Austin is one of those places you visit and never want to leave. Which is why our students love living here so much! Our student population at AOMA comes from diverse backgrounds and locations, from places all across the country and overseas. While they’re here, when they are able to take a break from studying, they venture out and take in the beautiful city of Austin, a place with plenty to do and see!

With a focus on local business and a taste for “weird”, you’ll find many iconic spots in Austin that you won’t find anywhere else. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most unique places to visit while staying in Austin that “Keep Austin Weird.”

1. Jo’s Coffee & the "I love you so much" Wall

This local coffee shop, owned and operated by the same owners as neighboring San Jose Hotel, boasts a piece of the city’s most iconic street art. When you scroll through photos of Austin on social media, you’ll likely see couples and bff’s standing next to the “I love you so much” - street graffiti turned photo backdrop! Jo’s Coffee brings together the South Congress neighborhood for good coffee, food and often Live Music. Grab a cup of Jo’s coffee and explore the shops and sights of South Congress Avenue or downtown at their 2nd Street District location - two of South Austin’s most famous local shopping districts.

Jo's South Congress: 1300 South Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78704
Jo's Downtown: 242 West 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701

2. Cathedral of Junk

They say one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. This couldn’t be more apparent than Austin’s Cathedral of Junk, where junk is overtly displayed as art! Vince Hannemann started building his cathedral in 1988. It’s been a slow growing pile of junk that Vince has turned into his own masterpiece, constantly changing and growing over the years. Tours are allowed but by appointment only - so you better call ahead!

Location: 4424 Lareina Dr, Austin, TX 78745, 512-299-7413

3. South Congress Bats

One of Austin’s most popular tourist attractions is watching the bats from the South Congress bridge. These bats come out to feed just before sunset from underneath the South Congress Avenue bridge, which crosses Lady Bird Lake. Enjoy a vantage point from the bridge, the lawn of the Austin American Statesman, or even consider an evening of bat-seeing on a boat ride with the Lone Star Riverboat. Make sure to check the season before you go out there - the bats are only here over the summer months before they travel to South America.

For more information, check out: http://www.batsinaustin.com.

Location: Congress Ave Bridge, Austin, TX 78704

4. Zilker Park

(Home to Festivals such as ACL, Austin Kite Festival, and Trail of Lights)

Zilker park is considered the “most-loved” park in Austin. This 350-acre park is perfect for a picnic, a place to take the dogs off leash or hang out and practice yoga with friends! Zilker park connects to the urban Lady Bird Butler Trails Hike and Bike Trail, an 11-mile trail that circles around the city. Also within Zilker you’ll find Barton Springs pool - an Austin iconic spring-fed natural pool, as well as the trailhead to the Barton Creek greenbelt which winds and stretches several miles north into the Barton hills and Westlake neighborhoods.

Also home to many iconic Austin festivals such as Austin City Limits, ABC Kite Festival, as well as the annual Trail of Lights and Zilker Christmas Tree lighting, Zilker offers relaxation and recreation with a beautiful view of our downtown skyline.

Location: 2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

5. Peter Pan Mini Golf

When driving on Barton Springs Road, you may notice a large Peter Pan or T-Rex statue popping out above the treeline. Peter Pan mini golf is a popular spot to spend some time with friends playing a round or two of miniature golf. It’s $7 per person, and BYOB. A local favorite for an inexpensive night on the town.

Location: 1207 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

6. Blue Cat Cafe

Do you love felines but aren’t ready for one at home? Blue Cat Cafe allows you to dine with your furry friends. What’s even better is they allow you to adopt any cats you can’t go home without. With a $5 entry fee, you can spend your day petting sweet cats and enjoying good food.

Location: 95 Navasota St, Austin, TX 78702

7. Two Stepping at the Broken Spoke

Let’s face it - Austin may be a big city, but we’re still in Texas. And that means there’s bound to be a lot of country music going on. Austin has a thriving bluegrass, blues, country and folk scene. One of Austin’s most famous venues for Country Western music is the long-established Broken Spoke, where many famous country stars have performed, including Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Joe Ely, and Dale Watson. Get yourself some boots and enjoy two-stepping at this local honky-tonk!

Location: 3201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

8. Singalongs at ALAMO Drafthouse

Austin is home to the dine-in movie theatre experience. It all started with one movie theatre and a couple with a vision to change how we experience going out to see a movie. Austin is home to Alamo Drafthouse, now becoming popular nationwide. Not only can you enjoy a tasty menu and drinks while you enjoy the picture, but they also host special events including singalongs to your favorite musical films! With private viewing parties and dressing up as characters for movie nights, it’s a one of a kind experience you don’t want to miss!

Nearest location to AOMA: 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

9. Swan Pedal Boat on Lake Austin

Want to enjoy the most relaxing activity in Austin? Try out a Swan Pedal Boat on Lake Austin. You won’t have to paddle, the pedals will do all the work! Hosted by Capital Cruises, the swan boats will help you enjoy Lady Bird Lake while also looking like a regal swan floating along the water. Covered swans are also available for those hot summer days!

Find out more at: www.CapitalCruises.com.
Location: 1211, 208 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

10. Austin Museum of the Weird

No city of self-proclaimed weirdness would be complete without a Museum of the Weird! Self-described as “America’s Strangest Attraction”, the museum features life-size wax figures, real mummies, and even shrunken heads! The Museum of the Weird might be the most literal reflection of “Keep Austin Weird”, and it’s sure to entertain.

Tip: While you’re there. explore the rest of 6th street - a dense concentration of live music, food, and drinks that help put Austin on the map as the “Live Music Capital of the World”.

Location: 412 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

We hope you enjoy our city while you’re here!

Want to see more to do in Austin? Download our Guide to Austin!

While you're in town, come see us for an acupuncture visit!

Those of us that live in Austin LOVE it and the ones that visit always wish they could stay. Some call Austin “weird,” or the “blue dot in a red state,” while others call it the “Live Music Capital of the World.” Regardless of what you have heard about Austin, one thing is certain - it is VERY different than the rest of Texas for a number of reasons. Austin has its own culture and is known as a tolerant, open-minded city that attracts a wide variety of people –college students, tech entrepreneurs, artisans, nature enthusiasts, alternative health practitioners, and many others. To top it off, Austin was ranked the best place to live in 2017, according to US News and World Report! Let’s be honest here, we couldn’t agree more that Austin is the best, which is why we came up with 5 reasons why Austin is strikingly different from (and arguably better) than the rest of Texas.

Environmentally Friendly

What you’ll notice about Austin that’s different from the other concrete-jungle cities in Texas is the vast amount of parks and nature preservations located close to the city center. Austin caters to any outdoor enthusiast with prized urban nature conservations such as the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Spanning a length of 7.9 miles with gorgeous trails and swimming spots along the way, “the greenbelt” is considered one of the best hiking trails in Texas. Zilker Metropolitan Park (350 acres), one of Austin’s most used parks, is just 2 miles from downtown. Zilker connects to the Barton Springs swimming pool and Lady Bird Lake, where anyone can paddle board, kayak, or canoe. Such centrally located access to outdoor recreation is rare in most Texas cities, making Austin even more special. Oh, and did we mention how dog-friendly Austin is? People love to bring their pets most anywhere, so you’ll find many outdoor restaurants and cafes offering dog-friendly patios!

Music

You’ve heard Austin is the live music capitol of the world, but have you experienced the live music here? Austin hosts large scale music events every year, such as Austin City Limits (ACL), South by Southwest (SXSW), and the Pecan Street Festival. Besides the large mainstream festivals hosted here, there is always live music being played at other smaller venues such as the Broken Spoke for country and two-stepping or the Elephant Room for an eclectic basement with live jazz. We have every kind of music you would want to hear, and more you didn’t realize you would like. With a venue at almost every corner, Austin has your entertainment covered for a night out on the town.

Tech Savvy

Austin is considered the technology hub of Texas spawning with growth from companies such as Dell as well as an explosion of new companies formed during the dot.com era. Today, we host a full-blown tech ecosystem that many consider 2^nd best to Silicon Valley in the United States, and dubbed the “Silicon Hills”. Austin is home to some of the newest up and coming high-tech startups as well as a large presence by many national corporations like Apple, IBM, and AMD. Many of these companies also embrace alternative and renewable energy sources. In addition, Austin was also chosen as one of the first cities in the country to offer Google Fiber access for its residents.

Local Business-Minded

Austin’s economy thrives on local merchants such as coffee shops, micro-breweries, farmers markets, boutiques and local art studios. In addition, some of these local ventures have taken off and grown to national prominence such as Whole Foods Market, Kendra Scott, Tito’s Vodka, Chuy’s Restaurant, and YETI Coolers. Austin is a city where all dreams are possible, where small businesses get bigger, and where consumers are more conscious of the products they buy with the intention of keeping the economy balanced. Let’s not forget to mention that our local and organic food movement is prominent with many local farms, herbal shops and community gardens. Trust us when we say there are more than enough places to discover here and whatever it is you like, we’ll have it!

Access to Alternative Health Options

Austin’s residents tend to be healthier, fitter, and more interested in alternative health therapies. We have a plethora of yoga studios, group fitness classes, CrossFit gyms and running groups. Because of the wide variety of residents in Austin, we have even more variety of health care options for those residents, such as acupuncture and reiki practitioners, as well as meditation and nutritional classes. Our city also provides many restaurants and food trucks that cater to our growing population of vegans and vegetarians. But just so you know, we love our breakfast tacos, and no matter how healthy you are - they can be hard to resist!

Still not convinced Austin is the best? Guess you’ll just have to come see for yourself!

Graduate students completing their degree have a lot on their plates – from balancing course-loads and personal lives to anxieties over starting their post-graduation careers. Finding off-campus housing is another worry unique to the graduate-level experience. As a graduate student, your time in the dorms is likely over and you may be considering a number of factors relative to housing - whether to move closer to campus or to commute, to find a roommate or to live alone, how to make ends meet while attending school and supporting your family. Graduate students in the Austin, Travis County area may be especially compelled to rent an apartment somewhere in or near the city, so as to be close not only to classes, but also to a source of metropolitan jobs.

What would these students say if they were told it may be more mentally and financially beneficial to buy housing, than to rent? If they, or their spouse, has a stable income at a full time job with as much as two years of work history, even if they are still in their 20’s, they have already taken a crucial step towards a home loan.

Here are five reasons why owning real estate when you are in graduate school, or have completed college recently, may be easier to do, and better for you financially, than you may have assumed. In case any of the real estate and financial terms in this article sounding confusing, you can read a glossary of these terms here.

5) Foreclosures and short sale properties are great real estate investments. These properties will come at a great price and though they may need sprucing up, these are going to be properties that lenders/banks will want off their inventory, since they are currently taking losses on them. Tip: Condos and duplexes have the ability to be foreclosed on or parts of short sales too, so don’t count them out - you're not limited to single-family dwellings.

4) Federal home loans have low interest rates and sometimes, do not require a down payment. If you have a two-year history of employment, even while in school, and a minimum credit score of 620, lenders familiar with federal home loans will likely be willing to work with you. You should first seek out FHA home loans – while this loan requires a minimum down payment averaging 3.5 percent, the interest rate is low and closing costs can be paid by another party – you can especially look into their 203k loan for homes needing repairs. Another great option is the USDA home loan. Popular for low interest rates and no down payments, these loans are intended for low income Americans to buy modest homes in rural areas. Ready for a surprise? You can find eligible USDA home loan properties in the following Austin suburbs that are all 30 to 50 minutes away from the city: Garfield, New Sweden, Normans Crossing, Hutto, Leander, Jonestown, and Hudson Bend. For veterans and active duty – you should also seek out your options for the VA home loan, which is an entitlement to you for your duty to our country.

3) You can share a large house with other tenants to pay towards the mortgage. You can go for a home that has multiple bedrooms and bathrooms to share with friends or family, each go in on the mortgage with payments that can be as small as $500 per month, and help grow equity of the property faster. In Travis County, FHA loan limits are $331,200 for a single family dwelling, where the median price is $288k.

2)  If you have student debts, you have two options you may not have considered. One is that you can always request a deferment or forbearance on your student loans to pay them off later, or to make smaller payments. If this is not possible, your student loan payments per month are factored into your DTI, or debt to income ratio. As long as your DTI, or what you spend monthly on bills, does not overshadow your disposable income, this looks better when looking to buy property. Also, if you put work into the property and it gains value, you can sometimes take cash out on your equity and use it to pay towards your student debts!

1) Buying your own property may be the best thing to do for your future and your health. Not only will you have the anxieties of rent raises or denials of lease renewals taken off your shoulders, but you won’t have to worry about your landlord announcing your apartment is suddenly going to be sold as a condo, be forced to be in close quarters with unpleasant or disruptive neighbors or rely on your complex’s repair guy to come by at an inconvenient time to fix something. Owning your own property teaches you how to invest money and pay off bills; it’s an opportunity to learn how to repair things yourself, and, if you are looking to create your own family down the line, this home that you own is the best place to start. For animal lovers – except for some inevitable uppity condos out there, you likely won’t have to worry about your cat, dog, or multiple pets being denied to live with you, or being overcharged per month for them to live with you. (It will vary pending on what county you live with what pets you can own.)

About the Author:

The author of this piece, Amanda Rosenblatt, is an in-house writer for VA Home Loan Centers. Visit their sister site, Federal Home Loan Centers, for more helpful info on federal home loans and to chat with knowledgeable experts here.

For more info on relocating to Austin, download our guide below:

MYTH 1: Austin is always hot.

TRUTH: Austin is hot during the summer. I moved to Austin,TX from Massachusetts in July of 2011, which was later named the hottest, driest month in Texas’ recorded history, and it was brutally hot. The grass was bleached pale yellow and wildfires popped up around the city, in spite of the strict burn-ban, which extended so far as to prohibit Independence Day fireworks. After a few months I learned that such high temperatures are an anomaly for Austin, which generally boasts somewhat mild weather for much of the fall, winter, and spring. Unfortunately, I’d already joyously donated all my cold-weather wear before heading south, so sometime in November I had to reevaluate my wardrobe and purchase much of the gear I’d gotten rid of.

Since living in Austin, I’ve spent Thanksgiving in a wool pea coat and Thanksgiving in a tee shirt…the weather here can be unpredictable, except in its predicable variety.

MYTH 2: If you don’t like tacos or BBQ, you might go hungry.

TRUTH: While is true that Austin loves its BBQ (there are more than 200 joints in the Austin area) and may love tacos even more (you can buy tacos from  AT LEAST 400 restaurants and food trucks around town), the culinary scene is by no means limited to those two major food groups.Austin is home to hundreds of food trucks, which serve foods ranging from donut-burgers and deep-fried sandwiches to Mexi-Korean and Thai Kun. There are vegetarian &vegan restaurants, gluten -free bakeries,  locally sourced dinner-club inspired restaurants, gourmet hot dog restaurants,Thai restaurants, Southern Comfort Restaurants… I could go on and on. I’m not a food writer, but there are many enthusiastic bloggers in Austin. If you’d like to read more about the food and restaurant scene in Austin, here are a few that I recommend: 

•    http://austinfoodbloggers.org/city-guide-2/
•    http://thetastingbuds.com/
•    http://www.southaustinfoodie.com/
•    http://austin.eater.com/

MYTH 3: Austin doesn’t have public transportation.

TRUTH: Austin does have public transportation:

The bus system extends into most of the city, serving 50 routes and 3000 bus stops, and is continuously growing and improving its service.  For more info check out : https://www.capmetro.org/

Additionally, Austin has followed places like DC, Amsterdam, and NYC in implementing a bike-sharing program - ours is Bcycle, and it’s extremely affordable. For more info check out : https://austin.bcycle.com/

Here’s the caveat, and it’s a big one:  people who don’t have cars and instead use public transit often need to plan their daily commute in advance, and may find it easier to live closer to downtown. If you have personal experience with using Austin’s public transportation as your method of getting around, we welcome your comments and opinions!

As important as the presence of public transportation in Austin is its demand due to the growing population. As Austin continues to grow, the city is continuing to improve its public transportation offerings and make improvements to existing systems. I am optimistic that our city planners and local businesses will make this happen.

MYTH 4: Austin is full of weirdos

TRUTH: Austin is unique, and so are its inhabitants. You may have heard the city’s popular slogan “Keep Austin Weird”, and wondered what the heck people mean when they say this. In his book “Weird City” Joshua Long explored this very question, and shows that people mean many different things when they use this phrase. Sometimes people are referring to the music, or local icons like Willie Nelson and Leslie, and other times people are referring to the city’s politics or aesthetics. When I hear people talk about Austin’s “weirdness”, it usually has an intangible, nostalgic quality to it. Legend has it that the slogan began as a bumper sticker imagined up by a guy named Red, who (according to Joshua Long) “didn’t want to make money. He didn’t want to be famous. He was just worried that the city he loved was becoming over-commercialized, over-materialistic, and less 'weird'.” Since then, “Keep Austin Weird” has been adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote local business and economic revitalization that preserves the flavor of the city, while allowing it to evolve. Long claims that “there is a kind of a self-perpetuating, self-fulfilling prophecy of nonconformity now in the city” related to this sentiment. What this non-conformity looks like varies a lot depending on who you ask, but it’s my experience that many people in Austin are here because there’s a  sense of inclusivity that accompanies the city’s embrace of “weirdness “. Maybe that does make us weirdos, but I like to think of us as movers and shakers and artists and non-conformists, who are trying to build a city-wide umbrella of inclusivity.

Elizabeth Arris is an advanced student within the Master of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine program. Prior to relocating to Austin to attend AOMA, she earned a BA in Biological Sciences at Smith College. When not in class, Elizabeth serves as Student Ambassador, administering the InterTransform Mentoring Program for new students.