Sixth Street Historic District, Ritz Theater, Austin, Texas
A look at the north side of the 300 block of E. Sixth St., part of Austin's Sixth Street Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The historic district, a.k.a. Old Sixth Street and Dirty 6th, runs east from Lavaca St. (2 blocks west of Congress Ave.) to I-35. While the Sixth St. entertainment district extends well past Congress Ave. to the west, and I-35 to the east, it is the historic section known for its clubs, bars, live music, restaurants, and 19th century architecture that made Austin the "Live Music Capital of the World."
Among the notable buildings in the 300 block of E. Sixth is the Ritz. Since the theater's opening in 1929, it has been used as a movie theater, music hall, club, and comedy house. It reopened after renovations in fall 2007 as the new downtown location for the Alamo Drafthouse. The venue temporarily closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was permanently closed in 2021 when the Alamo Drafthouse filed for bankruptcy.
Fortunately, the Ritz won't be closed for long as podcaster, comedian, actor, and color commentator and newly transplanted Austin resident Joe Rogan will reopen The Ritz later this year as the Comedy Mothership At The Ritz Theater.
Sixth Street Historic District, Ritz Theater, Austin, Texas
A look at the north side of the 300 block of E. Sixth St., part of Austin's Sixth Street Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The historic district, a.k.a. Old Sixth Street and Dirty 6th, runs east from Lavaca St. (2 blocks west of Congress Ave.) to I-35. While the Sixth St. entertainment district extends well past Congress Ave. to the west, and I-35 to the east, it is the historic section known for its clubs, bars, live music, restaurants, and 19th century architecture that made Austin the "Live Music Capital of the World."
Among the notable buildings in the 300 block of E. Sixth is the Ritz. Since the theater's opening in 1929, it has been used as a movie theater, music hall, club, and comedy house. It reopened after renovations in fall 2007 as the new downtown location for the Alamo Drafthouse. The venue temporarily closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was permanently closed in 2021 when the Alamo Drafthouse filed for bankruptcy.
Fortunately, the Ritz won't be closed for long as podcaster, comedian, actor, and color commentator and newly transplanted Austin resident Joe Rogan will reopen The Ritz later this year as the Comedy Mothership At The Ritz Theater.