Tag: Austin

Apps · Practical · Software Dev

UX teardown: make your own guides in  Maps

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I always found the “favorites” feature in Apple Maps to be too general and dissatisfying. I quit using that feature once I had 48 places saved all across the world. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Before that, I saved specific lists of places in Google Maps, but found their mobile app to be cluttered and confusing. 😖 So I gave up and started using Trello.

Trello is cool for some things like trip planning and small projects, but it did not scale well and didn’t handle lists of places well. So I gave up on that. 😢

 Maps guides

I’m happy to have just discovered that you can save your favorite places as “guides” in Apple Maps. Finally, this is genuinely useful!

I just set up my own guide for coffee places open early for when I’m looking to get our early. Quick and easy and right to the point! 🤩. I can immediately see all the places I saved and their hours. Check it out for yourself! (This is my own personal guide, so it’s focused on Austin, TX.)

Of course this guide automatically syncs to my iPad and Mac as well. ✅

Rechecking Goole Maps

Forgive me if I sound like an  fanboy, but out of genuine curiosity I went back and I did the same thing in the latest Google maps. It was a bit painful. 😢

Notice how the “main” screen is oddly not a map but more of a picture of a cup of coffee and therefore not useful to me.

And even when I drilled into an actual map view, the places I care about are unlabeled in favor of (1) a notification that HEB has an offer and (2) the Texas Capitol and Congress Ave. Bridge exist. Again, not useful.

I just want to know where a coffee shop is open at 7am! Now that would be useful. 👆

But where are all the coffee shops and their hours?
But which ones are the actual coffee shops?

Austin

Favorite Spots For Remote Work in Austin

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Even if you have a top-notch home office, sometimes it helps to get out and clear your head.

I get some of my best work done at Cosmic (in good wether) or Barley Bean (in most weather). Do512 did their own polling and came up with the best places to work all around Austin.

👉 Our Favorite Spots For Remote Work

I’m bookmarking this list in case I find myself somewhere besides South Austin (gasp!), looking for a place to pull out my laptop and knock out some writing or code.

👉 See also: The Best Outdoor Seating in Austin, TX

Austin

The sisters behind some of Austin’s best tacos

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For a while, I thought Veracruz All Natural was basically just the taco truck at Radio. But they’re all over town. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Here’s the story behind the immigrant sisters who founded Veracruz All Natural.

Key facts: they’re actually from Veracruz, Mexico and came to the US illegally 22 years ago. They contributed a lot to the Austin taco scene by not changing what they knew growing up in Mexico. They started in 2006 with $6,000. A 2009 mention in the Austin Chronicle gave them a good early the boost.

👉 I’m more of a Pueblo Viejo guy because there’s one that is walking distance from my house. But Veracruz is great too, and I love the story.

Austin

Places to play around Austin

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Here’s a great post from do512 on places to go in and around Austin to play like a kid. Take the kids or be a kid for a while.

👉 Where To Be A Kid Again In Austin

This post has it all: mini golf, pickleball, disc golf, go-karting, arcade games, bowling, water parks, darts, karaoke, roller skating, rock climbing, laser tag, art, even snakes and alligators.

Cheat Sheet

Dreamland | Austin’s | Typhoon Texas | Peter Pan Mini Golf | Punch Bowl Social | Austin Panic Room | Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo | Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In | Toy Joy | Austin Bouldering Project | Austin Roller Rink | Pinballz Arcade | Blazer Tag | Upstairs Circus |

Austin

Real Rail for Austin!

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During the presidential election last month, I was surprised to see that there was also a local transit plan called Project Connect on the ballot. I kind of assumed it would fail since there was a pandemic on, traffic was way down, and people were avoiding crowded spaces. 🤷🏻‍♂️

So the headline on the latest edition of Community Impact shocked me.

Historic public transportation expansion on its way to Austin

And it passed by a hefty margin. 💪🏻

I was farther stunned to see that this is not some BS 💩 rail system built on existing freight rail lines (wtf?) but a real urban rail system actually running through the heart of the city where people can truly ditch their cars forever and hop on the train. This line runs right down South Congress, where I can walk to it to get to downtown, UT, or the airport entirely car-free. 🎊

This project can help make the city more human-oriented, more convenient, reduce the need for all that ugly asphalt, take some pressure off those gridlocked streets, and help the planet. For about $25/month I’m soooo in.

Maybe one day Austin will look a little bit like Lisbon. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Austin

Favorite Austin Hotel Pools

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There’s just something about a hotel pool. 🤩 Here are some wet and sunny spots to enjoy around Austin. This picture is of the Austin Motel pool, but many more are listed in the post.

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☀️Favorite Austin Hotel Pools . 👀Looking for a day in the sun or a pretty staycation? Check out some of these favorite #austin hotel spots . ‼️Please visit their websites for more information regarding the precautions they are taking. As many are only accepting reservations and limited capacity. Check frequently as updates are made. . 👉Austin Motel @austinmotel 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉The Wayback @thewaybackaustin 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉South Congress Hotel @southcongresshotel . 👉The Line Hotel @thelinehotel 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available on weekdays . 👉Azul Rooftop @azulrooftop . 👉Fairmont Austin @fairmontatx 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉W Austin @waustin 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available . 👉Hotel San Jose @hotelsanjose . 👉Hotel Saint Cecilia @hotelsaintcecilia . 👉Hotel VanZandt @hotelvanzandt . 👉East Austin Hotel @eastaustinhotel 🏊‍♀️Day Pass available • • • 📸 @alisonmarlborough @austinmotel #stufftodoinaustin #austintexas #austintx #atx #atxlife #atxlifestyle #atxblog #atxblogger #austinmotel #southcongress #keepaustinweird #trueaustin #do512 #austin360 #austin #downtownaustin

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Austin

Antone’s

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Just an Austin photo that I really like!

Where actually is Antone’s these days? 😆

Austin

The Story Behind the Lucy’s Friend Chicken Sign

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Kind of a funny story about the Lucy’s Fried Chicken neon sign. 😂

You should have seen my grandmother—she was really something.

This is part of a series from Austin Monthly on Austin’s most famous neon signs.

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For our April issue, we dug deep into the backstories behind 10 of Austin’s most iconic neon signs. We believe that these pieces of electric artwork are essential to the city’s identity, so for the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing some of the images and their histories with you. ⚡️ First up: Lucy’s Fried Chicken. ⁣ ⁣ “A collaboration between chef-owner James Holmes, design firm @pentagramdesign, and artist @theneonjungle, this sign was made in homage to Holmes’ grandmother, who taught him how to cook the titular dish at his fried chicken restaurants. “He said, ‘I want it to be this old-fashioned pin-up girl like they used to paint on the nose cones of the B-52 bombers,’” says Pentagram partner DJ Stout. “I said, ‘Isn’t that a little racy if you’re naming this place after your grandmother and daughter?’ He said, ‘You should have seen my grandmother—she was really something.’” Pentagram designed the lettering and drew the vintage woman, while Voyles had the idea that she should be kicking her leg out, using old-school animation to create the effect.”⁣ ⁣ See the full gallery at the #linkinbio.⁣ ⁣ 📸 @marylizphoto

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