Tex Next - DailyCandy

GPSWhile band hopefuls and raucous UT students party on Sixth Street, South Congress (SoCo) is a bastion of cool and quirky boutiques and restaurants with an imposing Capitol view. The fashion set likes South First (SoFi) and South Lamar (SoLa) — they’re nearby and less saturated.NESTHipster hideaway Hotel San Jose (1316 S. Congress Ave.; 512-444-7322), a revitalized 1930s bungalow-style spot beloved for its Zen courtyard and pool, rents old-fashioned typewriters. (That’ll inspire the memoir.) You’ll feel like a local in a cottage at Park Lane Guest House (221 Park Ln.; 512-447-7460), a green hotel with organic, vegetarian breakfast and a pro-pets policy. Technically, Four Seasons Hotel Austin (98 San Jacinto Blvd.; 512-478-4500) is outside SoCo, but the spa’s eucalyptus steam rooms and Lady Bird Lake vistas make it worth a mini diversion.