Austin's Hippest Neighborhood Is Brimming With Art And Eclectic World Cuisine

Long known as a hip city and the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin is a magnet for fun-loving art, food, and culture lovers. The city is also home to the University of Texas, Austin, whose 52,000 students keep the state's capital young and trendy. If this is your first visit, you might want to take a walking tour of the vibrant Texan city brimming with boutiques. From 2010 to 2022, greater Austin was the fastest-growing area in America, per the City of Austin. Packed with art galleries, coffee shops, cool boutiques, music venues, and destination-worthy restaurants, East Austin is behind much of this growth. 

Designated as east of I-35, west and south of Highway 183, and north of Riverside Drive, East Austin is a welcoming neighborhood that has supported small businesses since its inception and shows its community spirit with opportunities to gather at events like art shows, classes, and walking and food tours. East Austin is also a center for Black history and culture, where you'll find the Six Square Black Cultural District, George Washington Carver Museum, and Huston-Tillotson University. For movie fanatics, Austin is the best vacation spot for film lovers that isn't overrated and overcrowded like Hollywood.

East Austin's art and restaurant scenes are thriving. If you're an art lover, you might want to plan your trip around the free East Austin Studio Tours in May and November. Hundreds of artists open their spaces to meet the public and introduce them to their work. No matter what time of year you come, you should visit the grayDUCK Gallery, which shows an eclectic range of art and is open only on Saturdays and Sundays, and the Cathedral, an art and event space in a former church. Ivester Contemporary is a fine art gallery with two exhibition areas, and Richesart Gallery is a Black-owned art and event space where creatives meet for open mic nights, live figure drawing, jazz sets, and more. 

There are countless options for sampling East Austin's eclectic cuisine, but at the top of the list should be Birdie's. This eatery is a small, counter-service-only, cashless, phone number-less, family-owned spot that doesn't accept reservations. Since opening in 2021, the restaurant has received many recognitions, including a James Beard Award nomination for best chef in Texas, Food & Wine's restaurant of the year, and the No. 1 restaurant in Austin from the Austin American Statesman. It is also included in the Michelin guide, and the menu changes daily.

Brunch lovers should head to Paperboy, where you can indulge in a sweet chocolate peanut butter pop tart or savory Texas hash with roasted pork, sweet potato, poached egg, and pecan mole. Beef is the star at Buenos Aires Café, an Argentine standout that handmakes its empanadas daily, or you can dig into Louisiana specialties like crab maison and gumbo at Uptown Sports Club.

After exploring so many galleries and restaurants, you'll want a place nearby to lay your head, and East Austin features many boutique hotels. With 83 guest rooms, a Spanish restaurant, a cocktail bar, and a rooftop patio, Arrive Hotels Austin has a contemporary design and amenities like free Wi-Fi. The pool at the East Austin Hotel beckons on steamy days, and the decor of its 75 rooms is influenced by Scandinavian designs. This casual hotel with a restaurant and rooftop bar also offers some bedrooms with shared bathrooms.

Small and bohemian, the Frances Modern Inn is a gem with individually decorated rooms whose designer was not afraid of patterned wallpaper or bold colors. Expect curated artwork, antiquarian books, and thoughtfully sourced rugs and lighting elements. Rooms range from a 280-square-foot cozy queen room to a 600-square-foot, two-story suite with a half-kitchen, dining area, and clawfoot tub in the loft. At the inn's Italian restaurant Poeta, you could order arancini with lamb confit and poached eggs from the all-day brunch menu or chicken Milanese from the dinner menu. For a similarly artsy area across the pond, you can experience art galleries, independent shops, and cutting-edge restaurants in Shoreditch, a trendy neighborhood with a thriving art scene in East London.