The Austin skyline at night.
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The Gateway to the Hill Country of central Texas, Austin is one of the most beautiful and under-hyped natural landscapes in the United States. The Colorado River runs right through the center of this city, and the streams, creeks, and natural springs which flow into the river form an extensive network of natural swimming holes and hiking paths, otherwise knows as the Greenbelt. Speaking of green, Austin consistently makes lists designating the top 10 greenest and most desirable cities in the world.
Why? Good city planning and leadership provide incentives for the growth of independent businesses, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and mass transit. Eco-oriented building codes allow for unconventional, but proven earth-friendly buildings, such as strawbale, inside city limits. Austin even treats and reuses its sewer sludge and sells it back to the public in the form of Dillo Dirt, which is EPA approved for use in gardens, even edible ones. These 10 tips will make for an ecological visit to this vibrant city.
For the latest green news coming out of Austin, check out TreeHugger's Austin archives.
- Take Public Transportation: The Airport Flyer and Capital Metro
If you are traveling from the airport without a car rental, don't be tricked into taking a cab or a shuttle. It will cost you about $20. The Airport Flyer, operated by Capital Metro, Austin's bus service, runs every half hour from the airport and a ticket to town costs only $.75. Austin's transit service is one of the least expensive in the country, just $.75 for a one-way ride or $1.50 for a 24-hour pass or just $7 for an entire week! Google Transit can easily route you anywhere in Capital Metro's service area via Google Maps. The program will even work on your iPhone or other Internet-based mobile devices.
Plus, Austin's public transport system will only get better when the city's first rail line opens at the end of the month. - Stay in a Centrally Located Hotel or Hostel, or Go Camping
Hotel San Jose is a beautifully refurbished minimalist hotel right in the heart of Austin, within walking or biking distance from Barton Springs, local eats and thrift stores, museums, and a capital building that is larger then the U.S. Capital Building in Washington, D.C. The hotel offers both budget rooms with a shared bathroom and more expensive rooms with private baths, rents out bicycles by the day or the hour, and comes with a very popular street-side coffee shop called Jo's coffee.
Hostelling International Austin is also quite central and positioned right on the Colorado River. The hostel rents out canoes, but if you prefer to stay on dry land, try the hike and bike trail that runs right past the hostel.
For campers, Mckinney Falls State Park offers great camping facilities in southeast Austin, complete with a communal lodge and Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the park is not yet on transit lines, so this option is for those with vehicles. - Dine at an Organic or Vegetarian Restaurant
Casa De Luz, a centrally located macrobiotic restaurant, offers a revitalizing all-you-can-eat vegan brunch every Sunday. If the $12 meal ticket is too steep, you may want to inquire about volunteering in the kitchen.
The #43 at Kim Phung Restaurant—a huge bowl of vermicelli noodles with lemongrass, tofu, garlic, and vegetables—is a must-have. Several healthy meat dishes are also on the menu.
Mother's Café, located in Hyde Park, is a long-time vegetarian gathering ground. So is Veggie Heaven, which is on 'the drag' next to University of Texas at Austin campus. Its popularity can make the small space seem cramped, so be prepared to be seated close to like-minded strangers. - Rent a Bike From the Bicycle Library
Austin is the home of Lance Armstrong. It is also the home of thousands of bicycle commuters. The Lance Armstrong Bicycle highway, a $3 million cross-town bicycle highway project, is currently underway. Some lanes have been completed and are now ready for cyclists. By becoming a supporter for $20, visitors can check out a bicycle from the Yellow Bike Project's Bicycle Library. A few other local bicycle shops rent out bicycles by the day. Also check out the city's very tight bicycle advocacy group, the Texas Bicycle Coalition. - Make a Trip to the Whole Foods Headquarters
In Austin, we don't think of Whole Foods as a corporate monopoly. It wasn't too long ago that the now international retail chain was a tiny little grocery store on Lamar Boulevard—and that was its only location. That particular store has expanded and relocated twice, all within a half mile from its original site. The latest incarnation is the largest Whole Foods store in the world, also the Whole Foods World Headquarters and culinary school. Don't miss the chocolate fountain. - Shop for Organic Food at Wheatsville Co-op
If you don't want to brave the crowds or amusement park atmosphere of the Whole Foods Headquarters, try Wheatsville Co-op. Since the 1970s, Wheatsville has provided organic foods to Austin's eco and organically informed population. Though the Co-op is currently undergoing an expansion that will double its size, it is still tiny compared to the Whole Foods Headquarters, and its very reasonably priced deli serves up the best vegetarian Frito pie in Texas. - Go Swimming in Barton Springs
There is a lot of hype surrounding Barton Springs, but in this case, the hype doesn't live up to the actual experience. Barton Springs is considered the jewel of the city for good reason: It is the last remaining natural spring of its size—still considered clean enough for swimming—located right in the middle of a major American city.
There has been a decades long fight to keep it that way. As Austin grew from a sleepy town to major city in a relatively short amount of time, organizations, such as the Save Our Springs Foundation, have managed to fight off the greedy developers that have been eyeing the "recharge zone," the central green space above the aquifer where the water is naturally filtered before emerging in Barton Springs. Whether it is cold winter or steamy summer, the water at Barton Springs is always 68 degrees. - Listen to Free Live Music at City Hall on Fridays
Austin's new award-wining city hall boasts a green roof with native plants and a comprehensive array of solar panels. Not bad for a government building. Every Friday, Live from the Plaza presents a free concert featuring local Austin talent. - Visit the World's First LEED Platinum Hospital
The Mueller Children's Hospital, constructed where the old airport used to be, incorporates 47,000 tons of the old airport runway into its design. It also generates all of its own energy on site, harvests rainwater, and is fitted out with solar interior lighting. As a result, the hospital's sustainable design and earth-focus provide unmatched and proven healing powers for its patients. - Witness the Largest Urban Bat Population in North America
When the engineers redesigned the Congress Avenue Bridge in 1980, they accidentally created the perfect habitat for Mexican Free-tail Bats in its small dark crevices. Now the bridge is home to over a million bats between March and November, before they migrate to South America for the rest of the year. As the bridge has become one of the most unique tourist attractions in Texas, the bats receive extensive protection from the city, and provide a service in return: Each night, they chomp millions of mosquitoes.
Travel much? Check out more Green City Guides.
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