Get Creative on the East Side
Hip, progressive and down to earth are all apt descriptions of Austin’s east side community. Once a run down part of town, in recent years the east side has experienced a renaissance. This east side renovation has laid fertile ground for the growth of local businesses, artisans and restaurants. The east side has been breaking ground in art, culture and food for a few years now. It seems there is a new place to eat, gallery to see or creative space to contribute to popping up on the east side every single week. If you are looking for a quirky community with tons of things to do, the east side does its best to keep Austin weird.
The heart of this artsy, unique community is the HOPE Farmer’s Market. No longer just a center for fresh fruits and vegetables, HOPE is now a favorite hang out spot for emerging boutique businesses. This station turned market has preserved all of its original wood and decor. Loved by gourmands and granolas alike, the HOPE Farmers market is a little taste of Austin. The weekly market even hosts free yoga sessions for those cowboy yogis.
East Siders love to party and they love to chow down. Vivo’s Mexican restaurant has been serving up hot plates of delicious interior Mexican food to hungry folks for years. Though its food may be straight out of Abuela’s cookbook, Vivo’s is anything but traditional. Sultry lighting and a cutting edge bar menu takes this Mexican joint from cantina to five star. If you are looking for a more low key taco, the east side is spotted with unassuming taco trailers serving up traditional Mexican street fare.
After filling their bellies, folks on the east side love to bike. It seems like the whole community is made up of biking fanatics. East Siders take advantage of the relatively flat terrain and peddle their way from tacos to the happening night life of East Sixth Street. With plenty of hike and bike trails and more and more bike paths there is no wonder the folks on the east side are taking to two wheels.
The east side is an eclectic mix of old and new. Though there has undoubtedly been a boom in the economy of the east side, residents there are hesitant to get rid of their old establishments and relaxed pace of life. If you want to live in an area that is flourishing with new, creative ideas, the east side of Austin is the spot for you.