Image courtesy First Night Austin, by 2008 featured artist Alina Byoun Now in its third year, First Night Austin will return to downtown on New Year's Eve. This massive public gathering, intended to ring in the new year through "art, ritual, and festivity," features visual and performing art projects by more than 60 Austin artists. This year's performances and installations will run from Congress Avenue to Cesar Chavez, including Auditorium Shores, City Hall, and......

Photo by *clairity* on flickrA public hearing is scheduled for tonight to discuss a proposed city-wide ban on panhandling. The ban would outlaw panhandling on roadsides and within 1,000 feet of all schools. The current solicitation ordinance prohibits panhandling in three zones of downtown, including the area around the University of Texas, a section of North Austin near the 51st Street day-laborer site and the Second Street District down to Lady Bird Lake. APD reported......

Photo courtesy Fossum Studios L Style G Style, a new gay and lesbian lifestyle magazine, hit the streets of Austin yesterday. Executed in a “two magazines in one” format, the print pub is flip-able, like the old Spiegel catalogs from back-in-the-day, with the "L" side tailored to ladies and the "G" side for the guys. “Our goal with the magazine is to offer the public a different view of the gay and lesbian community,” said......

OMG, Barkitecture! Done laughing? Okay, if you love your dog bring your furry friend to 2nd Street District area tomorrow for Barkitecture Austin 2007 – a silent auction for dog-houses built by 20 of Austin’s architects, builders and designers. All proceeds go directly to Animal Trustees of Austin, Lucky Mutts, Austin Dog Rescue and Blue Dog Rescue, which find homes for stray dogs. Bidding starts at noon at Lofty Dog, there’s a live photo......

In April we captured hot local looks for spring, asking local boutique owners to create outfits based on their new stock for the season. We had so much fun doing it that we asked other store owners to come up with cool ensembles for fall. This time we cast our net a little farther by choosing four old and new boutiques in different regions of Austin: By George on North Lamar, Solid Gold off......

ACL Previews Austinist Launches Dedicated ACL Page! Preview: Manchester Orchestra and Patterson Hood Preview: Ian Ball and the Little Ones Interview: Paolo Nutini ACL Band Clash, Round 2: The Killers Vs. Björk Weekly Features Tales Of Mere Existence Hots On #9: Sound Off New Release Tuesday: Frisell's Floratone The Argyle Academy New Movie Releases: The Invasion, Superbad, Death at a Funeral, and More Truesday: Friesday The Laurie Show News, Features, and More Travis County......

The best reason to attend the 2nd Street District birthday bash next Thursday is not the live entertainment, or the cupcakes, champagne or gelato. No, no. It’s the grand prize giveaway: an "ultimate shopping experience" style spree worth over $2,000. All stores in the area will be giving away freebies or providing some sort of cool discount. Meanwhile, shoppers can register for the style spree once at each store for the 10 p.m. drawing. Other......

Mercury Design Studio is raffling off eight I'm Not A Plastic Bag canvas totes, designed by Anya Hindmarch to encourage recycling. These limited bags are already sold out in major cities. (Read about the nation-wide craziness, paralleling Harry Potter-like mania, reported by our sister blog Gothamist.) The 2nd Street store is raffling two bags a week through August. Raffle tickets cost $5 apiece and all proceeds go to the Town Lake Trail Foundation. Tribeza......

The subject of jewelry comes up again and again when we're hitting the streets and getting the scoop on Austin’s fashion scene. Everybody seems to know somebody in Austin involved in making or selling it. Even Eliza Page, the upscale jewelry store in the 2nd Street District, carries over a dozen local designers. It was impossible to interview everyone, so we selected four young designers to profile: Melissa Lancaster, just starting her collection Part-time......

Jerome “Jerry” Ryan was decked out in the ill-est pointy-toed cowboy boots, made from Cayman crocodile leather, when we met him at Heritage Boot. This Irish fella started selling cowboy boots in London back in the ’70s. Today he carries boots for both men and women, ranging from $225 and up. They're handmade in a factory in Leon – the customized pairs are made in the Rio Grande Valley. There are '50s inspired straight-topped......

First Night Austin Schedule 2-5pm Family Festival 5:30-6:30pm Grand Procession 7pm Family Finale at City Hall 7-11:30pm Evening programming Midnight Grand Finale First Night Austin takes over downtown this Sunday, kicking off the second annual festival with three hours of family-friendly activities, performances, and art installations. From hip hop freestyling to Appalachian-style clog dancing, there promises to be enough culturally-rich distractions to entertain even that obnoxious nephew of yours who'd rather stay home to......

First Night Austin Schedule 2-5pm Family Festival 5:30-6:30pm Grand Procession 7pm Family Finale at City Hall 7-11:30pm Evening programming Midnight Grand Finale First Night Austin takes over downtown this Sunday, kicking off the second annual festival with three hours of family-friendly activities, performances, and art installations. From hip hop freestyling to Appalachian-style clog dancing, there promises to be enough culturally-rich distractions to entertain even that obnoxious nephew of yours who'd rather stay home to......

First Night Austin Schedule 2-5pm Family Festival 5:30-6:30pm Grand Procession 7pm Family Finale at City Hall 7-11:30pm Evening programming Midnight Grand Finale First Night Austin takes over downtown this Sunday, kicking off the second annual festival with three hours of family-friendly activities, performances, and art installations. From hip hop freestyling to Appalachian-style clog dancing, there promises to be enough culturally-rich distractions to entertain even that obnoxious nephew of yours who'd rather stay home to......

First Night Austin Schedule 2-5pm Family Festival 5:30-6:30pm Grand Procession 7pm Family Finale at City Hall 7-11:30pm Evening programming Midnight Grand Finale First Night Austin takes over downtown this Sunday, kicking off the second annual festival with three hours of family-friendly activities, performances, and art installations. From hip hop freestyling to Appalachian-style clog dancing, there promises to be enough culturally-rich distractions to entertain even that obnoxious nephew of yours who'd rather stay home to......

In one of the more interesting municipal pet projects we've come across, the City of Austin is expanding into retail. Specifically, they're looking to sell stuff made by local artists and artisans that "positively promote City of Austin services" (read: propagandize) and draw upon our "history, cultures, environment and unique character." Opening in mid-December, the Austin City Store, located at the southeast corner of Second and Guadalupe streets in the uber-swank 2nd Street District, will......

You've seen Mark Joiner belt buckles, even if you haven't even realized it. They are stunning in their mod appeal and nothing less than perfect creations in themselves. Both impressively geometric and intricately color-balanced, these belt buckles leave their the rest of an outfit looking almost insignificant. Sure, glass buckles are fashionable, but these take the cake -- not the fruitcake, mind you, but the three tiered chocolate and vanilla cake. Each buckle is......

What’s the best thing about Cantina Laredo, the new corporate crapulence located on the back end of the 2nd Street District? Leaving it, steaming mad, after being told the waiter couldn’t close out a bar tab after waiting 45 minutes for a table; waiting 20 minutes at the bar, without any service, while trying to close that same bar tab; being told by the helpless hostess to try again later, because they’re "really slammed";......

2nd Street District is throwing a collective block party this week to celebrate their first anniversary. From June 15 through Father's Day weekend, they're hosting a bunch of birthday festivities, with proceeds raised from instore "donation jars" going to the nearby Austin Children's Museum. Thursday, June 15, 6-10pm Block Party with music on the sidewalks from DJ Chicken George, in-store events, and drink and dinner specials all evening long. Octane: Live music, food and beverages......

Gomi Kitti -- they (formerly) of the large red cat head on South Congress -- has returned to Austin, now situated in the swanky new 2nd Street District. They'll be hosting a slew of events this week along with everyone else in the neighborhood, so check 'em out while you're between day parties: Eliza Page Friday March 17th: Protokol (Opcode Boston) 5-7pm Saturday March 18th: In-store Designer party and jewelry trunk show with renee garvey......

A side view of the newish Amli Lofts, part of the burgeoning 2nd Street District of downtown Austin.......

Austin's latest downtown loft+office+retail haven is the master-planned 2nd Street District, which houses the new city hall site along with several mammoth mixed-use buildings just north of Town Lake. While we're convinced that it's merely the next step in mega-developer AMLI's nefarious plot to enslave our city's simple yuppie folk, we're nevertheless drawn to the district's distinctive architecture, swanky shops, and quasi-art installations. All of which remind us, shockingly, of every other higher-end development......

MONDAY [music] Say Hi to Your Mom, Summer at Shatter Creek, 1986 at Stubb's BBQ. [music] Digable Planets with The Procussions, DJ Vajra at La Zona Rosa [party] Digable Planets After-Party with Element 7D, DJ Kunal M, DJ Inverse at Red Fez. [poetry] Speaking the Spoken: The Art of Verse at The Vortex. Hosted by Xenogia and Zell Miller III. Readers $1, all others $3. 7pm-945pm. TUESDAY [film] Austin Film Society presents John Schlesinger’s "Billy......