Soho Lounge Neon, 6th Street – Austin, Texas

For my final image from Day 1 of SXSW 2023, I feature a familiar site from East 6th Street. Although I’ve featured the Soho Lounge neon a few times before, it’s one of my favorites from this grungy entertainment district. However, shooting with a 24mm equivalent gives me ample room to generously capture the sign and sidewalk.

I follow a pre-defined path back to my car from Rainey Street, which means I cut through 6th Street and then head north on Congress Avenue. Instead of my often-used Paramount Theater as my closing picture, I offer a ceremoniously lit cool blue neon. It’s not turned on every night, as I discovered on my recent visits on Sunday and Monday — perhaps cost-cutting on slow nights.

With the proliferation of multiple entertainment areas, much of East 6th lost its shine. Not only is it dirty, but the customers have also dropped off. I still like it for its photographic character but not much else.

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