Downtown

Welcome to Downtown

Where Austin’s dynamic past and sky’s-the-limit future converge.

It’s no wonder that an increasing number of residents are so drawn to the city’s energetic hub. Downtown is dotted with historic reminders of the enterprising frontier town Austin once was (see the built-for-a-cattle-baron Driskill Hotel) and is abuzz with the creative energy of the start-ups and tech companies that have been relocating here.

When Austin’s first mayor, Edwin Waller, drew up the town’s blueprints in 1839, he wanted Congress Avenue, which begins in front of the pink-granite State Capitol building, to be at the center of what would be the city’s vibrant nucleus. A lively downtown has indeed blossomed on all sides of the broad main street, and much of the current building boom has added even more residential options.

What to Expect

Busy sidewalks and a new skyscraper seemingly every week.

Downtown’s sidewalks hum with office workers and scooter-riding visitors, but they become noticeably more mobbed on weekend evenings and during the city’s headline-making festivals, like South by Southwest. The local joke is that the official bird of Austin is the construction crane.

Texas State Capitol framed by leafy trees at the end of a pedestrian path.

Downtown Google storefront with a red “Peace Love Austin” skateboard mural.

Chupacabra restaurant exterior with turquoise patio stools and diners beneath striped awnings.

Downtown skyline behind a grassy park and splash fountain, with people nearby.

The Lifestyle

The ideal balance of work and play.

Both tourists and business professionals are happily surrounded here by a full spectrum of fine restaurants, food trucks, and watering holes, particularly around Sixth Street and Rainey Street. And, as you would expect of the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, there is an abundance of worthy nightlife venues. Most retail is centered around the 2nd Street District.

Tree-lined downtown sidewalk with pedestrians and outdoor restaurant seating beneath orange awnings.

Two cyclists ride through a downtown intersection lined with office buildings.

Downtown café storefront with a rainbow flag and orange outdoor seating.

Downtown skyline beside a river, with a railway bridge and kayakers in the foreground.

Unexpected Appeal

Green spaces that temper all the sleek concrete.

Downtown’s southern boundary kisses a shimmering stretch of the Colorado River. Urban dwellers (and their pups) enjoy the well-maintained trails along the river’s edge and fill the smooth waterway with a small flotilla of stand-up paddleboards and kayaks.

Downtown sidewalk with a pink food truck and a woman on an electric scooter.

Couple walks hand in hand downtown past storefronts, carrying a shopping bag.

Downtown restaurant patio with diners beneath a covered walkway beside a tree-lined plaza.

Diners clink amber beer glasses over a patio table covered with shared food.

The Market

Sky-high condos and apartments with prices to match.

Single-family homes are the outliers here. Instead, downtown’s ballooning population has largely traded yards and rush-hour headaches for the horizon-scanning views and balconies of the many luxury high-rise buildings that have gone up in the last decade.

Multi-story red brick apartment building with rows of metal-railed balconies.

Two-story red-brick house with black shutters, a central entrance, and a walkway across the lawn.

Downtown high-rise buildings, including a curved white residential tower with balconies and glass towers.

You'll Fall in Love With

Downtown’s homegrown hideaways.

Unlike a lot of urban cores, Austin’s downtown is anything but staid. Just like the rest of the city, the vibe here is mellow and down-to-earth, as evidenced by the many friendly gathering spots and beer gardens, like the creekside Easy Tiger and the 1866 Scholz Garten.

Downtown riverside terrace with pedestrians, a leafy wall, stone embankment, and bridge.