6th Street Lodging

6th Street is a historic street in Austin, Texas and is the center of the live music scene of the city.

Originally known as Pecan Street (when east-west streets were named after trees — north-south streets are still named after Texas rivers), E. 6th Street is the heart of the Austin entertainment district. Many bars, clubs, and music venues are located on E. 6th Street between Congress Avenue and Interstate 35 and many offer live music at one time or another during the week.

E. 6th Street plays host to a wide variety of events each year, ranging from music and film festivals (such as South by Southwest) to biker rallies (such as The Republic of Texas Biker Rally) and the Pecan Street Festival.

Traffic is generally blocked on E. 6th Street and most crossroads from I-35 to Brazos Street on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings (depending on pedestrian traffic), as well as holidays and special events to allow the crowds to walk unfettered to the many venues that line the street. On New Year’s Eve, Mardi Gras, and Halloween nights tens of thousands of revelers can walk only one way depending on the side of the street they are on.

The area of 6th Street roughly bounded by 5th Street, 7th Street, Lavaca Street, Rooster Teeth Studios, and Interstate 35 is known as the 6th Street Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1975.

Likely Texas’ best known street, the seven block’s of 6th Street between Congress and IH 35 are certainly Austin’s entertainment center. With a little help from it’s many like-minded sister streets, 6th Street is the heart of Austin’s live entertainment scene and the capital of third coast music.

Sixth Street (formerly known as Pecan Street) is lined with many historical houses and commercial buildings dating from the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. The storied old buildings now house numerous bars, a host of live entertainment venues, tattoo parlors, art galleries, casual cafes, upscale restaurants, and the elegant Driskill Hotel. Live music of every genre abounds. From jazz, blues, and country to rock, hip-hop, beat, progressive, metal, punk and derivations of these, there’s something to whet everyone’s musical pallete. Great food is a staple on Sixth Street, featuring such regional staples as chili, ribs, and Tex-Mex plus steak, seafood, cajun-cooking, and deli.

Sixth Street draws an eclectic bunch including endless streams of mostly single UT students, the YUP’s, the burb’s, some interesting street folk,and lot’s of out of town visitors. It’s not uncommon to spy some celebrity type taking in the sights on 6th. From film folk to politicians, to music men and women, Sixth Street rubs elbows well. Dress code, yeah right. You’ll see cowboys and punks, surfers and suits. On Halloween anything goes, and during Mardi Gras, everything goes !

Going West from the entertainment area, West Sixth Street offers another suprise with antique stores, art galleries, hair salons, restaurants, and lot’s of eclectic shops.

Sixth Street is Austin’s entertainment showpiece, and deservedly so. Great events like the Austin Mardi Gras celebration, SXSW, The Republic of Texas Bikers Rally, the Pecan Street Festival and Sixth’s Street infamous Haloween celebration all make for great times with great people.

Austin hosts an eclectic array of entertainment hotspots for its alternative community. Austin is also home to GLBT organizations like the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), Aids Services of Austin (ASA), The United Court of Austin, the Texas Gay Rodeo Association (TGRA), The Capital City Queens, the Heart of Texas Bears, the Central Texas Transgender Society, Team and Row Team Austin and Circuit Party Austin. Each of these organizations, along with many others, comprises the heart of the Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and BI Community. Additional information on each organization may be found below.

Over 1,003,100 people live today in the metropolitan hill country area of Austin – the capital of Texas and the hub of the state. From the internationally Famous 6th Street, to Hippie Hollow at Lake Travis to the famed and honored University of Texas, to the Congress Ave St. Bridge and the Mexican Free-Tailed Urban Bat Colony, Austin is the place. Founded by the Father of Texas, Stephen F. Austin, the capital city was developed in 1839 for the Republic of Texas. Austin has grown tremendously with the expansion of computer hardware and software manufacturers and is known as the Silicon Hills of the Southwest. In addition, Austin also bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World by hosting South by Southwest (SXSW) yearly and broadcasting the Austin City Limits show nationally. Live music performances are found throughout the year from blues, country/western, reggae, jazz, Tejano, swing and rock.

Entering Austin City Limits
Known for its casual and playful nature, Austin is the playground of Texas. Situated at the center of the Lone Star State, it stands as the gateway to the Texas Hill Country and the Highland Lakes. As the state capital and home to the University of Texas, the city supports a politically charged and culturally rich environment. It’s hip, trendy, and high-tech. A large creative population-primarily musicians and artists-enhance its eclectic nature.

Natural Appeal
Blessed with a temperate year-round climate and 300 days of sunshine a year, Austin lives for the outdoors. Nature trails, parks and wilderness preserves create an oasis in the heart of the city. Town Lake bisects the center of downtown and is bordered by 10 miles of hike-and-bike trails where devoted joggers, walkers and cyclists flock every hour of the day.

From April through October, 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge that spans Town Lake. Onlookers flock to the shores nightly to watch the nocturnal creatures emerging from beneath the bridge.

Historical View
Originally a buffalo hunting ground favored by Tonkawa Indians, Austin was permanently settled in 1838 as a trading post. Now, more than a million people live in the city named for Stephen F. Austin, who colonized Texas.

The Texas State Capitol, an imposing pink granite structure, commands a stately presence in downtown. Actually 14 feet taller than the nation’s capitol, the Texas Statehouse is the largest domed statehouse in the country.

Texas’ larger-than-life history comes together under one roof at the new Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, which features intriguing artifacts, interactive exhibits, multi-media shows, and an IMAX Theatre.

Musical Talent
In the city where the music never stops, live music plays at more than 100 venues on any given evening. A little blues, a little country, the beat of rock and roll, and even a few jazz licks puts Austin music into a distinctive music genre that’s difficult to label. The largest concentration of music venues is found downtown in the Warehouse District and along Sixth Street, a six-block stretch of bars and restaurants.

Now in its 28th season, Austin City Limits continues to be the best show in town. The long-running PBS series showcases American music and Texas music in particular. For ticket information, call the ticket hotline at 471-4811.

Cultural Scene
Austin is one of only a few U.S. cities with professional ballet, symphony, opera, and theater companies. With 20 museums, dozens of galleries, and as many as 35 theater companies, the city is experiencing a cultural renaissance.

Many of the city’s cultural resources are found on the campus of the University of Texas, where the Blanton Museum of Art opens a new facility in 2005.

The Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum, also located on campus, remains the most visited of the nation’s presidential libraries. A scale replica of the Oval Office, artifacts from Air Force One, and volumes of official papers chronicle the rise of a young man who would be president from Central Texas.

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