I went to the Creek Show and saw Austin's premier Selena cover band Bidi Bidi Banda, and the vibe I get from this area is pretty special. Obviously downtown has places like Zilker for outdoor green spaces, but this is close to the capitol, and the walkways feel more lush and well-designed. Whereas Zilker seems more suited for recreation and lounging, Waterloo Greenaway feels like a great place to just roam around. And of course having Moody Amphitheater here helps.
The art installations around the Greenway were really cool. This is Instagram-worthy stuff for sure. The grounds seem really well-kept, and everyone at the show really had a good time.
Being from Round Rock where the general vibe is less gender-inclusive, I appreciated the bathroom set up here. I know lots of businesses in downtown Austin have gender neutral bathrooms, but I feel like Waterloo does it in a unique way. They are literally just private stalls (with toilets that use reclaimed water, of course) with a shared open, outdoor sink. There's not even unisex/gender neutral signage. There's not even really a "room." It's just private stalls and a shared sink, laid out in a way that makes it plainly obvious that anyone can use any toilet, and while I'm sure the fact that I've devoted a paragraph to something like this will make some people's eyes roll, I just appreciate the hell out of the city for this good, inclusive design.
There are plans to expand it south, all the way to the river. This would create a miles -long walkways lined with greenery that would add even more vibrance to our beautiful downtown. Apparently the greenway/creek also serves the purpose of protecting all of downtown from flooding, which is pretty freaking cool.
I don't live near enough to visit often, but this place checks a lot of boxes for me, so I'll at least be down for the yearly Creek Show. read more