Age: 29.
Occupation: Environmental attorney.
I’ve lived here for: 6 1/2 years.
I live here because: The people are friendly and open-minded. There are a bazillion farmers’ markets and food festivals, and there is an endless music scene.
My neighborhood: Hyde Park.
My favorite restaurant: Uchi (512-916-4808) has amazing fresh sushi flown in from Japan.
If you go to this restaurant, be sure to order: Sawagani (fried whole mini crabs), a Hot Rock, a Shar Roll, and a Brie Tempura roll.
My favorite museum: The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin (
www.blantonmuseum.org).
My favorite tourist destination: Hamilton Pool (512-264-2740), a magical swimming hole with water cascading from a grotto.
Best insider spots: Austin Nature & Science Center (
www.ci.austin.tx.us) has a hiking trail with a great spot for picnics. For drinks downtown, go to the terrace of the Intercontinental (
www.intercontinental.com). There’s a wonderful Sunday brunch at Green Pastures, a traditional 1800s southern home (
www.greenpastures.citysearch.com).
When you visit, don’t forget to pack: Sunglasses, a swimsuit, flip-flops, shorts, and something nice to wear.
But leave room in your suitcase for: Cowboy boots. Allen’s Boots (512-447-1413), on South Congress Avenue, has a wealth of boots to choose from.
The one local cuisine you should try when you’re in town is: Polvo’s Mexican Restaurant for Tex-Mex (
www.polvos.citysearch.com). For barbecue, go to Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que, in Llano (
www.coopersbbq.com); an hour’s drive from downtown Austin, or the Salt Lick, in Driftwood (
www.saltlickbbq.com; a 30-minute drive), which is BYOB.
The best way to get around: Biking or riding a scooter (especially a Vespa) is very enjoyable. Otherwise take the bus or a car.
The one thing most outsiders don’t know about this city is: How unlike the rest of Texas it is.
I tell my friends to stay at: Hotel San Jose (
www.sanjosehotel.com), on South Congress Avenue, a very nice boutique hotel.
If I had to describe this city in one word, it would be: Warm (in every sense of the word).
