6th Street (Austin)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6th Street is a historic street and entertainment district in Austin, Texas.[1] East 6th Street is the center of the city's live music scene. 6th street was formerly named Pecan Street; east-west streets in Austin were named after trees — north-south streets were and still are named after Texas rivers.[2] The area around nearby 4th Street and 6th Street and is the heart of the Austin entertainment district.[3][4] Many bars, clubs, music venues, and shopping destinations are located on E. 6th Street between Congress Avenue and Interstate 35 and many offer live music at one time or another during the week.[5]
E. 6th Street plays host to a wide variety of events each year, ranging from music and film festivals (such as South by Southwest) to biker rallies (such as The Republic of Texas Biker Rally) and the Pecan Street Festival.[6]
Traffic is generally blocked on E. 6th Street and most crossroads from I-35 to Brazos Street on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings (depending on pedestrian traffic), as well as holidays and special events to allow the crowds to walk unfettered to the many venues that line the street. On New Year's Eve, Mardi Gras, and Halloween nights tens of thousands of revelers can walk only one way depending on the side of the street they are on.
The area of 6th Street roughly bounded by 5th Street, 7th Street, Lavaca Street, and Interstate 35 is known as the 6th Street Historic District and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1975.[7]
The area of 6th Street west of Lavaca is known as the West 6th Street District. It is roughly bound by 5th Street, 7th Street, Lavaca Street, and West Ave. Recently, there has been a growing movement to develop this area as an entertainment district of its own, geared toward the live music crowd.
[edit] 2009 fire
Five businesses in century old buildings on 6th street were damaged by fires on the morning of February 6, 2009. The first fire was started by a cigarette thrown under a stairwell. The stairwell had debris, rags and cups under it that caught fire. Estimated damage was more than $1 million.[8] A second unrelated fire broke out at the same time across the street from the first fire due to a faulty air conditioner.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ AROUND THE STATE: A Selective Guide to Entertainment and Events of More Than Usual Interest. Texas Monthly. November 1979. pp. 28. http://books.google.com/books?id=JC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ^ "Homemade crafts a main attraction at the Old Pecan Street Festival". Associated Press. 2004-09-25. http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=120437&SecID=2. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ^ Barton, Laura; Amy Fleming (2008-02-23). "We're Austin Music". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/feb/23/austin.usa?gusrc=rss&feed=global. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ^ Whitacre, Whitacre (2001-08-15). "6th Bar Blues". The Daily Texan. http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2.8460/6th-bar-blues-1.1268585. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ^ Ezell, Kyle (2006). Retire Downtown. Andrews McMeel Publishing. pp. 160,162. ISBN 9780740760495. http://books.google.com/books?id=dv5NQMWS9hAC&pg=PA162. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ^ "6th Street Revealed". Celebrate Austin Magazine. http://www.celebrate-austin.com/c.php?p=93. Retrieved on 2009-07-14.
- ^ National Register Information System, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. Retrieved March 6, 2009.
- ^ Matt Flener and Kate Weidaw "Cigarette blamed for fire on Sixth" KXAN
- ^ Vail, Isador KXAN 'Second Fire'"
