Head south of the river to South Austin, where you can stroll all of the fabulous shops on SoCo (South Congress Ave.), take a pic at the “I love you so much,” mural on the side of Jo’s Coffee, or jump into the cooling waters of the Barton Springs Pool, which stays at a brisk 68 degrees Fahrenheit all year round. South Austin has retained much of its too-cool, laidback Austin attitude, and you’ll find plenty of casual eateries and easy-going people. 

Travis Heights and Bouldin Creek are the most desirable neighborhoods to live in, given their proximity to awesome eats and cool coworking spaces, like Vuka and Fiber Cove (not to mention gorgeous homes!) but like most of Austin, you’ll also have to spend a lot of rent money to live here. 

 While South Congress Avenue is brimming full of tourists, locals also ramble up and down the street to favorites like June’s All Day and Summer House. It’s also the perfect part of town for a fun staycation with the hip South Congress Hotel, Hotel Magdalena, Hotel San Jose, Austin Motel, and Hotel Saint Cecilia, all of which have idyllic pools made for the scorching summer days. Don’t miss shows at C-Boy's Heart & Soul, and the honky tonk dance lessons at the legendary Broken Spoke on South Lamar are a must. For movie lovers, one of the best movie theaters in the country, the Alamo Drafthouse, which is famous for its Weird Wednesday and Terror Tuesday showcases, is also on South Lamar.