What we’re about
This walking group explores the dynamic past and present of Austin's built environment. Tracing the origins of Austin street names, walking streets in their entirety, and stubbornly circumventing limitations posed by half-baked pedestrian infrastructure plans of yore, these events are intended to be adventures but not guided tours. Librarians and blacksmiths, photographers and mechanics, sociologists and forensic accountants alike should feel welcome, provided we have at least two things in common: a deep curiosity about the city of Austin and two strong feet to carry us where curiosity leads.
This monthly group won’t be the fastest hiking group in the city, but we’ll cover long-ish distances, up to 7-10 miles in cooler months. I won’t assume everyone has a car (I don’t), and if you don't you should have the ability and patience to navigate Austin’s far-from-perfect patchwork of bikeshare, public transit, etc. if needed to get to and from the start and end points.
At the end of these walks we’ll find a place to rehydrate, get some food, and talk about it all.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- 35th/38th/38th 1/2 Walk Across AustinMayfield Park, Austin, TX
In a cityful of lyricists it’s a shame that so many east-west streets on Austin’s north side unimaginatively bear only numbers as names. At least, the mildly meandering path from Tarrytown to Cherrywood gets to have THREE different number-names. And one of them is a fraction.
Thankfully, what makes for one freeway connoisseur’s shattered asphalt dreams left this road intact as a pleasant course for peramblers like us.
Beginning in the natural respite of Mayfield Park, our route (official walk map here) carries us alongside Tarrytown, over an urgent conveyer of shiny metal boxes (the Mopac), and over a sometimes-wet-sometimes-dry bed of limestone and claystone (Shoal Creek). Cleaving through Hyde Park and UT Campus, then over Waller Creek, 38 1/2th Street is one of the least harrowing ways to cross the I-35 before landing amidst the culinary pleasantries of Cherrywood.
Speaking of culinary pleasantries, it’s never too soon to start planning your next meal, even if it’s 120 meals (40 days) in advance at the time of writing this. Las Dos Fronteras, KG BBQ, Batch ATX could be good options for lunch at the end of the walk- we'll decide when we get there.
[cover photo by atmtx on Flickr, noncommercial license]
LOGISTICS:
- The #335 CapMetro bus travels east-west along our route every half hour
- I’m not an expert on parking lots, but I’ll assimilate any gathered wisdom from group members and post here. From a little internet research it looks there’s a little free residential parking east of the MoPac if you want to park near the walk start, but the eastern end in Cherrywood looks better.
- Mayfield Park seems like a nice place to explore if you arrive early- though the garden itself is often closed for special events
