Have a Latte near Elan East at Austin’s Vintage Heart Coffee

Austin certainly isn't lacking in local businesses, and Vintage Heart Coffee highlights the best of them in its menu of coffee drinks and baked goods. It sources fair-trade coffee from Third Coast Roasting Company, which sits only a few miles away on South Congress. With the beans, Vintage Heart's baristas work their magic. They craft popular vanilla lattes—complete with the obligatory latte art—and serve them in reusable ceramic mugs, just like all of the hot drinks. The cold drinks, on the other hand, come in cute mason jars—try an iced mocha. Vintage Heart's baristas add their own house-made coffees to the mix.

Other local businesses that contribute to Vintage Heart Coffee's inventory include Russell's Bakery, which provides everything from cookies and brownies made from scratch to danish and croissants. Vegans can enjoy a baked good with their coffee, too, thanks to the doughnuts and muffins provided by Rabbit Cooperative Bakery. They contain no milk, eggs, or other animal products.

Check out the Vintage Heart Coffee website to learn more about this Austin cafe not too far from Elan East!

Vintage Heart Coffee
1405 E. 7th Street
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 524-0583
vintageheart.coffee
www.yelp.com/biz/vintage-heart-coffee-austin

Austin Marathon and Half Marathon: See Austin by Foot Not Far From Elan East

There's something special about race day. The shared excitement; the pumping adrenaline; the pulsing crowds. In a city like Austin, a place that already has more than enough personality, race day almost certainly brings even more energy. Experience it for yourself by running the Austin Marathon or Austin Half Marathon this year.

Starting corrals trail behind the official start line on Congress Avenue at West 2nd Street. Join your group and get ready to check out some of Austin's best-known sights and attractions. You'll jog along Lady Bird Johnson Lake, pad around Hyde Park and Allandale, and even get a glimpse of the University of Texas Campus and State Capital buildings. The course is mostly shaded and devoid of any extreme hills, although the elevation does gradually build and then decrease over the 26.2-mile course. If you're a serious marathoner, note that the Austin Marathon is a qualifying race for the Boston marathon.

Not ready to run a marathon? Head over from Elan East to cheer on the participants!

Austin Marathon and Half Marathon
100 Congress Avenue and W. 2nd Street
Austin, TX
(512) 476-7223
youraustinmarathon.com
www.yelp.com/biz/austin-marathon-and-half-marathon-austin

Shop Local and Regional Art Near Elan East at Austin’s Blue Genie Art Bazaar

If you want to shop local this holiday season, the Blue Genie Art Bazaar is a fun and festive event that will help you find holiday gifts galore. This popular yearly event takes place during the month of December at the Marchesa Hall and Theatre, and it contains goods from more than 200 local artists.

Visitors can stroll through the colorful displays containing original paintings, jewelry, glassware and even clothing and accessories, all while finding unique seasonal gifts from a wide variety of price ranges. Drinks and snacks are also available to keep you fueled for hours of holiday shopping, and there are even food trucks on the weekend.

With free parking and a fun, community-oriented atmosphere, the Blue Genie Art Bazaar is a popular shopping destination near Elan East.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar at Marchesa Hall and Theatre
November 28th through December 24th, 2014
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
6226 Middle Fiskville Road
Austin, TX 78752
www.bluegenieartbazaar.com

Play a Round of Golf near Elan East at Austin’s Hancock Golf Course

Since as far back as 1899, Hancock Golf Course has been one of Austin's most popular golf courses. It is one of the oldest courses in the state of Texas, but its well-manicured grounds and updated holes make it feel perfectly modern. The par-35 Hancock Golf Course is fairly small and only contains 9 holes, which is fairly standard for the time in which it was built. The compact size makes it a perfect place to play a quick round of golf near Elan East.

The course is home to a number of different golf associations and junior golf leagues, and if you prefer to get a bit more competitive with your playing, there are Austin Public Links tournaments that unite some of the best players in the city. For those who want to brush up on their skills, Hancock Golf Course even offers clinics and private instruction taught by skilled golf instructors.

Hancock Golf Course
811 E. 41st Street
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 453-0276
www.austintexas.gov/department/hancock-golf-course

Solve a Mystery near Elan East at the Austin Playhouse’s Production of Sherlock Holmes

The Austin Playhouse is a small, local theater not too far from Elan East that is run by some of the city’s most talented theatre artists. The playhouse is known for putting on high quality productions of truly unique, modern plays, and it might be one of the city's best places to see live theatre

This season, one play the Austin Playhouse will stage is Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lilly, a fairly new play that puts a comic twist on the traditional Sherlock Holmes story. In the play, Holmes receives a seemingly simple case from actress Lillie Langtry, but things turn out to be much more complicated than they first appear.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lilly runs from November 21 through December 21. Tickets are $28 on Thursdays and Fridays and $30 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lilly
The Austin Playhouse
6001 Airport Boulevard
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 476-0084
www.austinplayhouse.com/season/shows/2014_Sherlock.html#

Take a Tour of Local Art Near Elan East at Austin’s Art Night Series

Austin is already well known for its live music, but events like the Art Night Series are making its art scene almost as popular. This popular event is hosted by the Art Alliance Austin and spans a number of unique art spaces throughout specific neighborhoods in the city.

From established galleries to pop-up art exhibits and even live performance venues, you never know where the next location along the Art Night route will be. Food and beverages are served at each location, and true to Austin form, there is often live music as well. The Art Alliance provides buses to transport visitors from your chosen starting gallery, so you’ll get to take a mini tour of the city while also experiencing some of its best art.

Tickets to the Art Night Series are $55 per person, and the cost includes bus transportation and any food and drink. The fall 2014 Art Night Series takes place on November 14, 2014, highlighting art spaces near Elan East. Visit the Art Night Series website to find out more!

Art Night Series
East Austin
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 609-8591
www.artallianceaustin.org/events/art-night-east

Take a Walk with Friends from Elan East at Austin’s Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park is a part of the Austin Parks Foundation, which attempts to offer more green spaces in and around the city of Austin. This classic city park near Elan East is filled with 15 miles of hiking trails, rocky streams and wildflower-covered fields perfect for exploring.

The main part of the park features a safe and sturdy playground area that the kids will love, as well as five softball fields, three basketball courts and a volleyball court that welcome casual pick-up games. The well-maintained swimming pool is perfect for hot Texas days, and there are picnic tables and barbecue pits nearby to make a whole day of fun in the sun. For your furry friend, Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park also offers an off-leash dog area where dogs can play, as well as dog-friendly trails where on-leash dogs can get some exercise.

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 837-4500
www.austinparks.org/our-parks.html?parkid=368

Handcrafted Cocktails Near Elan East at Austin’s East Side Show Room

East Side Show Room is an Austin cocktail bar and restaurant located not too far from Elan East. The bar certainly has a style that matches Austin's eclectic vibe, from its bohemian décor scheme to the fascinating selection of local art on the walls, and like most places in Austin, there is almost always a live band playing.

East Side Show Room’s dinner menu includes globally influenced dishes made with local ingredients, from the hearty fisherman’s stew to the assortment of meats, seafood and kebabs. To get the full experience you can pair any meal with a drink from the handcrafted cocktail menu, all of which are prepared by skilled barkeeps. These cocktails aren’t made with trendy combinations of modern ingredients, but rather classic cocktail recipes from the Prohibition era.

Visit East Side Show Room's website to see a full menu along with a calendar of upcoming events.

East Side Show Room
1100 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 467-4280
www.eastsideshowroom.com

Thinkery: An Austin Children’s Museum near Elan East

Young children are curious and creative, two traits that are oftentimes endearing, but ones that can also make it hard to keep them entertained. Let them learn, build, imagine, play, and get creative at Thinkery. This Austin children's museum near Elan East encourages kids to learn and explore.

Families can spend hours at Thinkery checking out the many exhibits on display. At the Innovators' Workshop, guests can take part in engineering and science activities. Venture to the Light Lab so the kids can learn about shadows, color, and light. In the Kitchen Lab, visitors can take part in activities that have to do with science experiments and food prep. The Let's Grow portion of the venue teaches children about motion, balance, and nutrition.

Thinkery also hosts a number of special events. Visit the website to see a list of upcoming events and workshops.

Thinkery
1830 Simond Avenue
Austin, TX 78723
Phone number(512) 469-6200
www.thinkeryaustin.org
www.yelp.com/biz/thinkery-austin

Trailer Food Tuesdays: Mobile Food near Elan East in Austin

Forget a sit down meal—mobile food is the hot new trend. Trailer Food Tuesdays is one of Austin’s best mobile food event, bringing together the best of Austin’s food truck scene all in one location not far from Elan East. On the last Tuesday of the month, Austin’s best food trucks converge on the parking lot of the Long Center for the Performing Arts from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Come hungry and try food from local favorites including Burro Cheese Kitchen, Chi’Lantro Korean and Mexican Fusion, Angry Eggroll, Fishey Bizness Seafood Co., Taco Baby, the Peached Tortilla, and more. These creative food trucks are sure to introduce you to some inventive new things to eat. For dessert, you can sample a delicious frozen yogurt from SnoLabs, some ice cream from Cow Tipping Creamery, or a cup of fresh fruit from Mister Fruit Cup.

Trailer Food Tuesdays features different trucks each month, so visiting each month gives you the chance to savor some of Austin's most distinctive food. Check out the event's website to find out more!

Trailer Food Tuesdays
701 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
www.trailerfoodtuesdays.com

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