Best Place To Stay In Downtown Austin Tx – Austin may not be as special as it once was, but it’s still a wonderful city that I’m proud to call home. The city has changed a lot since I first moved here over seven years ago, especially after COVID, but it’s still a great place with lots of outdoor activities, an ever-improving food and bar scene, welcoming people doing innovative things and just plenty to keep you busy.
Austin is not a big city. Most people come to visit for a few days and frankly, you only need that much time to get a feel for the place. As a visitor, there are only a few areas I would recommend staying in during your stay here.
Best Place To Stay In Downtown Austin Tx
To help you figure out where to stay in Austin, here’s my breakdown of the best neighborhoods in the city, as well as recommended accommodations for each.
Things To Do In Austin, Texas, Updated 2023
East Austin has some of the best restaurants in the city, and if you want to be close to food, you can’t go wrong here. Another option would be South Congress Avenue, as this area also has some of the city’s best restaurants.
Downtown Austin is packed with enough attractions—including shops, restaurants, and attractions—to keep your kids entertained. It is also the focal point of everything.
Located in downtown Austin, Rainey Street is full of nightlife and very popular with weekend visitors. However, if you want to go where the locals go, East Austin has some of the best bars in Austin and is packed with people on the weekend. West 6th is fun, you’re in your twenties.
Zilker isn’t just the near-perfect park of the same name. It’s also a neighborhood with some interesting attractions, including sculpture gardens. Zilker is all about green spaces, so if you love the outdoors, this is the neighborhood for you.
The Perfect Day In Austin
The long strip of South Congress Avenue is lined with fun shops, many of which focus on kitschy retro stuff. Even if you’re not in the mood to spend money, browsing here is great fun.
East Austin is the best area in the city. You get some of the best restaurants, bars and vibes. It’s my favorite neighborhood in the city. The second would be the Southern Congress. You can’t go wrong with either one.
Here’s a more specific breakdown of each neighborhood with suggested accommodations for each so you know exactly where to stay in Austin during your next trip.
East Austin used to be a “bad neighborhood”. When I first came here, there wasn’t much to do in the area. However, in the past decade, the neighborhood has seen a massive influx of new residents, buildings and restaurants as the city expanded eastward. Today, East Austin is one of the best dining areas in the city (be sure to eat at Fukomoto, Via 313, and Corner Cafe). East Sixth has some of the best bars in town (like Whislers, Lazarus, Lolo Wine and Lucky Duck). Many people live here, so the area is always lively.
Best Things To Do After Dinner In Austin
Downtown Austin is not the most vibrant neighborhood in the city. Now it’s a lot of hotels and office buildings. This means that it is very centrally located, has the most diverse hotels, plenty of restaurants, and is close to most of the city’s attractions, such as the Capitol Building, the Paramount Theater, the University of Texas, the LBJ Library, and the “Dirty Sixth,” a strip of rowdy Sixth Street known for its bars.
In 1918, Andrew Jackson Zilker donated 35 acres of land to the city and the neighborhood and park was born. While the neighborhood is dominated by the park of the same name, this area of south central Austin offers interesting things to see and experience, including the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and the Barton Springs Pool. You can also walk the Greenbelt here and you will also be close to the lake. It is also home to the massive Austin City Limits music festival that takes place in October.
SoCo, short for South Congress Avenue, is a strip that is packed with trendy shops selling vintage and retro clothing, furniture, lots of high-end restaurants, food trucks and nightlife. This up-and-coming area is close to Lamar (another street full of food and bars), the lake, and Zilker Park as well. It’s much busier than East Austin, and while it doesn’t have as much nightlife as other parts of the city, it’s one of the best neighborhoods for dining and shopping. If I’m not in East Austin, I’m usually here.
After living here for 7 years, I can confidently say that Austin is one of the best cities in the country. Nothing is more than 20 minutes from anywhere else, so it’s easy to navigate the city while exploring. It is an ideal destination for a 3-4 day trip. And since it’s not a big city, you won’t have a problem getting around no matter where you stay.
Things To Do, See, & Eat In Austin
Find cheap flights with Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines all over the world, so you always know that no stone has been left unturned.
You can book your hostel at Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com because it always returns the cheapest prices for guesthouses and hotels.
Travel insurance protects you against illness, accident, theft and cancellation. It is comprehensive protection in case something goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I have had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation. They are what make me travel so much for so little. Check out my guide to choosing the right card and my current favorites to get started and check out the latest best deals.
Element Austin Downtown From S$ 176. Austin Hotel Deals & Reviews
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on a trip.
Have a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and share your thoughts!
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links and I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies that I use, and the income goes to support the site’s community and is ad-free.
Best place to stay in downtown vancouver, best place to stay in austin texas, best place to stay in austin texas downtown, stay downtown austin, best place to stay in austin tx, best place to stay in downtown las vegas, best place to stay in chicago downtown, where to stay in downtown austin, best place to stay in downtown boston, best place to stay in downtown austin, downtown austin places to stay, where to stay in downtown austin tx