South 1st St, Bouldin Creek

When in Austin, it's well worth your time to go see the bats at the South 1st Street bridge just south of Town Lake. In the balmy summer months, the United States' largest urban bat colony flies out at dusk to go catch bugs and do whatever it is that bats do during the night. The sight of hundreds of bats flying out of the darkness into the summer evening is really something else.

South First Street in Austin has a quainter feel than the touristy South Congress and the busy South Lamar. Located between the two behemoths, South First seems to focus more on relaxation. There's a Torchy's Taco trailer sitting alongside a creek and lots of small businesses where you can get that nice personal touch that is missing from the big chains.