Watch out for those broken beer bottles! The dead-end portion of West 11th in Old West Austin, which sits in the shadow of developer Gary Bradley's towering "Castle," may be a hangout for rowdy teens most weekend nights, but it's also the perfect vantage point for watching the Independence Day festivities. No huge crowds to muscle through, no parking hassles, and one of the best views of the downtown skyline you could ask for any day of the year. (Note to readers: The city of Austin screwed this one up this year by moving the festivities from Town Lake to Zilker Park, but that, in all likelihood, is just a temporary oversight.)
