Austin
Hubbers
- @sophshep, @brandonrosage, @acyphus, @hbforsyth, @lecoursen, @ronnie, @willabides, @jnewland, @vmramirez, @neechbomb, @luccacabra, @whitmonaq
GitHub Offices, Coworking space
None officially, but:
Neighborhoods
- Downtown - Central, close to everything.
- East Austin (east of I-35, north of the river) - Rapidly gentrifying, cool part of town. Lots of great restaurants & bars, close to downtown.
- South Congress / South First - two parallel streets just south of the river. Lots of shopping (vintage clothes, records, etc)
Hotels
- The Heywood - small, 7 room boutique hotel in East Austin. Perfect for small mini-summits, you can reserve all the rooms and have the run of the place (best of both worlds with an AirBNB & hotel)
- Hotel Van Zandt - New Kimpton hotel near downtown
- The Carpenter Hotel - Boutique hotel with central location
Coffee/brunch/breakfast
- Brew + Brew - great coffee, breakfast tacos, bagels, in East Austin near downtown, good for coworking. If you hang out there through the afternoon/evening, they also serve beer.
- Flat Track - Coffee / bike shop. Ultimate Austin.
- Houndstooth and Cafe Medici both have multiple locations and serve the best coffee in Austin.
- Radio - a bit further south but worth the trip. Coffee and beer served out of an old house, surrounded by food trucks, including Veracruz All Natural (which many say has the best migas breakfast taco)
Casual Restaurants
- Torchy's Tacos - An Austin taco institution. Not traditional, but delicious.
- La Barbecue - As good as the esteemed Franklin BBQ, but less waiting in line.
- Matt's El Rancho - Classic Tex Mex and good margaritas. Good for large groups.
- Ramen Tatsu-ya - Best ramen in Austin
- Via 313 - Detroit-style pizza
- True Food Kitchen - if you need vegetables or healthy food after all that BBQ & pizza
Fancier Restaurants
- Uchi / Uchiko - Best sushi & japanese food in Austin
- Launderette - Mediterranean inspired. Save room for dessert.
- Dai Due - Mostly all local food, focus on local meats. Lots of things cooked over an open fire.
- Kemuri Tatsu-ya - On Bon Apetit's best new restaurant list. Japanese / Texas BBQ mashup. Fun environment and great drinks.
- Odd Duck - Classic Austin Story: it was a food truck, and now it's a successful restaurant. Interesting, gourmet, food without feeling formal.
- Justine's - Traditional french brasserie with an Austin feel.
Bars
- ABGB - Great beer hall / beer garden. They brew their own beers and have delicious pizza. Live music most evenings. Great for big groups.
- Weather Up - Craft cocktails in an old house in East Austin
- Whisler's - Craft cocktails in an even older house in East Austin. Good thai food truck in the back if you get hungry.
Nightlife
- White Horse - Bar / dancehall on the East Side. Live music & dancing most nights. Great mix of people always - from older folks to east side hipsters.
- Broken Spoke - An old Texas Honky Tonk. My personal favorite.
- Ego's Karaoke - If you're a person who loves to do karaoke
Sightseeing & Activities
- Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike trail - 10 mile trail around the water downtown (has lots of bridges for smaller loops). Great for jogging.
- Kayaking / Canoeing / Stand Up Paddleboarding - you can rent any of these at The Rowing Dock
- Barton Springs - a necessity in summer, since it's spring fed and stays cold year round.
- Peter Pan mini-golf - BYOB mini golf.
- Alamo Drafthouse - the theatre that serves you food and drinks. They're in lots of cities now, but they're from Austin.
- Blanton Museum - art museum on UT campus. Home of Elsworth Kelly's piece "Austin".
Volunteering
- Casa Marianella is a homeless shelter dedicated solely to immigrants seeking asylum. They often need cleaning, cooking, or house repair help.
- Central Texas Food Bank
- http://ilivehereigivehere.org/ is a great resource for local organizations looking for volunteers
Public Transport
- If you plan on staying in the city, Uber and Lyft are available.
- We also have a local, nonprofit ridesharing app called Ride Austin. It works just like Uber but the drivers get a larger cut and profits get donated to local organizations.
- If you plan on leaving the city, I would recommend renting a car at the airport.