6th Street

Bars, loud music, and the absence of shame
Noteworthy for: Sixth Street is Austin's perpetual pub crawl - seven blocks packed with shot bars, daiquiri bars, sports bars, hookup bars, and hookah bars.

Word to the wise: All of Austin's east-west streets downtown were originally named after trees - 6th was called Pecan Street.
This bustling strip has been a major business district since the mid-1800s, when local farmers brought their goods to market via horse and buggy. Many of the two- and three-story buildings that housed feed stores and blacksmith shops are still in use today, earning 6th Street a spot in the National Register of Historic Places.

The historical significance of the area may be lost on the drunken frat boys who meander along 6th Street on weekend nights, however. Loud music blasts from every doorway, but it's mostly cover songs. Austin's serious musicians generally perform on 6th Street to make money - and play their original tunes elsewhere.

The fickleness of the 6th Street crowd means that few bars survive for the long haul. Maggie Mae's, however, has been thriving since 1978. Lovejoy's, another long-term survivor, is one of the few mellow bars in the area.