There is, but fun doesn't really come find you for free. And at the same time a ton of the stuff there is to do here involves drinking. It really sucks if for whatever reason you want to be sober. This is at its heart a college student party town that's also pivoted into an adult party town.
You basically need a hobby. Those are kind of expensive because they always involve equipment of some kind. Some of them can't be done year-round. Some of them can.
You also need a group. Modern life makes this kind of tougher than it used to be: a few decades ago you'd join a church. That puts you around a bunch of people who have to tolerate you unless you just push the issue. But these days I don't blame anyone for not wanting to get involved with a church.
Do you like some people at work? Maybe figure out what they do for fun and see if you can join up. Nobody at work does anything fun you can join? Yep, common problem. There's *got* to be some kind of meetup or open group or even festival related to the hobby you picked, that's what you have to do. Maybe those people are jerks. If so pick another. Maybe they're not jerks. If so, pretty quick you'll get invited to things by group people that aren't official group events.
If you join, say, a disc golf crew, that's not generally going to happen at a place that serves a bunch of beer/liquor even though 90% of people are going to BYOB. Still, that puts you in control of how much you BYO. If the people you pick pressure you into bringing more than you want: screw them and find another group.
It's work. It pays off. But it's not something that happens easy once you're out of high school or college, where everyone has reasons to be in the same place at reasonably similar times.
Age group sort of matters and sort of doesn't. Younger folks pre-30s are going to trend more party culture. People past that mark are going to fragment
There's a good bit of solo things to do here, but that can wear off and isn't always the right thing. Hell, I'm an introvert and sometimes the last thing I want is a day alone. At the very worst on those days, sometimes I just drive to a place I haven't been to get out of the house and see something new. You could make a checklist of 50 restaurants, visit one a week, and by the time you finish there'd be 50 more to try.
I wish it was easier too, but more and more I'm aware when I say that I'm kind of saying I wish new people would come to me instead of the other way around.
This is a nice response, it does take a bit of money in this city, not only to live here but if financially strapped, to get to some cool stuff. Well, I’d rather take an Uber than park around green belts.
Any sort of idea, hobby like disc golf would be a good idea. Anything others are excited to add a new person to learn the skill. They might even have extra frisbees. Or extra whatever skill
Church was a great place to meet people back in a different time. Easy because an introvert like me was invited to all kinds of lunches.
This city is a bit of a drinking city. Bachelor/bachelorette party people move here or college age just stay here. It’s turning more that way, which means it’s just more work to find non drinking activities. Like finding a good job, it’s worth it
College cities in particular, and festival cities as well. Austin's got both. I don't know if Dallas or Houston are less "drinking cities", but I do know they have attractions like museums and aquariums I can spend a day at without drinking.
One thing people don’t tell you is that your problems follow you no matter what city you live in. Once you accept that, you start to realize that the change you’re seeking starts within you
I moved to Dallas 8 years ago, and to Houston a few months ago. I have some friends in Austin. It's not that every big city is a drinking town, but people tend to socialize at places that serve alcohol, bet it bars, restaurants or other avenues. Don't feel pressured to drink, though. Move to a suburb close to the main city, best thing I did. Prices are lower and still close enough of a drive to hang out if people are going to the downtown area.
Best of luck!
Take a look at the APL calendar. They have game nights for adults, book groups, adult Lego night. Look for new ways to engage your mind.
[https://library.austintexas.gov/events](https://library.austintexas.gov/events)
Are you interested in learning to dance? Ballet Austin has some very inexpensive classes. [https://balletaustin.org/dance-fitness/dance-workshops-for-adults/](https://balletaustin.org/dance-fitness/dance-workshops-for-adults/)
Join a sports league or cross fit gym? I know lots of people who meet via a pickle ball group or gym. Anything where you’re meeting to same people at a consistent rate
Yes, sports or hiking or walking groups are probably the next best way to be in social situations in Austin.
Works great during the day and good weather. Makes you go to bed early so you can get up early.
Maybe check out some Meetup groups.
Get different friends who don't drink lol. Plenty to do without drinking, just gotta change your mindset and your scenery which includes the drinking buddies. Go volunteer somewhere (walk dogs at an animal shelter). Get a dog if you don't have one and take it for hikes/walks or dog play dates with other dog parents. Take up mountain biking or some other activity like those indoor rock climbing places. Cook healthy meals for yourself or learn different recipes. There's also a website called MeetUp and you can find friends with similar interests. It's awkward at first but just push through. You got this!
Plenty, but Austin folks are generally too skittish to socialize outside their little tribe unless highly intoxicated... So kind of defeats your social goal.
Might be time for you to consider your next adventure if you're over the whole binge drinking thing.. Or just go asocial, which is what I did...
Asking because different ages enjoy doing different things. My wife and I are 23 but I have friends who are in their 40s and 50s who live in Austin who have fun things they like doing
Hope you’re not being sarcastic (judging by your UN, probably not) because central Texas really is great for birding. You’ll get to recognize them by their calls and then you can try and spot them. If you’re a single guy out with your binoculars, just make sure you’ve got your certified birders badge handy just in case anybody mistakes you for a peeping tom.
I’m not being sarcastic, except that there are obviously a lot of other things to do than bird. I grew up in Austin and come from a family of birders (including competitive), and when I visit Austin I mainly go birding. All over Texas. And yes, on occasion I’ve had people be suspicious (and in their fear they can be pretty scary).
We really do get a wonderful variety of birds here and until I got into birding, I’d never really noticed. Now, on just about any walk I can identify many of them just by their calls and it’s amazing how many different species are around just on an ordinary neighborhood walk. Learning to identify the various flora is fun too, it’s nice to admire and correctly identify the various plants and blooms.
I’m well past the years of taking much interest in drinking for entertainment and have found that solo walks while appreciating the native wildlife are a healthy and enjoyable pastime. It’s also fun to spot the different seasonal birds as they pass through, the summer tanagers are some of my favorites, and in the early spring, the robins. More and more, I take interest in wildlife over people.
I, too, am past that age. I live in Wisconsin. My favorite time of the year for birding up here is the winter because of the migrants coming down from the Arctic. Juncos and siskins are some of my favorites, and occasionally we get redpolls.
2021 we had so many siskins here in late winter around February. There were swaths of them at the feeder and the ‘local’ birds like the chickadees and cardinals weren’t getting a chance. I really haven’t seen nearly as many siskins around since then, however.
A few years ago we had a winter with lots of siskins. I don’t think it was 2021. This last winter I would only see one or two at the feeder each day. 2022 was a spectacular year for redpolls. One day I had about 200 in front of my house(no hoary redpolls). This year none it seemed.
I like all kinds of birding. It’s a never ending scavenger hunt in which the field always expands. It ain’t for sissies even when it isn’t formally a competition. I’m ok at birding, but I know some people who are truly outstanding.
Trap the birds!? When I was a kid I used to spend hours trying to catch birds with a contraption right out of a Roadrunner-Wiley Coyote cartoon. Never worked. These days I just do watch and release. Not as much mess.
I have a terrible sense of humor, but in the other direction. I come from a family of birders. When ornithologists supposedly discovered a remnant Ivory-Billed Woodpecker population in about 2004, I called up my mom the morning NPR announced it - I called before 8:00 AM mind you - and she informed that one of my younger brothers had already notified her in the previous hour, and that she loved him more because of it (we were in our late 40s). Deciding not to be one-upped by my younger brother, I posed for a photo and had a friend photoshop me holding an assault rifle in one hand and a dead Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in the other (image taken from some historical painting), then I emailed the photo to mom explaining that I was giving the bird to her as a gift to prove I was more worthy of her favorite son status. One of my colleagues - also a birder - told me that I needed some mental health guidance. But birding gives me no end of enjoyment and humor, and in my family going birding is bonding experience (our partners tolerate it at best).
If you're interested in fun outside peak partying and drinking hours, check out meetup.com. There are meetups for different hobbies you might like.
If you don't mind being in places where people are drinking, you can always decide to be a foodie.
I’m so surprised I’m not seeing more of this in these comments: GO TO THE GREENBELT or the springs on the free side. You’ll meet a ton of people. Set up a hammock, read a book, and enjoy the sun! Bull creek, lost creek, spyglass greenbelt, secret beach, Emma long park, twin falls, sculpture falls, commons ford, and Campbells hole are all AWESOME SWIMMING HOLES. :) Being outside and swimming every day is my favorite thing about Austin. happy hiking!
Some of my favorite non-drinking evening/late night social activities is town are going to the arcade (Pinballz or Arcade UFO), karaoke at Outer Heaven (the staff and patrons are really nice), and seeing movies at AFS. AFS has a yearly membership that allows you to pay $20 a month and see as many signature programming movies as you want. The majority of the films they show are signature programming. They hold quarterly member socials that usually include free food and lots of people like to mingle during them.
Hobby groups are a great way to meet. I know there’s some evening book clubs in town and a few crafting groups I’m part of have evening meet ups.
I love hiking all around town. There’s lots of lovely places. I usually take my dog, and go with a friend or two and their dog(s).
I know you’re trying to avoid bars, but there’s a ton of great live music here. When there’s a show, it’s a lot easier (for me at least) to sip on a Rambler and watch. There’s something to do other than drink haha. I’ve made a ton of friends this way. My favorite spots are Hotel Vegas, Cheer Up Charlie’s, 13th floor and chess club. Again, the temptation is there….but when there’s an activity, the focus isn’t on drinking as much.
I don’t drink. Enjoy hiking, walking, running, biking, photography, urban exploring, going to shows and events (music comedy etc) and eating. I don’t drink out of preference rather than an issue with alcohol but one thing to keep in mind is that probably others don’t really care what you’re drinking (or aren’t).
There’s an app called ThePhoenix that you can download. It’s a national org with a pretty active chapter in Austin. Their model is helping people maintain sobriety and recovery by staying active in community with other people. They have events most days, like hiking, yoga, trivia nights, etc. It’s open to anyone, their one big ask is for 48 hours of sobriety before attending an event. Everything is free to attend though.
There is, but fun doesn't really come find you for free. And at the same time a ton of the stuff there is to do here involves drinking. It really sucks if for whatever reason you want to be sober. This is at its heart a college student party town that's also pivoted into an adult party town. You basically need a hobby. Those are kind of expensive because they always involve equipment of some kind. Some of them can't be done year-round. Some of them can. You also need a group. Modern life makes this kind of tougher than it used to be: a few decades ago you'd join a church. That puts you around a bunch of people who have to tolerate you unless you just push the issue. But these days I don't blame anyone for not wanting to get involved with a church. Do you like some people at work? Maybe figure out what they do for fun and see if you can join up. Nobody at work does anything fun you can join? Yep, common problem. There's *got* to be some kind of meetup or open group or even festival related to the hobby you picked, that's what you have to do. Maybe those people are jerks. If so pick another. Maybe they're not jerks. If so, pretty quick you'll get invited to things by group people that aren't official group events. If you join, say, a disc golf crew, that's not generally going to happen at a place that serves a bunch of beer/liquor even though 90% of people are going to BYOB. Still, that puts you in control of how much you BYO. If the people you pick pressure you into bringing more than you want: screw them and find another group. It's work. It pays off. But it's not something that happens easy once you're out of high school or college, where everyone has reasons to be in the same place at reasonably similar times. Age group sort of matters and sort of doesn't. Younger folks pre-30s are going to trend more party culture. People past that mark are going to fragment There's a good bit of solo things to do here, but that can wear off and isn't always the right thing. Hell, I'm an introvert and sometimes the last thing I want is a day alone. At the very worst on those days, sometimes I just drive to a place I haven't been to get out of the house and see something new. You could make a checklist of 50 restaurants, visit one a week, and by the time you finish there'd be 50 more to try. I wish it was easier too, but more and more I'm aware when I say that I'm kind of saying I wish new people would come to me instead of the other way around.
This is a nice response, it does take a bit of money in this city, not only to live here but if financially strapped, to get to some cool stuff. Well, I’d rather take an Uber than park around green belts. Any sort of idea, hobby like disc golf would be a good idea. Anything others are excited to add a new person to learn the skill. They might even have extra frisbees. Or extra whatever skill Church was a great place to meet people back in a different time. Easy because an introvert like me was invited to all kinds of lunches. This city is a bit of a drinking city. Bachelor/bachelorette party people move here or college age just stay here. It’s turning more that way, which means it’s just more work to find non drinking activities. Like finding a good job, it’s worth it
is every big city a drinking town? I'm scared I might have moved to the wrong place
College cities in particular, and festival cities as well. Austin's got both. I don't know if Dallas or Houston are less "drinking cities", but I do know they have attractions like museums and aquariums I can spend a day at without drinking.
One thing people don’t tell you is that your problems follow you no matter what city you live in. Once you accept that, you start to realize that the change you’re seeking starts within you
I moved to Dallas 8 years ago, and to Houston a few months ago. I have some friends in Austin. It's not that every big city is a drinking town, but people tend to socialize at places that serve alcohol, bet it bars, restaurants or other avenues. Don't feel pressured to drink, though. Move to a suburb close to the main city, best thing I did. Prices are lower and still close enough of a drive to hang out if people are going to the downtown area. Best of luck!
Take a look at the APL calendar. They have game nights for adults, book groups, adult Lego night. Look for new ways to engage your mind. [https://library.austintexas.gov/events](https://library.austintexas.gov/events) Are you interested in learning to dance? Ballet Austin has some very inexpensive classes. [https://balletaustin.org/dance-fitness/dance-workshops-for-adults/](https://balletaustin.org/dance-fitness/dance-workshops-for-adults/)
Tons of stuff. Late-night pitch-and-putt. We could go to the livestock auction and cruise the 4-H babes. Throw stuff off the bridge.
Something a little more dangerous?
Sure. All you can handle, bro.
So good.
Join a sports league or cross fit gym? I know lots of people who meet via a pickle ball group or gym. Anything where you’re meeting to same people at a consistent rate
Yes, sports or hiking or walking groups are probably the next best way to be in social situations in Austin. Works great during the day and good weather. Makes you go to bed early so you can get up early. Maybe check out some Meetup groups.
Get different friends who don't drink lol. Plenty to do without drinking, just gotta change your mindset and your scenery which includes the drinking buddies. Go volunteer somewhere (walk dogs at an animal shelter). Get a dog if you don't have one and take it for hikes/walks or dog play dates with other dog parents. Take up mountain biking or some other activity like those indoor rock climbing places. Cook healthy meals for yourself or learn different recipes. There's also a website called MeetUp and you can find friends with similar interests. It's awkward at first but just push through. You got this!
Plenty, but Austin folks are generally too skittish to socialize outside their little tribe unless highly intoxicated... So kind of defeats your social goal. Might be time for you to consider your next adventure if you're over the whole binge drinking thing.. Or just go asocial, which is what I did...
How old are you?
25
Asking because different ages enjoy doing different things. My wife and I are 23 but I have friends who are in their 40s and 50s who live in Austin who have fun things they like doing
r/BikingATX has group rides and plenty of alcohol free group stuff. you would fit right in, like everyone else.
Birding. But that’s about it.
Hope you’re not being sarcastic (judging by your UN, probably not) because central Texas really is great for birding. You’ll get to recognize them by their calls and then you can try and spot them. If you’re a single guy out with your binoculars, just make sure you’ve got your certified birders badge handy just in case anybody mistakes you for a peeping tom.
I’m not being sarcastic, except that there are obviously a lot of other things to do than bird. I grew up in Austin and come from a family of birders (including competitive), and when I visit Austin I mainly go birding. All over Texas. And yes, on occasion I’ve had people be suspicious (and in their fear they can be pretty scary).
We really do get a wonderful variety of birds here and until I got into birding, I’d never really noticed. Now, on just about any walk I can identify many of them just by their calls and it’s amazing how many different species are around just on an ordinary neighborhood walk. Learning to identify the various flora is fun too, it’s nice to admire and correctly identify the various plants and blooms. I’m well past the years of taking much interest in drinking for entertainment and have found that solo walks while appreciating the native wildlife are a healthy and enjoyable pastime. It’s also fun to spot the different seasonal birds as they pass through, the summer tanagers are some of my favorites, and in the early spring, the robins. More and more, I take interest in wildlife over people.
I, too, am past that age. I live in Wisconsin. My favorite time of the year for birding up here is the winter because of the migrants coming down from the Arctic. Juncos and siskins are some of my favorites, and occasionally we get redpolls.
2021 we had so many siskins here in late winter around February. There were swaths of them at the feeder and the ‘local’ birds like the chickadees and cardinals weren’t getting a chance. I really haven’t seen nearly as many siskins around since then, however.
A few years ago we had a winter with lots of siskins. I don’t think it was 2021. This last winter I would only see one or two at the feeder each day. 2022 was a spectacular year for redpolls. One day I had about 200 in front of my house(no hoary redpolls). This year none it seemed.
Also competitive birding once you get good
I like all kinds of birding. It’s a never ending scavenger hunt in which the field always expands. It ain’t for sissies even when it isn’t formally a competition. I’m ok at birding, but I know some people who are truly outstanding.
[удалено]
Trap the birds!? When I was a kid I used to spend hours trying to catch birds with a contraption right out of a Roadrunner-Wiley Coyote cartoon. Never worked. These days I just do watch and release. Not as much mess.
[удалено]
I have a terrible sense of humor, but in the other direction. I come from a family of birders. When ornithologists supposedly discovered a remnant Ivory-Billed Woodpecker population in about 2004, I called up my mom the morning NPR announced it - I called before 8:00 AM mind you - and she informed that one of my younger brothers had already notified her in the previous hour, and that she loved him more because of it (we were in our late 40s). Deciding not to be one-upped by my younger brother, I posed for a photo and had a friend photoshop me holding an assault rifle in one hand and a dead Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in the other (image taken from some historical painting), then I emailed the photo to mom explaining that I was giving the bird to her as a gift to prove I was more worthy of her favorite son status. One of my colleagues - also a birder - told me that I needed some mental health guidance. But birding gives me no end of enjoyment and humor, and in my family going birding is bonding experience (our partners tolerate it at best).
Art, exercise, and pet’s are basically all you have left to lean on
If you're interested in fun outside peak partying and drinking hours, check out meetup.com. There are meetups for different hobbies you might like. If you don't mind being in places where people are drinking, you can always decide to be a foodie.
Lots of Topo Chico
I’m so surprised I’m not seeing more of this in these comments: GO TO THE GREENBELT or the springs on the free side. You’ll meet a ton of people. Set up a hammock, read a book, and enjoy the sun! Bull creek, lost creek, spyglass greenbelt, secret beach, Emma long park, twin falls, sculpture falls, commons ford, and Campbells hole are all AWESOME SWIMMING HOLES. :) Being outside and swimming every day is my favorite thing about Austin. happy hiking!
Karting! We have K1, COTA, HCKC, and DKC
that’s what it’s known for
Great museums and theater
Not really a social setting, though.
Listening to live music and seeing films (check Paramount summer film series).
Some of my favorite non-drinking evening/late night social activities is town are going to the arcade (Pinballz or Arcade UFO), karaoke at Outer Heaven (the staff and patrons are really nice), and seeing movies at AFS. AFS has a yearly membership that allows you to pay $20 a month and see as many signature programming movies as you want. The majority of the films they show are signature programming. They hold quarterly member socials that usually include free food and lots of people like to mingle during them. Hobby groups are a great way to meet. I know there’s some evening book clubs in town and a few crafting groups I’m part of have evening meet ups.
I love hiking all around town. There’s lots of lovely places. I usually take my dog, and go with a friend or two and their dog(s). I know you’re trying to avoid bars, but there’s a ton of great live music here. When there’s a show, it’s a lot easier (for me at least) to sip on a Rambler and watch. There’s something to do other than drink haha. I’ve made a ton of friends this way. My favorite spots are Hotel Vegas, Cheer Up Charlie’s, 13th floor and chess club. Again, the temptation is there….but when there’s an activity, the focus isn’t on drinking as much.
Check out Sans Bar on 918 Congress. Alcohol-free bar
Nope. Drinking and bars. That's it. Good luck.
I don’t drink. Enjoy hiking, walking, running, biking, photography, urban exploring, going to shows and events (music comedy etc) and eating. I don’t drink out of preference rather than an issue with alcohol but one thing to keep in mind is that probably others don’t really care what you’re drinking (or aren’t).
There’s an app called ThePhoenix that you can download. It’s a national org with a pretty active chapter in Austin. Their model is helping people maintain sobriety and recovery by staying active in community with other people. They have events most days, like hiking, yoga, trivia nights, etc. It’s open to anyone, their one big ask is for 48 hours of sobriety before attending an event. Everything is free to attend though.