Cut and Color

New tattoo parlor and barbershop hybrid makes South Austin even cooler

Tried & True Barber & Tattoo opens April 10.

A new hybrid concept with old-school vibes is coming to South Austin. Tried & True Barber & Tattoo, the first shop of its kind in Austin, will open April 10 on South Congress Avenue.

"In the early 20th century, it was common for a tattoo artist to rent space in the back of a barbershop. Plus, with both professions being so similar in nature, it's too cool of an idea not to continue the tradition," say the owners in a joint statement.

That team includes longtime tattoo artist Kelly Barr, Heather Manto as the head of the barbershop, and Tim and Sara Lupa (of The Brixton and Drinks Lounge). They have assembled a top-notch squad of tattoo artists, barbers, and more.

In addition to original tattoo designs, services include short cuts, facial hair trims, and straight razor shaves — but the establishment isn't for guys only.

"While we won't be offering salon services like long hair cutting or hair color, we took a lot of effort to make sure the shop doesn't have a 'boys club' feel. Women have great ideas and get awesome tattoos, so we want them to be part of this, whether they're covered in art or thinking about getting their first piece," the team says.

The shop is located at 6501 S. Congress Ave., near the intersection of William Cannon Drive, which the owners say is a perfect fit for Tried & True.

"South Austin is still a hidden gem with amazing restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and music shops. It's not completely overrun with chain stores and still has a lot of the character that makes Austin feel like Austin. Hang out with us at our neighbor bar, The Little Darlin', and you'll know exactly what we mean."

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cheer up, austin

Here's how Austin is feeling in new national study on happiness

Photo by Ryan Duffy on Unsplash

Austinites aren't very happy people, according to WalletHub.

Austin is continuing a lukewarm streak of being labeled one of the nation's mildly happy cities for the second year in a row.

The Capital of Texas is only the second happiest city in the state, but appeared 59th of 182 on personal finance website WalletHub's new national list of the "Happiest Cities in America (2025)."

WalletHub annually ranks the most populous U.S. cities based on 29 metrics, categorized by each city's emotional and physical well-being; income and employment; and community and environment.

The top three happiest cities on the list are all located in California: Fremont (No. 1), San Jose (No. 2), and Irvine (No. 3), followed by Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at No. 4; and Overland Park, Kansas, at No. 5.

Austin's reputation as a somewhat happy city is well established: It was named the No. 65 happiest city in America in a separate 2024 report by SmartAsset (that only analyzed 90 U.S. cities).

Austin's happiness really shines when it comes to its residents' financial and employment stability, as the city ranked No. 22 nationwide in that category.

The U.S. Census Bureau says Austin households make a median income of $91,461 annually, but research says money doesn't guarantee happiness. Individuals stop seeing correlated improvements in happiness once they hit about $75,000 a year.

Financial stability can lead to more flexibility when it comes to a person's lifestyle choices, but it's not the only factor that contributes to someone's happiness, the report says.

"Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.”

Austin came in at No. 44 for its "emotional and physical well-being," and at No. 142 for its "community and environment" ranking.

There's so much more to Austin's happiness that can't be defined by a collection of rankings. Besides large-scale events like SXSW, ACL, and Formula 1, there's plenty of hometown entertainment to be found throughout the city.

Plus, Austin's vibrant restaurant scene is constantly innovating to bring diverse cuisines to residents, from a new Mediterranean food trailer to buzzy food festivals featuring bites from talented chefs.

Other happy cities in Texas
Plano was dubbed the No. 1 happiest Texas city, and ranked No. 20 overall. But in general, Texas cities aren't very happy.

Austinites can at least find some solace in not being as miserable as Brownsville, a South Texas town that took the title as the unhappiest city in Texas. Brownsville ranked dead last in the statewide comparison and No. 170 nationwide.

Here's how other Texas cities fared in the report:

No. 81 – Irving
No. 101 – Garland
No. 113 – Grand Prairie
No. 124 – Dallas
No. 125 – Fort Worth
No. 128 – Arlington
No. 151 – Houston
No. 152 – Laredo
No. 155 – Lubbock
No. 156 – Amarillo
No. 158 – El Paso
No. 164 – San Antonio
No. 167 – Corpus Christi

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