A nightlife guide for austin

Oslo draws lots of young Austin singles to its cool space, which is as long as the block. It's signature colors, green and white, adorn all three areas of the bar. In the back, you'll find a lit-up dance floor, or take a rest in one of their cool, 60's style modular chairs. You might need to if it's a weekend night and you had to wait outside the velvet ropes to get in. Get there before ten if you'd rather walk right inside, and if you want to claim a seat. You can also order reasonably priced tapas, like cheese or chocolate fondue. Oslo has lots of specialty drinks that'll set you back $8, which isn't bad considering they're made from quality liquors and mixers. Besides, it's a place to see and be seen, so of course the drinks are going to be more expensive than a beer. Enjoy the DJ five nights a week. Oslo is at 307 W. 6th Street, close to Lamar Street.

Apple Bar makes a delicious apple martini in this cozy but swanky bar. The signature drink is made with Vox Vodka, and is garnished with a fresh apple slice. The staff is friendly and will offer drink selections if the apple martini's not your style. The crowd is mixed, but mainly young professionals. The bar isn't packed, but there's a lot of people who stop by for a drink or two at any given time of the night. There's a DJ Thursday through Saturday to further lighten the relaxed mood. Find the Apple Bar at 120 W. 5th Street.

You'll find a sophisticated crowd drinking premium libations at the Brown Bar. It's not in a hot spot of downtown, but it's popular with anyone who's ever been there. The New York style bar isn't snobby, it's just one of the fine things to appreciate in life. Specialty drinks like cosmopolitans and mojitos are popular. So is scotch. The Brown Bar martini, made with Godiva chocolate, will satisfy your sweet tooth. It goes without saying that drinks will be expensive. You're also paying for the atmosphere and cool company. Patrons range in age from twenties to forties. Have fun dressing the part. Look for the corner bar in the brown building at 201 W. 8th Street.

Dancing downtown

You'll find you can dance almost everywhere on 6th Street if you want to, because, well, everyone's been drinking and no one cares any more. Just walk around and listen to what's playing, and if you hear something you like, go on in. Here's a couple places to get you started.

Soho Lounge gets packed on weekend nights, mostly with college kids dancing up a storm. It used to be seen as upscale, but it's just a place to dance to some new and old hits, techno and rock. Somehow, there's tables that don't get in the way, most of the time, but this isn't really a place you go to sit and relax. Soho is at 217 E. 6th Street.

Logan's is a college favorite for a few reasons. The sports bar serves $6 domestic beers in giant, glass mugs, they blast music from the 80's and 90's, and they sporadically show hilarious clips from movies like "Animal House" on the huge TVs in between songs. People pack in to sing, dance, and drink. The corner bar has an inviting exterior, and the inside has a few tables that surround the huge bar, which can sometimes seem more of an obstacle when it's crowded. The bouncers and bartenders keep things in order, but are friendly. Order a regular sized beer if you want to bar hop. Logan's is the corner bar at 200 E. 6th Street.

If you want to dance in an upscale atmosphere with an older crowd that hasn't been taking shots or guzzling beer, head to Firehouse Lounge right across from the Driskell Hotel. It claims to have "atmosphere and ambiance without attitude" and it does a pretty good job of living up to its mantra. The bar, really a renovated fire station, has cool chairs and sofas, silky and beaded curtains, beautiful and clean bathrooms, and interesting art, but take a look around and you'll notice that the bartenders are down to earth and so are the other clientele. The bar opens onto a decent-sized dance floor, and DJs play most nights of the week, always on Thursday through Saturday nights. It's a good place for groups or a couple to spend an evening. Find Firehouse at 605 Brazos Street.

Gay and Lesbian scene

Oilcan Harry's is a gay men's club that draws a well-dressed crowd of all ages, mostly twenty- and thirty-something's. There's two bars inside and one on the outside patio, and a small dance floor. There are performances and drink specials almost every day. Bartenders are friendly, and so is the crowd. Mingling is inevitable here. On the weekends, it's packed. In fact, you might have to wait in a short line to get inside. The crowd is largely gay males, but Oilcan's welcomes everyone. The bar is at 211 W. 4th Street.

Sidekicks isn't downtown, but it's the biggest club for the gay and lesbian community in Austin. Straight friends are welcome, according to the Web site. An array of music every night keeps people moving on the two-tiered dance floor. There's a gameroom with pool tables and pinball machines on the balcony, a stage for performers, TVs, DJs, and weekly events like poetry slam to enjoy. Something's always going on here. Free parking is a plus. Sidekicks is at 110 E. Riverside Drive.

Laid-back places with cool atmosphere

Club de Ville, which lies beneath a limestone cliff, offers its patrons a huge patio with lots of seating for those nice, Austin nights. Everyone wants to enjoy the patio, so get there early to get an outside seat. Or, hang inside where candles provide the only light at each seating arrangement. The bar is paradoxically swanky and relaxed, and so are the bartenders and servers. The crowd is a mix of students and young professionals, groups of people just looking to have a good time talking over a few drinks. Beer is popular here, but Club de Ville offers a full bar. On Thursdays, there's karaoke. It's near the stretch of bars on 6th Street, but if you've had enough of the madness and don't want to walk to the Warehouse District to get away from it all, Club de Ville is the place to escape. The bar is at 900 Red River Street.

If you're near the Warehouse District area and you're a beer connoisseur, do not pass up the Ginger Man Pub. The wood floors, dim lighting make you feel at home. There's about eighty beers on tap and over one hundred bottled selections, and the bartenders are happy to offer suggestions. Seating ranges from big tables to little, cozy nooks with leather chairs inside, and outside there are large picnic tables that are often shared by different groups of people. The crowd ranges from young to slightly older, and it gets moderately crowded on weekend nights. The pool table is usually occupied. Expect to pay higher prices for the premium beer, which you can get in a pint glass or a yard-long. Ginger Man is at 304 W. 4th Street.

219 West is a new place in Austin that offers customers five bars in one. That is, there's five different sections, from a beer porch room to a scotch room, all complete with different drink and appetizer menus. For example, the beer menu includes domestic, premium, or import beers and appetizers like mini cheeseburgers and cheese fries. The Mint Julep menu offers a variety of Southern Cocktails and appetizers like jalapeno crab dip and seafood beignets. You can order anything from any part of the place, but the different atmospheres add to the appeal. There's plasma screens for sports watching and dollar domestic draft nights (Tuesdays), but there's also wine night Wednesdays. Happy hour lasts from five to nine p.m. on weeknights, giving patrons $1 off food and drinks. On Thursday through Saturday, DJs entertain the crowds. It's spacious warm interior that appeals to all types of people of various ages. 219 West is on 219 W. 4th Street.

When you walk into the Bitter End, go left to get some freshly brewed beer in a cool atmosphere. This is the Bitter End B-Side, the bar part of the brewpub and restaurant. You might find it hard to believe this is a brewery, because everything's classy and stylish. The brick walls, dim lights, and velvet-covered furniture give this bar its ambiance. It can be romantic, but there's a definite singles scene happening here. Get here early to get a seat, or mingle with the twenty-something to thirty-something crowd. Jazz music sets the mood on weekends. Find the Bitter End at 311 Colorado Street.

There's a happening spot a hop, skip, and a jump away from downtown, just off of W. 5th Street. Tambaleo is hidden away from the downtown chaos and crowds, and that's one reason it's a favorite for locals. It doesn't hurt that parking is free. The space is very open with a few seating areas, but most people mingle and dance on the weekends. The art is a definite conversation piece. Bartenders are nice and serve up quality liquor as well as beer and wine. They'll give you drink suggestions. The location, atmosphere, music, and drinks draw crowds on the weekends. Patrons range from students to professionals. Check out Tambaleo at 302 Bowie Street.

Places so laid-back, you can wear jeans and a T-shirt

Sometimes you're just not in the mood to get gussied up. Well, that's no reason to stay in.

Get to Trudy's early to grab a coveted patio seat, or catch a game inside on the TVs. Crowds munch free chips and salsa while sipping margaritas in the bar area of this popular Austin restaurant. Try the Mexican martini for a twist on an old favorite, but these potent drinks come in a full martini shaker, so you're limited to two drinks per person. You can order from a scaled down version of the menu if you're hungry. Trudy's draws a college-aged crowd and young professionals. It's a great place to relax with a group. Trudy's is close to the University of Texas campus, at 409 W. 30th Street.

Crown and Anchor is also near campus, but brings in all kinds of beer pub loving patrons. The crowd from happy hour sometimes lingers into the night, especially on weekends, so you might have to wait for a table. Pitchers and greasy food keep everyone happy. What you see is what you get. Crown and Anchor is located at 2911 San Jacinto Boulevard.

Music

There are countless places to see shows in Austin. You'll have to check local listings for band line-ups, but here's the names of some popular music venues that attract local and touring artists: Emo's (indie, heavy, rock, alternative), La Zona Rosa (various), The Backroom (metal, heavy), Antone's (rock, blues), Stubb's (various), Cedar Street (various), Continental Club (rock, blues, various), Speakeasy (blues, jazz).

Enjoy yourself until two a.m. at most bars. Feeling hungry after a night of drinking, dancing, and music? Check out a 24-hour diner, like Kerbey Lane or Magnolia Cafe for breakfast anytime, or Katz's Deli. Cabs are abundant downtown, so you can get to where you're going safely.