Austin, TX
What to do in Austin, Texas | Now To Love
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There are many things that Austin, the capital of Texas in the USA, is well-known for, but one reigns supreme – barbecue. Indeed, the whole state is obsessed with the stuff, and Texans really do it bigger and better than anyone!
That’s why, on a 35-degree day, we’ve joined a long queue at famous food joint Franklin Barbecue to get our hands on their brisket.
Shuffling slowly towards the door, we can see people coming out with trays of meat, coleslaw and potato salad, and it looks delicious.
Finally it’s our turn and the food does not disappoint – the brisket is cooked for hours in the restaurant’s smoker, it falls apart as you touch it and tastes amazing.
We add a pork rib and some turkey to the mix (well, we had to try it, right?) and all of it was sublime.
Stuffed full, we step back out into the heat to head towards some more of the Austin landmarks – although we’re taking them in from the comfort of a bus with Austin Detours’ The Real Austin tour.
Our driver takes us to the imposing pink granite Texas Capitol building, and we head inside to see the impressive and historic place for ourselves.
A drive around some other hotspots – including the famous Greetings From Austin mural, food trucks and well-known stores – gives us a great overview of the city and introduces us to yet another Austin must-see – the bats!
Every summer night at sundown, thousands of bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge, and tourists flock to see the spectacle – it’s certainly impressive!
Back to food and it’s time for dinner. We hit up Kemuri Tatsu-Ya – a restaurant we had seen on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil.
A fusion of barbecue and Japanese cuisine, this place is well worth a visit, with the brisket and gouda stuffed tofu pockets a real highlight.
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Once again full to the brim, we hop on some electric scooters to ride to our next famous Austin landmark – The White Horse Honky Tonk bar in East Austin.
Austin is a music town, and this place is the real deal, filled with couples doing the Texas Two Step to live music. It’s great fun, and if you’re feeling brave enough, you can head out on to the dance floor, too!
If you’re not done after a boogie here, head to 6th Street. This is where you’ll find more bars, clubs and restaurants, and music playing every night.
Another favourite is the fun Rainey Street, where houses have been turned into bars and a host of food trucks feed the partiers. Both places will have you out ’til late!
Of course, there is far more to the city of Austin than just booze and barbecue, so we also make sure to head to Blanton Museum of Art.
This impressive museum houses the famous art and architecture work ‘Austin’ by Ellsworth Kelly, and is great to get to if you’re in the area. An afternoon spent here is a nice way to beat the heat, and see a different side to the town the locals want to “stay weird”.
An Uber ride to the super cool shopping district of South Congress, including the famous Allens Boots store where we try on a load of boots, tops off the day.
Wandering through boutiques and trying on Stetsons is fun, and there are plenty of food stops and bars should you get tired.
While famous for its barbecue and bats, adding great shopping, music and art to the mix means that Austin, in fact, has something for everyone.
Where to stay
The Loren at Lady Bird Lake is the perfect place to rest when you’re in Austin. It’s across the lake from the city, so you get great views of the skyline AND you’re a little removed from the action.
This luxe hotel also has a fitness centre with a yoga studio, and rooftop pool – great for when the temperature rises and that Texan sun hits hard.
We had a king room complete with a great view over the trees to the water, and the most comfortable bed we have ever slept in!
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The restaurant Nido is well worth a visit too – combining Texan cuisine with fine dining and really, really good cocktails.
A walk (or ride) across the bridge and you’re firmly in the action of downtown Austin, plus you’re also close to the water if you’re keen on paddle boarding (or a swim in Barton Springs pool).
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Austin, TX
One person injured in 2-vehicle rollover collision in South Austin
![One person injured in 2-vehicle rollover collision in South Austin One person injured in 2-vehicle rollover collision in South Austin](https://cbsaustin.com/resources/media/9d7964c4-2e20-42a4-8778-989319826e3c-large16x9_VEHICLERESCUE2.jpg)
AUSTIN, Texas — One person is seriously injured after a two-vehicle rollover collision in South Austin on Saturday.
Austin-Travis County EMS and Austin Fire responded to reports of a person trapped in their vehicle following a crash at around 7:07 p.m. at 7600 Loganberry Drive with Dittmar Road.
AFD crews arrived and extricated the person from the vehicle and was transported by EMS to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center with serious, but not expected life-threatening injuries.
Officials are looking into the cause of the crash. No other injuries were reported.
Austin, TX
Austin breaks ground on first carless affordable housing project
AUSTIN, Texas — The city of Austin celebrated the groundbreaking of its first carless community Saturday morning, an affordable condominium in East Austin that will be powered completely by solar energy.
The Ivory condominiums will be named after Scottie Ivory, a longtime advocate for equal opportunity in East Austin. In an effort to be even more affordable and sustainable, this community won’t have parking lots or garages, but will instead eliminate the need for car payments and gas by providing residents with electric bikes instead.
Jame Houston Jr.’s family has lived in this East Austin home for three generations. He says it’s just not the same neighborhood anymore.
“The neighborhood changed. They did a lot of new remodels, you know, a lot of building new houses and stuff.” Houston said. “People just moved in, you know, it came from, you know, just different parts of the states and different parts of the world, and they’re just buying in.”
Gentrification has been a longstanding concern in East Austin.
“It’s hard for us to, you know, to try to keep, you know, making that payment,” Houston said.
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In fact, nearly everyone CBS Austin tried to speak to for this story was from out of town, staying in remodeled AirBNBs.
“They knew that one day this property would be the most valuable property in the city and let you pay rent for 27 years,” District One Austin city councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison said. “And didn’t fix nothing.”
But the Chestnut Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation is trying to fight back with the groundbreaking of The Ivory condominiums, a new affordable housing project on Chicon Street between 12th and 13th. 40 of its 53 units will be for low-income families.
“Austin right now, I and the city council, are dedicated to affordability first,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “Affordability first.”
Not only will the community be entirely solar-powered, but it will also be completely carless. Residents won’t need a vehicle but instead will be provided an electric bike. And there will be two communal electric vehicles for when public transportation won’t work.
“They get to go where they make their money, it’s easy for them to jump on the bus, walk, whatever…” Harper-Madison said.
Harper-Madison lives within walking distance of The Ivory and hopes this kind of community becomes a blueprint for the future.
“This is the kind of template for the rest of the city, rest of the nation,” Harper-Madison said. “These people don’t need parking, in which case, if they don’t need parking, it made it more affordable.”
And while James isn’t so sure about the carless situation, if it keeps people in East Austin, he’s in support of his new neighbors.
“If they’re building it and people can live, I think it’s a good arrangement. I think it would be a good place to live,” Houston said.
This project is possible because of the Affordability Housing Unlocked Ordinance Madison helped get passed in 2019, which modified certain development restrictions.
The Ivory’s website says tenants are expected to move in by the Summer of 2025.
Austin, TX
Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian and Wife Loreal Jointly File for Divorce
![Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian and Wife Loreal Jointly File for Divorce Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian and Wife Loreal Jointly File for Divorce](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2000,h_1125,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/longhorns_country/01j3te3q865qtps75tc1.jpg)
Steve Sarkisian and his wife, Loreal, are filing for divorce after four years of marriage, with the couple announcing the news on Instagram Friday night.
The statement posted to social media highlighted the fact that they both endure busy personal schedules and that the separation will give them the opportunity to focus on their careers.
“After many heartfelt conversations, we have decided to amicably part ways and jointly file for divorce,” it read. “We aim to remain the best of friends and are incredibly grateful for the love and support we have shared throughout our journey together. Our commitments to our respective careers made it difficult to prioritize time for each other and this step will provide us with the necessary time and space professionally while continuing to support each other personally.”
The two became the Sarkisians back in 2020 when Steve was the offensive coordinator at Alabama, taking the head coaching job at Texas the year after. Loreal has since been one of Steve’s biggest supporters in Austin.
Loreal currently works as a wardrobe stylist but had her shining moment as a track star at North Carolina A&T before becoming an assistant coach at USC in 2013, just a year before Steve showed up.
On the other hand, Steve has been preparing for the football team’s fourth training camp ahead of their SEC debut season. Recent polls and media have placed an extensive amount of pressure on the Longhorns to make an immediate successful first run, projecting Texas to finish second in the league under Georgia.
The Sarkisians hope to make the process as smooth as possible, especially with the start of the football season just a month away, both looking to enter a new era while still maintaining a personal friendship.
“While we appreciate all the love and encouragement we have received, we kindly ask for your understanding and privacy during this transition as we embark on this new chapter in our lives,” they said.
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