With many of the city’s best restaurants, bars and live music venues within walking distance, residents of Austin City Lofts easily enjoy all of the vibrant Sixth Street nightlife. South Congress, Zilker Park and Barton Springs are all just minutes away, offering an abundance of shopping, dining and outdoor enjoyment.
Downtown Austin also offers plenty of shopping options. The Whole Foods flagship store is an extravagant, 80,000-square-foot, two-story market providing fresh and high-end organic groceries. Boutique shopping, upscale coffee shops and the Violet Crown Cinema can all be reached within walking distance in downtown’s Second Street District.
Residents are also very close to the celebrated Barton Creek Square Mall. Located just a 10-minute drive south of downtown, the indoor mall features more than 180 high-end retail stores such as Nordstrom, Coach, Banana Republic, Gap and an Apple store. Families and movie buffs also love to check out the latest blockbusters at the 14-screen AMC Barton Creek cinema.
Dinner Jackets and Gourmet Pizza
Even as downtown Austin offers many unique dining options, the award-winning Restaurant Jezebel is arguably the ultimate 5-star couture dining experience. The restaurant has no menu; instead, the waiter will briefly survey the diner for his or her preferences, and then the chef will prepare a custom multiple-course meal masterfully paired with appropriate wines. A dinner jacket is required, but its cozy atmosphere and innovative banquet make Restaurant Jezebel not to be missed by anyone seeking a truly unforgettable culinary experience.
Another celebrated downtown eatery is The Backspace, a gourmet pizza restaurant serving fresh rustic Neapolitan-style pizza, made in a custom oak-fired oven that shoots up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. (Pizzas are cooked no longer than 90 seconds!) The menu lists the standards, like margherita, bianca, and fennel sausage and roasted pepper, but the menu is really more of a guide or starting point. Customers are encouraged to request whatever pizza toppings strike their fancy. The chef is willing to acquiesce to all desires and ensures that all flavors come together.