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Central Austin

The number of new condo projects and condo conversions in downtown Austin is staggering. Our little downtown is not so little anymore with a Whole Foods Flagship store and a stunning, six floor public library in the Seaholm District. There are several options to taking it all in from a Segway Tour to the PubCrawler Beer Bike.

Retail – Waterloo Records – Austin loves it, they love Austin and they are so good to our musicians; Book People – voted the best independent bookstore in the nation.

Restaurants – Jo’s on Second Street has great food, a great vibe and some of the best coffee around; Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue in the historical Schneider Brothers Building on 2nd has amazing food and live music upstairs. Owner, Lou Lambert is one of our best chefs and Austin is fortunate to have Lou and his sister Liz investing their talents in our town; Amy’s Ice Cream – a local Austin treasure. My favorite flavor is Cop Stop – coffee ice cream with doughnut pieces; La Condesa – a James Beard-nominated, modern Mexican dining experience you’ll want to savor; 24 Diner – open all night with one of the best veggie burgers in town; Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum on 6th Street. I’m dying. I really shouldn’t be writing this while I’m hungry. Chef Lin now has four restaurants in town, including Qi Austin. Her resume is impressive and the food and service are outstanding.

Coffee, pastries and sandwiches – Nate’s Baked Goods is my favorite, especially their biscuits with homemade jam!

Clarksville is home to locally owned Galaxy Cafe which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual setting and some pretty amazing cookies, too and Cipollina’s, a wonderful, old-world Italian bistro with wood fired pizzas and handmade pastas. Don’t miss Josephine House for a cozy, neighborhood dining experience featuring an upscale menu.