I live in Austin! Its a fun place, been here 21 years. Most of my best friends I met here. I suggest going to these places.... Casino EL Camino, a really cool punk/metal/rocknroll bar. It was on Diners and Dives , and the back patio looks like Mayan ruins, and cool bad ass artwork inside. My favorite place in town honestly! Best Burgers in town and cheap drinks. Spiderhouse is a cafe/bar/venue...really eclectic, a courtyard with all kinds of weird antique and retro furniture. The Little Darlin has amazing food, and just about every kind of person hangs out there. Other places you gotta check out, Koriente, The Continental Club, Broken Spoke (old Austin country bar), Bouldin Creek (Great Vegan/Vegetarian). Thats a mix of old and newer places, Have fun! Downside about Austin is unfortunately, it has grown too fast and is suffering from a lack of infrastructure, and honestly I don't think ti will ever catch up. The city did not really do a whole lot protect the old neighborhoods from getting bulldozed and turned into ugly condoplexes. Same old story everywhere tho. Traffic is some of the worst I have seen in all my travels across the country, and there is constant construction. The main North/South running highways can be backed up past 9pm, even on weekends. I suggest sticking to one section of town per day, and avoid crossing town lake during the day/early evening.