Four Unrelated Questions (Dallas, San Antonio, Austin: rental car, rental, school)

[ClaraC]

Hiking at River Place (link below) is lovely. It's a subdivision, with a golf course, but outsiders are welcome and can park along the road. Just the drive into the area is a treat.

River Place Nature Trails - Austin Texas |

The Domain is fun, if you're looking for places to eat/play. RockRose street in particular.

Mueller is more central and it's similar to the Domain, and newer. Lots of shops, restaurants, bars. Pleasant walking.

Mayfield park has lovely hiking trails. The trailhead starts at the old Mayfield Home, with peacocks and goldfish ponds and tended gardens, leading out to two different trails that are beautiful and interesting. It's free. Bring crackers or bird seed if you want to feed the peacocks.

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...oiowD3oECAQQBg

St. Edwards Park is in the area nearby where you'll be, and it's beautiful and interesting.

https://austinparks.org/stedwards-park/

[theurbanfiles]

I’m not going to lie. For BBQ (America’s take on it at least), there really isn’t a single city in the country that seems to get more hype than Austin. What do you think it is about Austin’s style/flavors, ways meat is cooked etc. that makes it so? And what sets Franklin above the best, or is it just hype? Probably the single best BBQ I’ve had is from Cochon in New Orleans. Are there places in Austin that have potential to take that to a new level or supersede that? Lol.

Thanks for park recommendations! Where I’m staying is 3 miles from St. Edwards Park, so that is a definite : )

[ClaraC]

Originally Posted by cavsfan137

I’m not going to lie. For BBQ (America’s take on it at least), there really isn’t a single city in the country that seems to get more hype than Austin. What do you think it is about Austin’s style/flavors, ways meat is cooked etc. that makes it so? And what sets Franklin above the best, or is it just hype? Probably the single best BBQ I’ve had is from Cochon in New Orleans. Are there places in Austin that have potential to take that to a new level or supersede that? Lol.

Thanks for park recommendations! Where I’m staying is 3 miles from St. Edwards Park, so that is a definite : )

Good deal. ;D St. Edwards is a pleasure.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by cavsfan137

I’m not going to lie. For BBQ (America’s take on it at least), there really isn’t a single city in the country that seems to get more hype than Austin. What do you think it is about Austin’s style/flavors, ways meat is cooked etc. that makes it so? And what sets Franklin above the best, or is it just hype? Probably the single best BBQ I’ve had is from Cochon in New Orleans. Are there places in Austin that have potential to take that to a new level or supersede that? Lol.

Thanks for park recommendations! Where I’m staying is 3 miles from St. Edwards Park, so that is a definite : )

Okay, one more place to try the food when I'm in New Orleans. (Pretty much can throw a rock and hit a great place to eat in that city.)



Never have had that 'cue, but remember, 'cue is not 'cue is not 'cue depending on what part of the country you're in. Looking at their website I see nothing on the menu resembling bbq except maybe the pork ribs (would have to taste them to know). You'll want brisket (the Gold Standard for 'cue) and definitely try the pork ribs here so you can compare. Styles Switch is worth the drive. (For the record, I currently live about 50 miles north of Austin, and my son lives in San Antonio and is way beyond a BBQ aficionado and loves Franklin's, and he says Stiles Switch as good without the lines and worth the drive.)



Just think of 'cue as the gumbo of Texas and maybe that will help get the idea of why it's so good here.

[centralaustinite]

Texas BBQ is about brisket -- full stop! The meat and the smoke and time. Usually no sauce.



I grew up in St Louis, there BBQ is all about ribs and sauce. Brisket isn't even usually on the menu. The Carolinas, it is pulled pork. Memphis, KC everyone has their thing. Traditionally, it was the central Texas towns of Lockhart and Luling where BBQ was king, Franklin (and others) brought it into town.

[theurbanfiles]

Glad to hear it-well Stiles Switch, and a few others have been mentioned already. Perhaps I’ll have to try a couple while there. It looks like it’s actually pretty much in Central Austin (Stiles Switch is) no? About 10 mins from UT campus. Maybe what I’ll do is find a grassy patch on UT’s campus, perhaps one that has sightlines of both DKR and UT Tower, and order there and bring it over.

That leads me to next question. How is the parking situation in Central Austin? I’ve ran numerous half marathons and even a full, so I have a liberal definition of what an acceptable walking distance is, and plan on probably logging at least 10-15 miles on foot (best way to see a place) between the nature/city during my 3 days in town. Also, if anyone has a specific urban planning bent, it would be cool to know what to look for that is different or unique. I haven’t been to Austin since I was 8, but running a cross comparison, I would say Austin seems to have the most functional/vibrant 24/7 Downtown within the census designated south (I’m not counting NoVa portion of Metro of DC in that, but still, looks are impressive.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Okay, one more place to try the food when I'm in New Orleans. (Pretty much can throw a rock and hit a great place to eat in that city.)



Never have had that 'cue, but remember, 'cue is not 'cue is not 'cue depending on what part of the country you're in. Looking at their website I see nothing on the menu resembling bbq except maybe the pork ribs (would have to taste them to know). You'll want brisket (the Gold Standard for 'cue) and definitely try the pork ribs here so you can compare. Styles Switch is worth the drive. (For the record, I currently live about 50 miles north of Austin, and my son lives in San Antonio and is way beyond a BBQ aficionado and loves Franklin's, and he says Stiles Switch as good without the lines and worth the drive.)



Just think of 'cue as the gumbo of Texas and maybe that will help get the idea of why it's so good here.

Of course Cochon is a place specializing in pork so it may not be BBQ in the traditional sense you may think.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by cavsfan137

Glad to hear it-well Stiles Switch, and a few others have been mentioned already. Perhaps I’ll have to try a couple while there. It looks like it’s actually pretty much in Central Austin (Stiles Switch is) no? About 10 mins from UT campus. Maybe what I’ll do is find a grassy patch on UT’s campus, perhaps one that has sightlines of both DKR and UT Tower, and order there and bring it over.

That leads me to next question. How is the parking situation in Central Austin? I’ve ran numerous half marathons and even a full, so I have a liberal definition of what an acceptable walking distance is, and plan on probably logging at least 10-15 miles on foot (best way to see a place) between the nature/city during my 3 days in town. Also, if anyone has a specific urban planning bent, it would be cool to know what to look for that is different or unique. I haven’t been to Austin since I was 8, but running a cross comparison, I would say Austin seems to have the most functional/vibrant 24/7 Downtown within the census designated south (I’m not counting NoVa portion of Metro of DC in that, but still, looks are impressive.

UT will be on spring break, as will all the local ISDs, so parking downtown should be reasonable, plenty of UT garages. I have lived in central Austin for almost 30 years and I rarely have trouble parking, free downtown parking is nearly gone now however but compared to pretty much every other city in the US, parking fees are reasonable. I think there are some apps to help with finding parking downtown.



Urban planning? Well, you know that in 1928 Austin adopted a rather dispictable city plan that formally segregated the city with people of color restricted/encouraged to live east of East Avenue which is now I35. The city still bears those scars. Austin was a small place with a modest vernacular architecture of bungelows through the 1980s. We lack entirely the type of industrial and residential styles from the 19th century that you see in the industrial cities of the midwest and northeast which can be disorienting for some. Austin was a university town and a state government town for decades with a very small industrial and manufacturing base. So we have a history unlike most American cities. I would put the Austin History Center on your list of places to visit and then walk down to the new central library (one of Time magazine's great places of 2018 The World

[theurbanfiles]

Very cool suggestions! Looking forward to checking them out!

[Kthnry]

Austin is a very young city and undistinguished architecturally, but the UT campus and capitol areas are nice for a stroll. Maybe come another time and check out San Antonio for history and architecture. It's a much older city and was a major hub when Austin was just a wide spot in the road.

If you get a chance, watch the documentary Tower about the UT sniper. Fantastic in its own right and will give you a feel for the campus and what Austin was like in 1966. It might still be on PBS.