The capital of Texas, Austin, is dominated not only by the buildings of the state government but also by the main campus of the University of Texas. As a result of the overwhelming student population located in the heart of the city, Austin night clubs, especially those on the famous - or infamous - 6th street do a thriving business and have given Austin night life a wild reputation.
Understandably the student venues in and around 6th Street are characterized by those features of Austin night life that will most appeal to a college age crowd, notably plentiful alcohol, crowded dance floors, and pounding music.
A popular example of Austin night clubs of this genre is Paradox, an establishment adjacent to 6th Street at 311 E. 5th Street at its intersection with Trinity. Paradox touts its reputation has being the first Austin night club to host foam parties and the first to do live radio broadcasts. (Friday is ladies night.) Another popular Austin night club of the same dance / loud music variety is Elysium at 705 Red River St near the intersection of E. 7th Street.
Sixth Street itself is lined with bars and clubs large and small. The area is jammed with traffic on weekends and most parents are happier not knowing that their college kids are partying along this infamous strip of Austin night life. (It is worth mentioning that The Aquarium, one of those clubs, was recently voted "Best Ladies Room on 6th Street.)
Happily for the more adult-minded element of Austin society, there are better Austin night clubs available than these student warrens. The Elephant Club, for instance, at 315 Congress Avenue near the intersection of E. 3rd street offers cool jazz in the basement of an historic building. The establishment is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Usually there is no cover charge on week days and only a small cover on Saturday and Sunday. Standing out among Austin night clubs, this is a dark, cozy jazz den in the best tradition of the genre.
One of the more upscale Austin night clubs, the 1920s Club, sits roughly a block south of the capital building at the corner of 10th and Congress. The club lives up to its name with a décor reminiscent of the glory days of the Roaring Twenties. Among other nostalgic furnishings, patrons will find a 1924 Chevy truck and a Thompson machine gun displayed in a violin case behind the bar.
The 1920s Club with its top-shelf drinks, healthy selection of beers, and background jazz and blues is a place where you can hear yourself talk. The mezzanine room upstairs has been furnished with a cozy selection of couches and overstuffed chairs that seem to invite the presence of small, intimate parties. Without a doubt, this is one of the Austin night clubs for the grown-ups.
Although Austin is a college town whose center is dominated by the presence of the University of Texas, the night life of the city extends far beyond the heavy drinking and wild partying of the college set. With a little careful research intimate bars and cozy clubs can be found far away from the din of 6th Street that offer the best of the night life for the crowd that has grown beyond the fraternity house.