Stay Here: Austin, TX ⭐️
One of the most popular cities to move to from the Bay Area right now is Austin, Texas, a growing tech hub. Austin is such a fun city — host to SXSW and Austin City Limits, and has incredible food, and amazing design. Ophelia went to Austin a few years ago with some friends for the fourth of July. Her friend Caleb is from there, so they were able to tour this amazing city from a local perspective. We wouldn't be surprised to see more friends moving to this city!
South Congress Hotel
Austin, TX
Starts at $249/night
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Ophelia and her friends wandered into South Congress Hotel after stopping by the adjoining coffee shop, Mañana. We immediately fell in love with the "muted colors and natural materials," and the funky pops of color, the mix of textures, and thoughtful accessories.
This pool looks incredible for a hot Texas day.
The tile in the bathroom — we're obsessed.
Carpenter Hotel
Austin, TX
Starts at $157/night
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This beautiful stay was named one of Travel and Leisure Magazine's Best New Hotels in the World. Designed by Specht Architects, we love the combination of industrial and utilitarian architecture.
How stunning is this outdoor pavilion?
East Austin Designer Loft with Pool
Austin, TX
Starts at $168/night, sleeps 2
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We have a soft spot for stays with private pools — and the backyard situation looks amazing.
Honorable mentions
A bungalow-style hotel with a lush garden looks dreamy (from $183/night).
The light in this modern studio is amazing (from $115/night, sleeps 3).
This stylish alley flat in East Austin with gorgeous sculptural furniture (from $185/night, sleeps 2).
This rustic oasis with their cute countertop chairs (from $284/night, sleeps 4).
Do this
Visit the Blanton Museum of Art on the UT Campus. Blanton has the most beautiful lobby space and a building designed by Ellsworth Kelly. They gave free sketchbooks to us when we were there!
Go stand up paddleboarding at Lady Bird Lake. We rented from Rowing Dock — it was so fun to jump into the water from our boards and enjoy the view of the Austin skyline. We wanted to stop by Barton Springs Pool (apparently a local favorite) but didn't get the chance to.
Wake up at 6am (lol) to stand in line at Franklins BBQ — Anthony Bourdain called this spot the best brisket in the nation, and we think he's right! Franklins opens at 11am, we got there at 6:45am and ate around 12:30pm. Pre-pandemic, it was such a fun time tailgating the line — they used to have camping chairs available if you got there early enough. You can BYOB and people are grilling, playing board games, and hanging out with their friends.
Eat your way through Austin: Blue Dahlia Bistro for brunch and dessert — we loved their pie. Torchy's Tacos, an Austin classic. And don't forget about Hopdoddy Burgers — a local favorite.
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Next up on Stay Here: Los Angeles. Let us know if you have any recs or favs from the area (reply to stayhere@substack.com)! We'll be sure to give you a shout-out. :)
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