Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 512-472-5050; 1500 S Congress Ave; 11am-6pm Sun-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat)
Browse folk art and crafts
from around the world, with a heavy Latin American influence of metalwork, jewelry,
colorfully painted handicrafts, the Virgin Mary, and Día de los Muertos.
MALL
Domain
( 512-795-4230;
www.thedomainaustin.com
; 11410 Century Oaks Tce; 10am-9pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun)
Stores like Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie line the streets of this upscale outdoor
shopping center in far northwest Austin.
Barton Creek Mall
(
MALL
512-691-3500;
www.simon.com/mall/barton-creek-square
;
2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy;
10am-9pm Mon-
Sat, noon-7pm Sun)
This is a standard indoor mall offering in southwest Austin.
Arboretum
( 512-338-4437; 10000 Research Blvd; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun)
About 20 minutes north-
west of downtown, the Arboretum is a parklike collection of high-end stores, including
Sharper Image and Restoration Hardware.
MALL
Orientation
Austin is bordered by highways. The main thoroughfare is I-35, running all the way from
Dallas to the north, through the east side of downtown, and south to San Antonio. The
other major north-south route is MoPac Expressway (locals just call it 'MoPac') on the
west edge of town. Lamar Blvd runs parallel between the two and is a handy way to get
around town. What most folks consider 'in town' is bounded by Hwy 183 to the north and
Hwy 290 (also known as 'Ben White Blvd') to the south.
Information
The bulletin boards found outside coffeehouses, cafes and grocery stores are a great
source of news about local events, special activities and classified ads.
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Common sense and awareness usually ensure problem-free travel in Austin. Some folks
may tell you that anywhere east of I-35 is dangerous, but while there is some truth to that,
overt or covert racism - this is a predominantly African American and Latino part of town
- may exaggerate claims of danger.
