manner at Austin's top museums.
Sports
Austin is known for its outstanding collegiate facilities, but take a closer look and you'll see that the city is more than just an award-winning college town. The largest city in the United States without a club in a major professional sports league, Austin proudly houses first-class facilities for a variety of sporting events from triathlons to ice hockey and every sport in between. The locals bleed orange - the University of Texas Longhorns are the city and state's pride and joy.
Dining, Nightlife & Entertainment
Dining
Austin's restaurant scene is cotinuously diversifying to accommodate the tastes and cultures of newcomers. From microbreweries to tapas bars, the city's eateries now rival San Francisco's in volume, with one for every 300 residents in the metropolitain area. Austin hosts a plethora of unique dining options with Texas flair including Tex-Mex, BBQ inspired, and fine dining.
Read more about local Austin restaurants and recomendations here.
Nightlife & Entertainment
Austin's city center holds more than commercial high-rises and government offices—urban lofts, sidewalk eateries and local boutiques sit scattered abound. Come nighttime, the of-age crowd zeroes in on the bars and sources of trendy imbibements featured on the soon-to-be-renamed Willie Nelson Boulevard, and for excellent reason. Ever wonder why Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World? Austin, hosts nearly 200 venues and is home to thousands of musicians. Which means you can catch a show any day of the week, at almost any time.
Read more information on Austin's live music scene here.
Performing Arts
Austin has a strong performing arts culture, with a creative community filled with designers, painters, sculptors, dancers, filmmakers, and musicians producing a variety of work. Public art and performances in the parks and on bridges are popular. From live theater performances, ballet company productions, and a growing improv comedy scene, let the artistic side of Austin inspire and entertain you!
Read more about Austin's theaters and performing arts here.
