There’s no denying that an Austin tech scene, which has been simmering for many years, has reached a boiling level prior to now few years. As of 2023, tech jobs accounted for 16 % of all jobs in Austin—nearly double the nationwide common, in response to the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Oracle all have a presence within the Texas capital, and startups like Mio, Closinglock, and MadeIn are garnering hype and VC funding. The Wall Road Journal could also be hedging its bets on the hype it beforehand bestowed upon the town within the wake of the pandemic, however Austin persists as a sort of Babylon for burned-out techies who’re bored with the Silicon Valley rat race.
The scrappy “Maintain Austin Bizarre” period is on the wane, however there’s nonetheless a lot that feels genuine and lovable on this once-sleepy faculty city that was content material with doing its personal factor within the shadows of close by metropolises like Dallas and Houston. In case your coronary heart isn’t dead-set on reliving the hazy glory days of the town portrayed in Richard Linklater’s basic 1993 movie Dazed and Confused, you’re all however assured to have a blast whereas bar-hopping, basking within the solar, and stuffing your face with a few of the greatest barbecue on this planet. And naturally there’s reside music. So, a lot reside music.
Bounce to Part
The place to Keep
Video: Pete Cottell
Austin’s tech scene initially caught a spark within the sprawling hills west of the town—therefore the “Silicon Hills” tag—however the inflow of Gen X and millennial staff has created an explosion of incubators, coworking areas, and concrete life-style hubs which are extra centrally situated than the environs most well-liked by the suburbanized previous guard that got here earlier than them. Whether or not you favor a fast drive to the workplace park or a fast stroll to your new “coffice” for the day, our picks have you ever lined.
1901 San Antonio St., (512) 473-8900
Located close to the Texas State Capitol on the Southwest nook of the College of Texas at Austin, the Otis is a cushty center floor between a boutique lodge and a world chain operation. It’s far sufficient from the commotion of each downtown and campus to really feel calm, but only a stone’s throw from each. The rooftop pool is clutch for winding down with a Lone Star after a protracted day of conferences, which could be conveniently hosted onsite at one of many six occasion areas, and Acre 41 is the sort of multiuse restaurant that’s nice for checking emails over espresso within the morning and brokering large offers over a Texas ribeye at evening.
700 San Jacinto St., (512) 476-3700
Austin is rising upward at an unprecedented clip, however till it begins placing up New York–type pencil skyscrapers, the Omni Lodge stands out as some of the iconic items of its skyline. This glistening 20-story marvel is just some blocks from the core of Austin’s leisure district on West sixth Road, although you would not be faulted for hardly leaving the property if a bar crawl on “Soiled sixth” isn’t your factor. The rooftop pool provides beautiful views of the town and past, and the three onsite eating places present an array of eating choices appropriate for all events.
1108 E sixth St., (737) 205-8888
Many maverick tech staff are within the sole proprietor/bootstraps part of their profession, which implies slicing prices whereas nonetheless feeling luxe (or at the least presenting as such) is vital. East Austin Lodge provides conventional rooms for a slight improve, or it can save you some critical money by reserving a “cabin” room with a set of shared personal bogs in the course of the ground. You’ll nonetheless have entry to the pool in the course of the property, and the lodge’s proximity to the laid-back, neighborhood-y vibe of East sixth Road makes it an important decide for aspiring professionals who would like to commingle with locals relatively than pound the pavement with workplace drones.
{Photograph}: Sarah Kerver/Getty Photos
605 Davis St., (512) 542-5300
Rainey Road ain’t what it was, however this charming enclave of bungalows turned bars nonetheless packs extra character right into a tiny metropolis block than most midsize cities can muster of their total downtown footprint. It’s a strong all-purpose decide for average luxurious in the course of certainly one of Austin’s most charming and memorable downtown-adjacent neighborhoods.
10901 Area St., (855) 596-3398
Most out-of-towners can be fairly bummed to seek out out their work journey in Austin is centered round a way of life mall that’s a 45-minute drive from downtown, however The Area is definitely a reasonably excellent place to spend a couple of days if obligation calls. It’s a simulacrum of a walkable metropolis proper close to blue-chip operations like Apple and Chase, so that you would possibly as properly lean into the entire thing and shack up at a cool lodge that doesn’t really feel like a suburban motor inn off the freeway. Lone Star Court docket is long-established within the likeness of a hill nation lodge, with a pair of conjoined courtyards that focus on a teal oval-shaped pool with its personal bar and lounge.
7415 Southwest Pkwy., Constructing 8, Suite 100, (512) 551-4009
Nestled atop a essential thoroughfare within the “Silicon Hills” of West Austin is a shiny new AC Lodge that checks all of the bins a techy enterprise traveler might need. It’s a brief drive to heavyweights like AMD and Dell, and a handful of VCs like LiveOak and Cavvy dot the rolling hills which are on beautiful show from the pool and the rooftop bar. The adjoining strip mall provides useful necessities like a neighborhood market that serves espresso and sandwiches all day, an upscale Mexican spot with nice joyful hour specials, and a movie show with a bar that’s an important place to kill a couple of hours between conferences.
The place to Work
{Photograph}: Pete Cottell
Whether or not you’re on the lookout for a quiet desk for the day or a parachute right into a bustling tech-y social scene, the number of coworking choices obtainable in Austin is staggering and has one thing for everybody. Earlier than you stroll in off the road, we strongly recommend checking their web site for availability and pricing, and when you’re browsing the online, you would possibly as properly take a look at Austin Coworking and Deskpass, as they’re glorious sources for updates on occasions, newcomers to the scene, and offers on collaborating workplaces.
310 Comal St., Ground 2, (512) 399-6320
Bond Collective is a strong alternative for the post-hipster techies preferring the laid-back vibe of East Austin over the company thrum of downtown or the West Austin hills. Day passes begin at $35 for fast drop-ins, and month-to-month memberships supply entry to nearly all Bond Collective places within the US—with many places in New York, Philly, and the DC space—together with 24/7 entry and advert hoc convention rooms if wanted.
701 Brazos St., (512) 548-9675
This startup social corridor features extra in order an IRL hub for meetups and occasions for the entrepreneur set, however it additionally provides fairly a couple of open coworking occasions all through the week when you favor a extra energetic and interactive setting when you faucet away at your laptop computer. You would possibly meet your subsequent full-stack developer right here, or (extra realistically) you would possibly swill some beers and play pop-a-shot with some dudes who ditched California for the booming startup scene the Texas capital has been using excessive on for a number of years now.
1700 S Lamar Blvd., #338, (512) 596-2683
Tucked behind a brand new construct within the cozy Zilker/South Lamar neighborhood is Fibercove, a shiny and buzzy coworking area that boasts off-street parking, a Google Fiber-powered community, a restaurant, and a podcast studio the place you and your greatest buds can chat about meals and politics with the hopes of going viral. Native favorites like Odd Duck, Tiki Tatsu-Ya, and an Alamo Drafthouse outpost are inside a brief stroll, and the area shares partitions with a location of the boozy brunch chain Snooze if mimosas and chilaquiles are so as.
The place to Get Your Espresso
Courtesy of Radio Espresso and Beer
1115 E eleventh St.
Austin is house to a staggering variety of glorious espresso outlets that focus solely on brewing nice espresso. It’s additionally chock-full of multiuse all-day consuming spots the place the hours soften away and your style for a cortado within the morning and a restaurant de cachapa within the afternoon is joyously accommodated. Radio Rosewood falls within the latter camp. Espresso (and low cocktails, no judgment) begin flowing at 7 am every day, and the Shortwave Diner truck parked exterior slings quite a lot of diner staples like smash burgers, scorching canine, and breakfast sandwiches all through most of Radio Rosewood’s beneficiant hours of operation.
A number of places
Determine 8 is among the hottest purveyors for cafés that don’t roast their very own beans, which makes it straightforward to seek out nearly wherever, however the alternative to strive its excellent espresso and drip espresso proper on the supply is one you will need to take pleasure in if potential. This low-slung rectangle of a constructing sits on the sting of a quiet residential space, however the inside is at all times buzzing gently with exercise and caffeination. Order a shot produced from African or Central American beans if potential, and preserve a watch out for a bin of contemporary breakfast tacos close to the register when you want a snack.
A number of places
With a decade-plus of explosive progress of their rear view, it’s truthful to say Houndstooth is akin to third-wave roasters like Stumptown, Blue Bottle, and Intelligentsia, all of that are synonymous with their respective cities. Their downtown location lives within the foyer of an workplace tower proper smack in the course of Austin’s enterprise district, which makes it an important place to sip a cortado between conferences or escape the grind of the workday with a chilly brew and a croissant.
1505 City Creek Dr.
Nature is therapeutic, and certainly one of Austin’s most beloved all-night hangs has lastly resumed its 24/7 schedule. As its title denotes, The Buzz Mill is a lumber mill–themed espresso bar that’s nice for late-night research classes, marathon coding sprints, work drinks with the crew, or a mellow place to sip on a drink or two when you watch for no matter it’s you had been doing all day to flush out of your system.
The place to Eat
{Photograph}: Pete Cottell
1201 S Lamar Blvd.
This South Lamar bistro casts a large web when it comes to affect, with modern riffs on Texan consolation classics serving because the spine of the dozen-or-so objects that populate its menu. Look no additional than the climax of their present dinner choices—a wagyu strip steak that’s plated with tater tots and masa queso—for a cheeky inform of what to anticipate from their delightfully low-brow iterations on high-minded chefiness.
1900 S 1st St.
Austin is situated in Texas, and other people in Texas love animal merchandise. Alternatively, Austin can also be a scorching spot for well-heeled progressives, which implies the vegetarian and vegan meals is on level if you understand the place to look. Bouldin Creek Cafe is a cool and colourful mainstay for eco-friendly fare that’s elegant sufficient for a dinner date but additionally crunchy sufficient to please a desk of hungover hippies who went a bit too exhausting on the day rave that dragged on till 4 within the morning.
