Plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment await with an easy, short stroll west from the Railyard Condos. Fashion and home décor dominate the 2nd Street District, highlighted by chic couture at Francesca’s, great casual denim from Girl Next Door, and Austin’s finest in locally crafted jewelry and exciting accessories at Eliza Page.
Area men’s fashion retailers include Bonobos, Estilo, and Urban Outfitters. Mercury Design Studios and Design Within Reach offer elegant Scandinavian-inspired furniture and home furnishings, while 1020 Glass Art may be just the place to find that special, locally made masterpiece that elevates a well-decorated room into a one-of-a-kind living space no one forgets.
The favorite grocery of area residents is the 80,000 square foot Whole Foods Market. Austin’s leading purveyor of a full line of healthful groceries, Whole Foods is known for fresh organic and conventional produce, grass-fed beef and healthful versions of everything else you’d find in a grocery — as well as tasty, healthful prepared food.
Local Foodie Favorites
Good restaurants and a dynamic nightlife are the backbone of the area near the Warehouse District. For steak lovers there is Ruth’s Chris, Sullivan’s, and Perry’s Steak House and Grille, while Chez Nous offers a touch of Parisian bistro dining in the heart of Austin.
The nationally recognized Uchi serves the best Japanese cuisine in Austin and is arguably one of the best restaurants in Texas, period. The farm-to-table devotees who run Barley Swine serve some of the most refreshing and unconventional flavors in Austin. Ask a local foodie — the eggplant fritters with grilled okra, feta tofu and sesame always get rave reviews.
Light, Healthy, and Deeply Delicious Asian Fusion
Less than a 10 minute walk, Koriente Restaurant offers delicious Asian-inspired dishes made to be affordable, fast and healthy. The whole menu has been designed to keep calories from soaring out of sight and avoid being too heavy on fats, refined sugars, or ingredients like MSG or salt. All of the vegetables used in the restaurant are fresh and prepped daily on-site. Among popular items on the menu are hummus rolls and MixmixBibimbap — fun to say, too.
MixmixBibimbap is freshly sliced carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, red cabbage, red bell peppers, and organic baby greens surrounding tender steamed rice. Many frequent diners recommend supplementing the dish with one of the optional beef, chicken, or tofu choices — and maybe some avocado or an egg, too. The hummus roll is an innovative appetizer featuring Koriente’s own homemade hummus, wrapped in a thin tapioca sheet with avocado, greens, red cabbage, cucumbers and carrots with a choice of tasty peanut sauce or a spicy red pepper sauce.
Fine Dining Restaurants, Food Carts, and More
Downtown Austin is loaded with more great places to eat. Some of the best hamburgers and chili cheese fries in Austin are available at the 6th Street watering hole Casino El Camino — and there’s not a Bloody Mary in town that will beat one of their fiery delicious concoctions on a weekend morning.
The Best Wurst sausage and hot dog food cart has been receiving rave reviews from diners since they sold their first brat. Don’t miss out on the curry ketchup or unbeatable sauerkraut.
And for a big date night, there are more fine dining restaurants within walking distance than any other place in town. Parkside, Swift’s Attic Gastropub, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, and the Four Season’s TRIO restaurant are just a few of many places to dine.