6th Street (Austin)

6th Street is a historic street and entertainment district in Austin, Texas. It is the center of the live music scene of the city.

Originally known as Pecan Street (when east-west streets were named after trees — north-south streets are still named after Texas rivers), E. 6th Street is the heart of the Austin entertainment district. Many bars, clubs, music venues, and shopping destinations are located on E. 6th Street between Congress Avenue and Interstate 35 and many offer live music at one time or another during the week.

E. 6th Street plays host to a wide variety of events each year, ranging from music and film festivals (such as South by Southwest) to biker rallies (such as The Republic of Texas Biker Rally) and the Pecan Street Festival.

Traffic is generally blocked on E. 6th Street and most crossroads from I-35 to Brazos Street on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings (depending on pedestrian traffic), as well as holidays and special events to allow the crowds to walk unfettered to the many venues that line the street. On New Year's Eve, Mardi Gras, and Halloween nights tens of thousands of revelers can walk only one way depending on the side of the street they are on.

The area of 6th Street roughly bounded by 5th Street, 7th Street, Lavaca Street, and Interstate 35 is known as the "6th Street Historic District" and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1975.

The area of 6th Street west of Lavaca is known as the "West 6th Street District". It is roughly bound by 5th Street, 7th Street, Lavaca Street, and West Ave. Recently, there has been a growing movement to develop this area as an entertainment district of its own, geared toward the 26 to 40 year old crowd.

External Links

* [http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/sixthmap.htm City of Austin - Austin's E. 6th Street Map]
* [http://www.6street.com/ 6th street]
* [http://www.west6thstreet.com/ West 6th Street District]