| Some streets lead to wherever it is you want to go. | | | | notice the Summermoon Coffee house on the east |
| Some lead to surprises both bad and good. Some | | | | side of the street, one of the coziest and most |
| streets are destinations in themselves, stretches of | | | | intimate of neighborhood coffee shops in the city. |
| thoroughfare where the journey itself is all that | | | | The surrounding neighborhoods of Barton Hills and |
| matters. | | | | Travis Heights are populated by people that have a |
| South First Street between Riverside and St. Elmo's is | | | | steadfast devotion to their local businesses |
| one of those streets, one of the last in Austin where | | | | neighborhood businesses. |
| , block after block, the old magic of the city that | | | | Next door is the SHAC, the Self Help and Advocacy |
| once attracted musicians, artists and other creative | | | | Center which is run by the Austin Area Mental Health |
| minds to move and settle down here, is still palpable, | | | | Consumers, an organization of people with a mental |
| still crackling in the air. | | | | illness. This community center provides services and |
| Going south from Riverside, you pass shops and | | | | information to people suffering from mental illness |
| boutiques on the right, converted from 1930's private | | | | and to the community at large. The mostly volunteer |
| homes, turned into artsy clothing and import stores. | | | | staff here has helped many people to find housing, |
| They sit across the street from the broad, green | | | | jobs and renewed hope to re-integrate them selves |
| campus of the Texas State School for the Deaf. | | | | into society. |
| Further south, the Bouldin Creek Coffee house | | | | Of course, along the way there has been a colorful |
| serves up its eclectic, health-hip food and drink to its | | | | liturgy of Mexican food restaurants: Aranda's, Polvo's, |
| neo-Bohemian clientele. Beyond that, Jovita's, one of | | | | Little Mexico, Mexicana Panderia, Evita's Botanitas. |
| the city's more venerable but less well-known music | | | | Even San Antonio would be hard pressed to present |
| venues, beckons the eye with Joyce Dibona's | | | | a street with so many colorful and deliciously |
| colorful, Aztec-theme artwork adorning the outside | | | | promising establishments in a stretch of so few miles. |
| walls. | | | | And all up and down this road which has somehow |
| As you drive still further south, you pass more | | | | escaped the clear-cut style of development that |
| colorful buildings and businesses that crowd the | | | | brings condos and super-centers and grid-locked |
| four-lane street. Some are well-established and | | | | traffic, there is still the green of the Austin hills. From |
| thriving, some look almost abandoned, decrepit even. | | | | a long stretch of the street, if you're heading north, |
| All are obviously small operations, like the Resistencia | | | | you can see the towers downtown floating in the |
| Bookstore. At the corner of Oltorf and South First, | | | | hazy distance. This is indeed Austin without the |
| one of the more eye-catching businesses houses | | | | cookie-cutter architecture of anywhere USA. It's local |
| what may be the perfect Austin enterprise for the | | | | in character, content and color, a true reflection of |
| times, Baby Green's, a fast health food joint. | | | | the creativity and productivity of the people who live |
| Continuing on, you pass one of the less visually | | | | here. |
| appealing buildings, which however happens to be the | | | | It may only be a matter of time before this fine old |
| home of the GHS Lounge, an old neighborhood | | | | street cedes to the pressure of development and big |
| drinking establishment with street cred to burn. Boot | | | | money, like so much of the rest of the town has. |
| repair shops, used book stores, bicycle shops, art | | | | But for now, it's still Austin the way it used to be, or |
| galleries and a nursery in a converted private home | | | | nearly, ready for a road trip with no clear destination |
| line the street as you head towards the intersection | | | | when the trip itself was all that mattered. |
| with Ben White. Before arriving there, you may | | | | |