Shop Vintage ATX: North Austin Guide
You asked, and I am answering with a new series of blogs that will provide optimized routes for vintage shopping in Austin, insider tips and everything you might want to know before you go treasure hunting. Over the next few months, I will cover vintage shops and thrift stores (stay tuned for thrifting guides and routes as well!) in Austin, TX; region by region to provide you my recommended vintage shops to check-out, starting with none other than my home base - North Austin. On Instagram, I will be highlighting some of my favorite stops with video tours.
I define my vintage guide as curated shops that lean heavily into vintage goods and collectibles. These are traditionally higher in price vs. thrifts due to the quality of goods and curation of vintage-era items but don’t count these out for finding a bargain.
If you are looking for a complete guide to vintage shops, we are lucky to have the Vintage Around Town guide that houses a master list. I love this resource and you can typically pick-up a paper copy at most vintage shops listed at their counters.
Whether you are in Austin, TX on vacation, live here, or are specifically coming to Austin to treasure hunt you will undoubtedly hear the suggestion to check out North Loop for vintage. When I first moved here, this felt like an absolute mecca to me. The North Loop stretch has a denser strip of vintage offerings, a solid coffee shop and walkable restaurants and bars making for my top vintage destination for out-of-towners.
But the North Austin vintage game isn’t tightly zoned to E. North Loop Blvd, there are also a few amazing vintage shops nearby on N. Lamar and Burnet.
For what it’s worth, If I had one day to vintage shop in Austin, I would pick North Austin.
plan of attack: north austin vintage itinerary
Here is my optimized North Austin vintage shopping route based on my favorite stops with food and drink stops. There are more options in-between, so add these as you please and refer to the full map for all your options along this general route. Also, please note a big disclaimer that you should obviously shop with caution during COVID, this guide is intended to live well into a future full of much more carefree shopping but especially the vintage shops in my itinerary go to great lengths to make shopping safe, check their links for modified procedures and store hours before you plan a trip. And maybe wait to go to my in-house dining and bar recommendations post-pandemic.
mid-century millennial optimized itinerary Day trip in north austin
1. The Austin Antique Mall
I start you here very intentionally. It is one of the earliest consistent opening times 10AM daily, is over 30,000 square feet and requires some energy. My pro-tip for this one is to pay attention to sale booths and don’t expect to be outpriced, i’ve had some of my best scores at the lowest prices here. This is particularly a great spot for housewares, but as you can imagine they have a little bit of everything. I would give yourself at least an hour or two to make it through the antique mall, which will bring you up to the standard opening time for most vintage shops in Austin: 12PM.
2. Side Kitsch Vintage
This is a really fun stop on your way down to North Loop that I think gets overlooked because it is not in the main N. Loop stretch of vintage shops. I find their prices are at-times lower than some of the other shops and always fair, with a great selection of housewares and clothing. It doubles as the Scissor Sisters hair salon and has a great vibe.
Fuel Break: Epoch Coffee - great outdoor area and coffee
3. Blue Velvet
Okay, so after you’ve grabbed your Epoch coffee you are officially at the start of North Loop. You can park at this end and will have no problem making it to the other shops on the list on foot if that’s your bag. Blue Velvet is primarily clothing and accessories, with a few curated housewares at the front of the store. I love that this shop organizes by decade and always has really unique finds at one of the most competitive prices compared to the other vintage clothing shops as you get closer to downtown in the S. Congress area.
4. Breakaway Records
This is a record shop, not a general vintage shop but I had to include it because it has a great vibe if you’re into vinyl and they also have a great selection of in-house hi-fi if you are in the market for a record player or speakers. Extremely knowledgeable staff.
5. Room Service Vintage
Walk down the street past the cemetery that is not very full. Maybe I should look into getting a plot here and be among my vintage shops when I die. There are a few vacant buildings on N. Loop which I can’t imagine won’t fill up in due time but my absolute ride or die is Room Service. This shop has a more erratic vibe, they are high-turnover with consistently cool items that span eras and typically boast a slightly lower price than some of the more tightly curated shops. Look up, down and in all the nooks and crannies because this place is covered in cool things you can miss if you go to fast. I consistently go here for lighting fixtures (seriously, don’t forget to look up), fabric remnants (one of the only places that consistently stocks vintage fabrics) and what I call “filler” furniture like side tables, desks, outdoor furniture and more. Stuff goes fast - if you love it, buy it.
If you have time and it’s not getting too late: Go across the street and check-out Big Bertha’s Paradise for more high-end leaning vintage clothing and Ermine Vintage for clothing that is much more affordable with a bit of a grunge-vibe even though they have a little of everything.
Lunch Break: Home Slice Pizza - one of my favorite slices in Austin, and I find their North Loop location even more charming than S. Congress boasting a great outdoor and play area for kids. Grab a slice from their window for a quicker grab and go option to keep your day moving along.
6. Revival Vintage
Time to pack it up and head back out of North Loop, but not without stopping at the new Revival Vintage location on N. Lamar. Seriously, this is one of my favorite vintage shops and I rarely leave without wanting to blow my entire budget. The new location is beautiful which lends itself to their more heavily curated goods that serve as vignettes throughout the store. This is an inspiration haven for me. I consistently go here for smalls to style shelves/tabletops, on-trend “keeper” furniture (they are sticklers for quality), art and clothing.
7. Top Drawer Thrift
By now, you are probably feeling pretty done. But I would hate to not give you at least one example of vintage on Burnet, another great stretch of vintage and thrift. I take you to Top Drawer because this shop is a unique little gem. It’s smaller, quirky and does a great job of the hybrid thrift/vintage shop vibe boasting fair prices for vintage, unique items especially in housewares and electronics and the occasional larger item like furniture that is almost always more reasonable than other shops. Most notably, 100% of proceeds from Top Drawer Thrift benefit people living with HIV/AIDS in Austin through the work of Project Transitions.
Drink? I would end this perfect day with a dive into Christmas kitsch year-round up the street at Lala’s or if Christmas isn’t your vibe, The Little Longhorn Saloon is another fantastic dive that is home to Chicken Shit Bingo. Welcome to Texas.
North Austin vintage shop directory
These are all the shops I have personally made it out to, if I have missed any or you are a vintage shop and want to be added to the North Austin tour feel free to email me at megan@mid-centurymillennial.com and I will plan a trip to see what you’re all about.
Austin Antique Mall
Huge antique mall that is a consistent go-to for me for all things, but specifically housewares and furniture.
Big Bertha’s Paradise
Boutique vibe, more rare couture vibes that are unfortunately usually out of my price range, but still so fun!
Blue Velvet Vintage
217 W. North Loop Blvd., 78751
Great clothing and accessories selection with a wide range of styles, organized by era with fair pricing, lower than most vintage boutiques.
Breakaway Records
211 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
Vinyl LPs, 45s, and a great spot to pick up vintage stereo equipment. Pick-up only at the moment.
Ermine Vintage
Ermine Vintage
106 E. North Loop Blvd, 78751
Variety of men’s and women’s vintage styles and eras with more of an emphasis on casual wear.
Modern Redux
8120 Research Blvd. Ste. 108, 78758
Higher-end shop that feels like a showroom, most of the inventory is well out of my price range but if you’re in the market for some truly special collectors items or pristine design nerd furniture this is a spot to check-out.
Out of the Past
Never know what you might find here, I don’t frequent this shop but need to remember they have loads of off the beaten path collectibles and a variety of other items if you’re up for the hunt in this packed shop.
Revival Vintage
New location as of January 2021! 5201 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
One of my favorites in Austin. Super well-curated, I love going here for design inspiration, fair prices for the quality, on-trend furniture, stylish smalls and vintage clothing.
Room Service Vintage
Room Service Vintage
117 E. North Loop Blvd., 78751
Another one of my favorites in North Austin. This place has more of a antique mall feel to it with multiple vendors making it a treasure trove. This is a popular shop with high-turnover and great deals. I especially love this shop for lighting fixtures, tiki, fabrics/textiles and so many great housewares.
Side Kitsch Vintage
Side Kitsch Vintage
6535 N Lamar, 78752
Just recently started swooping through here on my way to North Loop. Really fun inventory, a lot of kitsch which vibes with me. This has multiple room setup, including a room for clothing and accessories, rooms with housewares and unique curated setups. I have found some good deals here, especially on furniture.
Top Drawer Vintage - Burnet
Even though this shop has thrift in the title, I still consider it a vintage shop due to it’s heavily vintage leaning inventory. I especially love this shop for a unique collection of electronics and collectibles. 100% of proceeds from Top Drawer Thrift benefit people living with HIV/AIDS in Austin through the work of Project Transitions.
Top Drawer - Crestview
This is the much smaller sister store to the Burnet Top Drawer, with the same great benefit of benefiting Project Transitions. It’s much smaller but I love the vibe of this little shop and have found some really unique items here, slightly higher priced than other location as this feels like more of a classic vintage boutique.
Uptown Modern
Really nice large shop on Burnet this was one of the first places we bought “keeper” pieces of furniture for our house, like a mid-century teak credenza. I go here for the types of items that I will likely never find for a bargain or when I have something specific in mind that I’ve saved up for. They stock beautiful mid-century furniture and even though the price-point is higher it can be worth the cost for their solid selection.
