South by Southwest Interactive

In mid-March, I travel to Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest Interactive conference. I'll be moderating a panel discussion about how online tools can better help us navigate physical locations -- and how the "real world" impacts our design of place-based online tools. But I'll also be spending time in one of my favorite cities and catching up with old friends. I love Austin.

This lens is a primer to the SXSWi conference: How to get involved, what's going on -- and what else to do while in town.

The 411 on the SXSWi

These links will get you up to speed -- fast

Want to learn more about SXSWi the conference? Here are the need to reads.

What's it all about?: The official SXSWi home page features all sorts of news and information about the gathering
Who's going to be there?: And these are just the speakers!
What goes on after hours?: Plenty. Bring a towel.
Where should I stay?: With a friend, of course. Barring that, CitySearch can help you get settled

Word from the Herd

Entries from the SXSWi Community Blog

People planning to participate in SXSWi "discuss specific panels and events, rant about tech-related issues, wax philosophic, hookup with friends and talk about where to get some good BBQ"

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Views on SXSW

YouTube videos of value

Want a sense of what goes on at SXSW? Check out these video snippets.

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Oh, Henry!

History you can hoof to

It's so close to the convention center and Sixth Street that if you only take in one bit of Austin history, make this it: The O. Henry Museum. William Sidney Porter, the writer behind the nom de plume, lived in this house in the late 1800s. Who knew?

Transportation Situation

Now, how to get there?

These are the best ways to get to -- and around -- town

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: I might feel differently if I lived in Austin, but this is one of my favorite airports: not too far away from town and of an extremely management size. Easy in, easy out!
Yellow Cab Austin: No fare increase for multiple passengers, all major credit cards accepted, and the taxis are dispatched by computer and equipped with GPS
Capital Metro Transit: Don't forget the bus system! The fare's just 50 cents a ride, and I've ridden the bus in Austin at least once every time I've been in town. Worth considering

Bouncing Around Town

Let others know where you're going!

Austin is one of the cities supported by Dodgeball. If you haven't already, consider signing up for a free account -- and use the cell phone-based service to let your friends at SXSW know where you're going!

Thought for Food

Where Heath eats

This list is by no means comprehensive or complete, but these are some of my favorite places to grab a bite when I'm in Austin

Guero's Taco Bar: Great Mexican food, and it's located in the 100-year-old Central Feed and Seed building!
Kerbey Lane Cafe: More of a serious sit-down kind of place, this restaurant is located in an old house, which makes for some interesting dining room layouts! Wonderful for brunch
Magnolia Cafe: I can't believe they don't have a better web site, but this place is known for its pancakes. Open 24 hours
Star Seeds Cafe: Great for late-night revelry and people-watching, this highway-side diner attracts a funky -- and fun -- bunch
Threadgill's: Southern home-style cooking for more than 70 years? They've got the restaurant thing down pat

Beer Me

Bottling the best

Shiner Bock is nigh impossible to get outside of Texas, so I do my best to imbibe (reasonably and with responsibility) when in Austin. Regardless of your taste for Shiner, it's better than Lone Star. That's for sure.

What bars do I recommend? Emo's, Beerland, and Red Eyed Fly. I've actually never been to Beerland, but I have a sense it's going to be a new favorite.

For more ideas, check out the Austin Underground lens. Nathan reminded me about Casino!

Retail Tourism

Must-stop shops

There's scads of historical sites to see in and around Austin, but there's also tons of fun stores. Here's my quick hits on the best places to drop dime

BookPeople: The "largest bookstore in Texas" is also one of the best independent bookstores in the country (according to me). Awesome local section
I Luv Video: Great video rental place. But who'll have time to rent movies?
Toy Joy: Cory Doctorow introduced me to this jam-packed toy store. I'm glad he did
Waterloo Records and Video: An independent record store that's a big supporter of the Austin music scene. In-store performances galore!

Books about Austin

What you need to read

Recommended reading from yours truly. I haven't read all of these, but believe you me, I'd like to

Lonely Planet Austin, San Antonio & the Hill Country

by: Sara Benson

Your average travel guide; largely information you can easily get elsewhere

Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Used Price: $2.21

Streetwise Austin

by: Michael Brown

My favorite travel map series; get yourself one

Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Used Price: $4.00

The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic: A "Walk" in Austin (Crown Journeys)

by: Kinky Friedman

Map in hand, this book from one of Texas's favorite sons will help you move around town with motivation

Amazon Price: $12.71 (as of 07/10/2009)
Used Price: $1.48

Tales of the Texas Woods

by: Michael Moorcock

This isn't really Austin-centric, but Michael Moorcock is also a Texan teller of tales

Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Used Price: $9.60

Other Things to Do

A half-day getaway

Need to take a break from the convention center? Tired of Sixth Street? Here are some ideas

Amy's Ice Creams: Yum. 'Nuff said. Multiple locations, some with photo booths
Town Lake: A wonderful park area, and it's got a Frisbee golf course!
The Bats of the Congress Avenue Bridge: One of the neatest things I've ever seen is the evening exodus of the bats that hang out beneath the bridge
CommunityWalk: SXSW Festival: A map of the SXSW Festival, including local hotels, restaurants, and entertainment.

Keeping Austin Weird

More of my favorite things

This isn't weird weird, but here are some of the other things I appreciate about Austin

Brobdingnagian Bards: Celtic music about Lord of the Rings and Star Wars? Ethnic filk!
Fringeware Review: It may be defunct, but the people and ideas it involved and embraced are not
J Church: Long-time Bay Area punk rocker Lance Hahn now lives in Austin. Good for him; good for the city
Ben Snakepit: Creator of the superbly simple and sloppy Snakepit comic, Ben also plays in J Church
Zendik Farm: Not sure if it's still the case, but this arts-oriented commune used to be located on the outskirts of Austin. Their zines still freak me out