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You can live among the string of bars in the Red River Cultural District. (Sonia Garcia/Austonia)
It's no secret that Austin is starved for housing because every neighborhood in the city is growing exponentially, according to Austin Apartment Association Executive Vice President Emily Blair, but especially those that are close to jobs, like downtown.
"We're seeing the occupancy increase in all parts of Austin, honestly," Blair said. "Finding accessible rates based on whatever your income is always a challenge in a really hot housing market."
So before you start packing up your current place with plans to move to a fresh neighborhood, Blair has some advice: "don't." She says if the prices of your dream area are a bit too much to bear, give it 12 months and try again.
Here is what rent in Austin's nightlife districts will run you from least to most expensive.
The Domain
Lovingly dubbed Austin's "second downtown," The Domain has been a city staple since its first phase was completed in 2007. While you'll sacrifice the proximity to downtown's cluster of night districts living at The Domain, you'll make up for it in savings. The Domain falls in the North Burnet neighborhood, where most people pay around $1,465 per month.
The closer you get to the shopping center, the more expensive apartments get, though you can find highly desirable complexes just a stone's throw away. Living at The Domain is about 51% cheaper on average than living downtown and 10% lower than the city-wide average, with a similar array of amenities: high-end shopping, whimsical bars, proximity to Q2 Stadium, restaurants for any and every occasion, groceries, nature trails and apartment complexes. Plus, the Domain is one of the safest nightlife districts in Austin, just shy of West 6th Street and Rainey.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size at the Domain:
- Studio: $1,524
- One bedroom: $1,918
- Two-bedroom: $2,573
- Three-bedroom: $4,627
South Congress
Depending on where you're living on South Congress—right on the bustling strip or closer to Ben White Blvd.—average rent fluctuates between $1,571 and $1,724 per month. Historically a low-income area, South Congress has become one of the pricier areas to live in but still hovers right around the Austin average of $1,619.
No matter where you choose to live on the central street, you'll be surrounded by local legacy restaurants, like Home Slice, Guerro's and Trudy's South Star; iconic shopping from businesses like Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, Kendra Scott's flagship store, Prima Dora and Music Lane's new development; and skyline views that rival many other hotspots. Studios and three bedrooms are much more affordable on South Congress than The Domain, though the price makes a steep jump at the one-bedroom mark. South Congress falls right in the middle of the pack for crime, the most common report being vehicle burglaries.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size on South Congress:
- Studio: $1,132
- One bedroom: $1,957
- Two-bedroom: $2,677
- Three-bedroom: $3,777
East 6th Street
East 6th Street has been gaining traction as a boozy strip for a while now, and so have its rent prices, coming in 27% higher than the citywide average. The average East Austin renter pays $2,060 per month but you can easily spend a lot more if you're looking for anything bigger than a studio—prices in East Austin are rising so fast that it's forcing lifelong residents out.
On top of its longstanding affordability crisis, East 6th Street tends to be one of the higher crime nightlife districts, behind "Dirty" 6th and Red River Cultural District, with high theft and assault with injury reports.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size near East 6th Street:
- Studio: Between $1,800 and $2,710
- One bedroom: Between $2,010 and $3,707
- Two-bedroom: Between $3,060 and $5,136
West 6th Street
If you want to stay in the downtown area, this is the cheapest party neighborhood to choose from but it will still put a big dent in your wallet because it costs about 74% more than what Austinites pay on average. Living near West 6th will give you access to a less chaotic but equally fun bar scene compared to its eastern counterpart—Star Bar, The Roosevelt Room and Green Light Social all adorn the strip.
Beyond that, you can expect to feel pretty safe walking along West 6th because it is the second-safest nightlife district in the city. Be careful on the roads though—the most common reports are of theft and DWIs.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size near West 6th Street:
- Studio: Between $1,550 and $2,489
- One bedroom: Between $1,550 and $2,914
- Two-bedroom: Between $2,998 and $4,142
Red River, Dirty 6th Street and Rainey Street
All falling within less than three miles in the downtown area, living near the live music haven of Red River, the party at Dirty 6th or the colorful Rainey Street will cost you around $2,981 per month—downtown renters pay 84% more on average—though the neighborhood offers much more wiggle room in terms of price than the likes of East 6th.
The price will get you some of Austin's most famous music venues in your neighborhood, like Stubb's, Antone's and Mohawk; ready access to Lady Bird Lake, walkability to dozens of diverse restaurants and some of the oldest bars in the city.
You'll find the most crime between Red River and Dirty 6th, which have high theft and assault cases, but Rainey Street is the safest night district of them all with less than 150 theft reports from the last five years.
What you can expect to pay on average based on apartment size in the downtown area:
- Studio: Between $1,367 and $8,263
- One bedroom: Between $1,987 and $5,946
- Two-bedroom: Between $2,993 and $9,017
- Three-bedroom: Between $1,367 and $9,540
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Popular
"Dirty 6th" is a sea of people every weekend, visiting its dozens of bars on the strip. (Marlon Giles/Flickr)
Using data from the past five years, Austonia found how each part of the town's party areas stacks up in safety. Here's what to know before you go.
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Red River District
The line outside Stubb's Bar-B-Q is a familiar sight to those who frequent the venue for its live music. (Blastframe/CC)
The line outside Stubb's Bar-B-Q is a familiar sight to those who frequent the venue for its live music. (Blastframe/CC)
Red River Cultural District, home to beloved live music venues like Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Mohawk Austin and Empire Control Room, has had the most overall crime reports since 2016 but Dirty 6th Street is rapidly catching up. The downtown cultural district has averaged 1,325 police reports yearly, though crime reports on Dirty 6th surpassed Red River in 2019 and so far in 2021. The two most common reports in the area: theft, with an average of 343 reports over the past three years and assault with injury, averaging 247 yearly reports.
Dirty 6th
Dirty 6th is packed with partiers every weekend—crowds are a common sight. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Dirty 6th is packed with partiers every weekend—crowds are a common sight. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Coined the "original" night district in the city, "Dirty 6th," or the portion of East 6th that is west of I-35, has been a Friday night standard since Austin was just a sleepy college town and is often compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The street has earned the nickname "dirty," as it has seen an increasing number of violent crimes in recent years, most recently a shooting that killed a tourist and left 14 others injured. The strip averages 1,234 crime reports per year since 2016, and shares the two most common reports—assault with bodily injury and theft—with nearby Red River District.
East 6th Street
East Austin's bungalow bars aren't quite as clumped as other nightlife areas in town. (Whislers/Instagram)
East Austin's bungalow bars aren't quite as clumped as other nightlife areas in town. (Whislers/Instagram)
Taking a trip East of the highway, East 6th Street is the quieter counterpart to Dirty 6th, without compromising on the expanse of venues. At an average of 786 police reports per year, you'll see a noticeably smaller police presence in this area. The most common crimes in this area are still theft, with 196 reports in the last three years, and assault with injury, with 186 reports over the last three years. Keep a watchful eye on your car as well, as there have been 116 reports of auto theft since 2019.
South Congress
South Congress is home to one of the most celebrated venues in Austin, the Continental Club. (Trey Ratcliff/CC)
South Congress is home to one of the most celebrated venues in Austin, the Continental Club. (Trey Ratcliff/CC)
Right around the middle of the barrel, South Congress has been steadily increasing in popularity, size and variety since the late 1990s. The brightly lit street is usually bustling from afternoon until night but doesn't attract too much violent crime with just an average of 675 police reports per year since 2016. You're unlikely to be physically harmed while visiting South Congress but make sure you lock your car tightly, as 217 total vehicle burglaries have been reported, keep an eye on your pocketbook, with 143 total theft reports, and drive safely, with 89 total reports of DWIs since 2019.
The Domain
The Domain's bars are surrounded by lights, streets and nearby businesses. (Wonder Bar/Instagram)
The Domain's bars are surrounded by lights, streets and nearby businesses. (Wonder Bar/Instagram)
Tucked away further north, The Domain has been an up-and-coming night district with fun and whimsical bars like Wonder Bar, Kung Fu Saloon and The Rose Room decorating Instagram pages everywhere. While not the safest, The Domain is a fairly safe option to let loose in at night. Actually, your car will be less safe than you—The Domain's top crimes are burglary of vehicle and auto theft with 193 and 89 reports, respectively, since 2019. Theft should also be on the radar, with 132 reports.
West 6th Street
West 6th is usually a quieter option than some of the other districts, like Rainey Street or Dirty 6th. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
West 6th is usually a quieter option than some of the other districts, like Rainey Street or Dirty 6th. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Nestled in Austin's Warehouse District, West 6th Street is another alternative to rowdy Dirty 6th. With dozens of popular bars and more coming every day, this area experiences noticeably less crime. West 6th had the second least amount of reported crime, with an average of 308 reports yearly since 2016. Your most common threats here are theft, with 172 total reports, and intoxicated drivers with 137 DWI reports since 2019.
Rainey Street
A relatively small, secluded area, Rainey Street is the safest district to party in as long as you have a ride home. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
A relatively small, secluded area, Rainey Street is the safest district to party in as long as you have a ride home. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
One of Austin's newest night districts, which is just blocks away from Dirty 6th, East 6th and Red River Street, comes out as the safest place to party on the weekends with just 135 yearly police reports on average over the past five years. Still, most common crimes fall in line with the other districts in the 78701 ZIP code: 142 total reports of theft, 117 total burglaries of vehicle reports and 71 reports of assault with injury since 2016.
Read more on Rainey Street here:
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Bad Larry Burger Club gained popularity for using a chute. to give burgers to customers. (Laura Figi)
They called the parties the "Bad Larry Burger Club," where Bolick, a restaurateur and self-admitted "really bad cook," would gather up his "homies" and take turns creating their take on the classic cheeseburger on a backyard Weber grill, in hopes of landing the perfect burger.
"We always just kept coming back to a really simple burger," Bolick said.
Matthew Bolick can be found donning his burger glasses and taking orders outside Little Brother bar. (Laura Figi/Austonia)
Once he found it, Bolick, a partner at Austin restaurants like Better Half, Hold Out Brewing, Brew & Brew, Little Brother and Flat Track Coffee, ran with his perfect smash burger recipe by running pop-ups at Little Brother under the name Bad Larry Burger Club in 2019.
Bolick didn't stop when the pandemic hit but he did find ways to make it weirder, running a fully-fledged ghost kitchen out of his driveway and delivering to customers via an RC dump truck. When he moved to a larger scale, the burger chute was born.
"(We) had this piece of gutter that was in the trash can and the staff cleaned it up, taped, 'We give a chute' on one side and 'Bad Larry Burger Club' on the other. It was kind of a no-brainer for that event," Bolick said.
(Laura Figi)
With the chute attached to his dirt bike, representing his love of motorsports, and cooks clad in burger sunglasses, the pop-up took off. Though he would only sell around 50 burgers at the beginning of his venture, the number climbed into the hundreds. Now, you might be hard-pressed to get a Bad Larry Burger unless you order in advance.
Bolick has been in the food industry basically his whole life; his mother was a cook and caterer who even named her cafe, Cafe Matthew, after him in Weatherford, Texas. "I've always really enjoyed showing people a really good time, throwing a party, you know, providing someone with something they just can't make themselves at home," Bolick said. "You're providing the entire experience and I think there's something very special about that."
A jack-of-all-trades and punk rock bandmate, Bolick said his pop-up has allowed him to reconnect with his inner child and create something fun out of a time where happiness was hard to come by.
"We've got a bunch of really polished businesses… We've individually opened all these projects ourselves, Matt Wright, Grady Wright and myself," Bolick said. "Having a thing that is just mine has been really fun. I've been able to stretch my legs a little bit and kind of take it back to what I love. It's become just kind of an extension of me as a kid."
And it's been working out for him—Bad Larry Burger Club has events booked halfway through 2021.
As the pandemic dies down, Bolick is going to start working on new projects for the Bad Larry brand, like Beef Boat, a hamburger party on a boat. While he plans to keep the burger chute around, he says he has weirder ideas for the future of "The Bad Larry Experience."
"I'm really pushing forward on these parties and throwing shows and being a part of the community coming back to life—I think that's really important," Bolick said. "I live in Austin for those magic situations where you're like, 'I can't believe I'm on a fucking boat, eating a burger.'"
You can grab a burger most often during pop-up nights at Little Brother or book Bad Larry Burger for an event via Instagram direct messages.
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The home, located at 71 Rainey Street, had been in the family of John Contreras, also known as the "last man on Rainey Street," since the 1940s. Contreras lived there on and off as a child and then from 1989 to September 2019 until he sold the property, tired of living among the chaos of modern Rainey Street.
While most of the homes on the street have been restored to open as businesses, Contreras's home fell into disrepair and received code violations for lack of general maintenance and structural integrity after he sold.
The house leans to one side due to disrepair and old age. (City of Austin)
The house was listed for $2.65 million and sold for an undisclosed increase a few months later, according to KUT. Contreras said he sold the home to Bob Woody, who owns several bars including Blind Pig Pub and Shakespeare's on 6th Street. Woody told him he intended to turn it into another bar.
Rainey Street District has been in a constant cycle of change for several years. It was first rezoned as part of Austin's central business district in 2005, and despite its classification as a historic area, some of the bars on the strip have been threatened by even newer developments.
It was rumored that bars Javelina and Craft Pride might be displaced for construction of a new apartment highrise, River Street Residences, in October 2020, which may be in the works. Deed history from the Travis County Appraisal District shows both bars were signed over to River Street Partners LLC on April 12, 2021.
Similarly, bar Lustre Pearl was displaced from the corner of Driskill Street for Camden Rainey Street Apartments in 2014. The bar reopened a second location across from Rainey Street in 2016.
It's safe to say, Rainey Street is not done changing yet.
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