The Austin Woman staff talk about some of their favorite local haunts.
Nina Gloria
Production Coordinator
Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and the hub for new, upcoming businesses. With that being said, it’s important to acknowledge all of the local businesses that have become staples to Austinites throughout the years. As much as I would like to gatekeep this business (although they have a pretty large following), this homegrown sandwich shop deserves all of the recognition for their fresh and delicious subs.
In 2008, David Tucci founded Tucci’s Southside Subs to bring quality East Coast subs to Austin. Anytime I am near Tucci’s, I make sure to pop in because the sandwiches always cure my hunger and leave me feeling extremely satisfied. My go-to order is Gramma Max’s Hot Ham and Swiss, and I am getting hungry just thinking about it. If you are ever in the area, please do yourself a favor and stop by.
Your tastebuds will thank you.
Chanel Ingram
Media Sales Executive
Austin icon Strait Music, founded by Dan Strait in 1963, is the quintessential Austin business. I first stepped into Strait Music’s North location in 1998 when I was just 9 years old, beginning my love affair with Austin and music. It’s where I learned to find rhythm and melodies, not only in songs but in the world around me. The instruments were not merely tools; they became the soundtrack of my life.
This family-owned and -operated treasure is where I purchased my flutes and trumpet, but it’s not just the instruments they sell. It’s the atmosphere. It’s the smiles of welcome from staff, the pianos and band and orchestra instruments greeting your eyes as soon as you arrive and the spicy aroma of flame maple from violins and cellos coupled with the faint scent of piano polish wafting through the air that make it feel like coming home. Scent and sound unite in the walls of Strait Music as staff and patrons play music to give you pause.
It’s a reminder that music is an integral part of our city, found on street corners, inside bars and within the welcoming walls of Strait Music itself. It’s is not just a store. It is and always has been a standing ovation to music education and performance in Austin. Every visit is an opportunity to touch instruments, hear music, strum strings and inhale that comforting scent—a reminder of where my life and this city found their music.
Abby Schwarte
Media Sales Executive
I am a longtime Austinite, and one of my favorite places to go alone or with my family has always been Book People. They offer so much uniqueness and familiarity in one location. As a college student in Austin, it was a cozy place to walk the aisles and search. As a parent, when my kids were young toddlers, there was someone to enlist to help find that perfect book for your child, and now as teens they roam through the aisles. There is truly is something for everyone!
Cy White
Managing Editor
When I first decided I was going to move to Austin, I had been surrounded by music. My first year of SXSW in 2016 was a major life turning point. On a lighter day of the 10-day festival, my crew of like-minded music journalists stopped by Waterloo Records on North Lamar (connected to Amy’s Ice Cream, by the way), my first time in the store.
It felt like paradise, home and the North Pole on Christmas Eve all at once. Again…surrounded by music: vinyl, cassettes, CDs, rare films and live performances. It was absolutely everything for me. I walked in and saw rare vinyl of Jeff Buckley’s Grace and thought to myself, “Yeah, I need to live here.” It took me some time, but I finally turned the annual visit for the world-renowned festival into a permanent move. I came for SXSW; I stayed for Waterloo.
