Local Retail

If you want to fight back against the big chains, you really need look no further than South Austin. This center on South Lamar is 'anchored' by a guitar store with a grand sign. You can shop for vintage clothes and 'stuff' and the closest thing to a chain is the Salvation Army. The drugstore has a '60's time warp decor and looks like a friendly place. The sub shop is Thundercloud and while this a chain (there are numerous ones) it is our Austin chain. The orange building has a Mexican restaurant in it. There are scores of one off or local 'chain' Mexican restaurants on South Lamar, South First, South Congress. Think globally (buy an electric scooter at Alien!) but shop locally. The movie house, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, is another local phenomena that has expanded outside Austin. Every seat has a counter in front of it and waiters will bring you a beer and pizza or other food and drink.

By the way, we were at the center on Saturday to see a premiere of a Mockumentary short by Paul Michael Bloodgood (a principal dancer at Ballet Austin) called Ballet Divas Self-Proclaimed. It was hilarious and should amuse anyone who has ever seen the super chestnut of Ballet, "The Nutcracker."