Hong Kong – The Cantonese Expedition III

Lan Kwai Fong – Wyndham Street
One street over from D’aguilar Street in an elevated position is Lan Kwai Fong’s other happening strip, Wyndham street. This street when compared to D’Aguilar street takes on the “sibling” analogy we used previously in our “Austin-Jewel of the South” series. While D’Aguilar Street, in Lan Kwai Fong is a lot more colorful, rowdy, and sometimes just plain “bat shit” crazy. Wyndham Street, while equally fun takes on a more mature and chilled out vibe. Since lots of Hong Kong expatriates like to come to Wyndham street in Lan Kwai Fong to party, one could easily be once again fooled into thinking they were partying in a western metropolis.

Getting there……

We like to think of L.K.F. as a “twofer”, since Wyndham is only one street away from D’Aguilar, you can seamlessly switch your partying between the two. All that separates D’Aguilar from Wyndham are a set of stairs next to the Hard rock café that you can climb up from D’Aguilar Street to get to Wyndham Street. If however, you are not already in the Lan Kwai Fong area, simply hail a cab, we suggested this in “Lan Kwai Fong – D’Aguilar Street”. Compared to the prices of everything else in Hong Kong, cab rides are quite affordable. Another option would be to take the MTR and get off at the “D2 Central” exit.

Once there……

Wyndham Street as we mentioned earlier has a lot of great entertainment options. The bars on this strip play a very good assortment of music; Top 40, Dance, Electronic, Oldies and Hip Hop. If we were allowed an opinion, it would be that we enjoyed partytrailing Wyndham street over D’Aguilar street. However, we will leave you with the choice of making up your own mind on which of these two street in Lan Kwai Fong you prefer. Here are some bars, Clubs, and Restaurants we think are worth a visit on Wyndham street…

1. Dragon-I
60 Wyndham St,
Central,
Hong Kong.
+852 3110 1222

When we asked where we could go clubbing in L.K.F the response was “yeah, there is a place where all the models in Hong Kong go to party, it’s called Dragon-I”. The word “models” immediately piqued our interested and we decided we must partytrail Dragon-I. On arrival we asked to pay about 500 HK Dollars to get in. The cost of entry seemed to set the tone for the rest of the night. One could argue that Dragon-I is one of H.K’s most exclusive clubs. Several celebrities from United States have either performed or guest partied here. Dragon-I is where the H.K. elite (Banker’s, Lawyers, Models, Businessmen, and the like go, to party). Bottle service is rife here, so if you are low on your budget, our advice is to do what everyone else in H.K. on a budget does, bring your own beer and party on the streets. The music is usually Dance or Dubstep and the drinks are expensive but one thing you will be guaranteed is that every night you party here will definitely be a colorful and eventful one.

2. Koh Thai Restaurant
57 Wyndham Street,
Central,
Hong Kong

If you like Thai food, you will love this place, with locations in Wanchai and Mid-levels (we’ll review these in upcoming posts) one can only wonder if three locations are enough. The interior décor here is great and could serve as a medium of escaping Hong Kong’s daily grind. Also make sure you get the popular Thai brand “Tiger beer “ to complete your Thai experience while dining here. Food and drink prices here are expensive but our guess is that its a reflection of Hong Kong’s high cost of living.

3. Tonic
Tonic is an ultra-sophisticated lounge located on “Wyndham Street”; we recommend it as a must-visit. The stand out feature of this bar is the interior décor. It seems whoever designed this bar had the concept of an escapist medium in mind because we seemed transported to another world once we stepped into this bar. There is also a full bar, great music and a crowd sophisticated enough to compliment this bar.

4. Socialito
50 Wyndham St,
Central,
Hong Kong
This is hands down one of the best nightclubs on Wyndham Street. It is a little on the pricier side but well worth the price. The defining characteristic of this club is the music, they play a great deal of top 40 music, hip hop, and house. Bottle service is also rife here, so if you want to fit in, you might want to consider getting one or two. This is

5. California Vintage
So remember we told you Wyndham Street is very sophisticated. What is sophistication without a glass of wine or two? California vintage is a California themed restaurant on Wyndham Street that features a selection of about 90 different wines from 22 family owned refineries. We would recommend California vintage for one of those nights you want to kick back, relax, and have a good time. It’s also a good place to take a date to.

Before we head off to our location, we would advise taking a walk through Wyndham and sampling as many of the bars, restaurants and clubs on the strip as possible. Getting there is about half the fun the other half is trying to discover the one bar that truly suits you. This might indeed be difficult since Wyndham has so many options.

In Hong Kong – The Cantonese Expedition (IV), we go to a neighborhood not too far from Lan Kwai Fong that recently started to gain a reputation as an entertainment contender. We partytraied the South of Hollywood road (SOHO as it is called by the locals) and there are some hidden gems we are going to be introducing to, so stick around and let’s rock out H.K. together.

  • SOHO

Hong Kong – Lan Kwai Fong – D’Aguilar Street

Lan Kwai Fong – D’Aguilar Street

Every intensely productive city we have ever traveled to has an entertainment strip where it’s citizens can go to have a blow some steam off and have a good time.

Austin, if you remember had “6th street”, Kuala Lumpur has “Bukit Bintang”, London has Mayfair or Shoreditch depending on your budget, Los Angeles has Hollywood Boulevard and Hong Kong has Lan Kwai Fong (L.K.F)

Getting to L.K.F…….

Based on our experience traveling to and traveling through this city, your best bet would be to use a cab.



For how expensive this city is, the cabs are surprisingly affordable and well organized. Just tell the cab driver that you are headed to L.K.F. and taking you there should be no problem.

Travel Picture of a taxi taken in Hong Kong
Picture of a Taxi in Hong Kong

Note: When in Hong Kong only use cabs that are in a queue to pick up passengers. Getting one randomly off the street could lead to you getting scammed.

The other option would be to get on Hong Kong’s highly advanced metro system. It is known by the locals as the MTR, get off at the “Central Station Exit D2”, then walk along Theatre Lane, and up D’Aguilar Street to arrive at L.K.F.

L.K.F. – The Strip

Pic of L.K.F. sign taken while traveling through H.K.
One of our partytrailers by the L.K.F. sign in Hong Kong

On approaching the strip the first thing that you will notice are the dizzying amount of bars, restaurants, and clubs that you would be presented with.

The second thing you would notice, if you are a westerner, is that you will not be out of place at all. This is due to the diversity of Hong Kong.

There are lots of expatriates in Hong Kong mostly from Western Europe and North America. (The United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Holland, Germany, and France being the most contributors to the expatraite community).

Let’s not forget the “English as a Second Language” (E.S.L.) teachers mostly from Australia and the United Kingdom that have chosen Hong Kong as home.



If one then factors in the bankers (a lot from the U.K., the United States and elsewhere in the west) and the students from all over Europe and North America that attend the prestigious Hong Kong University (H.K.U.), then a night at L.K.F. would definitely leave you wondering whether you are partying in Asia or in some western metropolis.

The Bars and Clubs……..

Just like all the other cities we traveled to, there are some stand out bars and clubs you must visit while you are in L.K.F.

We must however forewarn you that due to the cost of drinks and partying in Hong Kong in general, a lot of people just bring their own alcohol, don’t bother buying drinks from the bars and party it up on the strip itself. With that being said…

Bars In Lan Kwai Fong

Rula Bula

58-62 D’Aguilar Street,
Lan Kwai Fong,
Hong Kong
We visited Rula Bula quite a bit while we were in L.K.F. and this bar just never ceased to be fun.

A den for the expatriate crowd in Hong Kong. It is almost a guarantee that you will be shooting pool with some Brits or Frenchmen while partying here.

They also have a great bar here with a good assortment of alcoholic beverages. Since Hong Kong is an expensive city, the cost of drinks at Rula Bula can also be quite pricey.

The interior is well decorated and well suited to having a good time. The music is mostly house and top 40.

What we liked the most about Rula Bula was the fact that it’s elevated position on the strip gives you a good view of the chaos that defines L.K.F. at times. This is awesome if you are into “people watching”.

Hard Rock Café

LG/F LKF Tower
55 D’Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong
Central Hong Kong
When we visited this café, the music they played was mostly rock, and since we visited it just once, we cannot speak for other nights.

However, the location is perfect and we thought it was great for pre-gaming, i.e. if you want to start here, bar hop a bit, and then, hit other clubs later at night. The drinks were priced just like Rula Bula.

  • The China Bar

    • 44 D’aguilar Street , LKF
    Central District, Hong Kong

    The China Bar is great for a drink or two before heading to the next bar, The bouncers can be a pain in the a** though. One of our partytrailers “Dante” went dressed casually only to be told it was guest members only. He went home changed into a blazer and some shiny shoes and all of a sudden he was a guest member. One thing you cannot take away from this bar though is the great music and its location. It is right in the center of things and because of its strategic closeness to other spots in Lan Kwai Fong it would not be a bad idea to pop into this bar.

    4. Schnurrbart
    29 D’Aguilar St, Hong Kong
    +852 2523 4700

    Another testament to our earlier assertion of Hong Kong’s “cultural diversity”. It is a German bar in Hong Kong located right in the heart of Lan Kwai Fong. They have a variety of German Largers and a menu that plays up the German theme. Again the reason we picked this bar is because of its quality of service and also it’s location in the heart of L.K.F.

    5. Bit Point
    G/F, 31 D’Aguilar Street,
    Lan Kwai Fong,
    Central Hong Kong

    This is another German bar in Lan Kwai Fong, that serves great drinks and is a great place to start off the night due to its strategic location right inside the Lan Kwai Fong.

    Note: We are in no way saying these are the best bars in H.K., However visiting them on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night should get you on the path to a great night. There are over 90 bars and restaurants in the Lan Kwai Fong area and we did not visit them all. If you are ever traveling to Hong Kong, walking Lan Kwai Fong and seeing what suits your taste is the best advice we can give you.

    Recommended clubs in Lan Kwai Fong

  • Prive

    • Prive is another must visit nightclub in Hong Kong, they have been able to weather the relentless storm of new clubs entering the nightlife scene. They also just relocated to a six thousand sq. ft. venue at the basement of Century Square, located at the base of Lan Kwai Fong. The music here is again mostly electronic, dance and dub-step. If you are looking for an affordable party, Prive is not the venue for you. As an extra if you are into expensive nightlife, Prive has membership privileges upward of HK 15,000.00 Dollars, you might want to look into this.

  • Beijing Club

    • We did not get to partytrail Beijing club but word on the street is that it is another must visit.

  • Play Nightclub

    • This is another model hangout, that should sum up the vibe of the club. The drinks just like most Hong Kong clubs are on the expensive side and the music is also mostly electronic, dance and top 40.

    Visiting the fore-mentioned pubs and clubs would definitely guarantee an awesome time on a weekend night in L.K.F. If walking the strip on your own does not do it for you then there is the option of joining a pub crawl while you are in L.K.F. We joined the crawl at “Hong Kong Pub Crawl” and it was an awesome time. Not only did we have other travelers to party with, the organizers seemed to know some “off the trail” bars and clubs that had missed us previously.

    Okay party folks, that wraps up the Lan Kwai Fong partytrail, we are going to take you over to L.K.F’s more sophisticated “sibling strip”, the South of Hollywood (SOHO) district on Wyndham street in Hong Kong. Just like L.K.F., it has lots of great bars, clubs, and restaurants, the only exception here being that there is a touch of class that seems to be absent from L.K.F. Stay tuned for Hong Kong – The Cantonese Expedition (III)


    Next Post

  • SOHO

    • Hong Kong – About

    Picture of Hong Kong taken while traveling through Asia
    Hong Kong’s Impressive Skyline

    Hong Kong………

    Hong kong or H.K., as the locals call it, is the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

    H.K. is geographically located on China’s southern coast, it is also bordered by the South China sea and the Pearl River Delta.



    Hong Kong was an English colony from 1841 till 1997 when it was handed over to China in a “one country” “two systems” governing agreement. The head of government is Chief Executive LEUNG Chun-ying.

    Hong Kong came into existence as a result of a dispute between the Brits and the Chinese in the 17th century.

    The Chinese at the time were selling a lot of products to the Brits, mostly furniture, silk, and, tea. These products were highly sought by westerners in general at the time.  The demand for these products from the west was so high that it led to a trade imbalance between the Brits and the Chinese.



    The imbalance was as a result of the Chinese being reluctant to buy products from the United Kingdom in return. The Brits were left wondering what they would do about this imbalance.

    “Enter Opium”, the Brits in an effort to balance trade decided opium (a highly addictive narcotic) was the way to go.

    The Chinese had a real problem with opium during this period in their history, families in China were being decimated due to the widespread Opium addiction.

    It made sense for the China not to want to buy any British sold opium so they refused efforts by the Brits to sell Opium to them.

    For you history buffs, The Opium Wars: The Addiction of one Empire and the Corruption of Another by W. Travis Hanes et al might be a good resource.

    This disagreement on trade would ultimately lead to the formation of a western alliance spearheaded by the Brits against the Chinese.

    Of course the Chinese got a “royal ass whipping” by the alliance. As a result of losing the war, not only did they have to buy Opium from the Brits, they also had to cede the highly strategic sea port known today as Hong Kong.

    That would be the beginning of how Hong Kong’s identity as a financial powerhouse, and a melting pot of Western and Asian culture began. The mantra in Hong Kong today is “Work hard and play equally hard”.

    Other Useful facts about Hong Kong

    • Major Languages: Cantonese, English
    • Currency: Hong Kong Dollar
    • International dial code: +852
    • Airport code: HKG
    • Transportation: Advanced metro system, Tram, Bus, Automobiles.
    • Food and Beverage: Very Expensive
    • Room and Board: Very Expensive
    • Seasons: Winter (cool & dry), Spring, Summer and Autumn

    Districts in H.K. we visited……

    In our next post, “Hong Kong-The Cantonese Expedition (II)”, we take you on our travel trail through one of H.K.’s most famous entertainment district’s, so stay tuned to the press……



    Next Post
  • Lan Kwai Fong

    • Austin – Jewel of the South (VII)

    Epilogue

    pic of Bat bar on 6th Avenue taken while traveling through Austin
    Patrons at Batbar on E. 6th Street

    It is yet again time to say good bye to another city.Austin will always hold a special place in our hearts, the food trucks, live music, home grown businesses, 6th street and everything else that made this city interesting has left an indelible mark on our consciousness.

    Austin is a city definitely on the rise and we felt every bit of this while we were there. We hope we were able to convince you to travel to this awesome city.

    For us, traveling to Austin was worth the time, money, and effort spent. We hope if you ever get to travel to Austin you have similar experiences.

    In our next entry, the travel trail continues on to Hong Kong(H.K.), where one of our partytrailers got the opportunity to experience H.K. not just as a traveler but as a local due to the fact that he lived there.

    It will be one of the cities we get to review from the perspective of a local, so sit back and enjoy as we give you more tips on where to go party while on the travel trail.



    Austin – Jewel of the South (VI)

    Floating the Guadalupe River

    Pic of girl going to float the guadalupe river taken while traveling through Austin
    A girl with her tube about to float the river

    It was a bright Sunday morning, we were out at breakfast with some friends when the topic of what we were going to do with our day came up.

    We were at a loss of what to do since we had spent the past two days partyting our way through downtown Austin.

    Clubbing by night and doing cultural things most travelers do (like visiting museums) by day. We wanted to close out our travels with a bang and started wondering what to do.



    Some of the options that were thrown around included; going to watch a movie, heading to the mall just outside the city limits, or more walks around the downtown district.

    None seemed appealing to us, we were just about to settle for a mid-afternoon movie when one of our friends got a ring on his iPhone. Answering his call with the speaker option turned on, the conversation played out as follows:

    Caller:  “Hey! Whats up fellas?!! Heard you guys were in town. Why didn’t you call to say what’s up?”
    Our Friend: “We’re Good bro! Sorry it has been a really busy weekend. We were gonna call. What are you up to though?”
    Caller: “Yeah right! Anyways, we have some cool shit going on here man. You guys should totally come over.”
    Our Friend: “What cool shit?!! We were thinking of going to watch the X-Men Movie”
    Caller: “Lame! Y’all need to come floatin’. You’re in Texas baby!!”
    Our Friend: “Floating? What is that?”
    Caller: “Ask your hotel concierge how to get to the Guadalupe River. Tell em’ you wanna go floatin and that you need directions. They should know. It’s real popular here in Austin.”

    Pic of the Guadalupe River taken while traveling through Texas
    People tubing. A popular pastime in Austin.

    He abruptly hung up his phone which only deepened our curiosity. We jumped into the shower, put on our swim gear, headed downstairs, dropped the roof on our Jeep Wrangler and headed to the river.

    As we approached the entrance to the park, we saw a long line of people holding coolers, floating tubes, all in swim gear.

    We got out of the truck and eagerly joined the queue anticipating an afternoon of fun and socializing. Then we say the guy who called our friend earlier on. He yelled in his definitive southern accent to get our attention.



    Caller: “Hey Fellas! Over here! How are y’all doin?’”
    Us: “Hey! We are doing good bro! Good to see you man!”
    Caller: “Yeah! Likewise fellas! Likewise! Didn’t think you were gonna floating with some belles did you?”
    Us: “Not really! Not really into the outdoors, but this looks awesome.”
    Caller: “Haha! All them belle’s catching your eyes?”
    Us: “No Shit! They are!!!”

    In all honesty, there were so many fit and good looking people there that it totally shut down our earlier perception of people in the south being overweight due to their lifestyle of eating fried and grilled foods.

    Caller: “Well, boys, go get your floaties and some beers and let’s go have a good time.”

    We were now at the entrance of the park; we paid about 15 USD, got our tubes and headed to the edge of the river.

    One by one, we got into the river by its banks. The water was not too clear and was about ankle deep. We were advised to tie our tubes together so that we don’t get lost while we were swept downstream by the current.

    We would do the same with our valuables; we simply tied them to the tubes. The sun was out in full force and we were beginning to break into a sweat, in earnest, we decided it was best we carry on and get into the water.

    A pack of guys and girls all tied together floated past us and yelled out…. “Welcome to Texas boys! Woo hoo!!!”, and they continued to float down the river.

    At this point we had no doubt in our minds that it was going to be a fun mid-afternoon. We started to float down river, and relaxed as we took in the rays from the sun above.

    The crackling of the water was intermittently interrupted by people making small talk but all the noise seamlessly came together to conjure up a relaxing atmosphere.

    Due to the sheer number of attendees, we would soon come upon a bottle neck and got our first action at socializing. There were some girls next to our configuration of floats. One of them leaned over, almost tumbling into the water and asked;

    Girl: “Where are y’all from?”
    Us: “L.A.! Have you been?”
    Girl: “Nope! Cool though! What are you guys doing in East Texas, being from L.A. and all”
    Us: “Nothing much, we thought Austin was a cool city and wanted to check out what all the hype was about.”
    Girl: “Hype? Austin is more than just hype, It’s the best city in the world. Been here all my life, wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world.”

    We agreed and told her in truth, we thought Austin was a pretty cool city and that we were definitely going to be coming back.

    We then handed her a beer, chat for a little longer and next thing we knew the bottle neck opened up and she would be taken downstream by the current which was gaining strength at this point.

    The scene just described would happen over and over, with strangers coming over to make small talk with us. It seemed like people where there to make friends and meet people.

    Another interesting aspect with floating the river was the different types of floats we saw. It was as if there was a competition to see who had the most technologically advanced float.

    There were floats with speakers embedded into them, floats with coolers, floats that could have passed for a mini floating house, floats with solar panels installed, we thought if we stayed long enough we would see floats that could transform into a submarine.

    It was hilarious to see how much thought went into designing some of the floats. After about another hour of floating and downing a couple more beers, the heat seemed to be playing a role in how quickly we were getting intoxicated. One of the guys in our group comes over and asks; “Hey do you guys have the Go-Pro?”

    Missing GoPro

    We all looked at each other and then at the string at the end of the tube that previously had a Go-Pro camera attached to it. Slowly and painfully, the thought of never seeing our expensive camera again started to sink in.

    We all agreed in silence that it was probably at the bottom of the river, keeping other lost keys, cameras, and personal effects company.



    We would mourn our beloved camera for about 15 minutes before we got distracted by another group of attractive girls from the University of Texas, Austin. That seemed to assuage our pain; we would end up floating to the end of the river with them.

    Floating the river took approximately four hours to complete. Even though we lost our camera, we thought it was worth it. After all, here we were exchanging numbers with some beautiful southern belles.

    We promptly put in place a plan to have an after-party at our hotel downtown Austin. The after-party would turn out to be just as eventful as floating the river but that’s a story for another day.

    In all, floating the Guadalupe river was a great experience; we got to meet people both from Austin and surrounding cities.

    We would advise anyone who is bored during the day in Austin to get a float, some beers and go hit the river. It is an experience that has to be lived and not read about.

    In Austin- Jewel of the south ~ epilogue, we close out our Austin adventures and then head to Southeast Asia.

    We have aptly titled this post, “Hong Kong-The Cantonese Expedition”. In the next series of posts we will explore a dynamic, complex, and fascinating culture. One steeped in a blend of old Anglo-Sino values. Till then, stay tuned to the press, party on……



    Photo Credits

    Tubing the Esopus – Again! via photopin (license)

    photo credit: Campers in Garner State Park, 07/1972 via photopin (license)

    Austin Nightlife | The Other Streets.

    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.

    Pic showing Austin nightlife on 4th street taken while traveling through Texas
    Rainbow flags flying on 4th street downtown Austin

    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

    Pic of Rain nightclub taken while traveling through Austin
    Inside Rain Nightclub on 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

    Pic of Handle Bar, one of the many spots that make up Austin nightlife.
    Handle Bar on 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”.



    Next Post

  • Floating the Guadalupe River

    • Austin-Jewel of the South (IV)

    Rainey Street Austin

    pic of a Rainey Street Austin bungalow taken while traveling through Austin, Texas
    One of the many bungalows turned into nightspots on Rainey Street

    In our last post, we visited West 6th Street, got to review some of the awesome bars and nightclubs on that part of the infamous 6th street.

    In this post we depart from 6th and head to Rainey Street Austin renowned for it’s nightlife, food trucks, and, bungalow style nightclubs and bars. What do you get when you combine great live music, a strip of bungalows converted into bars, a food truck park and a nightclub made out of shipping containers (yes!!! shipping containers)?



    Well you get one of the most unique entertainment strips we have visited during our travels so far.

    That’s right, away from the chaos of E 6th street, the glitz and glamor of W 6th street, there is still more this city has to offer.

    Rainey street Austin is located not too far from 6th street but it is far enough that one would need an automobile to get there.  We advise using the parking lots at the end of the street as it can get very busy here.

    pic of Rainey Street Austin, while traveling through Austin, Texas
    Snapshot of live music at a bar on Rainey street.

    The vibe on Rainey street is a lot more relaxed than what you would find on either east or west 6th street. In our opinion, walking on Rainey Street gives a visitor the first inkling of what it is like to party in the south.

    The architecture here is quite unique in that Rainey probably used to be a residential area that once housed families living in the fore-mentioned southern style bungalows.

    Our guess is that at some point in the history of Austin, someone thought Rainey might be put to better use if they converted all the houses on the street into bars.

    Pic of a bar on Rainey Street taken while traveling through Austin, Texas
    A bar on Rainey street, Austin, Texas.

    There are several great bars and pubs to choose from while on Rainey, but a couple caught our attention due to how unique and different they were from anything we had seen during our travels.



    Austin Container Bar

    90 Rainey Street,
    Austin, TX.

    pic of Austin Container Bars taken while traveling through Austin
    The Container bars on Rainey Street are unique and one of it’s kind.

    Our first time visiting this establishment left us a bit bewildered. We couldn’t help but think whoever came up with the idea of turning shipping containers into a bar must have been a crazy innovator.

    pic of shipping containers on Rainey Street Austin taken while traveling through Austin, Texas
    View of one of the shipping containers converted to a dance room at the Container bar.

    What is interesting about this concept is how they were able to create a homey and relaxing atmosphere from the shipping containers.

    There is a main bar downstairs that sells an assortment of alcoholic beverages, there is also an open area where people (usually a more mature but yet youthful crowd) gathers cocktail in hand.

    pic of the container bar in Austin, TX taken during our travels
    A snapshot of patrons at the container bar on Rainey Street

    The Bungalow bar

    92 Rainey Street,

    Austin, TX

    pic of the Bungalow bar on Rainey Street Austin taken while traveling through Austin, Texas
    The Bungalow bar on Rainey st. Austin, TX

    This is more of a sports bar with big TV screens installed in every room in the bar.  Bungalow is perfect for a watching a sporting event over some beers and chicken wings.  There is also a full bar and a backyard.

    After all, it is a bungalow.  In the back there were some more food trucks and an area designated for playing games.

    When we partytrailed Bungalow, it seemed like there were some college kids from University of Texas(UT), Austin hanging out.  It just might be a bar of choice for students from the UT Austin. (Go longhorns!!)

    Some other Rainey Street Austin bars include:

    Clive

    609 Davis Street,
    Austin, TX

    Kitchen Nova and Bar

    87 Rainey Street,
    Austin, TX

    The Rainey street Austin Food Truck Park

    Pic of the Austin food truck park taken while traveling through Rainey Street Austin
    The Austin food truck park on Rainey Street.

    Okay this is not a club, but if you are a traveling foodie, you will love this place. The Austin food truck park is right in the middle of Rainey street and is not easy to miss.

    When we partytrailed the food truck venue there were trucks selling everything from Thai food, (We had some bowls of Pad Thai. Yummy!!) American burgers, Mexican food and everything in between.

    The only downside to the food truck park was that the food was a bit on the pricier side so hold a thick wallet if you decide on stopping over before or after a night out dancing.



    In our next post, Austin-Jewel of the South (V), we shall cover the other interesting streets in the downtown district of Austin, so please stay tuned to the press.

    Austin-Jewel of the South (III)

    Pic of W 6th Street Austin TX taken while traveling through Texas
    A snapshot of W 6th Street, Austn, TX at Night

    W 6th Street Austin TX

    In the previous post, we detailed partytraiing East 6th st during our travels to Austin,Texas. It was good fun, but we are now moving westward onto the more posh and glamorous part of 6th Street.

    To get to W 6th Street Austin TX you simply head west across Brazos street, then walk or drive across Congress avenue. You probably wouldn’t have walked too far from Congress avenue before you start to notice how different the two are.



    We would suggest you use some of the bicycle chariots you will see riding around downtown. Not only are they cheap, it will also help the drivers, and add to the local economy in a positive way.

    Pic of travel Chariots taken while traveling through W 6th street Austin TX
    Bicycle chariots are a fun way to get around Austin, TX.

    With that said, W 6th street Austin TX, is where the grownups in Austin go to party. There is an air of style and class that permeates this end of 6th street and it is somewhat refreshing. Without further ado, we have compiled a list of “must visit” bars and clubs on West 6th Street.

    Lux Nightclub

    620 W. 6th Street.
    Austin, TX.

    Pic of W 6th street Austin TX taken while traveling through Austin, Texas
    Lux Nightclub on West 6th Street, Austin, TX.

    Lux is simply one of it’s kind in terms of partying in style while downtown Austin. The hiring director at Lux also did a great job hiring waitresses that could easily pass for models.

    In other words, if you want to see Austin nightlife at it’s finest this is probably where you want to go. The clientele at this establishment are also quite impressive.

    Usually comprised of fit, good looking 20 and 30-something year old professionals and a lesser number of students than you would find at the bars on E 6th.



    While bottle service is not a pre-requisite to having a good time at Lux, it might not be a bad idea to get a table. (Don’t judge us, it’s just the kind of club it is).

    One staple that we often found common during the several times we party-trailed lux was the fact that it seemed to be a common destination for bachelorette parties.

    Kung Fu

    510 Rio Grande St,
    Austin, TX.

    pic of Kung Fu Nightclub taken while traveling through Austin, Texas
    Kung Fu Nightclub. Another staple on West 6th Street Austin TX

    Kung Fu also has the same demographics in terms of clientele as Lux. However, they have decided to take a slightly different approach to things.

    Kung Fu can be described as a classy pub. With the “drinks bar” placed squarely in the center of the establishment, you are basically guaranteed access to great cocktails throughout the night.



    Our advice would be that you should maybe start off at Kung Fu then head to Lux to close the night out.

  • Star Bar

    • 600 W 6th Street,
    Austin TX 78701

    pic of star bar taken while traveling through W 6th Street Austin TX
    Austinites having a fun night out at Star Bar

    Star Bar is more of a bar/restaurant that is great for pre-gaming, they have a good selection of burgers and beers and because weather is usually warm in Austin, a patron of Star bar has the option of dining on the inside or taking drinks on the outdoor patio.



    That way you can get the added entertainment of watching people parade up and down West 6th street.

    Key Bar

    617 W 6th Street,
    Austin, TX.

    Key Bar is another interesting establishment, with a full bar, tv screens from which one can watch sporting events and a patio where you can people watch.

    Heading here for a night out can’t end poorly, true to Austin’s reputation, you can also watch live music playing here every Wednesday.

    They are open seven days a week but have happy hour going on during select times and dates of the week.

    Brew Exchange

    706 W 6th Street,
    Austin, TX.

    You guessed it! The Brew exchange is great for grabbing beers but they also have a large selection of cocktails you can pick from.

    Partytrail prefers to classify this as another pre-game spot. Down a few beers here before heading out to another bar or club.

    Visit a late night Food Truck park

    pic. of food truck park taken while traveling through W 6th Street Austin tx

    There are several food truck parks in Austin.

    Austin is really supportive of local entrepreneurship and you will quickly notice the dizzying amount of food trucks that are strategically positioned to squash your hunger after a night out killing it on the dance floor.

    From American delicacies to Asian or latin cuisine there are no limits to the depth of diverse menus you will find while walking through W 6th Street Austin TX

    Now that we have given you the details on where to go for a fun time while on W 6th Street Austin TX it is time for you to get away from your screen and hit town or better still while you are at your screen why not book a plane ticket to Austin for your next holiday.




    Wait there is more!!! In our next post: Austin –Jewel of the South (IV), we take you on Rainey street, which has some of the most unique bars, clubs and restaurants we have seen in any city that we have partytrailed or traveled to……..Stay tuned to the press.

    Austin – Jewel of the South (II)

    Picture of E 6th Street taken while traveling through Texas
    A snapshot of E 6th St. at Night

    East 6th Street Austin

    Traveling to and then partying on East 6th street Austin, Texas, is tantamount to meeting a set of twins that have extremely different personalities.

    If one were to walk from one end of 6th street to its other end, you would be utterly convinced that you are crisscrossing between two entirely different, yet similar worlds.

    Pic of West 6th Street taken while traveling through Texas
    The western end is the more upscale part of 6th Street

    Sticking to the “twins” analogy, “east sixth” would be the more colorful, slightly weird, mischievous and never boring sibling, while “west sixth” would be the sibling who probably was sent off to a posh or fancy boarding school, fun, but sophisticated, and, mature in disposition.



    6th street is located in the downtown district of Austin, Texas and is the entertainment epicenter of Austin. If you are looking to travel to and partake in Austin’s awesome nightlife, more often than not the trail would probably lead you here.

    With lots of clubs, bars, restaurants, food trucks, live music venues, and, more, any traveler would be left wondering how the good folks at the city office were able to fit all this good stuff onto one street.

    6th street is separated into east and west by Congress avenue. (The view of the capitol on Congress avenue is well worth it by the way).

    pic of Congress Street taken while traveling through Texas
    6th Street is separated into east and west by Congress avenue.

    As we described earlier, any traveler visiting East 6th for the first time would notice that it is fun and at the same time, mildly weird. Both ends of East 6th; are lined by clubs, bars, and restaurants.

    The choices of where to party seem almost infinite. In fact, unless you have amazing stamina visiting all the bars on the strip would probably be impossible.

    Any observant traveler like we did would notice that the crowd here from what we found often tends to be younger professionals, and college students from surrounding universities like the University of Texas, Austin (Go longhorns!!!) and travelers from neighboring states in the south.

    The vibe is usually that of “anything goes” and the street itself during peak business hours is usually as packed as the bars on its opposite sides.

    Unlike other similar strips in Europe and Asia that we visited while traveling through those regions, last call was at 1:30 am and at 2 am everything shuts down.

    Around 2:15 am, police officers mounted on horseback start herding everyone back to their cars to end the evening of partying.

    To really capture the essence of East 6th street while in Austin, we would advise an arrival time of 10pm. That way you can visit a couple of bars, mingle with locals in the street, and then end the night at one of the clubs on the strip.



    Food and Beverage is not as expensive as the larger and more established cities in North America. While it is not as cheap as maybe Asia, hitting the bars here hard will probably not cripple a traveler or clubbers bank account.

    As stated earlier the options of places to go on east 6th seem to be infinte. However, there are a couple of places that are a must visit for any traveler. That is, if the younger, grungy and rowdier scene is where you fit in.

    Picture of a nightclub on E 6th street taken while traveling through Texas
    Patrons at a Nightclub on E 6th Street

    1. The Blind Pig Pub

    317 E 6th Street,
    Austin, TX, 78701
    The blind pig pub is awesome if you are in the 21 to 25 age bracket. The crowd here is usually younger and very lively.

    There is a bar downstairs but most of the action goes on upstairs where there is a large terrace with a podium for bands, a bar and a large space covered by tents for dancing. The music is usually Hip hop, Top 40, and, a sprinkling of dance and dubstep.

    Partytrailing the Blind pig was simply awesome. We would definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to Austin as a must-visit spot.

    2. Bat Bar

    218 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
    (512) 474-6363

    We got to partytrail this bar when we to traveled to Austin for Halloween. For a strip that already has a reputation for being eccentric, things were taken to a whole new level. It was all in good fun though.

    The layout of Bat bar is similar to the Blind pig pub except there was no open terrace upstairs. The DJ was definitely great and word on the street is that they always have a good DJ playing whenever they are open for business. We would definitely recommend this as another must visit spot.

    3. Amped

    300 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701
    (512) 669-3897

    Amped definitely crosses the boundaries of what defines a pub. We are going to call “nightclub” on this one. Amped has really good music and some really polite bouncers.

    There are two floors, a striper pole on the bottom floor for the ladies. (Note: Amped is not a strip club).

    The bottom floor is more of a lounge bar where you can get drinks. The top floor is where most of the dancing happens. Amped, we would suggest is better suited to someone who wants to close their night out at a club after downing a few beers at a bar not too far away.

    4. Shakespeare’s Ale House

    This bar is right opposite the Blind pig pub and is also a lot of fun. It is similar to Blind pig pub in that it also has a rooftop terrace that is open.

    The difference is that it seems like most of the dancing here goes on downstairs while the lounge and bar are upstairs. The music here is also great and it has tons of college students.

    5. Kingdom

    103 E 5th Street, Austin, TX 78701
    Kingdom is our only entry not located on E 6th street. That is fine because it is worth mentioning. For those of you who like to party past 2 am.

    Kingdom is one of the few “after-hours” nightclubs in Austin, Texas. Our advice for anyone traveling to Austin and hoping to party on E 6th street is that you to Kingdom at around 2:30 am to avoid the long lines of after-hours partiers. It’s open on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays.

    On a final note, the above listed bars are a snap shot of the bountiful options any one who travels to Austin would find on East 6th street.

    For other options not listed above, We advise talking a stroll down East 6th street to be truly able to capture the essence of this strip. Have fun exploring!!!



    In our Next Post: Austin-Jewel of the south (III), we explore the ins and outs of East sixth’s more refined sibling(West 6th street). So don’t get off the trail just yet……

    Austin – Jewel of the South (I)

    Austin is usually referred to as the "Live Music Capital of The World
    Austin is usually referred to as the “Live Music Capital of The World

    An Introduction to Austin, Texas

    Austinites (people from Austin) like to talk about how their city is the “Live music capital of the World”, while this is inevitably true, the slogan “Live music capital of the world” only tells part of Austin’s story.

    Traveling to Austin gave us the feeling that Austin might one day be able to challenge some of America’s greats (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, eat you hearts out!!!!) for title of “entertainment capital” of the United States.

    While that is a long shot in truth, there is something unique and special about Austin that not only separates it from other cities in the south but also from the fore-mentioned greats.



    The proper way to describe Austin would be the same way one would describe a jewel in the rough. The southern-most states of America (Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi) get their identity for the most part for their values.

    The hallmark of these values are steeped in politeness, community, homeliness, charm, and, tradition. If you ever met a “southern gentleman” or a “southern belle”, you would know this to be true.

    While Austin has been able to keep some of these traits, it also stands apart from the rest in that it is very forward-thinking, cosmopolitan, urban, soulful, and liberal in character.



    Austin’s DNA emanates from the diverse personalities that have steadily migrated to the city over time and have chosen to call it home.

    Coupled with this, is the fact that, the city itself is very loyal to home-grown businesses, a move that on traveling to the city, would help one notice how much of a catalyst to “home grown innovation” the strategy has been.

    Food trucks, unique restaurants, home grown bars, pubs and nightclubs are abound in this part of town.

    Austin’s youthful population of liberal minded, young urban professionals (yuppies), the artistic minded, and college students have helped turn this city into what it is.

    That is why we would recommend it as a must-visit city for travelers and globetrotters alike.

    Austin will not be losing its identity as the place to be if you live in the south anytime soon. If at all, it will continue to trail blaze values that have set it apart from neighboring cities in the South.

    It is this very feature about Austin that makes us believe it is worthy of the title we have bestowed upon it. Austin is simply what it is…….. “The Jewel of the South”.

    Before the party and travel stories begin………

    Located in: Texas, U.S.A

    Population: 843,000 (2014 census)

    Motto: “Keep Austin weird”, “Live music capital of the world”

    Transportation: Automobiles (primary), metro system, and buses

    Accommodation, Food and Beverage: Relatively expensive

    Seasons: Summer, Rainy

    Largest University: University of Texas, Austin

    Parts of Austin we party trailed when we traveled to Texas

    Next, In Austin – Jewel of the South II, we will take you on a stroll through Austin’s most infamous entertainment district, 6th street. So stay tuned to the press.

    Next Post

  • Next Post: Austin – Jewel of the South (II)