Best Storefront / Sign

Austin Motel

Built along the main highway out of town in 1938 and restored to its former glory in the mid-Nineties, the Austin Motel deserves an Austin salute for hundreds of reasons. To name just a few: It boasts both an old-style marquee advertising that it's been "Corporate Free" since 1938 and a gorgeous Todd Sanders neon sign; the coffee shop is the delectable El Sol y La Luna cafe; it's the motel of choice for visiting musicians during SXSW; and most importantly, the renovations done here by owner Dottye Dean helped spark the renaissance of several blocks of South Congress Avenue. What's not to love?

Austin Motel
1220 S. Congress, 512/441-1157
www.austinmotel.com