South First street has another feather to add to its restaurant-filled cap with the opening of Lenoir, a restaurant with a "hot weather food" concept brought by Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher, set to open this evening. more ›

In our continuing quest for taco excellence, we bring you the following update. Because, well, we just can't keep quiet. We feel very rude hiding Torchy's from you anymore. Located on South First, Torchy's Tacos is serving up some mighty fine tacos. We'd even agree with their slogan. more ›

As we mentioned earlier, there are several fun block parties going on this weekend. The most art-filled one will most likely be the 2nd Annual South First Art Walk. This year, each of the 30 participating shops, salons, galleries and restaurants will have their own unique way to celebrate, hosting art from local artists, craft booths, music and more. And to benefit Animal Trustees of Austin, each location will hold its own raffle or fundraiser. more ›

"Punky" Brewster McCracken gave a press conference yesterday to discuss the newly proposed commercial design standards for the city's "Core Transit Corridors" (think South Congress, South First, Lamar, etc.). Lots of interesting stuff: more ›

Photo by Matt Wright South Austin resident Tracy Wolczanski, on her daily drive to Dell in Round Rock, passed a long, cinder block wall that runs the length of the Time Warner facility at South First and Stassney. It had been tagged here and there, had the potential for becoming a real eyesore, and was generally just causing her to think about its potential while sitting at the red light. In spring of 2005,... more ›

Sharon Mays dug in her heels a few years ago and turned a dumpy old Short Stop into the freshest fast food joint south of the Colorado. She's quick with the humor, sure, but her work is full of substance. more ›

Statesman jack of all trades Michael Corcoran has probably been here longer than most of you, and many of us. The writer moved to Austin in 1984, and over the years has seen the city change drastically. Sure, we can all sit around and talk about how much better Austin used to be, as Corcoran admits in one of his latest blog posts, but being overly-nostalgic about the past and overly-critical about the present can become a little tiresome, even for the most elite of folks. So Corcoran decided to look at what makes Austin better today than it was 20 years ago. Check out a couple of his examples below and check out his full list here. more ›

Local band The Paper South has finished their much anticipated self titled debut ep. Their CD release event will be at End of an Ear this Saturday night at 6pm. Come for the free beer, stay for the music. The Paper South will then be celebrating their release with a second show the following Wednesday at Emo's. more ›

This Saturday, after the South First holiday bazaar (be sure to hit up End of an Ear, where they'll be serving free cocktails!), head over to FactoryPeople, where they'll be hosting their annual Winter Holiday Party. Complimentary, decadent White Russians and assorted cocktails, DJ sets by Supa Fly, Cee Plus, and Starsign, plus a photo-op with Santa's Naughty Helpers - aka the Boom Chica Boom Go-Go Girls - this is guaranteed to be one of the most stylish engagements you'll attend this season. What's more, they're donating 10% of their proceeds from the weekend to the arts and music department at San Juan Diego Catholic High School. (7-10pm) more ›

This weekend, December 9th through the 12th, sixteen shops on South First Street are participating in a Holiday Bazaar. During normal business hours, customers can enjoy special artist's booths, music, and holiday snack and beverages. Notable SoFi businesses participating in the event are: Sinsations, Secret Oktober, Unbridaled, Happiness, Phlox, End of an Ear, Vanilla Girl Designs, Bella Blue, The Opera House, The Stash, I C Gallery, Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse, Vintage Glamour, DJ Dojo, Southside... more ›

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We aren't looking forward to doing our Christmas shopping this year; we don't exactly love having to pick out the "perfect" gift for our Uncle Susan, whom we rarely see, anyways. But we are determined not to procrastinate this season. Last year, giving everyone a bottle of tequila didn't go over too well for all the kids in the family ... or maybe it went too well? If you're brave enough to get out... more ›

-Yesterday the Senate almost unanimously approved John McCain's bill to set official standards for the military's treatment of detainees. The White House countered that this would "limit the president's ability as commander-in-chief to effectively carry out the war on terrorism." We won't bother commenting on that statement. -Spies from the Philippines may have infiltrated the White House! TomKat are expecting, Kate Moss might be arrested on charges of supplying cocaine upon return to Britain,... more ›

Austinist has recently found itself in the strange position of being a big fan of experimental electronic music. We never thought we'd be into this sort of stuff, but all of a sudden, staticy loops and distorto bass lines totally do it for us. Sometimes, we even want to dance. more ›

Do you find yourself complaining that your weekends don’t get bumpin' until the sun sets. Then why don’t you plan on going to a couple of shows this weekend that start at 6pm(!). This Friday there will be an early show over at Obsolete Industries featuring the rock assault of Canoe, The Press (members of Voxtrot), local indie-folk-rock supergroup Shadows and Reflections (members of Diamond Caverns, Rhythm of Black Lines, Those Peabodys, Knife in... more ›

The good folks at Fat Caddy Records are putting together a singer-songwriter showcase this Friday at Jovita’s. The Music starts at 6pm with Daniel Makins and Michael Jarrett playing till 8pm, then you can enjoy the sounds of Black Water Gospel and Austin Collins from 8:30pm to midnight. The Fat Caddies will be filming this show for an upcoming CD/DVD release for you to enjoy at a later date. Plus, free balloon animals koozies... more ›