After several years of renovation, the old Stephen F. Austin Hotel has finally reopened under the Intercontinental flag. The lobby is majestic, the rooms are first class. But the coolest thing about the new hotel is its balcony. Located on the second floor off the Stephen F. Bar, the balcony was a part of the original, historic, design, but had to be altered to bring it up to current building code standards. We're happy they decided to use it. There's no better place in town to sit outside, get a gander of Austin's main avenue, and watch the world go by.

InterContinental Stephen F. Austin
701 Congress
512/457-8800
www.austin.intercontinental.com

view this award on its own page ›

In the 10 years that the ALO has been in town (a mere nanosecond in the world of opera), the company has engendered such enthusiasm that it has become a driving force in the revamping of the Palmer Auditorium into the Long Center for the Performing Arts. But while that structure is still a few years from being a reality, the Lyric Opera has opened the doors of its very own space with offices, rehearsal halls, and classrooms for musicians throughout the community. The incorporation of theatrical elements - the use of rich, dramatic colors (muted perhaps but still striking), set pieces in the foyer and theatrically inspired artwork in the first-floor hallway, the sidewalk nod to building patrons in bricks resembling ticket stubs - by building designers Lake|Flato also add to the appeal of the space and make it cause for celebration.

Austin Lyric Opera
901 Barton Springs Rd.
512/472-5927
www.austinlyricopera.org

view this award on its own page ›

When Doug Sahm died last November, he not only took a piece of Austin's heart with him, he carried off a big chunk of Texas Soul. Fortunately, there's plenty of the Great State to go around, like say some of that prime real estate down on Town Lake - over there by Stevie Ray. Plant a row of redwoods, build a waterfront of benches, sculpt some twisting Texas Tornados. Doug Sahm, State Musician of Texas.

view this award on its own page ›

Whether you think it's an eyesore or art, this statue of a bubblegum-pink primate with clown lips, a porno-style arched back, and a disturbingly human-looking ass is nothing if not strange. The fact that it sits isolated on the corner with no further explanation (we think it's supposed to promote the nearby bingo parlor) only adds to the joyous dissonance.

view this award on its own page ›

Built in 1911 as a one-story, L-shaped bungalow with wraparound porches, the Adams House in Hyde Park was elevated to a two-story colonial revival home in 1931. Architect Gregory Free rescued the house from renters and returned it to its glory days with polished pine floors, sash windows, slate flooring, and 12-foot ceilings. Hosts Sidney and John Lock offer pampered service in three guest rooms that are as comfortable as they are attractive. Two minutes from downtown, tucked away across the bridge and off Congress, the old Miller Crockett House is a grand alternative to conventional accommodations. Built in 1888 in New Orleans architectural style, the stately parlor, dining rooms, spacious verandas, and uniquely appointed bedrooms are a dream realm. Would you like a six-foot clawfoot tub with your room, ma'am? Mahogany or brass bed? And did we mention the spectacular view of the downtown skyline?

Miller Crockett Bed & Breakfast
112 Academy
512/441-1600
www.millercrockett.com

Adams House Bed & Breakfast
4300 Ave. G
512/453-7696
www.theadamshouse.com

view this award on its own page ›

Perhaps this is how architects in the 1960s envisioned the taqueria of the 21st century - a domelike structure with cement wings arching out in four directions. Even a regular taco under the fluted ceiling of El Rancho Grande #2 becomes an excursion into an art deco future.

view this award on its own page ›

Stylish and scrupulously clean, this oasis features natural light, bright colors, inventive use of mosaic tile, and lots of the color teal. It far outclasses other entrants, such as the dank UGL basement and the worn and ugly horrors of the first floors of the PCL and CMA. Yet for exclusivity and swank, we suspect little surpasses the locked potty paradise shared by the 10 women in the Tower's second-floor executive offices. Alas, we'll never know.

University of Texas at Austin
727 E. Dean Keeton, 512/471-3434
Sarah M. & Charles E. Seay Building, Speedway & Dean Keeton, 512/471-1157
UT Architecture Library, 200 Battle Hall, 512/495-4620
University of Texas Department of Art & Art History, 2301 San Jacinto, 512/475-7718
www.utexas.edu

view this award on its own page ›

Nightclubs are not commonly known for their immaculate restrooms, but Red Eyed Fly's male facilities are inviting to all but the most terminally pee-shy guys. The self-flushing urinals festooned with plastic insects add an extra element of cleanliness, while sparkling hep metal sink basins encourage frequent hand-washing in an arena where it ain't exactly de rigueur. There's also a sizable stall for more serious business, but you'll have to bring your own reading material.

view this award on its own page ›

Since the Texas Union became the de facto food court of the West Mall, there's little space for slumber. But the Teaching Center is a different story altogether. We doubt that the architects of this very 1970s building planned its darkened halls with sleeping students in mind. Nevertheless, it seems tailor-made for scholars slouching on couches. Like weary soldiers, students heed not where they fall and leave backpacks in their wake as they steal a few blissful Zzzs before the next bell. The modular sofa scheme shimmers in the hazy light, in velvety hues of orange, blue, and crimson, and conveniently breaks into many smaller pieces; if one isn't pleased with her next-door neighbor, she can always move. But this would never happen. The students are so tired and stressed from books, papers, and tests that they all make good neighbors.

University of Texas at Austin
727 E. Dean Keeton, 512/471-3434
Sarah M. & Charles E. Seay Building, Speedway & Dean Keeton, 512/471-1157
UT Architecture Library, 200 Battle Hall, 512/495-4620
University of Texas Department of Art & Art History, 2301 San Jacinto, 512/475-7718
www.utexas.edu

view this award on its own page ›

Christmas decorations are up all year round at Lala's, where a jukebox of old standards keeps the place frozen in the past as well as in the holiday season. Our favorite part of the décor, though, is the collection of elves that hover over the bar and raise and lower as the door to the men's bathroom swings open and shut.

Lala's
2207 Justin
512/487-5297
www.fb.com/lalaslittlenugget

view this award on its own page ›

Got guests? In the early days of motor car traveling, major thoroughfares offered all kinds of roadside motels from which to choose. Nowadays, these options mostly exist on access roads of interstate highways in the form of chains. Sure, they're affordable options, but Austin is blessed to have two alternatives, both on South Congress and within spitting distance of the Capitol. With its kidney-shaped pool and Southwestern architecture, the Austin Motel is a nostalgic home away from home, and you know you're away from home in the lovely décor, with unique themes in each room. Plus, the Austin is attached to the scrumptious El Sol y La Luna restaurant. The Hotel San Jose is a zen oasis from the hustle and bustle of South Austin's busy boulevard. The radically modernized motor court exudes comfort, with its stucco and barrel-tiled roof having achieved the sought-after look of a perfectly broken-into favorite pair of jeans. With options like the Austin and the St. Jo, there is no reason to stay on the highway to hell.

Hotel San José
1316 S. Congress
512/852-2350
www.sanjosehotel.com

Austin Motel
1220 S. Congress
512/441-1157
www.austinmotel.com

view this award on its own page ›

Okay, so there are other rooftops in town for people to gather upon, and those places might have decks and seating as comfortable as this one, not to mention views equally as edifying. But this top-o'-the-building getaway is the zenith of the Artplex, which means that the folks relaxing up there are among the more interesting, creative fringe of downtown society. We wouldn't dream of indulging our acrophilia with anyone else.

view this award on its own page ›

Those of us who remember the early sweltering days of this performance space are undyingly grateful for the new air-conditioning units installed, for thousands of dollars, by the resident Rude Mechanicals. The new cooling system generates 20 tons of BTUs to chillify an estimated 4,500 square feet of prime performance space. And the manufacturer? Ruud, of course.

The Off Center
2211-A Hidalgo
512/476-7833
www.rudemechs.com

view this award on its own page ›

When you're having trouble focusing on the more intangible aspects of the Holy One, enjoy the most ethereal panorama of creation - well, local creation, at least, available right here in Austin at Saint Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church. Featuring ridiculously gorgeous sunsets in one of the few remaining parts of Austin not completely overdeveloped, St. Luke's is a bit of heaven on earth, but try not to covet thy neighbor's boat.

St. Luke's on the Lake Episcopal Church
5600 Ranch Road 620N
Ausin
512/266-2455

view this award on its own page ›

In a state where you can legally carry concealed weapons by the armload, safety concerns are a fact of life. Airports, courtrooms, heck, even some schools have metal detectors. If you don't take issue with such searches, might we recommend another? After being closed in 1974 due to several suicides, the observation deck on the UT Tower reopened to the public last year. But don't think you can just stop by anytime the mood suits to enjoy the view. No, all visitors must pass through a metal detector and submit to a search. (Even UT employees in the tower after 5pm are subject!) A reservation is required, and all belongings must stay down below. That means no camera bags, purses, fanny packs, diaper bags, and especially nothing metal. You will be searched!

University of Texas at Austin
727 E. Dean Keeton, 512/471-3434
Sarah M. & Charles E. Seay Building, Speedway & Dean Keeton, 512/471-1157
UT Architecture Library, 200 Battle Hall, 512/495-4620
University of Texas Department of Art & Art History, 2301 San Jacinto, 512/475-7718
www.utexas.edu

view this award on its own page ›

Hosts Judy and Vic Dwyer have created their own little paradise right on Lake Travis. With private balconies, stunning views of the sunset, a cozy pool, and tons of romantic touches, this B&B feels like a hideaway. You'll be bragging about your "vacation" for months to come.

Lake Travis Bed & Breakfast
4446 Eck Lane
512/266-3386

view this award on its own page ›

There it stands, staunchly, quietly, and mysteriously, while everything around it burgeons with remodeling and music and thousands of young people arriving and laughing and drinking and leaving. If you had a time-lapse film reel that presented the last five or 10 or even 50 years of the strip of Red River that stretches north from Sixth Street, it would be the only fixed thing in the frame, all white noise and industrial glow. It is the old Reddy Ice building on the 900 block of Red River, and many a young drunk passerby has navigated around the unpeopled, idling diesels that abut the building in the wee hours. Entertainment seekers of late have tried to park in its periphery, and once, it seemed, the freeze compound welcomed them - or at least ignored them, like a rhinoceros would regard the birds making a lunch of the mites on his back. But somewhere in the third reel, the Reddy Ice logo was altered, decorated with two large almond-shaped eyes. Whether this was vandalism by a very mischievous passerby - or something, perhaps, not of this world - the logo's recent transformation into an alien head marked an end of the neighborhood behemoth's tolerance toward the youth and growth and change clamoring around it. Sometime since the Reddy Ice people vacated about a year ago, a vicious towing policy has been instituted. Now it seems that wreckers are a constant fixture during party prime time, circling slowly and closing in for the kill at every opportunity. The industrial rhino has stood and shook its parasites away, and we say it's best to respect its wishes, especially with that alien head's icy stare presiding over it all.

Reddy Ice
901 Red River
512/472-3151

view this award on its own page ›

When the former porn theatre on South Congress was reconstructed, we were excited, thinking maybe an arthouse theatre would finally find its way to the south side. But something else has filled the void - communications technology company Future Protocol. Huge, shiny copper plates now cover the top floors of the building, making two sides of it look strangely like a fortress. Or maybe a spaceship. And there's even a rooftop deck for when employees need to see the light of day. Future Protocol did keep the old-timey marquee on which to display its name, but other than that, you'd hardly recognize the place - O what a difference a dot-com makes! As for lurid tales of debauchery about the previous tenants - we'll have to wait and see how much has really changed.

view this award on its own page ›

After 12 years, the hard work of a group of UT students has finally paid off. Their effort to diversify the subjects of statuary on the UT campus has been realized with the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue, sculpted by husband-and-wife team Jeffrey and Anna Koh-Varilla, on the East Mall. Here's a symbol, at long last, wrought from material fit to suggest the strength of this great champion of peace and equal rights.

University of Texas at Austin
727 E. Dean Keeton, 512/471-3434
Sarah M. & Charles E. Seay Building, Speedway & Dean Keeton, 512/471-1157
UT Architecture Library, 200 Battle Hall, 512/495-4620
University of Texas Department of Art & Art History, 2301 San Jacinto, 512/475-7718
www.utexas.edu

view this award on its own page ›