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Austin Hotels with Shih Tzu
Our son will be attending St. Edward's University in Austin. Can you please tell me where the bad crime areas are located. I would also appreciate what areas close to the university has the best restaurants. We ate at Stubb's and I didn't think it was that good for the price. Any suggestions for reasonable meals?
Can you also recommend any decent budget lodging with a small pet. The hotels seem very expensive ($119 plus all taxes). We stayed at the Wyndam by the school but it wasn't that great. Thank you very much for your help. |
With all due respect, $119 plus tax is not all that expensive for a hotel room.
There are not too many hotels left that offer anything under $100 per room, per night anymore. Priceline.com may but if you need to have your dog with you, Priceline will not work for you. There is no guarantee the hotel you win will accept pets. There may be few motels. That said, try this site http://www.petswelcome.com/ |
Most LaQuinta hotels accept pets. There is one not too far from St Eds on Oltorf Blvd @ I35 and another a few miles south on I35. IIRC the one to the south is newer and cheaper. Neither is a great location as they're basically right on I35 - the main NAFTA corridor - but not problem areas either. The one downtown on 11th st is more expensive.
Great hotels and $100 room rates don't usually go together in the same breath. Same thing for restaurants. Best quality for the price in Austin I like Vespaio - about 1mi from St Eds on Congress. BBQ you can get good, cheap bbq at Ironworks. Big plates of TexMex at Chuy's on Barton Springs. My concept of quality/price may differ from yours. What is your price range, and what are you expecting for that price? Best t-bone this side of the Pecos or your basic burger. Tell us your price range and we can tell you good places that fit the bill. I remember seeing another recent thread asking about high crime areas in Austin - maybe that was yours. What specifically are you concerned about? There 10s of thousands of college students living in Austin, and they are fanned out all over town. No one area is particularly bad. I've been to many parts of Austin many times that gentrified countryfolk might consider unseemly and never once felt uncomfortable or threatened myself. Had many great meals at local holes in the wall that you might not otherwise stop in if you didn't know better. There are some parts of town that are lower rent districts, but just because the people who live there are poorer or some buildings are run down doesn't make them high crime areas. |
We saw alot of beggars and bums around Austin which gave me the impression it was a bad area. Also on Sixth Street, the police were there cuffing somebody against the car. I guess I am not used to that atmosphere where I live.
As far as meals, I would like to spend no more than $20 per person. We prefer casual, laid back places. I guess I am in a cloud with the hotels/motels. I just figured you could get a decent place not far away for about $99 a night. Thank you so much for the suggestions. |
Unless you like places like Motel 6, hotels are going to cost over $100 a night, especially near downtown Austin. I was also going to suggest LaQuinta. They are one of the most pet-friendly chain hotels.
For cheap eats under $20, you're going to have to go with fast food or chain restaurants. Taco Cabana always has good fajitas and they are open 24 hours, too. I love Chuy;s, especially the fish tacos on Friday nights! Austin has always had quite a few homeless people who beg on the streets. Even in the best areas, they are not uncommon. Who knows about the person you saw getting handcuffed. Maybe he had bought alcoholic beverages for a minor? |
I've been in Austin for 28 years and like most big cities, yes we do have our share of the homeless population but they are not in every corner of the city. However I have never met a homeless person here in Austin who made me feel threatened in any way. I think they like it here because of the mild winters, which frankly is one of the reasons I love Austin.
If La Quinta is your choice of hotels I recommend the one on 300 E, 11th Street, as mentioned by J62. It is the most expensive but it's in a great location downtown. The one on E. Oltorf is a lot cheaper and probably OK if you don't want to splurge on the downtown location. I'm knocking wood as I type this, but in my 28 years in this city I have never been a crime victim, unless you count when a neighborhood kid shot my car window with a BB gun. It really is a wonderful city, and if you need suggestions for what to do while you are here I will be happy to help if I can. PS I have a shih tzu too. :-) |
P-M
Yes, I'd love suggestions on where to go in Austin. Also where the shopping mall and good shopping is located. I've been down Congress or South Congress. Thanks! |
I just returned from another trip to Austin and love eating at Guero's on S. Congress for Mexican. Their shrimp tacos are delicious! Down the street is Vespaio which is one of the best Italian restaurants I've encountered anywhere. Their small cafe Enoteca is very good as well.
I walked around alone during the day and never felt uncomfortable. Sixth Street gets busy on Thur-Sat nights but I don't feel it's any different than any other city where you find the night clubs. I found cute boutiques along 2nd and Colorado area. Also, By George on 5th and Lamar has a great selection of designers and pieces that you don't see everywhere else. They have a small store on South Congress but it doesn't compare to their larger store. Neiman's is Neimans. It's north on MoPac about 12 miles from the river area. Hotels are not cheap as Austin brings in a lot of conventions. Try Priceline if you're aren't picky but if you'll have a dog you would be better choosing your specific hotel. The Mansion on Judge's Hill is pet friendly and we really enjoyed the hotel and free parking. Austin is a great city!!! |
venus, there's a lot to do here so I'll name everything I can think of.
The State Capitol. Tours are free but even if you don't take a tour, it's worth going in. I think it's one of the finest and most majestic looking capitol buildings in the country. It's open daily. Esther's Follies: This is a hilarious comedy show with music and all sorts of humor. I can't describe it adequately, but your face and sides will hurt from too much laughter, even if you stay sober. http://www.esthersfollies.com/ I'm not very much of a mall person, but I can recommend Barton Creek Mall. I've heard the Hill Country Mall is much nicer but I haven't been there and it's a good distance from where you are staying. Your nearest mall is Highland Mall but do not go there, it's in a spooky spot. If you like outlet malls there is a HUGE one south of Austin in a town called San Marcos, and another just north of Austin in Round Rock. A fave restaurant of visitors is Hula Hut where you can sit on a pier over the lake. They also have indoor seating but that's no fun. http://www.hulahut.com/ If you want a unique and reasonably priced meal check out the Whole Foods Market on 6th and Lamar. They have a food court that goes on forever and you will find every type of cuisine you can name. Don't miss the dessert bar or the gelato. Or just have both. :-) http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/lamar/ Bats: Here's a cool thing that's free. Every evening at sundown a million bats (yes, literally a million) fly out of the Congress Street bridge. If you stand on the bridge the view is much better. If you like art museums I recommend the Blanton. It's free on Thursdays. http://blantonmuseum.org/index.cfm?C...TOKEN=49442915 There's also the Bob Bullock Museum of TX History: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/ Here's a small but free museum on the UT campus called the Harry Ransom Center. They have an original Gutenberg Bible and the oldest photo ever taken. http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/ For a great view of the city you can go to the top of the tower at the University of TX. They had a small problem with jumpers in the 70's and a sniper in the 60's so you are required to go with a tour. http://www.utexas.edu/tower/ The LBJ Library and Museum: http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/ If you want a nice cool swim in spring water, check out Barton Springs Pool: http://www.texasoutside.com/bartonpool.htm I'm sure I will think of other things as soon as I log off, and I hope you are not too overwhelmed at this point. If you have any specific questions I will answer if I can. |
As someone else said, if you want a nice area and a nice hotel, you have to pay more than $100 a night, unless you go at an off time. IMHO, St. Edwards isn't in the greatest part of town - that part of S. Congress is on the DMZ..but it's getting nicer. I don't think there are any nice hotels in the direct vicinity of St. Eds. You might try the Hyatt, Embassy Suites, Radisson, etc for nice hotels downtown.
Sixth Street is getting worse every year. People seem to be getting beat up weekly there - some very badly. Someone was just killed there. I avoid it at all costs. It's mostly young people drinking and drugging too much. With that said, Austin is one of the safer cities of it's size in the US. Your seeing experience near St. Eds. and at 6th St. isn't what Austin is all about. There is SO much to enjoy. P_M gave you great ideas. However, someone mentioned Vesapio - great meal but would be more like $40+ per person. |
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To ALL:
Thanks for your great comments and shopping/restaurant/hotel suggestions. I will be going there in July so now I have a better idea where to sightsee. |
You might want to check the hotels close to the airport. I often stay at the Holiday Inn Express and I think they allow pets. There are some back roads to St. Edwards from there that won't take but a few minutes driving time. Also, joining a hotel chain club gives you free nights. I have done this for the hotels closest to my daughter's college. Kerbey Lane Cafe is close to St. Edwards and the food is delicous!
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