Romantic Getaway: Austin Warehouse District, Texas
Recommended for: dining, live music, nightlife

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You can never go home again.

Even if that "home" happens to be the bars of one of the most bustling entertainment areas in the nation.

As college students, we'd once spent plenty of time along Sixth Street, the heart of Austin's legendary nightlife scene. Friday and Saturday nights are often standing-room-only in the bustling bars of the entertainment district that's sometimes compared to New Orleans' Bourbon Street.

As much as for the music, visitors come for the party atmosphere. Here the day begins when the sun goes down and the party goes on until the wee hours of the morning. With over 50,000 students just a few blocks north at the University of Texas, every night brings plenty of collegiate types lined up to enter the most popular club de jour for a night of Jello shots and tequila slammers.

But, for us at least, that was then and this was now. Today it was time for us to find a new hangout, one where conversations about soccer leagues, P.T.A. meetings or office politics outnumbered talk of term papers and messy roommates.

For years we'd identified with Austin, the town that just doesn't want to grow up. Like a perpetual teenager, the capital city is brash, sassy, and sometimes just downright silly. Sure, the city is home to both high-tech industry and countless state officials, but residents use any excuse to toss off the ties and three-piece suits. They don elaborate costumes for the nation's largest Halloween celebration as well as for an annual party to celebrate, believe it or not, the birthday of Eeyore (yep, the pal of Winnie the Pooh).

But, as with us, eventually the years ticked by and Austin recognized the need for an alternative escape, a place for post-collegiates to party in style. Just west of Sixth Street came the answer: the Warehouse District.

This area, extending from Second to Sixth Streets and east-west from Congress Avenue to Shoal Creek, was once the domain of blocks filled with dilapidated warehouses. Just over a decade ago, however, things started to change. Quiet evening venues moved into the area, soon joined by highbrow restaurants. From its heart at Fourth and Colorado Streets eventually several blocks of options stretched in all directions, offering an evening of everything from cappuccino to cigars to cabernet.

Pubs also hold their own in the Warehouse District; one of the best known is The Gingerman Pub (512-473-8801). Just blocks away, Mercedes and Jags pulled up at curbside to release their cargo into the places to see and be seen like Gilligan's (512-474-7474), an elegant eatery blending European cuisine with island flavors and about as far from Gilligan's Isle as you could get and the Bitter End Bistro and Brewery (512-478-2337), where pub grub is translated as duck paté or salmon filet.

The microphones of the Warehouse District are often part of the ever-popular Austin music scene. From our evening perch, we could almost hear the strains of song from the Austin Music Hall (512-495-9962), a renovated warehouse where the city once said good-bye to one of its own, Stevie Ray Vaughn, with a tribute by performers that included Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton. In the other direction lies Antone's (512-474-5314), known as “Austin’s Home of the Blues.” This legendary nightspot, relocated from north of the University of Texas campus to the Warehouse District, brought with it a stellar lineup that has included Buddy Guy, B.B. King, and countless other legendary blues artists.

But our destination that night was a quieter joint: the club that's often credited with starting the revitalization of the whole Warehouse District. We were headed to Cedar Street Courtyard (512-495-9669) , known as the “king of cool gin joints.” After a short stroll, we took our place with a thirty-something (and up) crowd and examined a menu of martinis and cigars that would do James Bond proud. Following a recent renovation, the bar was as popular as ever with scarcely an empty seat.

Soon saxophonist Elias Haslanger moved to the mike as he does every week at the popular hangout and began to belt the jazzy tune for which he's best known: “Kicks are for Kids."

Listening to the sultry strains of the sax over the quiet din of conversation, we'd beg to differ. Thanks to Austin's Warehouse District, there are plenty of kicks to go around for the rest of us as well.

Short and Sweet

Getting There:
The Warehouse District runs from Second to Sixth Streets and east-west from Congress Avenue to Shoal Creek. Parking can be extremely limited. Your best bet is to look for paid lots .

Love Nests:
There’s no contest as to downtown’s most romantic hotel; the winner is clearly the Driskill Hotel (112 E. Sixth St., 800- 252-9367 or 512-474-5911). Built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, this is Austin’s oldest hotel. Its 177 rooms and beautiful lobby recall an elegant age in the city’s history. The hotel sits within easy walking distance of the State Capitol and the Sixth Street entertainment district. Two restaurants and bars offer food and refreshments to guests preferring to “stay in.”

Another romantic choice is the InterContinental Stephen F Austin (701 Congress Ave., 512-457-8800, austin.intercontinental.com). This historic hotel first opened in 1924, and provided a place for government workers, lawyers, and other business people to relax after a long day of work, or have a business lunch with clients. The hotel was reopened in 2000 after a multi-million dollar renovation.: The high-rise hotel offers 189 guest rooms and suites, each equipped with the standard amenities, plus romantic extras like marble baths.

For more information:
Contact the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 888-8287. While in Austin, stop by the Visitors Information Center at 201 E. Second St. or see www.austintexas.org.