The Spider House, located close to UT, is an unusual establishment open from breakfast until late night. Largely populated by students in search of coffee drinks, light food and solitude by day, this quiet spot gets decidedly more upbeat at night when beer and wine are the more common fare. Based in an old house complete with wooden floors and wrap-around porch, the interior is comfortable and serene with tables and chairs for lounging. Outside, there is a fabulous patio with strings of festive lights and mismatched funky furniture.

Right below the reputedly tallest (27 stories) dormitory building in America lies a complex of shops and businesses, one of which is this nifty four-screen movie house. Independent films have a way of starting small here, then breaking into national acclaim; credit the theater's owners for selecting a broad variety of movies both big and small, foreign and domestic. This place has much to satisfy the expectations of its hip collegiate audiences-a very good thing, too, since the University of Texas campus is literally across the street. Midnight shows are also commonplace. See website for showtimes and more.

Located on the UT campus, this small dark cavern is a singer/songwriter paradise. The venue attracts local artists as well as nationally recognized ones. Acoustic combos also play here. The Cafe is rather small, so the acoustics are great and the audience is filled with both devoted music fans and the university crowd. It can be difficult to find; call ahead for walking directions on campus.

Coco's Café on the Drag, the strip of Guadalupe that runs along the University of Texas campus, offers seemingly endless variations on bubble tea, the drink made from tea that is blended with milk, pureed with ice, or made into a smoothie with fruits, and sometimes all of the above. Choose which "series," your tea will come from, with choices like the "milk," "coffee," "black tea" and "slushi." Then choose your flavors, which can range from simple Honey Green Tea to combinations like Strawberry and Coconut Smothee, and include exotic flavor choices such as taro and lychee. Add in extras like tapioca pearls or flavored jellies, and you're set. A menu of Taiwanese food and dessert is offered as well. - Christine Whalen

Club 1808 has firmly made its mark in the live music scene in Austin after having successfully attracted the finest musicians over the years. Independent and unsigned bands are greatly patronized by this club which has done ts best to promote raw talent. Beer flows all the way each night, while the pool table constantly sees its share of regulars. Tuesdays and Wednesdays beckon with the special promotions available on a range of drinks.

For warm, freshly baked cookies, Cookie Lounge has something for everyone. Though they do have some ready-made combos, the fun is in designing your own cookie. It works like this: first, choose your cookie dough from a selection of chocolate, peanut butter, and gluten-free, among others. Next, choose from three cookie sizes. Last, choose your mix-ins. These range from the traditional, like chocolate candies and candy pieces, to the more exotic, like candied serrano peppers and pineapple. Cookies are baked to order and are ready in about 10 minutes. Milkshakes, floats, and made-to-order sodas are also available. If you don't want to wait at the shop, Cookie Lounge delivers. - Christine Whalen

The Parlor may not be a beauty saloon but it certainly will make you feel stomach full if not beautiful. That's right, this fine undertaking plays quite a few roles from a pizza place to a coffee house to a bar and so on. Parlor's customers can't stop going gaga about their pizzas and why not? After all, they serve mouth-watering pizzas with ample of toppings that makes every pizza look and taste good. This hip spot serves as a very friendly coffeehouse as well. Not to mention the inexpensive beer they serve. Jukebox and pool tables to satisfy the entertainment factor. Outdoor patio for the ones who like to enjoy the weather. Almost a complete package which very few want to pass on.

Nomad Bar is quite an undertaking not too far from Downtown. This place has a trendy atmosphere buzzing around, while the people come here just to have a great time. Most come here after work, while for the rest, it's a regular fun outing. The chairs and tables are over-sized and comfy too. Not to mention the outdoor patio, where the weather feels just right. A potential romantic spot as well. But, this glistening bar is mainly better of for friend circles. It has a great range of premium drinks to select from, while the bartenders are professional thus bankable. The food served here is really delicious. One must try the hummus plate, which you may be surprised by its taste and texture. Occasional live music is just one the best aspects of this bar. A favorite spot for many. This place opens at 5pm.

Bates Recital Hall known mainly as the 700 seat hall which hosts almost all types of symphony orchestra, solo performances, bands and so much more. It's one of the most spacious halls in Texas. The seating is very comfortable and sometimes it does gets a little chilly in here. Few of the past events here were the Holiday Organ Concert, Miro Quartet and Mark O' Connor. Students into orchestral type of music get quite a number of opportunities to practice and perform out here, while visiting musicians is a usual aspect of this hall. If ever get a chance to witness a concert at the Bates Recital Hall, please don't waste it. A great experience guaranteed.

National Comedy Theatre of Austin is where anyone's funny bone can be tickled and will be. It's not just the theater they perform at, but they also have road shows, corporate shows and so on. The comedians of this theater do a marvelous job and for some reason their acts seem so effortless and natural. Although they have to be reserved if you want them to perform at a particular place and time. Not to mention the comedy workshops, that they host. Whether it's one of them or many of them, they will never fail to make you laugh.