An Austin Girl's Guide to Rainey Street

If you haven’t been to the bars on Rainey Street yet, you’re missin’ out. The Rainey Street district is one of the newer bar districts in Austin – up until a few years ago, the street was just a series of small, one-story homes. Those homes have since been converted into bars with large patios and outdoor spaces, several featuring drinking games like Jenga, Cornhole, and ring and hook – need I say more?

This bar district includes the famed Lustre Pearl, Bar 96, Clive, Icenhauer’s, and Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden - all well worth a visit…or two! Due to the large amount of food trailers on Rainey Street (and their proximity to each of the bars), I might even suggest going there one evening for a quick bite, parking yourself at a prime location in a bar, and staying until the wee hours of the morning.

On weekend nights, these little spots fill up quite quickly; to make sure you have a good time and a good spot, hit up Rainey on a Wednesday or Thursday night with your entourage and take over – unless large crowds are your thing, of course. Weekends are very fun on Rainey Street, but, as on West 6^th Street, you may not be able to reach the bartender before the bar fills up. However, if you do manage to reach a bar, grab yourself an off-the-beaten-path beer (don’t even think about asking for a Miller Light) or a house cocktail. I love the French 75 and Collins at Bar 96, the Lustre Lemonade and Asher Skye at Lustre Pearl, and The Katie and The Caroline at Icenhauer’s.

Rainey Street tends to attract a the 21 to 35 age demographic – just like West 6^th Street – but the Rainey Street crowd generally tends to skew hipster due to its proximity to the East Side. The look is more casual than that of West 6^th Street – don’t wear stilettos since most of the bars have large outdoor spaces. Here are some of my Hipster-ish outfit picks to help you nail the Rainey Street look – whether you fashion yourself a prepster, a hipster, a glamazon, a boho, a girly girl, or a laid back chick at heart.