Downtown Austin
Encyclopedia
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Downtown is located on the north bank of the Colorado River
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
. The approximate borders of Downtown include Lamar Boulevard to the west, 11th Street and sometimes Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
to the north, Interstate 35 to the east, and Lady Bird Lake to the south.
It is where the city's highrise buildings are located, as well as being the center of government and business for the region. Downtown Austin is currently experiencing a building boom, with many Downtown Austin Condos & high rise towers being built.
History
The story of Downtown Austin began with the Republic of TexasRepublic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
and President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...
in the 1830s. Lamar tapped Edwin Waller
Edwin Waller
Judge Edwin Waller was an entrepreneur, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the first mayor of Austin, Texas, and the designer of its downtown grid plan....
to direct the planning and construction of the new town. Waller chose a site on a bluff above the Colorado River, nestled between Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek
Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club, located in Shelby County, east of Hoover, Alabama, USA, is an invitation-only private golf club which opened in 1977. The course was designed by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus and is rated as the top golf course in the state...
to the west and Waller Creek to the east. Waller laid the new city in a simple grid pattern on a 640-acre (or one square-mile plot) with 14 blocks running in both directions. Remarkably, much of this original design is still intact in downtown Austin today.
One grand avenue, which Lamar named "Congress,"
Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of downtown....
cut through the center of town from Capitol Square down to the Colorado River. The streets running north-south (paralleling Congress) were named for Texas rivers with their order of placement matching the order of rivers on the Texas state map. The east-west streets were named after trees native to the region, despite the fact that Waller had recommended using numbers (they were eventually changed to numbers in 1884). The city's perimeters stretched north to south from the river at 1st Street to 15th Street, and from East Avenue (now Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
) to West Avenue.
Waller reserved key spots for public buildings and four public squares. Remarkably, three of Waller's original squares survive to this day: Wooldridge Park
Wooldridge Park
Wooldridge Park, also known as Wooldridge Square, is a park in Austin, Texas, United States. It is one of the four original public squares incorporated into Downtown Austin through the 1839 city master plan drawn up by Edwin Waller...
, Republic Square and Brush Square.
Congress Avenue
Edwin WallerEdwin Waller
Judge Edwin Waller was an entrepreneur, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, the first mayor of Austin, Texas, and the designer of its downtown grid plan....
, the first mayor of Austin, designed Congress Avenue to be Austin's most prominent street. Planned as the widest street in the original 1839 Austin plan, the 120 foot wide Congress Avenue initially ran from the Colorado River north to the State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
. Not coincidentally, Congress was the most important street in Austin city life during the 1900s. Early structures along Congress Avenue included government buildings, hotels, saloons, retail stores and restaurants. By the late 1840s "The Avenue" formed a well-established business district. The mid-1870s introduced gaslight
Gas lighting
Gas lighting is production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, including hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, or natural gas. Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most...
illumination and mule-driven streetcars
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
as well as construction of a new Travis County
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
courthouse at Eleventh Street.
Stretching from First Street north to Eleventh Street, the Congress Avenue Historic District was created on August 11, 1978. Stylistically, the dominating structures of significance reflected general Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
form and detailing, tempered by local materials and building techniques. Notable structures along Congress Avenue north of the Colorado include the Texas State Capitol, Paramount Theatre
The Paramount Theatre (Austin, Texas)
The Paramount Theatre is a live theatre venue/movie theatre located in downtown Austin, Texas in the United States of America. The classical revival style structure was built in 1915...
, the Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Building, Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Gethsemane Lutheran Church
Gethsemane Lutheran Church is a historic church at 1510 Congress Avenue in Downtown Austin, Texas.It was built in 1882 and added to the National Register in 1970....
and the Old Bakery
Lundberg Bakery (Austin, Texas)
The Lundberg Bakery, also known as the Old Bakery and Emporium, is a historic bakery building currently serving as a gift shop in downtown Austin, Texas. The building was completed in 1876 and is located at 1006 Congress Avenue, half a block south of the Capitol grounds. At the time the bakery...
.
Sixth Street
Sixth Street is a historic street and entertainment district in Downtown Austin. Sixth Street itself stretches from Mopac Expressway in Old West AustinOld West Austin Historic District
The Old West Austin Historic District is a residential community in Austin, Texas, United States. It is composed of three neighborhoods located on a plateau just west of downtown Austin: Old Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods...
across to Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
and beyond. The nine-block area of East Sixth Street roughly between Lavaca Street to the west and Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
to the east is recognized as the Sixth Street Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 30, 1975.
The area around nearby 4th Street and 6th Street has been a major entertainment district since the 1970s. Many bars
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
, clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
venues, and shopping destinations are located on E. 6th Street between Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of downtown....
and Interstate 35
Interstate 35 in Texas
Interstate 35 in Texas is a major north–south Interstate Highway running from Laredo near the United States-Mexico border to the Red River north of Gainesville where it crosses into Oklahoma. Along its route, it passes through the cities of San Antonio, Austin, and Waco before it splits into two...
and many offer live music at one time or another during the week. Traffic is generally blocked on E. 6th Street and most crossroads from I-35 to Brazos Street on weekend evenings, and football home games (depending on pedestrian traffic), as well as holidays and special events to allow the crowds to walk unfettered to the many venues that line the street. E. Sixth Street plays host to a wide variety of events each year, ranging from music
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
and film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s (such as South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
) to biker
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
rallies (such as The Republic of Texas Biker Rally
Republic of Texas Biker Rally
The Republic of Texas Biker Rally is the biggest motorcycle rally in Texas. It is the fourth largest motorcycle rally of any kind in the U.S....
) and the Pecan Street Festival
Pecan Street Festival
The Pecan Street Festival is the common name for the Old Pecan Street Spring and Fall Arts Festival, a free, bi-annual juried fine art and arts and crafts festival held on 6th Street in Austin, Texas...
. The area of Sixth Street west of Lavaca is known as the West 6th Street District. Recently, there has been a growing movement to develop this area as an entertainment district of its own, geared toward the live music crowd.
Second Street District
Situated north of Lady Bird Lake, the six-block Second Street District has swiftly become one of Austin’s most popular food and shopping districts. The district, bordered by Colorado and San Antonio Streets, is chockablock with boutiques, coffeehouses, wine bars and design stores and is anchored by a mixed-use development across from City Hall. It contains is a 36-story W Austin Hotel and ResidencesW Austin Hotel and Residences
W Austin Hotel & Residences is a 37-story hotel and residential skyscraper in Austin, Texas that opened in December 2010. Standing at 478 feet above the ground and 37 stories, it is the fourth tallest building in Austin. It is a residential building that sits behind the Austin City Hall. It holds...
, which opened in late 2010, and the state-of-the-art Moody Theater, the new home of the iconic PBS music series Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
.
In 1997, it was apparent that downtown retail was on the verge of disappearing and downtown, in general, was on a decline. West Second Street had become a blighted area which was home to a number of abandoned warehouses and a lumberyard that the City converted into temporary offices and a City Council Chamber. The city embraced the idea a mixed-use district, and by the mid-2000s all six blocks would be mixed-use buildings with 168,000 square feet of street-level retail.
Rainey Street
The Rainey Street Historic District is a community positioned near Lake Lady Bird and ]]Interstate 35]] in a southeastern pocket of downtown. The situation at Rainey Street is unique in that the area was once a sleepy residential street, albeit nestled right next to downtown, was rezoned as part of Austin's central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
in 2004. The hope at the time was to incentivize development near the Austin Convention Center
Austin Convention Center
The Neal Kocurek Memorial Austin Convention Center is a multi-purpose convention center located in Austin, Texas, USA. The building is the home of the Texas Rollergirls, and was also home to the Austin Toros basketball team, until their move to the Cedar Park Center in nearby Cedar Park in 2010.The...
and the since-built Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. But while grander development has stalled, bars and eateries have flocked to Rainey, since CBD zoning enables traffic-heavy cocktail bar or restaurant use without any additional zoning request. As such, old bungalows have been fixed up and turned into bars and cocktail lounges with ample backyards and porches.
West End/Market District
The West End or Market District of Austin is located in the northwest section of Downtown Austin, just north of the Seaholm District and to the west of the Warehouse District.Seaholm District
The Seaholm District is a formerly industrial section of southwest downtown Austin that the city wants to transform into a vibrant urban neighborhood. The city of Austin has designated the area from Lady Bird Lake to 5th Street and from Lamar Boulevard to San Antonio Street as the Seaholm District. At the core of the district is the decommissioned Seaholm Power Plant, which will be redeveloped into a landmark residential and retail destination. After several years of delays and false starts due in part to a recession that dried up financing for development, construction is expected to start on redevelopment projects at the former Seaholm Power Plant and the site of the former Green Water Treatment Plant east of Seaholm in 2012. Austin-based Southwest Strategies Group, the project's lead developer, announced plans to to begin work on the 450,000 square feet of development to be built on the 7.8 acre site. The projects will transform the decommissioned plants on downtown's southwestern edge into lively hubs with shops, hotels, condominiums, apartments and other development.Bremond Block Historic District
The Bremond Block Historic District is a collection of eleven historic homes located in the northwest corner of downtown, constructed from the 1850s to 1910. The block was added to National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1970, and is considered one of the few remaining upper-class Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
neighborhoods of the middle to late nineteenth century in Texas. Six of these houses were built or expanded for members of the families of brothers Eugene and John Bremond, who were prominent in late-nineteenth-century Austin social, merchandising, and banking circles. They are located within the square block bordered by West Seventh, West Eighth, Guadalupe, and San Antonio streets. The district also includes several houses on the west side of San Antonio and the south side of West Seventh, at least three of which were built or altered by the North family.
Judges Hill
Judges Hill is a largely residential neighborhood is located north of the central business district of downtown Austin on the eastern bluff overlooking Pease ParkPease Park
Pease Park is a public park in central Austin, Texas.Open from early morning until 10:00 PM, the park is frequented by University of Texas at Austin students and disc golf enthusiasts. Every spring, it plays host to the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party celebration, a favorite event for Austin's...
, bordered by Rio Grande Street, 15th Street, Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Lamar Blvd. In 1851, Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson
Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson
Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson was an early white settler in Robertson's Colony in Texas. His father was the colony's founder Sterling C. Robertson. Brought to Texas to learn the Spanish language, he translated for both Robertson's Colony and later the Texas General Land Office. He practiced law...
built the first home in present-day Judges Hill near the corner of 18th and San Gabriel. Although the house was subsequently demolished in 1966. Judge Robertson was the first among the neighborhood resident judges and attorneys who earned the area the name of Judges Hill. The area includes many historically designated properties from the late 1800s, some significant mid-century modern design, student communities and limited multi-family housing.
Local government
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
meetings take place in the council chambers. The city council, including the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, are voted by Austin's residents and serve 3 year terms.
Austin Central Fire Station 1
Austin Central Fire Station 1
Austin Central Fire Station 1, is a fire station at 401 East Fifth Street in Downtown Austin, Texas, United States. It is a part of the Austin Fire Department.The building became a part of the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 2000....
, 2, and 4 of the Austin Fire Department
Austin Fire Department
Austin Fire Department is the fire protection agency of Austin, Texas, United States. It is headquartered at 4201 Ed Bluestein Boulevard.-Current Firehouses and Apparatus Assignments:-Run Statistics:For FY 2008-2009-External links:*...
, all of which are located in downtown, provides fire protection.
County government
The County officesTravis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
, including the Commissioners Court, district courts, county courts, and other facilities are located in the Downtown Complex.
State government
Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol is located in Austin, Texas, and is the fourth building to be the house of Texas government in Austin. It houses the chambers of the Texas Legislature and the office of the governor of Texas. It was designed originally during 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, and was...
and associated government buildings.
The University of Texas System
University of Texas System
The University of Texas System encompasses 15 educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are academic universities and six are health institutions. The system is headquartered in Austin and has a total enrollment of over 190,000 students...
is headquartered in Downtown Austin. O. Henry Hall
O. Henry Hall
O. Henry Hall, also or formerly known as the U.S. Post Office and Federal Building, is an historic building located at 601 Colorado Street in Austin, Texas. It is located within the Sixth Street Historic District in Downtown Austin....
, the main headquarters, was originally a federal courthouse and post office. The Thomas J. Rusk State Office Building is located in Downtown Austin. It includes the Texas State University System
Texas State University System
The Texas State University System was created in 1911 to oversee the state's normal schools. Since its creation it has broadened its focus and comprises institutions of many different scopes. It is the oldest multi-system University System in Texas...
headquarters.
The Texas Third Court of Appeals
Texas Courts of Appeals
The Texas Courts of Appeals are part of the Texas judicial system. In Texas, all cases appealed from the district level, both criminal and civil, may be heard by one of the fourteen Texas Courts of Appeals. The exception is for cases where the death penalty is a factor; these cases go directly to...
is located in the Price Daniel, Sr. State Office Building in Downtown Austin.
Federal government
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Downtown Austin Post Office in Downtown Austin.
Diplomatic missions
The Consulate-General of Mexico in AustinDiplomatic missions of Mexico
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Mexico, excluding honorary consulates. Mexico's foreign service started in 1822, the year after the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba which marked the beginning of Mexico's independence...
was located in Suite 330 within the 800 Brazos Street/Brazos Place complex. It is now located west of Downtown Austin.
Transportation
Capital Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityCapital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Capital Metro, is a public transportation provider located in Austin, Texas. It operates bus, paratransit services and a commuter rail/light rail system known as Capital MetroRail for Austin and several suburbs in Travis and Williamson counties...
provides public transportation services, including bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
and since 2010, commuter rail services to Downtown Austin. The Downtown Capital Metrorail
Downtown (Capital MetroRail station)
Downtown is a Capital MetroRail commuter rail station in Austin, Texas. It is located in Downtown Austin at the corner of Fourth and Neches Street behind the Austin Convention Center. It is the current southern terminus of the Red Line.Construction began in August 2008 and concluded in November...
is located near the Austin Convention Center
Austin Convention Center
The Neal Kocurek Memorial Austin Convention Center is a multi-purpose convention center located in Austin, Texas, USA. The building is the home of the Texas Rollergirls, and was also home to the Austin Toros basketball team, until their move to the Cedar Park Center in nearby Cedar Park in 2010.The...
on Fourth Street, between Neches and Trinity; the station is outside of the Austin Convention Center
Austin Convention Center
The Neal Kocurek Memorial Austin Convention Center is a multi-purpose convention center located in Austin, Texas, USA. The building is the home of the Texas Rollergirls, and was also home to the Austin Toros basketball team, until their move to the Cedar Park Center in nearby Cedar Park in 2010.The...
.
Economy
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
and GSD&M Idea City. Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
, a magazine, has its headquarters in Downtown Austin. Schlotzsky's
Schlotzsky's
Schlotzsky's is a privately held franchise chain of restaurants, specializing in sandwiches, headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Schlotzsky's has more than 350 franchised and company-owned locations worldwide...
has its headquarters in the 301 Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of downtown....
building in Downtown Austin. The Texas Observer, a magazine, has its headquarters in Downtown Austin.
The Downtown Austin Alliance is a partnership of individuals and business dedicated to promoting Downtown Austin.
Colleges and universities
Austin Community College
The Austin Community College District is a regional community college district with eight campuses and 12 centers located in and around the city of Austin, Texas, United States....
operates the Rio Grande Campus in Downtown.
Primary and secondary schools
Austin Independent School District
Austin Independent School District is a school district that is based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. It was established in 1881. Its current superintendent is...
operates area public schools. The zoned schools are located outside of Downtown. All residents south of 15th Street are zoned to Mathews Elementary School, O. Henry Middle School
O. Henry Middle School
O. Henry Middle School is a middle school located in the Tarrytown neighborhood of Austin, Texas and is a part of the Austin Independent School District. It is named after author William Sydney Porter, whose pen name was O. Henry...
, and Austin High School
Austin High School (Austin, Texas)
Stephen F. Austin High School, or more commonly Austin High, founded in 1881, is one of the oldest public high schools west of the Mississippi River, and was the first public high school in the state of Texas....
. Some residents north of 15th Street are zoned to Lee Elementary School, Kealing Middle School, and McCallum High School
McCallum High School
A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States.McCallum, the second oldest high school in the Austin Independent School District, opened in 1953 to relieve growth in north and northwest Austin. Named after AISD's first high school superintendent, A.N...
. Other residents are zoned to Bryker Woods Elementary School, O. Henry Middle School, and Austin High School. In addition, Pease Elementary School is located in Downtown Austin.
Pease was built in 1876. Mathews was built in 1916. Bryker Woods and Lee were built in 1939. McCallum and O. Henry were built in 1953. The current Austin High School campus opened in 1975.
The Khabele School
Khabele School
The Khabele School is a private university preparatory middle and high school in Downtown Austin, Texas, United States.The school opened in 2001 with 9 students. In 2007 it acquired an annex at 701 W. 7th St. and housed dance, martial arts, music, and yoga classes there.-External links:*...
, a private middle and high school, is located in Downtown Austin.
Arts and culture
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
and entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
district.
Theaters
The Paramount Theater is one of Austin's cultural icons. Built and completed in 1915, it was originally made for vaudevilleVaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. Over the years, as movies became the leading form of entertainment, the theater was remodel with upholstered chairs and a state-of-the-art sound system. The theater would nearly close in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
as people made the move from theaters to television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. However, the building would be restored
Restore
Restore may refer to:*Restoration *ReStore - Retail building supply stores run by local Habitat for Humanity affiliates...
before closing, leading the Paramount Theater to avoid demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
. Today, the theater continues to operate, viewing popular movies.
Museums
The Austin Museum of ArtAustin Museum of Art
The Austin Museum of Art is Austin, Texas's primary community art museum, since it was established in 1961 as Laguna Gloria Art Museum. The museums roots date to 1943, when Clara Driscoll donated her 1916 lakeside estate in west Austin to be used "as a museum to bring pleasure in the appreciation...
is located in the 823 Congress building near the capitol. The museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
displays 4 to 6 exhibitions
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World's Fairs...
per year.