Hyde Park, Austin, TX USA

It is Christmas time and the tradition of visiting my great-nieces and nephews in Austin is always a thrill and finding a great Airbnb in the Hyde Park area is imperative.

So why Hyde Park you ask?

Well, Hyde Park is a neighborhood and historic district in Austin, Texas. Located in Central Austin, Hyde Park traces its origins back to 1891 and is considered to be Austin’s first suburb. In more recent years, it has since become one of the most densely populated areas in the city’s urban core. Part of the neighborhood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic District in 1990. Great area for driving about and finding great architecture exhibited in housing construction and reclaiming of houses in this area. It is also perfect to discover those little nuggets and treasures the Keep Austin Weird. The Austin Independent Business Alliance adopted the slogan Keep Austin Weird to promote small businesses in Austin. The entrepreneurial spirit of the Austin people really carries through in businesses in Hyde Park.

Just a short distance from our Airbnb, we discover Quacks 43rd St. Bakery. YES, this is the real name of the establishment. Quacks 43rd St Bakery, the first coffeehouse on Austin and home of the Marvelous Morning Muffin. OK, I will admit, I am a true fan of frothy cappuccino, the more froth the better and here I discover Christmas Delight! Quacks offer a full-service expresso café and from-scratch bakery. Sure, you say so what café these days do not offer the same. Well, to experience Quacks is to fall in love with Quacks.

Their menu of baked goodies ranges from simple cookies to desert specialties, cakes, pies, and a variety of deli menu items. After long deliberation and a selection of beautifully hand decorated Christmas Cookies for the great-nieces and nephews, I selected the for my cappuccino companion the MARVELOUS MORNING MUFFIN! Both my frothy cappuccino and muffin exceeded my expectations on this Christmas Eve morning.

After our delighted morning experience at Quacks, we walk 20 paces around the corner at 42nd St & Duval and a trip into Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, Hyde Park. Here my partner finds his Christmas heaven. Although his morning expresso is treasured the way to a Swiss man’s heart is most definitely cheese and wine.

To say Antonelli’s is a cheese shop may be an understatement. It is a cheese emporium. Their variety of cheeses is a cheese connoisseurs delight. They source hundreds of artisanal producers’.  The delightful experience of Antonelli’s is getting to taste the cheese while making your decadent selections to bring home.  They are also driven by their WAYS WE GIVE BACK programs making many contributions to the community.

A visit to Austin is not without a visit to Antonelli’s Cheese Shop and a cooler of aromatic cheese to take back to Houston.