Far Northeast - Austin, TX

The influx of job opportunities provided by tech companies in and around Austin have ballooned the local population, creating an updated, suburban feel in Northeast Austin. Learn the history of Austin and the rest of Texas by venturing downtown to the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Attenda pow wow exhibit featuring Native Americans who lived on Austin land many years ago.

In typical Austin fashion, Northeast restaurants are fiercely independent, serving zesty down-home BBQ and traditional American food. Enter the cluttered and somewhat mystical Cele Store, a location for several Hollywood movies, and get rowdy on music nights, scarfing smoked sausage and brisket on pieces of white butcher paper while wiping grease from your lips and singing along to your favorite country tunes.

Move on to a hip scene at the Salty Sow gastropub, grabbing some of the popular Triple Fried Duck Fat Fries with a fried egg on top. Despite the comfort food on the menu, Salty Sow is a classy, hand-crafted food joint that brings a clean face to farm-to-table eateries.

With downtown Austin just minutes away, you can party the nights and weekends away with locals, or stay cocooned in the quietness of the Northeast neighborhoods. If dive bars are your thing, mosey on over to Skylark Lounge on Airport Blvd for live jazz or blues every night of the week. Well liquors are just a couple bucks, but for those looking to save even more money, this establishment allows you to bolster your leather jacket with a flask of your favorite liquor. If you're not in a partying mood, but still want to see the sights, laugh along at the intimate ColdTowne Theater - the only improv and sketch comedy club with shows seven nights a week.

Voted the most fit city in Texas, the neighborhoods of Northeast Austin have made friends with bikers and runners; however, driving your car is the easiest way to get to work and back. You won't find much metered parking Northeast Austin, but downtown meters cost $1 per hour. Unfortunately, there is no train available in Travis County, but the Metro runs from South Austin north to Pflugerville.

Cabs are not readily available, but you can always arrange for one to meet you. Uber and Lyft drivers cover Northeast Austin and can take you wherever you need to go within city limits.

Easily access highways 290, 183 and Interstate 35 from Northeast Austin to get to work, or take a relaxing drive on Old Highway 20 through the backroads and farmland on your days off. If your family lives too far too drive for the holidays, fly back at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, just a short distance down highway 130 and 71.

With all the park space and fresh scenery, you could almost forget you’re in Texas. Take a relaxing morning by the lake or catch a fresh fish for dinner at Walter E. Long Metro Park, a large park with over 2.5 miles of trails, barbecue pits, and volleyball courts. Make sure to bring a few bucks for parking and a picnic lunch if you’re going to stay long. Remember your umbrella when it’s sunny, as there isn’t much shade off the lake.

Disc golf enthusiasts can toss their frisbees at the thirty-six hole course at East Metropolitan Park, while sports lovers can toss or kick baseballs, basketballs, and soccer balls at any one of the frequently open courts. Parents can fish off one of the three piers while watching their children on the nearby play structure. Over 270 acres large, this park and small lake are tucked away from the city, just a few miles east of highway 45/130.

Cost of living in Northeast Austin is roughly 3.7% greater than the national average, mostly due to housing costs. But it makes up for the difference in gas and groceries prices, which are both several points lower than the national average. The average rent is $787 for a one-bedroom apartment, while local pints of beer can run as low as $2, depending on the brew.

Independent fashion and air-conditioned convenience typify the two sides of the Austin shopping coin. The chain store junkie will find all the fix he or she needs at the Domain mall, west of Northeast Austin. Shop the latest fashion trends at stores like J. Crew, Banana Republic, and Neiman Marcus before plopping down in the deluxe iPic theaters to watch the newest blockbuster.

For a slower pace, head west on 290 to Atown for some free drinks and cookies while choosing your favorite knick-knacks for your new Austin apartment. Ask the friendly owner to help you pick out her favorite new items, and get a hefty discount on local artisanal goods with your Go Local Card.

Northeast Austin residents purchase food and groceries at stores like HEB, which sells huge selections of meat, produce, and other staples. Stock up on local beers and wines for your next party, but make sure to bring your own shopping bags -- Austin banned plastic bag use in 2013.