Uncategorized
Posted by
Joseph on October 1, 2015
16 views
Austin isn’t just liberal by Texas standards – it’s one of the nation’s most progressive cities, as well as a luminary in live music venues, cutting-edge restaurants and bars, indie retail, and outdoor recreation. It’s routinely cited as one of the coolest and most livable cities in the country, and it’s steadily developed into a highly popular gay and lesbian destination, especially during key arts and cultural events, like South by Southwest in mid-March, Gay Pride in early September, Austin City Limits Music Festival in early October, and the Austin Film Festival in late October. The city makes for a great visit year-round, though, as even during the hot summer months, you’ll find plenty of great ways to cool off, from swimming at Barton Springs to boating and sunbathing at clothing-optional Hippie Hollow park, on Lake Travis.
The Lone Star State’s capital city, Austin continues to soar in population – it’s grown from about 470,000 to 820,000 since 1990, to become the nation’s 13th largest city. There’s a sizable and very visible gay scene, and many businesses around town are LGBT-owned, although the community is very well-integrated within Austin’s as a whole – there’s no specific gay neighborhood, and at many of the city’s top nightspots and restaurants you’ll encounter a decidedly mixed crowd. Austin may also have more lesbian-owned accommodations than any city in the country, including hip, design-driven boutique properties like the Hotel San Jose and the Kimber Modern.
Here’s a look at some of Austin’s favorite LGBT hot spots for eating, drinking, and accommodations.
The locavore food movement thrives in Austin. Many leading farm-to-table restaurants are in the trendy South Congress (SoCo) and South Lamar neighborhoods, a short drive across the river from downtown, and just across I-35 from downtown in steadily gentrifying East Austin – these areas also abound with cool food trucks. In South Lamar, you’ll find the stellar gastropub Barley Swine (barleyswine.com), a bustling if cramped space serving first-rate food and hard-to-find beers and wines. Recent dishes have included a chicken-fried chicken egg, and duck foie gras with carrot, lavender, farro, and hibiscus. If there’s a wait for a table, step next door to Henri’s (henrischeese.com), a dapper little spot serving artisan cheeses, charcuterie, and wine.
South Congress Café (southcongresscafe.com) has been one of SoCo’s hot spots for years, turning out delicious contemporary Texan cuisine, like mesquite-grilled pork chops and – at brunch – carrot cake French toast with cream cheese-pecan syrup. Owned by talented gay restaurateur Lou Lambert, the Elizabeth Street Café (elizabethstreetcafe.com) serves creative Vietnamese food, including hearty noodle bowls and Texas-inspired kaffir-lime fried chicken bahn mi sandwiches. Owned by the same team is Lambert’s (lambertsaustin.com), a sleek downtown space that describes its fare as “fancy” barbecue (think cold-smoked quail and oak-grilled Colorado lamb T-bones). For more authentic Texas barbecue, prepare to stand in line for a seat at Franklin Barbecue (franklinbarbecue.com), which is justly famous for its tender brisket and smoked sausage.
Across from two gay bars in the Warehouse District, Peche (pecheaustin.com) is a romantic, cozy place with exposed-brick walls and high ceiling, serving pre-Prohibition-style cocktails and fine American and Continental fare. Nearby, Frank (hotdogscoldbeer.com) is a good bet for cold beer and hot sausages, with the “Jackalope” (antelope, rabbit, and pork sausage with cranberry compote, sriracha aioli, and cheddar) a signature specialty. A few blocks away, head to stylish and contemporary La Condesa (lacondesa.com) for artfully plated food inspired by Mexican street vendors, including ceviche, carnitas taquitos, and carne asada. Return to South Lamar to campy Maria’s Taco Xpress (tacoxpress.com) for cheap and tasty Tex-Mex fare, from al pastor tacos to gorditas.
You might want to break up your exploring with a stop for sweets – a longtime favorite for its rich, creatively flavored ice creams (bacon-jalapeno popper, banana pudding, Mexican vanilla) is Amy’s (amysicecreams.com), which has locations in several fun neighborhoods, including South Congress, downtown’s Old West, and the UT district. Newer in town and receiving lots of attention for its superb artisan ice cream, gay-owned Lick (ilikelick.com) serves such delightfully daring flavors as roasted-beets-and-fresh-mint, and goat cheese-thyme-honey.
Coffeehouses also have a major presence in Austin. The cafe inside the famous and LGBT-popular Book People (bookpeople.com) bookstore is always a good bet. South Austin’s Bouldin Creek Café (bouldincreek.com) has delicious fair-trade coffee and chocolates, plus excellent breakfasts (try the migas) and veggie tacos. And in East Austin, Texas Coffee Traders (texascoffeetraders.com) is one of the city’s most respected artisan roasters.
In downtown Austin, the Warehouse District has long been a favorite hub of gay nightlife – it’s home to long-running Oilcan Harry’s, an always-packed stand-and-model bar that attracts a hot collegiate crowd and has a spacious back patio. Next door, Rain on 4th (rainon4th.com) has a lovely deck out back, a cozy billiards bar up front, and a mid-size dance bar in the middle, and a couple of doors down, newcomer Posh (facebook.com/PoshAustin) restaurant and bar is rapidly become a popular option in the neighborhood. For a somewhat mellower scene, head across the street to stylish Halcyon (halcyonaustin.com), a gay-friendly hangout serving everything from espresso drinks to cocktails, plus tasty food.
On the east side of downtown, Rusty’s (rustysaustin.com) is an inviting, mixed guys/lesbians venue with live music, often of the country-western bent – there’s also a fun Latin party on Sunday evenings. Nearby Lipstick 24 (lipstick24austin.com) is the city’s top lesbian venue, although everybody is quite welcome here – head for the attractive deck on warm evenings, and enjoy the live entertainment, which ranges from local bands to poetry readings to belly dancing. A few miles north of downtown, ‘Bout Time II (bouttime2.com) is a welcoming neighborhood bar in a relatively new and roomy space that has karaoke, dancing, and great drink specials.
On the west side of downtown, the Iron Bear (theironbear.com) is – you guessed it – a hot spot for bears, otters, and the like – it’s an attractive space with cool bartenders and a no-attitude vibe. Also popular with the leather-bear set is Chain Drive, a rough-and-tumble bar that’s been thriving on the edge of a sleepy downtown-adjacent neighborhood for years. This area, particularly its main drag Rainey Street, has suddenly become a hot destination for drinking and dining, with a passel of cool, hipster lounges and restaurants set inside converted Arts and Crafts bungalows. Favorites include Javelina Bar (javelinabar.com) for delicious bar food (green-chile pork fries, miga burgers), and Blackheart Bar (blackheartbar.com) for live music and a great selection of bourbon and whiskey.
Some downtown clubs have gay nights, including Barbarella (barbarellaaustin.com), which hosts a very fun TuezGayz party each week, and the Warehouse District’s Republic Live (republicliveaustin.snappages.com), which often has gay parties and events. And then there’s the slew of noteworthy mixed hangouts, including (to name a few) Gibson (gibsonaustin.com) on South Lamar, the sleekly decorated Hangar Lounge (thehangarlounge.com) in downtown gay-popular Warehouse District, quirky Cheer Up Charlies (facebook.com/cheerupcharlies) in East Austin, and Spider House (spiderhousecafe.com), a funky bar and coffee lounge near UT campus.
In the heart of downtown, the wonderfully glamorous, significantly historic, and allegedly haunted Driskill Hotel (driskillhotel.com) is where dignitaries and celebrities often stay when in town. This gorgeously restored 1886 building with fine artwork lining the hallways has warmly furnished rooms, the acclaimed Driskill Grill restaurant, and an inviting bar that serves great cocktails and tasty snacks like truffled popcorn and house-baked soft-pretzel sticks. Other great options downtown include the swish W Austin (whotelaustin.com), with its striking, contemporary rooms and see-and-be-seen bar and restaurant; and the 31-story Hilton Austin (hilton.com), a great option for convenience to 6th Street music clubs and Rainey Street lounges and restaurants.
Across the river, you’ll find another excellent lodging base in retro-trendy SoCo, home to the bargain-priced Austin Motel (austinmotel.com) – rooms at this quirky slice of ’50s-style Americana have simple but comfortable furniture, and some have kitchenettes. A few blocks away, and owned by the trendsetting, lesbian designer Liz Lambert (sister of gay restaurateur Lou Lambert), the Hotel San Jose (sanjosehotel.com) is another vintage motor court, but it’s been given a swanky postmodern, minimalist makeover – the spacious courtyard suites are especially posh. Lambert also owns the stylish Hotel Saint Cecilia (hotelsaintcecilia.com), which is nearby but on a quieter residential street. In the same area, partners Kimber Cavendish and Vicki Faust run the Kimber Modern (kimbermodern.com), a dramatic boutique hotel whose high-tech, minimalist rooms have such notable features as plush platform beds and sleek yet warm furnishings.
Austin has a handful of lesbian-owned B&Bs, each with its own charm. In SoCo, the Park Lane Guest House (parklaneguesthouse.com) is a peaceful, eco-minded hideaway comprising three spacious cottages as well as a more affordable room in the main house. Not far from here, Gateway Guesthouse (gatewayguest.com) is a striking 1918 beauty with six smartly furnished rooms or cottages; co-owner Bess Giannakakris – a talented chef – prepares delicious breakfasts and teaches cooking classes at the inn. And in leafy Old West Austin, the Brava House (bravahouse.com) is an elegant 1880s Victorian within walking distance of downtown and a number of great restaurants.
For a relaxing yet potentially invigorating experience out by Lake Travis (near Hippie Hollow’s popular gay beach), book a weekend at Travaasa Austin (travaasa.com), an “experiential resort” where you can go on hikes or horseback adventures, take archery or yoga classes, enjoy a massage in the serene spa, take cooking or mixology lessons, or simply chill out for a few days in this rural setting that’s just 20 miles northwest of downtown. The property comprises several clusters of buildings with upscale rooms, plus a terrific restaurant – Jean’s Kitchen – that focuses on locally sourced cuisine as well as craft beers, wines, and spirits from the Austin and Hill Country region.
Have you found the right one, or are you still searching?
Join a gay dating site where you can meet single guys from any town or city. Rely instead on Gay Dating Solutions to do the work for you!
Don’t get fooled by FREE offers made by other sites. Gay Dating Solutions is offering a free 6 month promotion ABSOLUTELY no strings, request for credit card numbers, etc…it is the only site that is truly free to join!
Tags:
#BigBankChallenge
#BohemianKissChallenge
#EqualityActJapan
#StopAsianHate
2020 Olympics
Aaron Schock
Adam Castillejo
Adam Rippon
addiction
ageism
Aging
AhTave
AIDS
Aime Wichtendal
Alaska
Alex Morse
Almost Love
America's Next Top Model
American Medical Association
Amy Coney Barrett
Annise Parker
Antes Que El Mundo Se Acabe
Anti-Asian Violence
Anti-LGBTQ
ANTM
anxiety
Aptima HIV-1
Arizona
Armie Hammer
astrology
At-home date
Atlanta
Atlanta Black Pride
Atlanta Nightlife
Atlanta Pride
Atlanta Pride Run
Austin Swink
Austin Texas
Backpacks for the Street
Basel Abou Hamrah
BFI Flare
Bisexual
BLACK GAY MEN
Black LGBTQ Atlanta
Black Lives Matter
Black Love
Bohemian Rhapsody
Boston
Boston MA
Brian Sims
Broadway
bully
Bullying
California
Call Me By Your Name
Canada
Capital Pride
Capitalism
Cason Crane
Celebrity News
censorship
Chemistry
Chemsex
Chicago
Chicago IL
Chris Evans
Christian proselytizing
Christianity
Christmas
Christmas movie
Christmas Movies
Chucky
Circus of Books
civil unions
Cody McCook
Colorado
Comedy
coming out
commentary
compatibility
Confidence
Congress
conspiracy theory
Conversion therapy
CoronaVirus
COVID
COVID-19
Covid-19 vaccine
daddy
Dallas
Dallas Gay Bars
Dallas Gayborhood
Dallas Texas
Danica Roem
Daniel Harding
Daniel Howell
Date night
dating
Dating Apps
dating rut
dating tips
DC Pride
Dead to Me
Denver
Depression
discrimination
Disney
Documentary
Dolf Pasker
Dolly Parton
Domestic Violence
Donald Trump
Donna Price
Drag Race
drag racing
Dustin Lance Black
election
Election 2020
Election Day
Elite
Employment
Entertainment
Entertainment news
epidemic
Fabio Fasoli
Family
family gatherings
Film
Finding True Love
First Date
First Date Etiquette
first date ideas
first date tips
Flirting Tips
Flirty Dancing
Florida
Fort Lauderdale
Franklin Graham
Freddie Mercury
Garrett Clayton
gay
gay asian
gay asian men
Gay Atlanta
Gay beaches
Gay Boston
Gay Chicago
Gay Couple
Gay Couples
Gay Culture
Gay Dallas
Gay Dallas Nightlife
gay dating
gay dating advice
gay dating app
gay dating apps
Gay Dating Solutions
Gay Dating Tips
gay discrimination
gay film
Gay Florida
Gay Fort Lauderdale
Gay Health
Gay Holiday Movie
Gay Houston
gay kiss
Gay Love Advice
gay marriage
gay marriage proposal
gay men
Gay Miami
gay midlife
Gay Mountaineer
Gay Movies
Gay New York
Gay Nurse
Gay Panic
Gay Pride
gay relationship advice
gay relationship tips
gay relationships
Gay Scene
gay seniors
gay sex
gay singles
Gay Soldier
Gay Travel
Gay Twitter
Gay Wedding
gay weddings
Gay Widower
Gays Over COVID
gaysian
Gen Z
Generation Z
Georgia
Gert Kasteel
Ghosting
GLAAD
GOP
Gorsuch
Guy Vandenberg
Gym Gays
Haaz Sleiman
Hallmark
Halloween
Hate Crime
Health
HGVT
HIV
HIV prevention
HIV stigma
HIV treatment
HIV vaccine
HIV/AIDS
hobbies
Holi-date
Holiday Film
Holiday Movies
Holidays
Hollywood
Holyoke
Homophobia
hooking up
hookup
hookup culture
Hot Vax Summer
House Hunters
Houston Texas
Houston TX
Hulu
Ian Jordan
Indya Moore
Instagay
Instagram
intersex
Intimacy
Iowa
Iowa caucus
isolation
It's A Sin
Jake Gyllenhaal
James Bushe
Japan
Jaymes Vaughan
Jayson Conner
Jeffrey Newman
Jennifer Tilly
Jewish
Jewish persecution
Joe Biden
Jonathan Bennett
Josef Salvat
Jussi-Pekka Kajaala
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
JVN
Jwan Yosef
Karamo Brown
Kristine Stolakis
Lady Gaga
Lesbian
lesbian couple
Let It Snow
LGBT
LGBT Travel Guide
LGBT-Free Zones
LGBTQ
LGBTQ Asians
LGBTQ Atlanta
LGBTQ Boston
LGBTQ Chicago
LGBTQ Dallas
LGBTQ discrimination
LGBTQ employees
LGBTQ Family
LGBTQ Film
LGBTQ Film Festival
LGBTQ Films
LGBTQ flag
LGBTQ Fort Lauderdale
LGBTQ Health
LGBTQ Houston
LGBTQ Miami
LGBTQ movies
LGBTQ New York
LGBTQ NYC
LGBTQ Pride
LGBTQ retirees
LGBTQ retirement
LGBTQ Rights
LGBTQ Seniors
LGBTQ Victory Institute
LGBTQ Youth
Life
Lifetime
Lifetime TV Network
Linda Warren
lockdown
London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival
loneliness
Love Victor
Luke Evans
Male Nurse
Malik Brown
marriage equality
marriage proposal
Marsha P Johnson
Marvel
Marvin Cortes
Massachusetts
mature gay dating
mental health
Mexico
Miami
Miami Beach
Miami Beach Pride
Miami Florida
Michael Cashman
Michael Henry
Middle-aged gay men
midlife
Modern Family
mormon
Mr. Right
Muscle gays
music video
My Gay Match
NASCAR
National Coming Out Day
Nationwide Conversion Therapy Ban
Neil Gorsuch
Netflix
Netflix Special
Nevada
New Year's Resolution
New York
New York City
Nonbinary
North Dakota
Northern Ute tribe
Nurse Appreciation Week
NYC
NYC Events
NYC Pride
NYC Pride 2021
Oak Lawn
Obergefell v. Hodges
older gay man
Omander
Omar Ayuso
One True Pairing
online dating
online dating apps
online dating tips
online gay dating
Online trolls
Open Relationship
Operation Hyacinth
OTP
Outfest
Outfest LA 2021
Outfest Los Angeles
Pan-African Pride
pandemic
Paper Moons
Pat Robertson
Pennsylvania
Perez Hilton
personality
personality type
Pete Buttigieg
Pink Capitalism
Poland
Politics
polyamorous
polyamorous relationship
polyamorous relationships
Pope Francis
Pose
power bottom
Pray Away
PrEP
pride
Pride 2021
Pride Afrique
Pride Flag
Pride Month
Prince Harry
profile pic
Puerto Vallarta
quarantine
Queer eye
Queer Film
Queer Films
Queer Holiday Movies
Queer Lawmakers
Queer Love Story
Queer Santa
Queer Youth
racism
Rafa Olarra
Rainbow Wave
Reddit
Relationship
relationship advice
Relationship Tips
relationships
religion
Rep. Andy Biggs
Republican
retirement
Ricky Martin
rom-com
Romantic Comedy
Ryan Murphy
Ryan O’Connell
Samaritan’s Purse
same sex marriage
Same Sex Relationships
Same Sex Wedding
Same-Sex Couples
Same-Sex Kiss
same-sex marriage ban
Schitt’s Creek
Score Miami
Score Nightclub
Scott Evans
Scott Wiener
Section 28
self isolation
self-care
Senior Gay Dating
Senior Gay Men
senior gays
Senior Prom
Seven Summits
sex
Sex Education
sex life
sexual identity
sexual preference
sexual racism
sexuality
short film
Shy Gay Guys
Single All the Way
single gay man
Single Gay Men
Single Gays
Single Young Gays
social distancing
social isolation
social media
Social Security
Somerville
sports
Stonewall
Stonewall Riots
straight men
Super Bowl ads
Super Bowl commercials
Super Bowl LIV
Supreme Court
Switzerland
Syfy
Syria
Tan France
Television
Tennessee
The Boys in the Band
The Center on Colfax
The Christmas Setup
The Eternals
The First
The Thing About Harry
Threesome
throuple
TikTok
Tom Daley
toxic masculinity
Transgender
Travel
Travis Shumake
Trump administration
Turner Free
TV series
Tweets
Twitter
Unconditional Love
United Methodist Church
US economy
US Supreme Court
Valentine's day
viral video
Virginia
Washington DC
Web Series
Wedding
Workplace
workplace discrimination
World AIDS Day
World Pride
young gay men
Youth
YouTube
