The area is very convenient to downtown. South Austin is and always has been very “Austin”. You’ll find some of the oldest music venues here (Broken Spoke, Saxon Pub, Continental Club). There are lots of boutique shopping options along S. Lamar, S. Congress and S. 1st Streets as well as truly fabulous food options. It’s a well-established, older part of town, but still attracts a lot of new energy. S. Congress can be a bit touristy but it’s not overkill. South Austin also includes the Barton Springs area, the pool and Zilker Park as well. Zilker is always full of action and crowded, year-round. Personally, I like that because I like to get out and see people and be in the verve. This is an area, where during festival season, you’ll see lots of people having porch parties and waving hello to all the foot-traffic. While there are plenty of new condo-buildings in the area, many new restaurants to try and a plethora of drinkeries, South Austin maintains a very “weird” vibe.