A Former Mall, Four Austin Gathering Places
Austin Community College's Highland Campus gives a former shopping mall a new educational role. This four-stop Austin collection pairs that reused setting with live music at 29th Street Ballroom, theater and performances at Stage Austin, and comfort food and bakery desserts at Chez Zee American Bistro. Compare campus, dining and scheduled entertainment without treating teaching spaces as unrestricted visitor attractions.
Austin Community College: Highland Campus turns a former shopping mall into a higher-education campus with career-training hubs. Its expansive interior contains computer labs, tutoring spaces and individual study desks throughout the hallways. A bistro and cafe are also among the campus's student resources, and metro train and bus connections are nearby.
View Details
29th Street Ballroom brings Austin's local atmosphere into a compact performance space for smaller concerts and diverse events. Intentional decor and a photo booth built into the wall give the room visual character. A fully stocked bar serves free water and non-alcoholic options for designated drivers, while food trucks are stationed outside. Parking is very limited.
View Details
Stage Austin is a performing arts theater and live music venue on East Highway 290 in North Austin. Plays and live music use an ample stage with sound provisions. Seating sits near the performance space or in a lounge, and an outdoor patio is available on-site.
View Details
Chez Zee American Bistro completes this sequence with a menu of pasta, burgers, pizza, salads, chicken and fish, then turns attention to dessert. Its multi-page list includes strawberry poolaza cake and lemon rosemary cake, both praised by a visitor. On Friday nights, a live band adds music to the bistro. A reviewer also noted prompt seating for larger groups.
View Details