Just south of the Colorado River, South Congress Avenue – also nicknamed SoCo by locals - offers a sample of Austin's quirky culture and it’s the most hipster place in town.
“Keep Austin Weird” is the motto here and whether you're looking to meet new people, visit famous sites or just get a breath of fresh air, SoCo promises a variety of fun activities within walking distance of each other.
There is a very large and famous bookshop here with a cozy atmosphere where avid readers can find good reads: it boasts an impressive selection of first editions and its shelves offer anything from classical literature to dark philosophy and unique cooking books.
It’s so nice that you can take a seat on one of the comfy armchairs and just read something or leaf through as many books as you would like before buying them.
On this large and long avenue there are plenty of shops with an offbeat tone but there are also some nice designer boutiques that aren't too expensive, a huge costume shop and some vintage swap shops where you can trade in your old clothes for some ‘new second-hand ones.’
Austin is known for its art and music, and many creative people embrace alternative venues and audiences. South Congress offers an excellent opportunity for amateur artists to showcase their unique talents. Musicians, dancers, mimes, living statues and poets are just some of the talents who regularly perform on the streets.
Some musicians are also commissioned to play and sing at the local open-air cafés along the road.
Here, there are many art galleries featuring a wide variety of works by artists from across North America and, since the 90s, South Congress has been the place to shop for art in Texas.
There are also plenty of eating options from ethnic eateries to hamburger joints, from cool and fancy bars with outside patios under the shade of some oak trees to country style pubs.
There is an ice-cream shop with hundreds of flavors in rotation that keep customers coming back. There is a long queue at every hour of the day so I never ventured to get one but it must be very yummy indeed.
I love sweets so I visited instead the local candy shop on Congress Avenue which has a selection of candies and sweets from the older days.
This is also the place where it is easy to get some bike sharing and it’s the perfect location to rent a bike for half a day as it is not far from the Colorado River which runs through the heart of the city. There is a bike lane all along Congress Avenue and a great panoramic one going down towards the river and all along it.
There is also a waterfront park just underneath the bridge that connects South and North Congress Avenue, which is located in downtown. This is a relaxing urban park that sits on the banks of the Colorado River and, on the opposite bank of the river, you will find a boat rental place with swan-shaped paddleboats.
SoCo avenue is also home to some craft micro-breweries which are popping up here and there, because this is the trend and everyone who drinks beer is into craft beer these days.
