When Austin nightlife is mentioned in “travel circles” the first thing that comes to mind is that you are probably headed to “Sixth street” at some point during your travels.
Sixth street deserves its notoriety (especially east sixth) but there are hidden gems scattered throughout the downtown district of Austin and to get a wholesome picture of Austin nightlife, we need to uncover those hidden gems.

4th Street
This is also known as Austin’s “gay district” and walking down 4th street you see the ubiquitous rainbow flag flown above one of the more famous nightclubs (Rain) on the street.
Now if you know anything about the gay community, they are the one community that has partying down to an art. That is why whenever we travel to a city to cover it’s nightlife, some effort is made in trying to locate the gay district of that city. Here are some noteworthy bars on 4th street.
Rain
217 W 4th Street,
Austin, TX

Rain is more of an upscale gay lounge, don’t let your mind run away just yet. When we partytrailed this club it was as diverse as they come.
There were straight girls partying with their gay friends and straight guys looking to capitalize on the reduced competition.
The club had great music, and a stage from which scantily clad male dancers danced the night away. Worth mentioning was the full bar and unique lighting that added to the ambience of the club.
5th Street
In addition to the streets we previously mentioned, Both west and east 5th street, contribute immensely to Austin nightlife. On 5th street there are lots of bars with patios where one can hang out.
Handle Bar
121 E 5th street,
Austin, TX

Handle bar is a great example of one of those bars with a patio to hang out. They have a bar downstairs and a patio on the rooftop where there is a DJ.
When we partytrailed Handlebar, it was a more laid back atmosphere at the bar. It is a great option to visit if one really wants to get a feel for Austin nightlife.
There is also a small pizza parlor just off 5th that is awesome for post gaming, we must warn you though that you will definitely find a line of people waiting to buy some, because the pizza is that good.
Onion Pizza
408 Brazos street,
Austin, TX
7th Street
7th street also has some hidden gems. Some of which are listed below
Holy Mountain,
617 E 7th Street,
Austin, Texas
Mugshots
407 E 7th Street,
Austin, Texas
The Side Bar,
602 E 7th Street,
Austin, Texas
As you can see, 6th street is not where all the action takes place. Our advice is that you put on your party shoes and try to find more of those hidden gems. Happy discovering….
To the extent that we can, we have covered the pulse of Austin nightlife, we apologize if we left anything out.
Before we head out to our next city, “Hong Kong” we take you outside Austin’s city limits for a tradition quite unique to the south….
In our last and final post, Austin- Jewel of the South (VI) grab your swim suit, some beers, and a floater because we are going to “Float the Guadalupe River”.
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