Loving where you live and loving the things around where you live are normally two different stories. My home town is Frisco, Texas and I despise a lot about it; its overcrowded (thanks Toyota), we have far too many schools, there isn’t a lot to do unless you have a nuclear family, but I love the food and how many places there are to shop. Sacrificing your home for an affordable place to live often means you have to sacrifice what’s around you, but that’s definitely not the case for West Campus.

Signing my lease for next fall was the most exciting thing I did last semester and it was 100% because of west campus. Not only do I have the cutest apartment (with a balcony !!!!) that’s not going to completely break the bank, but I also am finally adulting AND am walking distance from literally everything.

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure: Thrifting

Everyone wears the same clothes and has the same apartment decorations from Urban Outfitters (if they can afford it) and the Dobie Target. I take pride in how I look (minus my 8 am, yikes) and I can confidently say that over half of my clothes are from some dedicated thrifting.  No surprise here, but West campus and Austin, in general, have some of the best places to thrift in the state.

Buffalo Exchange:

While Buffalo Exchange is more on the expensive side of thrifting, it never fails. Not once have I walked out of Buffalo Exchange empty handed, even if my wallet was begging me to. 

From a wide range of men and women’s clothing BE has everything you need for a formal date night to a night of watching The Bachelor in your sweats. Even their jewelry section is top notch. Not to mention, they don’t provide bags to help the environment and you get a token after each purchase to donate money to one of three charities of your choice. 

Ragstock:

Now I wouldn’t say this is in West campus, but if you go to UT there is a chance you’ll be near this anyway. Ragstock is in the bottom of Dobie and is one of the best resale stores. They have some quirky weird things that work for nearly any UT party. Need a tutu and wig? They have it. Need something for St. Patty’s Day? Don’t pass up Ragstock.

Now, I may be biased because this is where I got the beloved denim jacket that I wear literally every day, yet they have a whole rack of jackets that are pretty cheap. Additionally, they have things for every season that most people on campus won’t have. Christmas sweaters, rain jackets, button ups, dresses, jackets, t-shirts and everything in between Ragstock is the place to go.

Music to My Ears, Literally

Antone’s Record Store:

While some people may say I am jumping on the bandwagon with owning a record player, I genuinely love being able to put a record on and go about my studying. The worst problem I have is finding records. Everyone gets their records either online or at Urban Outfitters, but look no further than Antone’s Record on Guadalupe. A whole store of current and vintage records can have you spending an afternoon flipping through vinyl.

While West campus just isn’t about shopping, and you’ll be hearing more from me later about this, but it’s central to some of the best thrift places in Austin. From affordable apartments and shops to a place for everyone, I can’t wait to call West Campus home.