South Congress — SoCo to locals — is the neighbourhood that best embodies the Austin ideal: independent shops, vintage stores, food trucks, old motels converted to boutique hotels, and the kind of relaxed, slightly weird energy that the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan was originally meant to protect. Congress Avenue runs south from the bridge over Lady Bird Lake into a strip of businesses that rewards a slow wander.
The highlights include Hotel San José (a 1930s motel redone as a minimalist boutique hotel with one of Austin's best bars in the courtyard), Allen's Boots (western wear done properly), and a string of vintage clothing shops and galleries. First Thursday each month brings live music and extended shopping hours. The view north from the southern end of South Congress, with the Capitol dome visible at the end of the straight avenue, is one of the signature Austin photographs.