Protip: Carry your phone charger and a spare battery pack with you so can tweet/4sq the cool things you are doing!
Big room. Tip for managing the overwhelming multi-track options of SXSWi: Choose to attend mainly events held in Ballroom A or Ballroom BC. You'll catch the best stuff and always get a seat.
Tip: Grab a seat near the front and hold onto it for several sessions. Don't be afraid to sit in the front row! The closer you are to panelists and speakers, the more you'll stay engaged and learn.
Newest studio in the Happy Cog empire, beautiful space artistically renovated using local, natural materials. Leer más.
Three days of design, code, and content for people who make websites. From the makers of A List Apart.
My downtown Tex-Mex breakfast place since the tragic closing of Las Manitas Avenue Cafe. There's better Text-Mex in Austin, but none as close to Hilton, Hampton, and Convention Center.
Comfort food and cocktails on a big back porch; a calm sanctum around the corner from the chaos of Austin Convention Center. Gets very crowded, so make reservations and avoid peak hours.
Don't bother with anything else on the menu; the chile relleno en nogada may be the best thing you ever eat.
Located in the Driskill Hotel, this cafe is a convenient and casual option for hotel guests and Downtown workers. Try the classic Ms. Corbitt's Cheese soup or the aptly named Hangover Burger.
Decent local Thai place conveniently located across from the Hampton downtown.
South Congress Avenue - SoCo - embodies Austin's spirit. Browse homegrown shops like Creatures, Allens Boots and Mi Casa. Check out art at Yard Dog. Grab a marg at Güero's Taco Bar or coffee at Jo's.
Have a 48-hour romance with the primary singer-songwriter of a band. Inadvertently get his management mad at him, causing a dis-band and for him to make the decision to move to your hometown after SX.
Never miss a photo Op here in the Spring and Summer. Simple beautiful! Lush greenery, themed gardens, and wildlife in a peaceful setting in the middle of Austin. Leer más.
It's raining & cold outside so don't forget to call your mom & tell her you're ok, she misses you
Security is bazonkers during SXSW; give yourself extra time, even for a crack-of-dawn departure.
On Saturday night, when everyone else is out dining or drinking, you can have the rooftop pool and hot tub to yourself. Great way to wash the air travel off.
If you're warm-blooded, wear OFF!® insect repellent. I didn't, and got bitten alive.
Manuel's excellent presentation of regional Mexican cuisine has made it a Downtown mainstay for more than 25 years. The menu offers a nice mix of new ideas and tried-and-true. Leer más.
Surprisingly good vietnamese restaurant on 6th street, for when you can't take any more BBQ
Stop by Juan Pelota Cafe for a a variety of coffees, healthy sandwiches, and best of all it's by Mellow Johnny's bike shop! Leer más.
Ok, so it's not technically a restaurant, but nobody bothered to tell them. You won't eat this well at any movie theatre, and thanks to the roving waiters, you'll never have to leave your seat either.
Opened in 1886, this is the oldest operating hotel in Austin. Legend has it the original owner, cattle baron Jesse Driskill, lost the hotel to his brother in law in a poker game in 1888.
