Top Things To Do When Visiting Austin Texas

Austin, Texas, is widely known as the "Live Music Capitol of the World", and proudly so. But excellent live music isn't the only thing Austin has to offer. Here are just five of the many reasons to visit the coolest city in Texas.

1. Live Music
From dive bars and clubs to honky-tonks and Austin City Limits and South by Southwest (SXSW, to those in the know), this town has it all when it comes to music. Country, jazz, hip hop, rock, punk, emo, pop and everything else under the sun can be found here, and talented, up-and-coming bands are a dime a dozen. Whether attending a sold out concert at Stubbs or heading over to Auditorium Shores for the summer-long "Blues on the Green" series, you can't go wrong when it comes to good music in Austin.

2. The Capitol
Being the capitol of the great state of Texas is something we take very seriously in Austin. A walk around the beautiful capitol grounds the towering state capitol modeled after the national capitol building in Washington, D.C. will show you a glimpse of the grandeur and heritage we Texans hold so dear. You'll likely also notice our state flag flying high with the national color another thing we Texans take pride in: being the only state which can fly its flag alongside or above the national flag. From the capitol, take stroll down Congress Avenue for incredible views, great food and fun shopping.

3. Sixth Street
Being home to the University of Texas and its 60,000+ students, as well as thousands of young professionals (Austin regularly makes the top ten in national listings of the best cities for young professionals) makes Austin a great place to cut loose and have a good time. Sixth Street is Austin's famous bar district, home to college bars, restaurants, tattoo shops and other tourist-focused businesses. In recent years, the area around Second Street, also known as the Warehouse District, has become Sixth Street's high-class counterpart. Lined with bistros, wine bars, tapas bars and other establishments catering to the mid-20s to mid-40s crowd, the Warehouse District offers a slightly more "mature" place to kick back.

4. Restaurants
Austinites don't do anything halfway. They work hard, play hard, and eat well. From country fare to five star French cuisine, and bar-be-que to sushi, Austin has it all in terms of restaurant options. While many of the top restaurants are downtown near the capitol, Sixth Street and the Warehouse District, you don't have to go downtown to get a good meal. In fact, some of the best food in Austin can be found in unexpected, out-of-the-way places. Whatever you're in the mood far, you won't have to go far to find it in Austin.

5. Shopping
In addition to food, Austin takes shopping seriously. With a huge community emphasis on shopping locally, you can find everything from the freshest produce and the hippest one-of-a-kind clothes. South Congress Avenue has become one of the coolest shopping destinations in the city, and is worth checking out whether or not you're in the mood to shop. Likewise, South Austin is home to a huge community of artists, craftsman, designers and other creative types making incredibly unique pieces that scream, "Austin original!"

Whatever you're in the mood for a day in the park or a night on the town "Austin, Texas, has what you're looking for, and more.

Ki has worked with central Texas real estate market for almost 10 years. He has sold to a variety of buyers. His site offers information on Austin Texas real estate and along with a graphical Austin home search. It also contains a blog with updated statistics and analysis on Austin real estate.