To explore the core of Austin culture, divide the downtown map into a Cross of Lorraine. That’s the two-barred French cross that consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars.
Congress Avenue, north and south of the river, is the vertical line.
Further down the vertical line, however, one enters Austin’s prime business district. Shop here for supplies at Royal Blue Grocery; check out the F1 documentary at the Paramount Theatre (today) and duck into the contempo Jones Center, downtown home of AMOA/Arthouse.
While temptations wink from the left and right, your first horizontal crossbar is Sixth Street, stretching more than a mile to the east and west.
East Sixth starts with a dense, Bourbon-Street-like party zone and fades into a thriving hipster hangout that shares space with Latino allurements.
West Sixth leads you to the slightly dressier Warehouse and Second Street areas as well as a distinct zone mantled around the Whole Foods Market mothership.
The second horizontal bar, not far to the south, is the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake. This 10-mile track is Austin’s town square.
Everybody meets there. Go west along the south side of the lake for now, until a boardwalk establishes a better link to the East Austin trail.
After that, just keep working down South Congress Avenue to no further than Live Oak Street.
Here you will find endless samples of singular Austin culture especially if you linger at any of the food trailer courts here and along nearby South First Street.
If you get in a car or take a bus, you can hit other Austin highlights: Barton Springs, Mount Bonnell, Lake Travis and other shopping and entertainment areas.
But on your first Formula One weekend, swear by the Cross of Lorraine.