Hometown, Austin, Texas!

Home is where the heart is. I couldn’t agree more with the overused cliché. My home is Austin, Texas. Austin is a city full of live music and delicious food. On any given night of the weekend, and even most weekdays, you can look forward to enjoying your meal with the sound of a live band playing in the background. How can someone who hasn’t been to Austin truly understand what it’s like? On Friday nights I usually find myself headed to Second Street, or Willie Nelson Boulevard, for some dinner and a few drinks. Although the streets are filled with tourists since second shares a block with W Austin, my friends and I can usually find a table at La Condessa, a popular tapas bar. La Condessa is usually full of young men and women who have left work for the week and plan on staying downtown until it’s time to hit the town. Music from a modernized mariachi band is usually playing in the background. On Saturday nights I usually find myself seeking out a concert. Although there are concerts nearly every day of the week, this is the night where I can head to East Sixth Street, close to Red River. By skipping the dirty Sixth Street scene, one can be sure to avoid all the over-served fraternity and sorority members stumbling around the closed-off street. On a Saturday night I might head to Stubb’s with a few friends and enjoy some barbeque before watching Pat Green play until the wee hours of the morning. Finally, after a long weekend I head to Threadgill’s on Sunday morning for its Gospel Brunch. This is a long-standing family tradition in my house, and I plan on continuing the tradition even after I graduate. I can’t imagine a better way to enjoy a chicken fried steak on a Sunday, than to do so while listening to the gospel music band that has been playing every Sunday since I can remember. Those are only a few places and things to do in Austin. For the real experience, you may just need to plan a trip to see it for yourself. --Megan Jones