Under Construction with Evil MoPac

Under Construction with Evil MoPac

10 Hidden Austin Gems, Part I

Off the beaten path and well worth the trip

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Evil MoPac
Apr 22, 2025
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Foreshadowing (Photo: heyaustin.com)

While I bristle at any suggestion that I’m an Austin Influencer (I most certainly am not), I still know a few things about this strange and wonderful massing of goofballs adjacent to an escarpment.

So, with that in mind, I’m about let all y’all in on 10 places in our city that you may not have heard of or been to recently but should definitely visit forthwith. While I’m not going too obscure here, there certainly will be no Mt. Bonnell, Barton Springs, Zilker Park, or South Congress on this, and I hope that you consider this a blessing.

10. San Marcos: Okay, this isn’t Austin. But it feels like Austin (in 1979) and is really close. Just a few miles down I-35, y’all can (re)discover this delightful, frozen-in-time burg. Quaint cafes, funky art/live music, fun parks, cool yet comfortable restaurants without 90 minute waits…and parking! There’s a lot to love here. Visit on a Saturday and you’ll get the added bonus of an eclectic slate of vendors—everything from paintings to food—flanking the Courthouse grounds in the center of downtown. Bonus: an up and coming place for your kid to go to college given the near impossibility of UT-Austin admission in 2025.

Purdy.

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