Driving Through Austin

I drive through the heart of Austin every day.  Everybody's heard of Austin; if they've been here, they talk about what a great town it is, and if they haven't been here, they say how much they want to check it out.  It's mostly the music scene, and the sort of left-of-normal culture, with all the clubs and hang-outs.  It's cool.

There's one street, Congress, which runs, I guess, right down the middle of town.  Congress if full of boutiques and curios selling near counter-culture fashions and wares, coffee shops, cafes selling pizza and tacos, burgers and like fare, with awnings over outdoor seating areas. A trailer park cafe area. Clubs - clubs all over Austin.  Everyday I drive down Congress, or up Congress, up the hill from downtown, where looking back it's almost got the feel of San Fran.  Lots of people out.  Young people, cool young people having a great time.  And I drive by and see it all, on my way to work.  

I'd love to have place like that to hang, to be part of.  I love the scene and all the activity, but I'm a lot older than the great bulk of people there, and of a totally different sort.  Young people aren't nearly so open and accepting as you'd think.  S

It occured to me just today that there must be a street somewhere in some cool city that has what Congress in Austin has, but more suited to my tastes, my age group, my lifestyle.  Maybe, you know, in San Francisco, LA, New York?  Austin's a nice place, but maybe there's a better place, a place where I can be more a part of the cool scene.  I guess I've got to be thinking about that.