Tag Archives: Austin

5 Markets in ATX to Check Out

April 22, 2022 Claire Waheed

Austin is a great place for a lot of activities such as kayaking, going to concerts, or checking out the nightlife. The next Austin staple you need to try is going to a market! Spring has sprung, and these nice warm temperatures won’t last for long until we cross over into the territory of unbearable heat. So soak up the sunshine and check out these upcoming markets in the area for trinkets, vintage fashion and more!

East Side Pop Up

Next Market – 4/23, 11-4 4/24, 12-5

Where: Long Play Lounge East (Saturday)

1910 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

Central Machine Works (Sunday)

4824 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

This handcrafted pop-up puts on almost weekly markets year-round. Each market takes place at a different location around Austin and includes a different lineup of sellers and small businesses. You can find treasures such as pottery, original artwork, embroidered goods, and so much more! Keep up with their Instagram to find out where they’ll be next!

Photo courtesy of @eastsidepopup on Instagram; Designed by @eastsidepopup

Blue Genie Art Bazaar

Next Market – 4/29, 10-8

Where: 6100 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78752

Blue Genie only opens up for in-person markets a few times a year, so take advantage while you can! Their May Market will run on weekends from April 29th to May 30th. This is a great place for a Mother’s Day gift or an end-of-semester treat to yourself! Check out their Instagram for what businesses and products they will be showcasing!

The Front Market

Next Market – 4/23 11-5

Where: Distribution Hall

1500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702

This market exclusively showcases women and LGBTQ+-owned small businesses from Texas. Their Spring Showcase market will be on April 23 and 24. It features more than 150 vendors, food, DJs and more! Some vendors will only be there on either day, so attend both Saturday and Sunday if you can to support all the artists. Check out their Instagram for a full vendor lineup and sneak peeks at some of the products for sale!

Soco Makers Market

Next Market – Friday-Sunday, 10-6

Where: 1511 South Congress Ave.

This street market happens every weekend on the corner of Elizabeth and Monroe. The vendors regularly stay the same, with a few surprises here and there. Shop everything from engraved jewelry to crystals and CBD products. It’s a great place to kill time if you’re waiting for a table at any Soco restaurant!

Original Austin Flea

Next Market – 4/23, 12-6

Where: Zilker Brewing

1701 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

This market also includes all the Austin essentials, from hand-poured candles to upcycled goods. OAF is a weekly market that takes up residence in a different outdoor venue each weekend. Subscribe to their newsletter to see where they’ll be next!

In Austin, there is always a market going on. So next time you’re searching for weekend plans or a fun date idea, grab something to drink and head over to a market for some shopping and fun!

Featured Image Courtesy Photo by MJ Tangonan on Unsplash

ATX / UT, Community, Food & Travel

The Ballroom at Spider House

April 21, 2022 burntx

Almost every day, I pass by The Ballroom at Spider House on 29th St. Under the light bulb-rimmed sign that reads “BALLROOM” are the words “Bar and Cafe; Come on in.” I was intrigued by the seeming randomness of the building, so I googled it a few times, but I still couldn’t really tell what this place was. Could you sit and do homework there? Is it more of a bar or a coffee shop? At what point in the day does it switch from a coffee shop to a bar? So, finally, my friends and I decided to venture in.

As we walked into the bar area, sunlight flooded through the front door, lighting up a usually dimly lit room. Seeing a bar in broad daylight doesn’t seem right, but the atmosphere was pleasant nonetheless. We ordered our drinks and sat in the Ballroom to get some homework done. I definitely recommend the dirty horchata with cold brew if that’s your cup of coffee. If not, they have all the usual coffee drinks. My friends enjoyed their cold brew, both plain and with oat milk. The coffee and alcohol prices are reasonable, and I feel that it’s worth noting that when they said my coffee was five dollars, they charged me five dollars flat. That was just a nice bonus.

The Ballroom is, first and foremost, not a study space. Most of the tables inside are small hightops meant for the night scene the area usually accommodates. There is a nice patio with picnic tables and Wi-Fi access, but it has no coverage. Instead, it’s an event venue meant to host comedians and bands. Inside you’ll find a stage with a movie screen where they play cult classics all day and three arcade games in one of the room’s corners. Lights strung across the ceiling reflect off a spinning disco ball in the center, softly lighting up the room. This is a space meant to be seen at night, but you can absolutely enjoy it at any time.

The Ballroom used to connect to Spider House Cafe, which opened in 1995. And sadly, it closed in March 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. The cafe used to be a funky place to enjoy coffee, food trucks, and a nice patio, but now lives on through The Ballroom. You can still enjoy Arlo’s, a food truck on The Ballroom’s patio that serves plant-based burgers and tacos if you need some food with your coffee. For more information about upcoming events at The Ballroom, visit their website here.

Featured Image By Matilda Herrera Ramirez

Food & Travel

Best Matcha In Austin

April 5, 2022 Claire Waheed

Matcha is a powder made from crushed up green tea leaves added to milk or water to make a caffeinated, earthy cup of happiness. Besides being a great alternative to coffee, matcha contains antioxidants and great health benefits! Last year, I wrote an article on Austin’s best and worst matcha drinks. Now, I have compiled some of the most elite matcha sites in Austin.

Try Hard Coffee Roasters

1115 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702

My former favorite matcha spot, Bandit, was taken over by GoPuff Kitchen, and while they still deliver matcha, the vibes are not the same. Try Hard quickly took its place in my heart. The interior is bright and lively with disco balls, plants, a DJ playing vinyl records and CBD rollies for sale. Their simple matcha latte is the perfect balance of earthiness and sweetness. The best part? They don’t upcharge for milk substitutions or syrup additions!

Sa-Tèn

4917 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751

This Japanese-inspired cafe has a packed drink menu, and you can’t go wrong with anything! As matcha hails from Japan, this would be the place to get it. Their rose matcha is their seasonal special and makes a great treat, iced or hot. They have a variety of dishes, including brunch toasts using Japanese milk bread, donuts, chicken or tofu plates and more! There is plenty of seating with lots of natural light, making it a great study spot as well.

Freewheelin’ Coffee

1910 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

This cute trailer serves up refreshing matcha with a variety of house made syrups, including my favorite, cardamom rose. They also sell the tastiest pastries, including a cardamom bun and Persian love cake. This is a great grab-and-go option if you find yourself on the east side!

Genuine Joe’s Coffeehouse

2001 W Anderson Ln, Austin, TX 78757

This neighborhood coffeehouse is also a great study spot with many tables and a fun environment featuring many dinosaur-themed decorations. In addition, you can customize your matcha with their long list of syrups, including the one I enjoyed most, strawberry rose!

Austin has great options all over for this green treat. Next time you need a boost of energy, switch out coffee and try one of these places!

Featured Image By Valerie Aldana

Entertainment

5 Austin organizations you should know about

March 21, 2022 Briana Martinez

With so many in-person events and opportunities growing, it can be easy for people to feel like things are returning to “normal.” However, it is undeniable that many people have had an especially difficult time these past two years. Yet, we have seen the worst of situations and the power of compassion.

Here are some charity and nonprofit organizations that you should check out and lend a helping hand if you find yourself in the position to contribute to something you support.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes

This organization supports the homeless community in Austin by reconnecting each person’s sense of self and community. They also have volunteer opportunities available, so be sure to check them out and learn more!

CASA of Travis County

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of Travis County connects volunteer advocates to a Hispanic child in the child welfare system. Their aim is to protect the children’s best interests by training volunteers to advocate for them in the legal system and community.

Casa Marianella

This nonprofit provides shelter and support for immigrants, and they report to shelter an average of 325 people each year. Residents live in home-like facilities until they can become independent again.

Out Youth

Out Youth is an organization that serves Texas LGBTQIA+ youth by providing a safe space for the youth and resources for parents and other community members. They also have a therapist network that follows something close to a “pro-bono” model to give youth an opportunity they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Inside Books Project

Inside Books Project sends free books and other reading materials to prisoners in Texas in order to promote literacy and education and teach the general public about incarceration issues. Once the books are received, incarcerated individuals can keep the books. This organization highlights the benefits of literacy post-incarceration, especially since prison education programs have received less funding in the past.

If you would like to give to any of these organizations, click on the title name of each organization to be led to their web pages for more information about how you can help, and check out the rest of their social media!

Remember that there are tons of other organizations meant to help various communities in Austin, and learning about how they change people’s lives is a great way to get started if you cannot help them right now!

Visual created by Briana Martinez

ATX / UT, Food & Travel

Picky eater food guide

December 3, 2021 Damiana De La Paz

Austin has many unique restaurants to choose from, but for a picky eater like me, it’s often hard to find food I love. Instead of always just eating fast food, here are some restaurants near campus to try out if you’re a picky eater, too.

Roppolo’s Pizzeria

Roppolo’s pizza was one of the first restaurants I ever tried when I came to Austin, and I instantly fell in love. The giant pepperoni pizza or cheese pizza slices are perfect for anyone who is not too adventurous with adding toppings to their pizza. The pizza sauce is also not filled with weird tomato chunks so it doesn’t have a gross texture that most picky eaters hate.

Moody’s Kitchen and Bar

American food is always a good go-to. Moody’s has a good selection of American food from pizza and burgers, to mozzarella sticks and, of course, chicken tenders. When I visited, the chicken tenders tasted way better than what you get at fast food restaurants. Plus, they have tons of sauces to choose from to dip your fries and tenders in.

Pizza Press

I know Pizza Press is another pizza location, but this pizzeria is a great choice for those picky eaters who want to choose specific cheese, sauce and toppings on their pizza.

Taco Joint

Probably not the most friendly picky eater restaurant, but if I eat at the Taco Joint almost every week, then you definitely can too. I always get street tacos, which have sirloin, avocado, cilantro, queso fresco and onion.

A lot of those toppings on the tacos may not be picky-eater friendly, but you can always take them off. I make sure to order my tacos without the onions. There are also other authentic Mexican options that are more plain, like the cheese quesadilla.

Kerbey Lane

When people think of Kerbey Lane, they automatically think of the queso. But, if you’re like me, then you don’t like anything besides besides the actual cheese.

When I first opened the menu, the only thing I thought I would like would be the pancakes. However, the chicken fried chicken and mashed potatoes was a nice savoury dish that tasted just like normal chicken strips.

Snarf’s Sandwiches

A sandwich is a great meal for picky eaters. While there’s no subway around campus, Snarf’s has the same concept. You can choose the type of bread, meat, cheese and other toppings you may want.

Look Noodles and More

Ramen is a hit or miss for a lot of picky eaters because many ingredients included can be intimidating. However, Look Noodles chicken ramen is a good ramen spot because you can easily take out the few toppings included that you may not like.

Trying new foods can be fun, but also intimidating for picky eaters. Go out and try some of these restaurants and dishes that even a picky eater like myself enjoyed!

Featured Image by Bettina Mateo

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