austinized

We first visited Austin in 2005 and considered moving here then. We took a minor detour to Seattle for three years before finally landing in Austin in 2008. But in those two years, and from afar for three years prior, I’ve seen Austin building momentum as a city. I feel like I’m around people every day who kicking around new ideas. And that’s the thing about Austin…everyday seems like it has possibilities if you can invest the energy and resources to chase it.

All that to say, I’m excited, but not surprised to see that Kiplingers has rated Austin the #1 city for small businesses in the next decade. Austin has had a great reputation since before I knew of it, but it’s exciting to look ahead and imagine what’s next. We moved to Austin because we wanted to be in a city that is defining and shaping culture…and we’re not disappointed.

If there is one thing I’ve had no complaints about in Austin, it has been the options available for coffee shops to work from. Last fall, I blogged about my five favorite coffee shops and I made a trip on Gowalla of all my favorite independent coffee shops.

A few weeks ago, a new shop opened that belongs on both of those lists above: Houndstooth Coffee. It’s in Central Austin, so it’s convenient for meetings. They are serious about espresso, so they do my blessed lattes just right and offer a choice of espresso beans everyday — Cuvee, Counter Culture and/or Intelligentsia, depending on the day. And, it’s a good work environment, with enough music/ambient noise to block out conversations around you without being overstimulating. And…Tacodeli is right next door. Oh my.

If you’re in Austin, drop in. And definitely, definitely, definitely try a cortado.

Yesterday, our family stumbled on Pedernales Falls State Park. We spent a long weekend at a dude ranch outside of Banderas where I performed a wedding. I decided to take the scenic route home, and noticed that the route I was taking was going to pass right by the park. The name was familiar from a conversation or two, so we dropped in.

I created the image above with AutoStich on my iPhone, but it’s almost a shame to include it. It doesn’t begin to convey how pretty the view is (even on an overcast day), and it lacks the sound of the rushing waters. What we thought might be a 20-30 minute break turned into a few hours as our kids climbed over rocks, skipped stones, and threw sand in our hair.

The best time to see the hill country is in the spring, when the wildflowers line the roads and the trees are all shades of green. When people ask us how we like Austin compared to Seattle, I always say I love it, but I miss the beauty of Seattle. And that’s still true, but knowing a place like this is an hour from home changes that perspective.

And I like to say Pedernales.

Since I spend most mornings working from a coffee shop, I think it’s high time I shared my five favorite places to work from in Austin. (I know many have been on the edge of their seat waiting for this.) The main criteria to evaluate these coffee shops: convenience, work environment, and, of course, the coffee!

1. Sodade Coffee House
   The best espresso drinks in North Austin, almost always pretty quiet, and it’s less than five minutes from my house! Doesn’t hurt that the regulars and owners are all great people as well…except maybe for one guy. (And how could I not mention that it’s right next to TacoDeli?)
2. Caffe Medici
   The coffee rivals some of my favorite spots in Seattle and it’s a cozy spot to work from. Not so close to home, and the parking is sparse, but oh, the latte.
3. Thunderbird Coffee
   Not too far from home, another spot for a great latte. Work environment is a more up-tempo due to activity, but not to the level of distraction that you might find at a busy Starbucks. Bonus points for usually having the most interesting artwork and being open later. (east Austin location is good as well)
4. JPs Java
   I don’t make it here very often as it’s not convenient for me in terms of location or parking. Four different seatings areas make for a great environment. But most important? Zoka beans.
5. Progress Coffee
   Would be there more often if it were closer to home. Good coffee and work environment. Bonus points for the great signage.

I’m sure some will think me ridiculous for not including any spots in South Austin, but I don’t get down that way very often. I’ve been to a few spots that have a great atmosphere, but haven’t found any that live up to my standards for espresso drinks.

I will neither confirm nor deny that the main reason we moved to Austin was the possibility of seeing more shows by Explosions in the Sky. I will say this…it didn’t hurt the decision making process! So, when I discovered they were playing their first announced show since we’ve moved to town, I made sure I was there…along with half the city I think.

Explosions played a free show on the last night of SXSW at Auditorium Shores. The sound was far from perfect — one of the guitars seemed to come and go in the mix. And I think the tallest person in the crowd was about 7 inches in front of, and above, me. But those things aside, I couldn’t have asked for a better setting. The stage backs right up to Town Lake, and downtown creates a backdrop to the right of the stage. It was 72 degrees with no clouds to clutter the night sky.

They began their set by inviting the surging crowd to “Come dream with us” and then glided into their set of six songs: The Only Moment We Were Alone, Catastrophe and the Cure, Greet Death, Your Hand in Mine, The Birth and Death of the Day, and Memorial. As Memorial swelled into its crescendo, a fireworks show began behind the stage. The band left the stage after the song, allowing the continuing fireworks to serve as the encore.

As we left, I was thankful for the reminder of why we love living in Austin.

Last weekend, we took our family to the annual Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Christmas Parade.

Let me begin with the most important detail. The parade didn’t start until 11am. Whoever planned the time must know how hard it is to get several small children out of the house in the morning. The start time was perfect for us to navigate the heavy and find a good viewing spot well before the parade began.

The parade took a straight path down Congress from the Capitol building to Town Lake. It had a good mixture of what you’d expect of a Christmas parade in Austin — inflated balloons, bright floats, live music, and some oddities. Our kids loved it.

The point of the parade was a highlight for our family. Parade goers were encouraged to bring toys to give to less fortunate families. I lost count of how many pickup trucks went by that were overflowing with toys. This will be an annual tradition for our family…see you next year!

Barton Springs Pool is in Zilker Park, just across the lake from downtown. It is a popular place to hang out and swim in Austin.

It has some nice grassy areas to bask in the sun and some good play areas for young children to splash. The diving board in the middle seemed to be a hit. On the south end, you can enter it like a zero-entry pool or beach, but beware of the slippery algae. A kind experienced local swimmer there pointed out that there was a path that had been cleaned off (white rather than greenish) that wasn’t too slippery. We were very thankful, considering we didn’t want to drop our young children on the rocks.

You may have to be used to cooler water to enjoy swimming here. It wasn’t a problem for my kids after a few minutes, but I’m kind of a cold-water wimp, so I prefer a pool — or maybe a jacuzzi!

Pros:
Inexpensive
Grassy areas
Beautiful, surrounded by green trees
Nature experience, including small fish swimming around your feet
Zero entry on the sides
Great view of downtown
Conveniently located in Zilker Park

Cons:
Cold water (relative I know!)
Parking was pretty full
A bit of a walk to the kids area, which is tricky with little ones
Slippery
Algae floating around your legs

I promise this isn’t going to become an Austin coffee blog. But, please understand that coffee is the fuel that will help keep this blog going. Without it, there might not be any content! So, the coffee tour continues…

One of the best lattes I have found in Austin comes from Caffe Medici. I’m not an espresso afficianado, but I’ve had enough lattes to form opinions. One thing I know — latte art matters. It’s not just that it makes the coffee look pretty. It also shows that the milk was steamed to the right texture. I’ve had 3-4 lattes at Medici, and they have nailed it everytime as far as texture, and art, goes.

They have two locations, one on Lynn, and one on The Drag, across from UT, where Metro Coffee used to be. I’ve not been to the Guadalupe location, at least not since Medici took it over. But I have been to Lynn. The great coffee comes with a price, because parking and table space is usually at a premium. I’ve found that if I don’t get there before mid morning, I’m usually out of luck.

As I’m trying out local coffee shops, a few favorites are starting to emerge. One of those is Sodade Coffee House, near Duval and MoPac.

I’ve been spending as much time at Sodade as anywhere else because they score high in my primary criteria — they make one of the best (and cheapest) lattes I’ve had in the city. It’s certainly the best latte within ten minutes of our house. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is fairly quiet and relaxed. I never have trouble focusing here. The wifi is spotty at times, although they seem to have gotten that sorted out. (Even when it isn’t working, it is never a problem to pick up the signal from the restaurant next door. Ssshh.)

Bonus points go to Sodade for having a twitter account! Pay them a visit…just don’t take my table.

I spend 3-4 mornings a week working in a coffee house, so I am making the rounds in Austin to see what’s out there. I’ve been to several, but have held off from posting about any of them until I’ve had 2-3 visits. Coming from Seattle, I was spoiled as far as coffee goes, but I think I’m going to be okay…

Up first in the grand coffee tour is Genuine Joe. It’s a good sized shop with an outdoor patio, three different indoor rooms, and a variety of furniture. This means you can usually find a spot to fit your mood, from a couch in a quiet corner to a table amidst all the action. The music I’ve heard is a decent mix…which means it doesn’t include any oldies or country.

Out of three visits, I’ve had one average drink, and two pretty good drinks. The latte I had on my second visit just seemed like hot flavored milk. Today, my latte had a nice texture to it. I have visited a few places where I like the lattes better (which I’ll share in time). But, I don’t like to be confined to one or two spots, so Genuine Joe is a place I’ll visit often.