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Take A Hike at Austin’s Bright Leaf Preserve

April 23, 2013 by

Bright Leaf Preserve is a 200 acre wildlife respite within Austin city limits. The preserve is open to the public through free guided hikes on the second weekend of each month.  Learn about local ecological and geological history while on a 4 mile walk throughout the park.  The preserve is home to native and rare plants, as well as many species once plentiful to Texas. Note that neither dogs nor strollers are not permitted. The Bright Leaf Preserve might just be one of Austin's loveliest spots for getting out into nature!

Bright Leaf Preserve
4111 Old Bull Creek Road
Austin, TX 78703
http://www.brightleaf.org

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Fun and Food Trailers at The NATY

April 17, 2013 by

The North Austin Trailer Yard, or NATY for short, is a destination for flavorful “grease truck” food and a fun atmosphere.  At any given time there are several food trailers here to provide you with tasty fast food from around the world.  If you’re lucky, you can snag a gyro from Big Fat Greek Gyro’s or cool off with Hawaiian shaved ice.  BYOB – bring a cooler for the hot days – and picnic table seating make this place super casual and fun.  The main seating area is covered and there are misters when it gets hot.  Animal sculptures give it a whimsical touch and the playground is great entertainment for kids.  Check their facebook page for live music events, and enjoy an evening of quality fast food and beer in the open air. 

North Austin Trailer Yard
1012 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 750-5361
www.yelp.com/biz/the-naty-austin

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Dart Bowl: An Old-School Bowling Alley in North Austin

April 2, 2013 by

Have a blast from the past at Dart Bowl, an old-school bowling alley with trow back pricing for a fun evening out that’s easy on the wallet.  Conveniently located in Austin’s Brentwood neighborhood, Dart Bowl has 32 well-maintained lanes that accurately keep score and rarely malfunction. If you work up an appetite bowling, the restaurant is famous for their enchiladas and homemade Texas toast – try them topped with a fried egg.  The bar has a good selection of beer at reasonable prices, and if you’re looking for a Big Lebowski-inspired evening, the full bar offers well-crafted White Russians.

Dart Bowl
5700 Grover Avenue
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 452-2518
www.dartbowl.com
www.yelp.com/biz/dart-bowl-austin

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Ballet Austin: On Point

March 5, 2013 by

Austin is a culturally rich city, boasting a fair number of highbrow performance groups. One of the most long-lived and praised is Ballet Austin, which has been putting on impressive performances for over 50 years. Under the direction of Stephen Mills, the company encompasses 20 professional dancers recruited from a nationwide talent search, staging five productions yearly, including an extremely popular presentation of The Nutcracker. The productions are uniformly elegant and sensual, with talented dancers and engrossing choreography. Regulars rave about the avant-garde spin that Mills and company put on staid classics. In addition to their professional performances, Ballet Austin hosts a number of educational programs which draw locals in droves. The classes are held on a drop-in basis at The Butler Center, ranging from traditional ballet and tap to more unique offerings like hip-hop, Pilates and “Broadway Fit.” Prices are reasonable and the instructors are top notch. It’s a great resource for anybody interested in dance.

Ballet Austin
501 W. 3rd Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-9151
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ballet-austin-austin

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Book Person? Come to BookPeople!

February 28, 2013 by

Bibliophiles love to congregate at BookPeople, a local independent bookstore where hundreds of tomes line the shelves, waiting for someone like you to read them. Whether your taste runs to historical fiction, mystery, memoir, teen vampire tales, romance or non-fiction, you’re sure to find the perfect tome to spend time with. The store also hosts over 300 events per year. Upcoming happenings include author book signings, book clubs, children’s story time, poetry readings, workshops and lectures. In addition to books of every genre imaginable, you can also purchase greeting cards, calendars, small toys and games. Stop by their little cafe to indulge in a luscious espresso drink, Italian soda, muffin or dessert while you peruse your latest literary purchase. Open Monday through Sunday from 9a.m. until 11p.m.

BookPeople
603 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 472-5050
http://www.bookpeople.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bookpeople-austin

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Decorate in a Snap with Furnish 123

February 5, 2013 by

Furniture 123 is the place for great deals on new furniture.  Affiliated with Gage Furniture, this family owned business that has furnished Austin homes and apartments for over 70 years.  Furniture 123 offers great value on big name brands, which you can browse online, or inside of Gage Furniture’s showroom.  Prices are VERY reasonable, which make furnishing a room fun on any budget.  It’s not uncommon to find furniture marked 50% below MSRP and holiday sales offer even deeper discounts.  Items tend to be stylish and modern, but will fit any decor.  There's a great selection too – you can find everything from sectionals to lamps and dinettes to bedroom suites.  The sales environment is simple and straightforward with helpful, no-pressure staff.
 

Furniture 123
7725 Burnet Rd
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 454-3613
www.yelp.com/biz/furnish-123-austin

 

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Violet Crown Cinema: King Of Film

January 8, 2013 by

One of Austin’s oldest nicknames is “The City Of The Violet Crown,” and that unlikely moniker gives this exceptional independent movie theater its name. Austin has long been known as a city that fiercely supports the arts, and the Violet Crown Cinema is one of the city’s best places to catch independent, foreign and documentary films on their first run. And they offer a number of amenities to make seeing movies here even more pleasant. Most interesting is reserved seating for every show – when you buy your ticket, you can pick your seat. Buy early enough and you can snag the super-comfortable front row seats. Prices are on par with other city theaters, and the concession stand is excellent. In addition to the typical popcorn and soda, the café features some truly awesome food, including the ginger pork tapas and some really good paninis. They also have a full cocktail bar with a top-notch beer and wine selection.

Violet Crown Cinema
434 W. 2nd Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 495-9600
http://www.yelp.com/biz/violet-crown-cinema-austin

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Dinner and a Movie at Flix Brewhouse

December 28, 2012 by

Flix Brewhouse is the only first run cinema and microbrewery in the world — and it's right here in Round Rock!  

You can enjoy new movies at standard prices while dining from The Brewhouse’s full menu. There are six cinemas with stadium seating, all with wait service. <oveable tables make dining easy. You can simply order snacks and appetizers like fried pickles, or a whole dinner with burgers and chicken entrees. Their brewmaster has created six signature beers or choose from 42 others domestic and craft favorites. They also offer wine by the glass, and fun non-alcoholic options like the Dreamsicle, an orange cream soda. 

The Brewhouse has fun events like ladies night with retro flicks, and specials like $3 Texas Pint Mondays. There's a traditional box office, but it's a good idea to purchase your tickets ahead of time to reserve your spot — reserve online and you can print them when you arrive. 
 

Flix Brewhouse
Hesters Crossing
2200 S Interstate 35, Ste B1
Round Rock, TX 78681
(512) 244-3549
www.yelp.com/biz/flix-brewhouse-round-rock

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Central Market: “An Amusement Park for Food Lovers”

November 16, 2012 by

Grocery shoppers in the Austin area know that there’s a superb spot to visit when you’re looking for the best bread, produce and other edible goods, and that’s Central Market. The popular chain actually started in Austin with a mandate to bring as much fresh food from all over Texas to local shoppers as possible, describing it as “an amusement park for food lovers,” and it’s grown significantly since the early days. Now customers rave about the excellent selection and fair prices. The produce section here is absolutely enormous, featuring both the staples and some more unusual products, all kept fresh. If you’re feeling peckish, stop in at the store’s café for some excellent pre-cooked food. The tamales in particular are quite popular, but everything here is great. Some complain that the aisles are too narrow, but with the sheer volume of stuff they pack into this store, it’s kind of a necessity.

Central Market
4477 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 899-4300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/central-market-austin

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Check Out Austin Fan Fest 2012!

October 26, 2012 by

Celebrating 2012's inaugural U.S. Grand Prix, Austin Fan Fest 2012 comes to downtown Austin from November 16-18th. If you haven't heard, the U.S. GP is a Formula 1 race taking place that weekend at Austin's newly constructed Circuit of the Americas race track, and Austin Fan Fest brings the city even more fun with an array of musical acts from all over the country, along with great local and regional bands.

Fan Fest's headline performers Aerosmith, Flo Rida, and Enrique Iglesias will play on main stages for the Fest's three night engagement, while smaller stages will showcase acts like Lupe Fiasco and The Wallflowers.

Around downtown Austin, attendees can also interact with F1 racing related installations, like racing simulators and Formula 1 cars. Arts exhibits, parties, and family friendly events all over downtown make the whole thing complete.

Want to know more? Click here to learn about Austin Fan Fest 2012.

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