Sarah warned us Austin in July would be hot and she was not wrong. We're from London, England so the all-day dry Texan heat was quite a challenge at times. All the more reason why coming back to such a beautifully cool, tranquil hideaway was such a pleasure. I have never appreciated air conditioning so much! The flat was just like in the pictures: modern, comfortable, spacious and clean. Although we never actually met her, you can tell Sarah is a pro at hosting because everything is so well thought-out and organised. As for the neighbourhood, we did our research and it hit was perfect for us. We prefer what some people might call 'hipster' districts (think of the Mission in San Francisco or Peckham where we're from in London), but we wanted somewhere quiet to come back to, with nearby vegan food options as we're both vegans. We loved this largely residential part of Austin dotted with quirky cafes, beautiful modernist houses, cool bookshops, Mexican vibrancy and an edgy creative feel. Not to mention Austin's first vegan cat cafe, a few minutes' walk away (the cats aren't vegan, the food is. Just saying). The location is great, a quick drive into town. We prefer to walk whenever we can, so we walked into town and back when the heat wasn't too much or it wasn't too late (about 15-20 minutes' walk). If you like walking too, bear in mind that like most US cities Austin is designed around cars. So you'll have to negotiate some big roads and underpasses that might feel a bit intimidating, especially in the evening. We'd stay at Sarah's place again in a heartbeat. It was the ideal base to explore such a cool, creative and welcoming city.