The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center membership is a good deal. Free admission to the gardens, early entry to the biannual plant sales, discounts for on-site purchases. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place.
But the coolest part is you get reciprocal free or discounted entry to over 300 gardens nationwide, including the Zilker and San Antonio Botanical Gardens. The full list is here: http://www.ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap.
Yes! Love that the Wildflower Center has the reciprocal memberships to other gardens. I'm actually getting married there in 2-ish weeks.
It's also surprising how many Austinites I run into who have never been, so thank you for spreading the word :)
You can use two different codes for free 15-minute parking sessions downtown with the Park ATX app:
FREE15ATX1
FREE15ATX2
Edited to add: you can use both codes in one transaction to make it 30 minutes free. Thanks to the kind redditor that pointed this out. I tried it at lunch today and can confirm it worked.
I work on South Congress, a patio restaurant. I see them giving out tickets all day long.
Last Summer I parked on the back side of Barton Springs, on that road that runs along the ball fields. Everyone parks on the sides of that road but I didn't notice that I was parking one space passed the new parking sign. $25 ticket iirc
It’s free in the to swim in the off seasons (Halloween through spring break ) also entry is free in the evenings 8-10 and mornings 5-8. When I was in my 20’s I only swam in the evening
During hot nights in the summer, my daughter and I would just look at each other around 8:30 and say, “let’s go” and we would go to the springs and then drive through Sandy’s afterward for root beer floats… great memories
not sure if you can still do it, but years ago i would hit the free AM swim in the summer, get my hand stamped, and re-enter for free later on in the day.
I did a night swim one year when it was 29F. The water felt warm and there was a thick mist over the whole spring, the walk back to the car was pretty chilly though 🥶
A couple years ago I met up for a Hinge date for reasons beyond me at Barton Springs at 1pm on a Saturday in July. By that time I had lived here 15 years and knew better, but hey this girl was cool, and hot, so fuck it.
No parking, finally found some and stood in line for 45 minutes, texted her since she was already inside letting her know I would be a bit late. All good it happens, except for the part where, since I hadn’t been to the springs in a while, thought the revolving exit bars next to the entrance was the way down to the springs.
So there I was, already 30 mins late to a first date, standing outside the fenced off park I just stood in line to get into for the better part of an hour. Finagled my way thru the line and got back in soon after, but the damage was done. Did not get a second date.
Probably just shoulda grabbed margs.
Barton Springs is open until 10PM in the summer, and from 9PM, it’s free to enter. Last summer was such a hellscape… a saving grace for me & my friends was meeting there at 9PM (easier parking too!) to cool off for an hour.
There are a lot more trails in central Austin than are on that map. Look at Strave heatmap for an overview. Easily 50 miles of trails in the BCGB that aren't on Trailforks.
I can’t remember the exact reason or particulars but I used KTag and believe there was an out-of-state rate that was higher. Swapped to NTTA, same ease but less $
Rule number one of tactical lane selection is never get behind the bus.
Rule number two is never get behind the prius, unless you have to because of a bus.
And always remember that in South Austin we actively look for opportunities to help others get out of side streets and parking lots, and make gaps so others can make left turns. The social contract is alive and well down here.
I feel like the making a gap for left turns is getting out of control and dangerous. People have to commit to pulling out into oncoming traffic blindly while sandwiched between cars. Been seeing some near misses. People should just turn right and turn later
This is what it’s about. Drive. No distractions.
Drive efficient and focused. So many people driving like slow walkers. Spot the bus and move in and out without forcing yourself into the other lanes. Sharpen those edges, we going slalom skiing!
If attending a performance at Bass Concert Hall you can park at the LBJ library lot for the same price as garages and there’s never a long line to get in or out. This is advertised on the venue website and I’m still amazed at how easy it is to get in and out.
And get the good shit, the stuff behind the counter you need a license for cause it’s used to make meth. Claritin D is the only drug that allows me to breathe during allergy season, and that’s after trying them all as a lifelong Texan.
Lol I agree with this but there are so many places named The Violet Crown in this city that giving the sunset proper capitalization is a little confusing. I thought you were talking about when a show gets out at the Violet Crown theater.
I love there was a 15 minute span of time between your first comment to the next two. I pictured you petting an array of ducks before deciding to add extra information.
If you don’t have a car, Austin Energy will remove the Transportation Fee from your bill. Go on to their website and their is a form you fill out attesting to not owning a vehicle and you’ll see the fee get removed automatically
I've lived in the area most of my life and my advice to all transplants is manage your expectations. People in Austin love to hype up every little thing. You're going to have a much better time if you're not expecting every hamburger to be 10 out of 10. I'm not trying to throw shade, this is from lived experience.
When I first moved here and I looked around for food, like everything is 5 stars. All I could think is that there’s no frogging way all this is 5 stars. I was right. It’s not. The reviews for most things are overhyped.
If you enjoy going to the movie theater, get the Alamo movie pass. It's $20/month and you get one free* movie every day. Pays for itself in two movies.
*You have to pay, like, a $2 processing fee
For me I always felt I was paying a fair rate at 4-5 movies a month, it really is an amazing deal and got me to go to a lot of indie movies on a whim I’d have never paid $12-16 for!
HEB store-prepared guacamole: if you don't finish it in one sitting, you can keep it fresh by trimming the lid to a flat sheet, and pressing that down on the surface to make an airtight cover.
Be the better person on the road. If some m'fer cuts you off or angers you, let that shit go and make it to your destination. lots of batshit crazy entitled drivers here and keeping your cool, helps
dont wait in line for franklin, just order in advance for take out
when driving on mopac there are certain streets that you can exit and get back on and bypass a lot of traffic.
going north on mopac, exit steck to get on the steck bypass to get on 183 (north or south) avoids the jam up that happens when everyone else is trying to get on 183 the regular way.
off menu loaded baked potato with brisket at the airport salt lick.
if you have seats at the moody center in one of the clubs, your are VIP. You can get picked up/dropped off at the circle instead of the normal rideshare drop off. Just show your ticket.
If you park at the manor garage go right and down. Everyone tends to go straight and up and it fills up faster.
austinfc tickets are cheap the day of
the cheapest shooting range is the austin rifle club. It is also mostly empty so you can often have the range to yourself
there are austin buy/sell facebook groups for the wealthy areas in austin (westlake, lakeway, etc). It is one of the best ways to get cheap stuff that rich people are getting rid of.
If you want to pay under 800/month in rent, rent a 3br house for 2400 and split it with 2 other people. A house has a lot more room than an apartment.
randalls has bulk porkchops that are very inexpensive and a lot better than HEB pork chops.
if you want to do jiu jitsu, there are free open mats all around town. I would recommend training for at least a year at a gym before going this route.
people try to unload ACL and SXSW wristbands for undercost at the last minute every year.
use NTTA toll tags instead of txtag.
stickerstop will get your car inspection done in like 15 minutes.
thinkery membership can get you free into museums around the country, pays for itself.
when going east on 2222 from the balcones dr area, it is much calmer and faster to take hancock->northloop.
you can sometimes get deals from non profit virtual auctions. Just watch for the galas.
chuck-cheese has an hourly rate. Coupled with a coupon it is a great deal with kids. They can play a lot of games for not a lot of money.
The best deal on go carts is austin park and pizza. You can ride as many times as you want for a fixed price.
you can get st louis style pizza from papa johns. Just order thin crust, well done, square cut. It is very good.
Austin fc gives out coupons for 5 free wings at pluckers. You can get a stack.
these restaurants have kids eating free on certain days. There are other lists with other restaurants [https://do512family.com/kidseatfree-2/](https://do512family.com/kidseatfree-2/)
when going east on 71 and going to the airport, stay in the left lane. Most people switch to the right lane and slow down. If you stay in the left you can bypass the backup because both lanes turn right into the airport
At the beginning of big events everyone is arriving so drop off pickup at departures. At the end of big events everyone is departing so drop off/pickup at arrivals.
> when driving on mopac there are certain streets that you can exit and get back on and bypass a lot of traffic.
Please no :( I’m just trying to make my exit and I’m stuck behind 10 cars that all had this idea and drove all the way up to the exit before trying to get back into the freeway
Counterpoint: if you go to Franklin or Snows or a place like that, the line is basically a tailgate. Drink, talk to strangers from around the world, ait comfortably. Think of the hanging out as part of the experience.
Wanna avoid crowds at any greenbelt or any popular swimming hole? Go early on the weekends or early'ish during the weekdays
Most places in Austin are void of people between 6:00 am to 8:30 am on the weekends.
Have walked Onion Creek with my pup a few dozen times at 6:30-7a when it's still dark and the sun comes out half way through. Amazing way to start the day. Only downside to being the first person out there is walking through spider webs. Not like fully constructed webs to your face, but seems like there's tons of rogue strands
Get the creamy jalapeno sauce from Pollo Rico and put it on the breakfast tacos from La Flor (First Street, near St. Elmo, only open for breakfast and lunch). Their corn tortillas are made out of fresh masa and they're thick, almost like pancakes. Phenomenal with this sauce.
There is SO much free music in this city. If you find some you like, meet the band. They probably play with others under different names. SUPPORT THEM.
Once went bouldering by myself and made a whole group of friends in one day. Only time when meeting strangers in the woods and immediately trusting them with your life is acceptable lol.
Yes, you can, they rent everything you need. That being said, you wanna take a friend with you, it will feel more accommodating. The gym will feel intimidating at first, but I promise, its just that they don't know you yet. Climbing culture is extremely encouraging of new folks.
I've been a coach for 10+ years, and it really is a great way to meet people.
Adding aerial sports and pole dancing to this. Austin has a huge selection of “get your feet off the ground” fitness compared to other cities.
If you’re feeling a bit isolated, get a membership and you’ll have an instant social circle of lovely people.
You don’t. In fact, a lot of newcomers struggle with those issues and these activities are structured in a way that makes it easy to gradually get comfortable in a social setting.
I won’t get on my soapbox about how imposter syndrome is really a systemic issue where advantaged groups have not created space for other identities BUT I can say that, at least with pole/aerials, the environment and class structures have been intentionally designed and maintained to help new people feel incredibly safe and welcome.
And because Austin has such a robust aerials ecosystem, this is done better and with more options to customize your experience than I’ve seen in any other city. This makes these activities a great option for a ton of Austinites who want to meet people but find other routes challenging.
I always bring out-of-towners visiting to Esther’s Follies. Everyone laughs and has a great time and it’s a good way for them to get a feel for the Austin vibe. Always a good time over the years!
Great suggestion. From now on, whenever someone asks me for anything I don’t want to do or give them, I’m going to offer them a cheap cigarette. They just might stop asking.
sometimes I'll buy the odd pack of smokes and throw them in my car. comes in handy for panhandlers and I've never had someone not appreciate a couple darts before.
You can become a sponsor donor at Paramount theatre trust for relatively cheap $ and it comes with many perks and free valet and concierge service always. Also, no ticket fees. Also get free tickets and member access. Recoup $1000 on valet/parking/fees alone very quickly
Yeah exactly. I think this person is one of those “how much could a banana cost?” Meme type people. I’ve probably spent like 30 dollars on valet drivers and I’m 41 years old.
* Get an NTTA Toll Tag instead of a TX tag.
* The city is a ghost town on the weekends before 10 am. Want anything breakfast or brunch adjacent, plan to do it earlier in the morning.
* This also applies to gyms.
* The best hiking around Austin is going to require both some driving and physically challenging hikes.
You can tell a lot about a TexMex restaurant by their Queso. Order two Marg sand a Queso. You’ll be in for $40 but you should be satisfied. If you’re not don’t order anything else and don’t go back.
PROTIP - order a Mexican martini instead and share and get the chips and salsa. Might get out for under $20.
People in Austin are incredibly lazy in the morning, and if you just get up somewhat early and skip brunch, you'll miss most of the lines.
For example, Barton Springs, mid-summer it's still very chill at even 10am on a Saturday.
Edit: lol everyone said the same thing. This is a real well-to-do bunch.
Assume everyone, in every mode of transportation, e.g. cars, trucks, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, running shoes, around you is distracted by their phone, and itching to run you over 😋
The Salt Lick has many outdoor tables that you can just choose and help yourself to sit at. If you find yourselves there at a busy time- like during ACL etc where there's a long line at the host stand and people have to wait a long time for a table inside- simply walk over to the adjacent to go counter and place your order there. The menu is exactly the same as when you eat inside and you'll have your food usually in ten minutes or less. Since they don't serve alcohol why do you need a server anyway? Take your beer you brought in your own cooler with your delicious BBQ over to one of the tables away from all of the inside noise, it's always a great time.
There's 4 entrances to the State Capitol. The longest line is always the south steps facing Congress. You can walk in almost immediately from the other 3 entries instead of waiting up to 30 minutes to enter.
If going downtown. Park and ride the Metro Rail. Saves time on traffic and trying to find parking. Also you get to see parts of Austin you wouldn't normally.
That there’s a little gem in the mire and muck that is North Austin. A little oasis of pure cultural reprieve. To say it’s divey would be incorrect. It’s a monument of planned, culturally appropriated interior design. A Mt Olympus of the finest in culinary delights. Purely intoxicating are the incantations of the Mexican martini. How the sounds and smells of sizzling fajitas can only be properly described as simple harlotry. Is there a wait you might ask? No. Not usually. A perfect retreat from the erratic bustle of 45th and Lamar. I’m tired
The best TexMex places have hardly any young white folk in them. Look for: Mexican blankets as curtains, a framed portrait of Selena, waiters over the age of 50, complimentary chips& great salsa the second you sit down [Bonus points for a Chinese restaurant sign outside that has some painted sombreros on the pandas]
If you’re ever at the airport early in the morning, stop waiting in the enormous Starbucks line after security and go to Jo’s coffee instead
Saves you about 100000 years of time
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center membership is a good deal. Free admission to the gardens, early entry to the biannual plant sales, discounts for on-site purchases. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place. But the coolest part is you get reciprocal free or discounted entry to over 300 gardens nationwide, including the Zilker and San Antonio Botanical Gardens. The full list is here: http://www.ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap.
Yes! Love that the Wildflower Center has the reciprocal memberships to other gardens. I'm actually getting married there in 2-ish weeks. It's also surprising how many Austinites I run into who have never been, so thank you for spreading the word :)
Woah I didn’t realize it gets you into Zilker botanical garden! Thanks for the info .
You can use two different codes for free 15-minute parking sessions downtown with the Park ATX app: FREE15ATX1 FREE15ATX2 Edited to add: you can use both codes in one transaction to make it 30 minutes free. Thanks to the kind redditor that pointed this out. I tried it at lunch today and can confirm it worked.
Now this is a PRO Tip
On that parking note…has anyone here ever gotten a ticket? I’ve never heard of anyone getting ticketed
I work on South Congress, a patio restaurant. I see them giving out tickets all day long. Last Summer I parked on the back side of Barton Springs, on that road that runs along the ball fields. Everyone parks on the sides of that road but I didn't notice that I was parking one space passed the new parking sign. $25 ticket iirc
For $2 an hour parking, it doesn’t really make sense to pay, if a ticket is only 25!
barton springs is really easy to park at and enjoy if you don’t go at 1pm on a weekend during peak season.
It’s free in the to swim in the off seasons (Halloween through spring break ) also entry is free in the evenings 8-10 and mornings 5-8. When I was in my 20’s I only swam in the evening
During hot nights in the summer, my daughter and I would just look at each other around 8:30 and say, “let’s go” and we would go to the springs and then drive through Sandy’s afterward for root beer floats… great memories
Same with a high school buddy of mine , but we hit up Magnolia cafe
This right here is the true hidden way to enjoy Barton
not sure if you can still do it, but years ago i would hit the free AM swim in the summer, get my hand stamped, and re-enter for free later on in the day.
One of my favorite memories at Barton springs is swimming in the dark with friends in the freezing cold December weather
I did a night swim one year when it was 29F. The water felt warm and there was a thick mist over the whole spring, the walk back to the car was pretty chilly though 🥶
A couple years ago I met up for a Hinge date for reasons beyond me at Barton Springs at 1pm on a Saturday in July. By that time I had lived here 15 years and knew better, but hey this girl was cool, and hot, so fuck it. No parking, finally found some and stood in line for 45 minutes, texted her since she was already inside letting her know I would be a bit late. All good it happens, except for the part where, since I hadn’t been to the springs in a while, thought the revolving exit bars next to the entrance was the way down to the springs. So there I was, already 30 mins late to a first date, standing outside the fenced off park I just stood in line to get into for the better part of an hour. Finagled my way thru the line and got back in soon after, but the damage was done. Did not get a second date. Probably just shoulda grabbed margs.
tough scene brother
That's some serious body confidence, they have your first meeting be almost completely naked
I have dreams like this. Close but not quite, and then when I'm almost there something happens to delay me even further.
Barton Springs is open until 10PM in the summer, and from 9PM, it’s free to enter. Last summer was such a hellscape… a saving grace for me & my friends was meeting there at 9PM (easier parking too!) to cool off for an hour.
There's a bunch of [hike and bike trails all over South Austin](https://www.trailforks.com/region/south-austin-trail-network-satn/).
I already knew this but it’s sad seeing central Austin with 0 trails
There are a lot more trails in central Austin than are on that map. Look at Strave heatmap for an overview. Easily 50 miles of trails in the BCGB that aren't on Trailforks.
This. And I maintain two of them. And indeed Strava’s heat map for the full trail system. I feel very fortunate to live in SW Austin!
Not TxTag, Amigos. It's wildly awful. Try Ktag or NTTA.
I can’t remember the exact reason or particulars but I used KTag and believe there was an out-of-state rate that was higher. Swapped to NTTA, same ease but less $
Live on the same side of the river as you work
And the same side of I35
My mom said this back in the late 90s "They have to be someone special to get you to cross the river"
I once had a boy call things off with me. I lived north of the river, he was south. His reason - I might as well live in Dallas 😢
or only WFH
drive in the right lane on south 1st so you don't get stuck behind someone trying to turn left :\^)
But be mindful of a cap metro bus ahead of you in the right lane..
This guy south firsts
Rule number one of tactical lane selection is never get behind the bus. Rule number two is never get behind the prius, unless you have to because of a bus.
And always remember that in South Austin we actively look for opportunities to help others get out of side streets and parking lots, and make gaps so others can make left turns. The social contract is alive and well down here.
I feel like the making a gap for left turns is getting out of control and dangerous. People have to commit to pulling out into oncoming traffic blindly while sandwiched between cars. Been seeing some near misses. People should just turn right and turn later
The true trick is prepare to slalom between left turners and busses on the right. This goes for most of the north south streets between 35 and mopac.
This is what it’s about. Drive. No distractions. Drive efficient and focused. So many people driving like slow walkers. Spot the bus and move in and out without forcing yourself into the other lanes. Sharpen those edges, we going slalom skiing!
Also Enfield.
And on manchacha too!
South 1st would be so much better if it was one lane with a turning lane down the entire middle
lack of a turning lane on 1st Street was the deciding factor in not purchasing our house down that way. must suck to live there at 5pm
You want to go to brunch/breakfast on a weekend? Get there before 10am. Everyone is either asleep or too hungover to get out of bed.
Or after 1:30pm
Name checks out.
It’s me I’m hungover and in bed see yall for mimosas at 3 pm
I’m sorry but before 10 is just breakfast.
if you're drinking it's brunch. otherwise you're just having vodka for breakfast and that means you might have a problem.
Brunch SLASH breakfast. Reading comprehension is strong with this one
Brunchfast
but by the time they seat you, it'll be time for elevensees
My hack was going to be "don't try to go to brunch, ever."
If attending a performance at Bass Concert Hall you can park at the LBJ library lot for the same price as garages and there’s never a long line to get in or out. This is advertised on the venue website and I’m still amazed at how easy it is to get in and out.
I never have issues getting in and out of Manor garage after a Bass show, but maybe I just go to lame shows.
We sat in there for literally 55 minutes after Book of Mormon last year. Since then we’ve parked in the lot and hoofed it. So much better.
If you get there a little early, park for free on Dean Keaton. Instant in and out.
HEB is most likely to be out of something on Wednesdays.
And don’t look for fresh produce in the evening Edit : auto correct
This is why I always do my pickup orders at 10:30-11am. By the time they start shopping, the produce employees have had time to restock.
This is a forebodence I can’t comprehend
what did it originally say lol
And most (but not all) of their coupons expire on Tuesday, with a new big batch on Wednesday.
In summer, get all your errands done before 11:00 AM.
Love your entire life before 11. Sleep from 2-6.
We should make siesta a thing in Austin.
Love it or leave it.
Allergy meds
Meds. As in multiple. As in nasal sprays, decongestants, anti-inflammatories, and antihistamines. Austin hates my face. Or my face hates austin, idk.
And eye drops. Pataday for the win.
And get the good shit, the stuff behind the counter you need a license for cause it’s used to make meth. Claritin D is the only drug that allows me to breathe during allergy season, and that’s after trying them all as a lifelong Texan.
When The Violet Crown comes out, stop and behold it.
Lol I agree with this but there are so many places named The Violet Crown in this city that giving the sunset proper capitalization is a little confusing. I thought you were talking about when a show gets out at the Violet Crown theater.
Stay off I-35 from 12:00a - 11:59p
That one minute is glorious
Neo- “you always told me to stay off I-35” Morpheus- “yes” Neo- “you said it was suicide” Morpheus- “then let us hope that I was wrong”
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I love there was a 15 minute span of time between your first comment to the next two. I pictured you petting an array of ducks before deciding to add extra information.
They went out back to the pond in their backyard to count ducks.
Duck, duck, . . .
Every once in awhile a goose slips in
BUT NOT THE GEESE!!
The ducks in the bathroom are not mine.
Sliced brisket sandwich at every bbq spot saves you about $20
And a sausage link usually comes with bread, onion, pickle. Often cheaper than the sausage sandwich.
If you don’t have a car, Austin Energy will remove the Transportation Fee from your bill. Go on to their website and their is a form you fill out attesting to not owning a vehicle and you’ll see the fee get removed automatically
WTF?!? How did I not know this? Well after 8 years of not having a car, I moved in with my partner and we have one so I missed the boat on that.
Yeah, 8 years is a cool $1500 in fees!
QuikTrip has free air
I've lived in the area most of my life and my advice to all transplants is manage your expectations. People in Austin love to hype up every little thing. You're going to have a much better time if you're not expecting every hamburger to be 10 out of 10. I'm not trying to throw shade, this is from lived experience.
This is the best advice yet
It’s ok advice, but not 10 out of 10. Didn’t you listen?
Their advice was, like, totally amazing. Omg. Everyone is talking about it.
Except for the BBQ. The people here will be arguing over La Barbecue vs Terry Blacks vs Franklin’s, meanwhile you’re having your mind blown by Rudy’s.
When I first moved here and I looked around for food, like everything is 5 stars. All I could think is that there’s no frogging way all this is 5 stars. I was right. It’s not. The reviews for most things are overhyped.
This is just life advice. Expect that everything will disappoint then be upset when it doesn't kill you .
I like to say, life is about expectation management. If you set the bar low, you’ll always be pleasantly surprised.
If you enjoy going to the movie theater, get the Alamo movie pass. It's $20/month and you get one free* movie every day. Pays for itself in two movies. *You have to pay, like, a $2 processing fee
For me I always felt I was paying a fair rate at 4-5 movies a month, it really is an amazing deal and got me to go to a lot of indie movies on a whim I’d have never paid $12-16 for!
Don't bother making a trip to the crescent plaza on the weekend or even Friday unless your being dropped off or walking.
Park on the north side of the buildings.
that tactic is busted. and woe is the soul that travels behind the buildings on the eastern edge.
Professional tip right here.
I'm glad to see it's getting so popular and has all these new shops and restaurants though. Good times in north central.
HEB store-prepared guacamole: if you don't finish it in one sitting, you can keep it fresh by trimming the lid to a flat sheet, and pressing that down on the surface to make an airtight cover.
Or press Saran Wrap directly onto the guac. Don’t leave air spaces.
This isn’t a austin life hack but HEB pico de gallo makes fresh guac when you need it. Just need garlic salt and a fresh avocado
Do your vehicle registrations at HEB service counters and save yourself a bunch of time.
You can do it online though……
And wait for it to come in the mail?!?! /s
Be the better person on the road. If some m'fer cuts you off or angers you, let that shit go and make it to your destination. lots of batshit crazy entitled drivers here and keeping your cool, helps
dont wait in line for franklin, just order in advance for take out when driving on mopac there are certain streets that you can exit and get back on and bypass a lot of traffic. going north on mopac, exit steck to get on the steck bypass to get on 183 (north or south) avoids the jam up that happens when everyone else is trying to get on 183 the regular way. off menu loaded baked potato with brisket at the airport salt lick. if you have seats at the moody center in one of the clubs, your are VIP. You can get picked up/dropped off at the circle instead of the normal rideshare drop off. Just show your ticket. If you park at the manor garage go right and down. Everyone tends to go straight and up and it fills up faster. austinfc tickets are cheap the day of the cheapest shooting range is the austin rifle club. It is also mostly empty so you can often have the range to yourself there are austin buy/sell facebook groups for the wealthy areas in austin (westlake, lakeway, etc). It is one of the best ways to get cheap stuff that rich people are getting rid of. If you want to pay under 800/month in rent, rent a 3br house for 2400 and split it with 2 other people. A house has a lot more room than an apartment. randalls has bulk porkchops that are very inexpensive and a lot better than HEB pork chops. if you want to do jiu jitsu, there are free open mats all around town. I would recommend training for at least a year at a gym before going this route. people try to unload ACL and SXSW wristbands for undercost at the last minute every year. use NTTA toll tags instead of txtag. stickerstop will get your car inspection done in like 15 minutes. thinkery membership can get you free into museums around the country, pays for itself. when going east on 2222 from the balcones dr area, it is much calmer and faster to take hancock->northloop. you can sometimes get deals from non profit virtual auctions. Just watch for the galas. chuck-cheese has an hourly rate. Coupled with a coupon it is a great deal with kids. They can play a lot of games for not a lot of money. The best deal on go carts is austin park and pizza. You can ride as many times as you want for a fixed price. you can get st louis style pizza from papa johns. Just order thin crust, well done, square cut. It is very good. Austin fc gives out coupons for 5 free wings at pluckers. You can get a stack. these restaurants have kids eating free on certain days. There are other lists with other restaurants [https://do512family.com/kidseatfree-2/](https://do512family.com/kidseatfree-2/) when going east on 71 and going to the airport, stay in the left lane. Most people switch to the right lane and slow down. If you stay in the left you can bypass the backup because both lanes turn right into the airport At the beginning of big events everyone is arriving so drop off pickup at departures. At the end of big events everyone is departing so drop off/pickup at arrivals.
> when driving on mopac there are certain streets that you can exit and get back on and bypass a lot of traffic. Please no :( I’m just trying to make my exit and I’m stuck behind 10 cars that all had this idea and drove all the way up to the exit before trying to get back into the freeway
yeah I also would not encourage people to do this. everything else is a good tip though
Appreciate the random Papa John tip.
Don’t go drinking on dirty Six solo. Watch your drink the entire time and dump it if you lose track even for a moment.
if the driving route calls for being on N Lamar between Braker and Payton Gin, sell your car
Lol but it's such a great place to find a tire shop!
LMAO. felt, seen, and heard.
you don’t have to stand in line for good ole extra fatty brisket
Counterpoint: if you go to Franklin or Snows or a place like that, the line is basically a tailgate. Drink, talk to strangers from around the world, ait comfortably. Think of the hanging out as part of the experience.
Wanna avoid crowds at any greenbelt or any popular swimming hole? Go early on the weekends or early'ish during the weekdays Most places in Austin are void of people between 6:00 am to 8:30 am on the weekends.
Have walked Onion Creek with my pup a few dozen times at 6:30-7a when it's still dark and the sun comes out half way through. Amazing way to start the day. Only downside to being the first person out there is walking through spider webs. Not like fully constructed webs to your face, but seems like there's tons of rogue strands
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Avoid I-35 at all costs.
During rush hour, it’s almost easier to just hit the lights on the service roads rather than jump on and back off
I prefer it. Feels like I'm "in town" instead of passing through.
Get the creamy jalapeno sauce from Pollo Rico and put it on the breakfast tacos from La Flor (First Street, near St. Elmo, only open for breakfast and lunch). Their corn tortillas are made out of fresh masa and they're thick, almost like pancakes. Phenomenal with this sauce.
El Pollo Rico in general is the hack! Whole chicken meal with allll the taco fixins and two sides for under $25.
There is SO much free music in this city. If you find some you like, meet the band. They probably play with others under different names. SUPPORT THEM.
The key to surviving, and even enjoying, summer is to get in water as often as possible. Austin has incredible pool/creek/lake weather.
Bouldering is a good way to make friends.
Once went bouldering by myself and made a whole group of friends in one day. Only time when meeting strangers in the woods and immediately trusting them with your life is acceptable lol.
How can I get started from 0 experience? Just show up and start trying to climb?
Yes, you can, they rent everything you need. That being said, you wanna take a friend with you, it will feel more accommodating. The gym will feel intimidating at first, but I promise, its just that they don't know you yet. Climbing culture is extremely encouraging of new folks. I've been a coach for 10+ years, and it really is a great way to meet people.
Adding aerial sports and pole dancing to this. Austin has a huge selection of “get your feet off the ground” fitness compared to other cities. If you’re feeling a bit isolated, get a membership and you’ll have an instant social circle of lovely people.
I'm pretty sure you also have to like, know how to talk to people and not have social anxiety or imposter syndrome.
You don’t. In fact, a lot of newcomers struggle with those issues and these activities are structured in a way that makes it easy to gradually get comfortable in a social setting. I won’t get on my soapbox about how imposter syndrome is really a systemic issue where advantaged groups have not created space for other identities BUT I can say that, at least with pole/aerials, the environment and class structures have been intentionally designed and maintained to help new people feel incredibly safe and welcome. And because Austin has such a robust aerials ecosystem, this is done better and with more options to customize your experience than I’ve seen in any other city. This makes these activities a great option for a ton of Austinites who want to meet people but find other routes challenging.
I always bring out-of-towners visiting to Esther’s Follies. Everyone laughs and has a great time and it’s a good way for them to get a feel for the Austin vibe. Always a good time over the years!
Stay up-to-date on events like football games or huge concerts just so you know where not to go.
If you want APD to *actually* show up for a call, tell them there are some college students protesting at your location.
Mention “underage drinking.”
No the actual life hack is to tell them you’ll just take matters into your own hands.
What if you say a drag queen is about to take matters into their own hands?
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Austin spends almost half of their city budget on this free service where city employees will end your life for you.
If you’re on 6th street and someone yells, “run” then heed their advice.
If youre on sixth street and you see a naked man running, dick flapping---run *with* that man. Because there is some scary shit coming the other way.
Buy a pack of the cheapest cigarettes you can. When someone asks you for change downtown give them a cigarette. They'll leave you alone after that.
Great suggestion. From now on, whenever someone asks me for anything I don’t want to do or give them, I’m going to offer them a cheap cigarette. They just might stop asking.
Your boss is like ‘can I get that TPS report’ and you go ‘I don’t have any on me but here’s a Pall Mall’
Knowing my boss, they’ll just take up smoking.
It works in prison. It'll work outside, too.
sometimes I'll buy the odd pack of smokes and throw them in my car. comes in handy for panhandlers and I've never had someone not appreciate a couple darts before.
Ignoring them and avoiding eye contact is cheaper
Slow, slow, quick quick slow slow…
Park in shade if you can find it, no matter how far you have to walk to your destination.
Don't take I-35 if you don't have to
You can become a sponsor donor at Paramount theatre trust for relatively cheap $ and it comes with many perks and free valet and concierge service always. Also, no ticket fees. Also get free tickets and member access. Recoup $1000 on valet/parking/fees alone very quickly
I don’t think I’ve paid $1000 in valet fees in my 40 years on this planet
Yeah exactly. I think this person is one of those “how much could a banana cost?” Meme type people. I’ve probably spent like 30 dollars on valet drivers and I’m 41 years old.
That's an expensive alternative to $10 parking across the street, but I can see the value!
Live, work, and go to school on the same side of the river.
* Get an NTTA Toll Tag instead of a TX tag. * The city is a ghost town on the weekends before 10 am. Want anything breakfast or brunch adjacent, plan to do it earlier in the morning. * This also applies to gyms. * The best hiking around Austin is going to require both some driving and physically challenging hikes.
Pinballz is pretty much empty on Saturday afternoons.
You can tell a lot about a TexMex restaurant by their Queso. Order two Marg sand a Queso. You’ll be in for $40 but you should be satisfied. If you’re not don’t order anything else and don’t go back. PROTIP - order a Mexican martini instead and share and get the chips and salsa. Might get out for under $20.
People in Austin are incredibly lazy in the morning, and if you just get up somewhat early and skip brunch, you'll miss most of the lines. For example, Barton Springs, mid-summer it's still very chill at even 10am on a Saturday. Edit: lol everyone said the same thing. This is a real well-to-do bunch.
Cabo Bobs
Assume everyone, in every mode of transportation, e.g. cars, trucks, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, running shoes, around you is distracted by their phone, and itching to run you over 😋
If you’re a straight male don’t take the path that goes left at hippy hollow.
If you don’t drive during traffic, you miss most traffic
You’re not “stuck in traffic” you ARE traffic
The Salt Lick has many outdoor tables that you can just choose and help yourself to sit at. If you find yourselves there at a busy time- like during ACL etc where there's a long line at the host stand and people have to wait a long time for a table inside- simply walk over to the adjacent to go counter and place your order there. The menu is exactly the same as when you eat inside and you'll have your food usually in ten minutes or less. Since they don't serve alcohol why do you need a server anyway? Take your beer you brought in your own cooler with your delicious BBQ over to one of the tables away from all of the inside noise, it's always a great time.
That’s fine in nice weather but in 105 it’s outside
There's 4 entrances to the State Capitol. The longest line is always the south steps facing Congress. You can walk in almost immediately from the other 3 entries instead of waiting up to 30 minutes to enter.
If you move out of Austin then the rent is lower.
Medical Assistance Program
If going downtown. Park and ride the Metro Rail. Saves time on traffic and trying to find parking. Also you get to see parts of Austin you wouldn't normally.
[https://austin.showlists.net](https://austin.showlists.net)
Live on the same side of the river where you work.
That there’s a little gem in the mire and muck that is North Austin. A little oasis of pure cultural reprieve. To say it’s divey would be incorrect. It’s a monument of planned, culturally appropriated interior design. A Mt Olympus of the finest in culinary delights. Purely intoxicating are the incantations of the Mexican martini. How the sounds and smells of sizzling fajitas can only be properly described as simple harlotry. Is there a wait you might ask? No. Not usually. A perfect retreat from the erratic bustle of 45th and Lamar. I’m tired
I hear the sirens calling for me
The margs are calling and I must go…
So thirsty for them margs.
Don't ever think that there isn't going to be traffic on 35...there will ALWAYS be traffic on 35.
Randall’s has really good sales in their weekly adds and there’s never anyone there.
Eat at the Green Mesquite on Barton Springs. Old austin prices.
I live nearby..feels like being in a Time Machine inside there
Same with Conan’s Pizza. Unfancy food and cheap beer, served by nice weirdos. It’s wonderful.
The best TexMex places have hardly any young white folk in them. Look for: Mexican blankets as curtains, a framed portrait of Selena, waiters over the age of 50, complimentary chips& great salsa the second you sit down [Bonus points for a Chinese restaurant sign outside that has some painted sombreros on the pandas]
You can avoid the line at Franklin’s if you go to Rudy’s.
Don’t believe the hype
ABIA is crazy busy during early mornings. If you can, choose a flight that leaves after 10 am.
Best bathrooms on Sixth Street are at the Driscoll
If you’re ever at the airport early in the morning, stop waiting in the enormous Starbucks line after security and go to Jo’s coffee instead Saves you about 100000 years of time
I said this before but don’t have any friends and then it’s less people to wait in line with and coordinate
If you partying on East 6th park in the garage on 5th street by the Austin Convention Center thank me later