Introduction to 

SoCo

(1400 South Congress Avenue)

Placed between two of Austin's most popular restaurants, Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Home Slice Pizza, this area of Austin is teeming with people. A hip part of of town that is visited by many vacationing and living in Austin, it could be said that SoCo is one of Austin's most popular areas. 

Placed on a sloped street it is clear that 1400 South Congress Avenue is situated in Texan hill country. The topography of the area is fairly hilly compared to flat downtown Austin. A busy road is situated between the two restaurants with sidewalks on each side large enough for windows-shoppers to peak into the quirky shops that line South Congress Avenue, while others wiz by in search of other attractions on SoCo. Most of South Congress is either concrete or buildings with the road taking up most of the space in the area.  The Only signs of vegetation on SoCo are the few trees that dot the sidewalks and behind buildings to provide walkers shade in the miserable heat of Texan Augusts. Large manmade objects such as cars, lampposts, and street signs obstruct the areas atmosphere like any city area. 

However, the unique architecture of the surrounding buildings and impressive view of Austin's city center south of the busy street improve the scenery. When looking North one can see the continuation of shops and restaurants up the road. To the left of the location a group of airstream motorhomes sells small trinkets and goods in an area shaded by the modern apartment complex adjacent to it. The purpose of the area based on the high number of clothing shops and restaurants seems to be for entertainment only. In my time there I didn't see any business offices or industrial buildings. This unique area shows a mismatch of quirky shops and modern buildings that have been patched together to create a unique space in Austin that is true to the cities nature.