South Congress

South Congress Review

South Congress, or SoCo as locals call it, reflects South Austin's dual passions: bohemian counterculture and recycled style. You'll find truckloads of funky furniture and vintage collectibles, folk art, herbs, natural-fiber clothing, costumes, toys, cowboy boots, and Mexican imports amid a scattering of see-and-be-seen cafés and restored motor courts. The wildly colorful and imaginative storefronts on a few of the blocks (you'll know them when you see them) are natural photo ops. Many stores on this wide boulevard open after 11 am and stay open late. On the first Thursday of each month about 50 merchants here stay open until 10 pm, and special events create a street-party vibe. SoCo is the poster street for a freewheeling neighborhood that's as much a state of mind as a ZIP code.