Downtown, Austin, TX

It used to be that nobody lived in downtown Austin; it was just the place where people came to work and went out to drink. In recent years it has seen a resurgence, and new apartments and condominiums are sprouting up faster than weeds. Because space is limited downtown and the city center's new image is so upscale, these new buildings charge out the wazoo for rent, so it mainily attracts the wealthy crowd, specifically younger professionals. Rumor has it that some of the people who can afford downtown digs are New York professionals who want a second home. There are few families living downtown, as there are few actual homes -- mainly just high-rise apartments and condos. It mainly attracts singles and couples.

If you're a social butterfly, downtown is where you want to be. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants all across downtown, and if you live here, you can walk to many of them.

Some of downtown Austin's best upscale restaurants include Kenichi, Eddie V's, Truluck's, Sullivan's, Capitol Brasserie, Bess Bistro (actress Sandra Bullock's restaurant), Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and Aquarelle. If you just want a good burger, stop at Hut's or Casino El Camino, both of which are known for their beefy goodness. Thai Tara is known for its tasty pad thai and Noodle-ism is a great stop for Asian noodle dishes. Katz's Deli sits atop Momo's, a live music venue and bar, and is open 24/7, so after a great show, walk downstairs and eat some matzoh ball soup and cheesecake. Great Mexican food and margaritas can be found at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, which used to be the house for MTV's Real World Austin.

One of the best parts about downtown's venues is that many of them are both bars and restaurants, so you can go to grab a drink, eat a meal, or both. Some of the best spots for delicious drinks and tasty foods at the same time are 219 West, J. Black's Feelgood Lounge, Lanai, Cuba Libre, and Opal Divine's.

Sixth Street is covered in bars. They are mostly casual and overrun by college students and young people. Cheers Shot Bar is a fun place for flavorful shots with odd names, and The Library is a fun place to grab some beers and shoot some pool. You can head over to the Warehouse District, off Fourth Street, for bars that attract a slightly older crowd, such as the Ginger Man and SIX.

The major live music venues in the area include Stubb's, Emo's, Momo's, Antone's, the Parish Room, and La Zona Rosa. There are also many smaller venues that feature live music, such as Lucky Lounge and the Beauty Bar. If you're not sure where to start, just walk down Red River or Sixth Street and you will be bombarded with tunes.

Living in downtown Austin may make you the coolest amongst your friends, but when it comes to paying rent, they'll be glad it's you and not them footing the bill. As these new chic living accommodations take over downtown, prices are going up and up, and you don't get a whole lot of property for that price tag, either. Most average people cannot afford these places.

If you can afford to rent a hip loft or apartment downtown, however, there's plenty of value to be had, though it's not going to be in your square footage. Instead, you are within walking distance of hundreds of restaurants, bars, clubs, and numerous festivals and events. That will save you money on gas or cab rides and make going out easy as pie. Parking is generally provided for tenants, so you don't need to worry about that. If you work downtown, you could even walk to your office.

Here's the deal: If you love downtown Austin and frequent it often, and you have a fat wallet, you'll love your quality of life here. You'll be right in the mix of things and can enjoy walking to venues from your home, which is rare around here. But if you're looking for a roomy home to start a family in or reasonably affordable accommodations, you won't find them here. Prices are extremely high and what you get for that price isn't much. This is slightly unsettling to long-time Austinites, who hate seeing rent getting so unusually expensive in downtown, as it may be an indication of things to come for the rest of the city.

The bad news: Parking in downtown Austin just plain sucks. If you live in an apartment or condo in downtown Austin, you will mostly likely have parking provided for you. But if you have guests coming to visit, things might get tricky. There are numerous parking meters around downtown, which are free on evenings and weekends, but those spots fill up fast. Free street parking without meters is a rarity, and people will fight to the death for a spot. There are numerous paid lots all throughout downtown, but depending on the night and location, you can expect to pay anything from $5 - $10. If you don't mind shelling out the cash, you're all set, but if you don't want to pay to park, I wish you the best. Girls, be careful what shoes you wear. Sometimes you'll have to park half a mile away or more, and in 4-inch heels, that's not so fun.

The good news: If you live downtown, you don't have to drive your car to go out and drink, eat, or shop -- just walk out your door and start walking. Downtown Austin is compact and has so much to offer. Most bars and restaurants downtown have no parking of their own, so being able to stroll down there without a car (and without an expensive cab ride) is a huge convenience that few Austinites get to experience.

Capital Metro bus stops also frequent downtown, so if you don't want to mess with your car at all (or if you've found a great street spot and don't want to lose it) hop on the bus instead. It's only 75 cents per ride.

The best advice here is to be prepared to spend a lot of money on rent. If you have a large budget and are prepared to pay very high rent to live in the most in-demand part of town, by all means, do so. You will have the time of your life, especially if you enjoy an active nightlife and are very social.

If you want to live downtown but your budget is tight, remember that other parts of Austin, such as South Congress, are still very close to downtown but tend to have much more reasonable prices (in the older complexes, at least). South Congress also has homes for rent, which downtown generally does not.

One major factor to consider when looking at downtown rentals is the noise factor. If you're going to be way up in a high-rise or on the outskirts of downtown, you have nothing to worry about. But if you're going to be located right on Sixth Street, especially if in a more traditional apartment complex, remember that downtown Austin is party central on the weekends, and the bars and clubs are open until 2 a.m. People get loud and drunk, and if your second-story window overlooks Sixth Street, you'll need some earplugs. If you're a party animal yourself, this may not bother you, but if you're a light sleeper or go to bed early, this may not be the best area for you.

It's possible to have a pet in downtown Austin, but especially if you want a dog, it's not easy. First, there's not much greenery -- downtown consists mainly tall high-rises, offices, garages, and concrete roads. There's Waterloo Park on 15th Street, which is a great place for a nice, long walk with the dog, but in terms of day-to-day potty breaks, it's slim pickings.

Also, downtown has very few homes. If you live in a regular apartment complex in downtown Austin (which isn't very common) you'll only need to go down a flight or stairs or two to walk the dog. But if you live in one of the many new high-rise apartment or condo buildings, you'll have to take a long elevator ride downstairs every time the pup has to pee.

Downtown Austin just isn't very dog-friendly. It's a busy part of town focused on business and partying, but it definitely doesn't feel like a neighborhood, where people are out walking their dogs all the time. You might be best off with an indoor cat.

Downtown Austin is the most busy, exciting, eventful part of town, so if you live here, you'll never be at a loss for things to do. Downtown is covered in live music venues -- some, like Stubb's and Emo's, are specifcally for live music, and you have to pay for a ticket or cover to get in. Other places like the Blind Pig Pub are primarily bars that happen to have live music playing, so you only pay for drinks. If you are a music lover, you will be in heaven here, especially on Sixth Street and on Red River.

Downtown is also packed with clubs and bars to fit every crowd and budget. Sixth Street is packed with bars and is most often frequented by the college crowd. The Warehouse District (Fourth Street area) is becoming a hip area for the young professional crowd as the bars are a little more upscale. The West Sixth Street area has some fun bars, as well, and also usually attracts the post-college crowd.

There are many other live entertainment venues downtown, as well. The Paramount Theater features many famous comedians, speakers, and dance troupes, and Esther's Follies puts on a hilarious comedy show. The Alamo Drafthouse downtown shows some regular movies, but also plays many quirky and old movies, and sometimes singalongs, often with food served to go along with the theme.

When you're living downtown, you're just around the corner from Town Lake (now called Lady Bird Lake) and the hike and bike trail, so you can easily go kayaking or canoeing, take the dog for a nice walk, or go for a run with friends.

There are also many festivals and events downtown. The Austin Farmers Market happens downtown every Saturday morning, and is a prime place to buy fresh and local foods and enjoy tasty treats. The semi-annual Pecan Street Festival happens on Sixth Street, where you can enjoy a huge arts and crafts festival, live music, food, and more. The Bat Fest happens once a year and brings food, music, vendors, and a viewing of the bats emerge from underneath Congress Avenue bridge at dusk. The Republic of Texas Rally, a huge biker event, happens every year and has many fun events downtown.

Sixth Street is what downtown is really known for. This popular road stretches from I-35 to Mopac and contains dozens of live music venues, bars, lounges, and restaurants. The central part of the street gets rowdy at night and primarily attracts the college crowd, but as you start heading west, the bars begin attracting a slightly older crowd.

If you're a live music lover, Red River is where you want to be. Numerous clubs line the street, and every night music pours out of every one of them. These primarily feature rock music, but some feature different genres.

Fourth Street, in the Warehouse District, is a newly popular area that features more upscale bars than Sixth Street, and hence attracts more professionals than college students.

Because downtown is still primarily Austin's business center, there are banks on practically ever corner. Citi, Bank of America, Frost, Chase -- whatever you need, you'll find it. Just drive or walk around for a few moments and you'll easily find a branch of your bank.

Whole Foods is the main grocery store in downtown Austin. Located at the corner of Sixth Street and Lamar is the Whole Foods headquarters, so it is a behemoth. In addition to being a regular grocery store, there is an enormous to-go section with every type of food station imaginable (chocolate, pizza, pasta, Japanese, etc.). There is also seating for dining, so many people come here for regular meals in addition to grocery shopping. The selection here is absolutely incredible, but parking is a huge pain -- the surface level parking is almost always full, so you will probably have to find a parking spot in the garage. Whole Foods is a fun place, but it's also pricey.

Austin's main grocery store, HEB, is nowhere to be found in downtown. There is one on East Seventh Street, Riverside Drive, and South Congress and Oltorf, none of which are too far of a drive, but there is not one in the immediate downtown area. While downtown is fun and hip and full of restaurants, there is not a traditional, major grocery store in the immediate area, which may be frustrating for some. There are some small, independent grocers where you can get the basics, such as Royal Blue Grocery on Third Street.

There are several gyms located in downtown. There is a Gold's Gym on Sixth Street, which is the most economical option. The next most economical option is Pure Austin Fitness, located on Fifth Street. The priciest option is Mecca Gym and Spa on Lamar, which has a cafe, on-site spa, and other luxurious amenities.

Downtown is not a great place to live for families. There are very few houses; almost all accomodations are apartments or condominums, many of which are high-rises or lofts. The city center is husting and bustling, full of office buildings, bars, banks, and restaurants, so there's no place where kids could just go bike around or play soccer in the street. There is no neighborhood feel downtown. There is Waterloo Park, and around the corner, the lake along with its hike and bike trail, but not much other grass to speak of. Downtown has the Austin's Children Museum, and is a fun place to bring the kids for a day out, but to most people, it's not a great spot to raise a family.

There are many areas just outside of downtown, such as Clarksville and South Congress, which are much more family friendly.

Despite not being a very family-friendly place to live, downtown Austin is home to several schools. Cathedral School of St. Mary is here, which teaches children from 3 years old to 8th grade. The Khabele School is also here, which is a private middle school and high school. St. Martin's Lutheran School teaches age 2 through kindergarten, and there are several other early education faciliites. The public Pease Elementary School and Austin High School are also located in downtown.