Welcome to SoCo District

Your Portal to South Congress Avenue and South Austin

Starting at the south end of Lady Bird Lake and ending at Ben White, South Congress has seen major transformations over the last 20 years. The heart of SoCo lies between Riverside Drive and Oltorf. This section is home to several hip cutting-edge shops and restaurants. On any given weekend you will see hundreds of people walking the avenue, shopping at local stores, listening to music at the Guero’s Oak Garden or just sitting and socializing at Jo’s Coffee (a great place to people watch).

Continue south on Congress past Oltorf and you will find other well established independent businesses such as Ruta Maya Coffeehouse, The Great Outdoors, Stompin’ Grounds and The 04 Lounge. The original charm of the neighborhood has not been abandoned though, with much of the original architecture still standing and housing some of the funky SoCo businesses.

First Thursdays

One of the major attractions is First Thursday, an event held on (what else?) the first Thursday of every month (weather permitting). This event was started several years back by store front owners to promote and showcase their businesses.

Today they share this monthly event with local artisans who set up at four popular First Thursday vending markets (Vespaio’s Artisan Market (located between Vespaio and Austin Art Glass), 78704 Artisan Market (hosted on the lot with Mighty Cone and Hey Cupcake), St. Vincent de Paul’s Artisan Market (hosted on their parking lot) and Güero’s Artisan Market (next to the Oak Garden on their parking lot).

Join the fun, support the local store fronts, our local artisans, find some cool clothes, that perfect gift for someone special or just sit back with a cold one at the Oak Garden and people watch. It’s a great way to get to know more about SoCo District, and discover what many people already know about South Austin!