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Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lady Bird Lake Water Rentals

AG | July 8, 2016 |

Lady Bird Lake, formerly known as Town Lake, is one of the Austin’s crown jewels. Year round, save for the scorching 100-plus heat days, the lake is a great place for locals, transplants and visitors to recreate.  One of the best ways to experience the water is by boat – canoe, kayak, pedal boat or  standup paddle board (abbreviated as “SUP”).

Since Aquafest, powered motor boats are forbidden on Lady Bird Lake, with exceptions for small electric motors.

SUP on Lady Bird Lake
SUP on Lady Bird Lake

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the top spots to rent canoes, kayaks, SUP boards and water bikes (if you’re one of these boathouses and have a special offer, let us know).

Before we get into it, a quick word about what to bring with you if it is your first time out

  • Sunscreen. (Cancer is no joke. Aaaand peeling skin isn’t sexy – take it from a pale red-head who has learned the hard way.)
  • Hat. (If you look like a freak, fly your freak flag proudly. State Troopers wear cowboy hats for a reason.)
  • Sunglasses. (Buy some cheapies that you won’t mind losing if you tip.)
  • Water-bottle. (For the beverage of your choosing if it is opaque and insulated)
  • Ziplock baggie for your phone. (You’ll enjoy yourself more if you’re not freaking about it.)
  • A valid Government Issued Photo ID or Driver license. (Required for rental.)
  • A credit card in the same name as the ID. (Required for rental.)

A word of warning: canoes are way easier to master than kayaks, which go off course really easy in a two-person setup.  If you’re prone to frustration or fights with whomever you’re going out there with, I’d stay away from kayaks.  Seriously, even Maverick and Goose would get frustrated with each other trying to paddle those things straight.

Sup Atx Paddle Board Rentals  (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: Open all daylight hours, seven days a week.
  • Fleet: SUP boards
  • Weekday SUP rate benchmark: $15 per hour.
  • Where: The published address 1541 W Cesar Chavez St, but the actual location is 2100 Stephen F. Austin Dr. (Best bet by car is to get there early and park under the Mopac bridge, or elsewhere along Stephen F Austin Drive and walk there along the lake trail.)
  • Phone: 512-467-7799

EpicSUP Standup Paddle Board & Kayak Rentals (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: 9 a.m to 7 p.m., seven days a week
  • Fleet: Single/Double kayaks, SUP boards
  • Weekday SUP rate benchmark: $15 per hour.
  • Where: 2200 S Lakeshore Blvd. (There location is behind the HI-USA Hostel. Best bet by car is to take advantage of public parking at 505 Barton Springs Road, and walk over.)
  • Phone: 512-423-4885

Congress Avenue Kayaks  (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 :30 p.m. (last rental goes out at 6:30 p.m.)
  • Fleet: Single/Double kayaks, SUP boards
  • Weekday SUP rate benchmark: $20 per hour.
  • Where: 74 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78701 (Best bet buy car is metered parking at the MACC and walk there the trail.)
  • Phone:  512-809-8916

Live Love Paddle (formerly Paddle Zen)  (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: Thursday to Monday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday: Noon to 5:30 p.m.; closed Wednesday.
  • Fleet: Single/Double kayaks, SUP boards, Canoes, NuCanoes
  • Weekday SUP rate benchmark: $15 per hour.
  • Where: 1610 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78741 (Office is located next to Radio Shack in ground floor of the AMLI Southshore building on Lady Bird Lake. Best bet by car is to use the surface/garage parking there.)
  • Phone: 512-804-2122

Austin Water Bikes  (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: Monday to Thursday, Noon to 6 p.m.; Friday – Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Fleet: water bikes
  • Price: $22/hour (check website for tours and other costs)
  • Where: 208 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704 (Located behind the Hyatt. Best bet by car is to take advantage of public parking at 505 Barton Springs Road, and walk over.)
  • Phone: 512-200-6555 

Texas Rowing Center (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: 6 a.m. to “dusk”; seven days a week
  • Fleet: Fleet: Single/Double/Triple kayaks, SUP boards, Canoes
  • Price: Weekday SUP rate benchmark: $15 per hour.
  • Where: 1541 W Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78703 (Best bet buy car is metered parking at the MACC and walk there the trail.)
  • Phone: 512-467-7799

Rowing Dock (Click for pricing)

  • Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.; seven days a week
  • Fleet: Fleet: Single/Double/kayaks, SUP boards, Canoes
  • Price: Weekday SUP rate benchmark: $15 per hour.
  • Where: 2418 Stratford Dr, Austin, TX 78746 (Apparently, National Treasure 3 stars Nicolas Cage trying to find the place, so here are the company’s tips.)
  • Phone: 512-459-0999

~A

kayak

austin lifestyle downtown - lady bird lake

Filed Under: around town

Downtown Austin News Bites

AG | March 31, 2016 |

Fareground Austin Making Progress

Fareground Austin – Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

The renovation / remodel of the plaza in front of 111 Congress Avenue, being branded as Fareground Austin,  has been underway since last year, and things seem to chugging right along. The project has received loads of press in all the major news outlets and recently unveiled new renderings and announced an operator of the restaurant concepts that will be housed there.

Fareground Austin has utilized local talent for many aspects of the project, including dwg, Michael Hsu Architecture, lookthinkmake, and ELM Restaurant Group, among others.

Parkway Properties took full ownership of 111 Congress and San Jacinto Center last year and both properties have received / are receiving exterior improvements.

New Co-Working Space at San Jacinto Center

Rendering courtesy of Techspace's Facebook Page
Techspace coworking in downtown Austin

Another big player in the co-working vertical comes to the CBD.  We’ve written about other spaces before, and TechSpace seems to fit right in with the crowd, offering 28,0000 sf of flex co-working in a modern setting – perfect for small business enterprise.

New Juice Shop at 603 Brazos

Juicing _ Flickr - Photo Sharing
Courtesy Flickr: bertholf, https://goo.gl/zr4y0a

A permit is currently under review for a new juice shop to take over 820 sf of ground floor space at 603 Brazos (across from The Driskill and also referred to as 200 E 6th).  The concept will be named Jugo.  No other information as of now, but we’re definitely in support of the general concept!

Application Filed for Demolition of Austin City Music Hall

third-and-shoal-downtown-austin-real-estate
Third + Shoal tower to replace Austin Music Hall

It’s looking to be imminent: Austin Music Hall is out, and Third + Shoal is in.  The demolition permit was filed a couple of weeks ago, and is still pending, but Third + Shoal is pushing forward and putting out some nice marketing.  Check out the “preview book” by clicking on the image above.

Rainey Street District Gets Dry-Cleaning Service

one-click-cleaners-rainey-downtown-austin
New downtown Austin dry cleaner

As Rainey continues to grow, so do the neighborhood services options!  Recently, a neighborhood dry-cleaning service opened, One-Click Cleaners.  Welcome to the neighborhood, One-Click Cleaners, and we’re looking forward to seeing more resident-centric operators come to Rainey!

Filed Under: downtown austin

L’Estelle and Rainey’s Evolution

AG | January 19, 2016 |

As far as Rainey bars go, I really like The Drafting Room at 88 1/2 Rainey.  Located on a plot of land right behind The Shore Condos in downtown Austin‘s Rainey Street District, and owned by inveterate downtown-er and Architect Craig Nasso since 1994 (read: WAY before Rainey Street was “cool”), the lot has evolved with the neighborhood and transformed what was an already a lovely home and office into two delightful, separate but intertwined (both are owned by Craig and Holly), pursuits of food and drink.

L’Estelle’s story on it’s website is actually much more eloquently written – check it out here.

If you don’t have time to read it all, here’s my favorite excerpt:

The architect of L’Estelle, then 26 years old, drove down Rainey Street in 1994 and spotted a little piece of “half-lot” that was merely a patch of dirt.  The fact that this lot was on a street named Rainey was especially of interest since his mother’s maiden name was Estele Rainey.  He bought it, nurtured it, planted every tree and bush and designed a plan for a long life on this little lot.  Twenty years ago, he built the back house as a live work office and decided to wait to build a front house when he could design it with a wife if he got married one day.

The architect eventually got married, but during that period, Rainey Street changed from a residential historic neighborhood into a bustling night life district. So the architect changed plans but held sensitively to his dream.  He designed and built a front house with his wife which would serve as a kitchen for the people and he converted his office into a quaint beer and wine bar – now the Drafting Room.  Together, they open their yard and their hospitality to all who enter, offering a real and authentic connection to the district, its history, and the comfort casual style of gathering under the stars with good drinks, food, and folks.  L’Estelle pays respect to their mother, Estele Rainey, the best cook in the family who serves as the advisor and contributor of many homestyle recipes for the preserves and sweets offered in the kitchen.

88 1/2 Rainey, Circa late 2012
88 1/2 Rainey, Circa late 2012
2015
The Drafting Room
View from Street, 2015

There’s truly a lot to love when it comes to what Craig and his wife Holly have carefully, tenderly created.  Their story is unique and their tie to the neighborhood is genuine; the architecture (and, hence, the vibe) is elegant, modern and comfortable; but, most importantly, the wine is great and the food is TO DIE FOR.

Mmmm Grilled Cheese on Homemade Bread
Ridic French Fries
‘Best Cookie Ever’
BCE Dough
Le Burger

Bottom line: Go there.  You won’t regret it. And say hi to Holly and Craig when you visit; they are almost always there making sure things are running right.

p.s. – They are open for Sunday Brunch, too! Starts at 11am…

Drafting Room Facebook | L’estelle Facebook

Want a trip down memory lane?  Check out our 2012 Mega Post on Rainey with pics of what the street looked like not but 5 years ago…

Filed Under: austin bars, austin history, austin lifestyle, austin neighborhoods, austin restaurant reviews, downtown austin, Rainey Street District

Historic Downtown Sampson Building Will Host New Co-Working Space

AG | November 5, 2015 |

Co-working in downtown Austin has arrived, and competition is delivering flexible work spaces that are incredible.

WeWork is set to expand through to two additional floors (close to 1,000 new desks) in their current building right around the time of the opening of the 25,000 square foot Galvanize space in the Seaholm development.  Capital Factory, the original downtown Austin co-working/incubator/accelerator concept, is a major player in the market, as well.

Those large concepts look impressive, but aren’t a fit for everyone looking for a quieter space to be productive.  The result is that there are new co-working concepts leveraging smaller spaces in historic buildings.

As I walk into the space on the top floor of the Sampson Building on Congress Avenue, I am immediately struck by the quiet – audibly and visually.  The lack of distraction, hectic bustle, and co-working “flair” sets a much different tone than what I’m used to seeing in the other downtown Austin concepts (wework and galvanize), and the atmosphere is just one of the ways Open-Source Co-Working is trying to set itself apart from its larger competitors.

I’m a sucker for a historic building.  The patina and beauty that comes from being in a building like the [Read more…] about Historic Downtown Sampson Building Will Host New Co-Working Space

Filed Under: downtown austin

7 Ways To Make Downtown Austin Even Better

AG | September 18, 2015 |

“Dude, I’ve got these ideas, so many ideas burnin’ through my skull…”

Living in downtown Austin is great and like anything else, over time, you begin to form ideas on what could really make it better.  Not all of these are my original ideas – but they are all notions that I would support.

1) Downtown Austin Needs A General Store

We need a friggin’ Target, not another boutique doggy day care!

We’ve written about both of these things before, and it seems like quite a few folks are hopping on the urban Target concept (Target Express) bandwagon.

Target Express
Rendering of a Target Express concept – which is geared toward city dwellers
  • Downtown Austin needs a Target
  • Downtown Austin needs a Hardware Store

2) Building Spirit

The Grand Illumination in Richmond Virginia

It would be cool to see downtown Austin condo buildings unite for certain holidays (or for other specific reasons / causes).  One idea that I’ve seen floating around is allowing units within the buildings to decorate their respective balconies for the winter holidays, and perhaps do a neighborhood wide contest. Politics aside, it would be wonderful to see a coordinated effort to get people into the general spirit.

photo by Jessica Kilma
photo by Jessica Kilma

Halloween is also a wonderful opportunity for residents of downtown Austin condos to invite families within the community and otherwise to enjoy traditional trick-or-treating. The Shore, in coordination with DANA, has participated in a small scale version of this with much success (Although, I’m a bit biased, as this is an effort that I personally started).  Honestly, I’m not sure who gets more from this particular event, the families or the residents.

3) Ice Cream Truck with a Downtown Route

This kid went to the Rick Perry school of eating.

I would LOVE for downtown to have a traditional ice cream truck that regularly drives around the neighborhood (and perhaps have a route with specific stops so people could plan their ice cream indulgence).

There’s a stationary stand that just popped up next to Downtown Burgers on Cesar Chavez across from the Austin Convention Center, but it’s just not quite the same.

Stationary Ice Cream Goodies Offered While They Last on Cesar Chavez, Across from the Convention Center
Stationary Ice Cream Goodies Offered While They Last on Cesar Chavez, Across from the Convention Center

4) Boat Taxis / Gondolas to Cross Ladybird Lake

This isn’t as crazy as it may seem.

Before the 20th century, getting from downtown Austin to the South bank of the colorado river was done largely by… ferries!  It’s true, and you can see a historic plaque telling you about it on the hike & bike trail as you pass the Four Seasons hotel.

Bring it back!  Sure would make it fun to check out the hot spots on the South Austin.

5) Swimming in Ladybird Lake

lady-bird-lake-1

And, while we’re talking about the lake, I want to be able to swim in it, gosh dangit!  Full Kramer style.

Sure, it’s filled with trash, old steel rebar, and dog poo.  Those are solvable problems! Every few years Lake Austin is allowed to drain in order to clean up the duck weed.  So, what’s stopping this from happening on Lady Bird Lake and then get volunteers to remove debris?

KUT recently wrote an article explaining why it’s illegal to swim in the lake, and it’s chock full of great information.  The article, however, lacked any proposed solutions that would make the lake swimmable. 🙁

6) Non-terrifying Public Restrooms (Pay Per Use) like the Germans have

pay-toilet-europe

One of my favorite things about Germany is the preponderance of pay restrooms in public spaces (like rail stations, malls, etc).  McClean is among the most well-known of these types of facilities, and they are great. These restrooms require a very small fee (about $0.50) for use, and had attendants.  The restrooms were sparkling.  McClean’s motto is “clean, safe, and served” and that is 100% accurate in my experience.

I want some of these in public spaces downtown – like, real bad.  I am often petrified to use public restrooms in downtown Austin, and I can’t be the only one.

Recently, we discussed a new alley activation movement, and our friend and contributor Fred Schmidt highlighted the need for good, safe, public restrooms.  Seems like this idea could help make that a reality.

7) Personalized Mural Art for Condo Building Parking Spaces

Garage Mural downtown Austin
Garage Mural downtown Austin

This one is a little out of left-field – but I just think it would be oh-so-cool.

With all the pretty new buildings popping up in downtown – the fact of the matter is that their corresponding garage spaces remain ugly – particularly on the “inside.”  Wouldn’t it be neat if each condo owner had the opportunity to work with an HOA approved artist to paint a personalized (within HOA set guidelines) mural in their parking space?  If a lot of owners got on board – it would absolutely TRANSFORM the ugliest parts of the condo buildings downtown into something unique, funky, and amazing.  Not to mention how it would be a wonderful opportunity to support local art in a truly cool way.

Some buildings are starting to get on board with general murals in their garages in “common” garage spaces (like entries and elevator bays – see above slideshow for a couple of Austin examples) but this would be an amazing extension of that effort in my opinion.  Many urban cities have been doing similar concepts for years – the concept I’m describing would be a slightly different version of what’s already being done (and, for the record, I would support these concepts, too!).

What ideas do you have for downtown Austin?

Filed Under: downtown austin, high rises, lady bird lake, life, life in austin, miscellaneous

A New Future For The Gilfillan House at 603 W 8th Street

AG | August 6, 2015 |

The Gilfillan House at 603 West 8th Street is a 1905 structure that is on the National Register, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and a City Landmark.  It’s tucked away in the northwest quadrant of downtown Austin, and the brand new luxury apartment building Seven towers over the historic structure. Located on the southwestern corner of 8th & Nueces, it has been a law office since the early 80’s.  It is currently zoned GO-H. The Gilfillan House is grand, but it’s seen better days.

The Gilfillan House-downtown-austin-real-estate-2-750
The historic Gilfillan House with the new Seven Apartments in the background

The site was most recently purchased in early June (with a note of almost $3.6MM), and the new ownership (headed up by Rene O. Campos – a real estate investor in Dallas) would like to zone it to DMU-H as part of a restoration of the historic structure. 

The much more flexible DMU-H rezoning would also allow the new owner to utilize the restored structure both for office use and for events such as weddings, receptions, business meetings, luncheons, fundraisers (among other things).  The owner’s representatives say that this type of flexibility would lend itself to more active uses of the site, and introducing more people to the historic structure (and fill in downtown Austin’s seeming increasing need for proper venue space).

Why is the Gilfillan House worth preserving and sharing, anyway?

A little research at the Austin History Center brought me to some interesting information:

This residence was constructed in 1905 for William L. Gilfillan (d 1932), one of the founders and directors of the Austin National Bank, designed by the prominent Austin architect Charles H. Page, Jr., the two-story brick home reflects a mixture of popular Pre-World War I architectural styles, including Mission Revival and the Prairie School.  In 1931, the home was purchased by Julius G. Knape, a Swedish stonemason and contractor.

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – 1981

The Austin National Bank was founded in 1890 and built their second generation space at 507 Congress in 1895 (507 Congress doesn’t exist as an address anymore, it’s been absorbed).   The bank kept growing and relocating until its merger with First International Bancshares Inc in 1981.

Here’s a photograph of the 1895 location on Congress – designed by Charles H. Page.

Newning, Charles A., editor. Texas Industrial Review, Volume 01, Number 03, October, 1895, Book, October 1895; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39133/ : accessed August 05, 2015), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas.
Newning, Charles A., editor. Texas Industrial Review, Volume 01, Number 03, October, 1895, Book, October 1895; (http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39133/ : accessed August 05, 2015), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, http://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Austin, Texas.

So, lots of history, with lots of Austin’s early movers and shakers. We believe that it’s worth preserving and celebrating many of these structures and all of their stories. And we tend to think integrating the history with a current use is often better than a restoration that creates a well-preserved, but unapproachable (and generally unappreciated and unutilized) time-capsule. History is only useful if people actually know about it.

We personally love the juxtaposition of the old and the new that’s occurring in parts of downtown Austin, and are generally supportive of efforts to activate historic spaces so that the public can access them in a more meaningful way.  If done intelligently and intentionally, flexible commercial use of some historic buildings could be a great way to accomplish preservation, increase the functionality of prime downtown Austin real estate, and educate more folks about Austin’s rich history.

Filed Under: downtown austin

Social Scene: Wu Chow, Seven Apartments, and Austin Way

AG | July 30, 2015 |

A couple weeks back, I was invited to a small get-together at Seven Apartments in downtown Austin, one of downtown Austin’s newest towers.  The event was put on by Austin Way magazine in coordination with Seven Apartments and Wu Chow, and the program consisted of tours of the model units and amenities of Seven, followed by a special tasting menu from Wu Chow (serving up genuine Chinese cuisine, and one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in downtown Austin this summer).

The Setting

Gorgeous, of course.  Seven has become one of our favorite downtown apartment buildings (Jude’s original skepticism has come full circle), and several of our clients have recently moved in with rave reviews, too. The event started with champagne in the lobby, followed by tours of the model units, and then we were seated at a well appointed table on the pool deck – complete with stunning views of downtown.

Champagne glasses from Seven
Champagne! Livin’ the dream.
Whilst enjoying our champagne, we viewed tricked out model units.
A downtown view
The Capitol view
Our well-appointed table
Finely set
The eating is about to begin!
A Seven Staffer takes part in the fun.

 

The People 

Austin Way is a relatively new social magazine that launched in Austin fall / winter of 2014, but is stepping up its game with several events this summer season.  Not too long before this event at Seven, Austin Way hosted a large-scale dynamite event at Searsucker, and are appearing more and more at many of the “it” events in Austin.

Austin-Way-Magazine-750

Wu Chow is brought to you by the same team that owns Swift’s Attic on Congress, C.K. Chin and Stuart Thomajan. C.K. Chin and his team created a decadent, authentic Chinese menu for this tasting party.  The restaurant is set to open any day now, and will be located in the same building as Fixe.

CK Chin
CK Chin, photo compliments of Austin Way

The Food

Really good, bona fide Chinese cooking, served family style.  Don’t even think about comparing it to P.F. Changs.

thats-ignorant

Tasting menu included: Spicy Sichuan Pickles, Sichuan Sesame Peanut Noodles, Shanghai Soup Dumplings, Shanghai Egg Rolls, Ginger Soy Marinated Chicken Skewers, Mongolian Beef Skewers, Shrimp Dumplings, Scallion Pancake, Curried Squid Skewers, Sichuan Spicy Grilled Tofu, Pork Shumai, BBQ Lamp Chops, Scallop Shu Mai, Pan Fried Pork Bun, Mapo Tofu, Potstickers, Sesame Fritters, and Fruit Tartlets for dessert.  All served with fabulous wine.  A few pics of the early stuff below.

The Tasting Menu
Sichuan Sesame Peanut Noodles
Shanghai Soup Dumplings
Spicy Sichuan Pickles

All in all, it was a first class event that was made truly special by the folks that put it on – and a fun way to celebrate downtown Austin’s invigorating growth and evolution!

(Note: some of these pictures were taken by me, but others I took from the folks at Seven and Austin Way – thanks for allowing us to share!)

Filed Under: downtown austin

The New Dillo? Ridescout Route Supplements Transport Options for Downtown Austin Commuters

AG | June 25, 2015 |

Remember the days of the Dillo?  We have fond memories of 2008 and before, when the Dillo service was still trolleying about downtown Austin, helping those in need of a short ride across our little downtown.  And then the Dillo died in October of 2009, and we all quietly mourned the loss.

And then….free, short distance shuttle rides were reborn…in the form of the The Ridescout Route.

The Ridescout Route is simply this:

The RideScout Route is a free, convenient, hop-on / hop-off shuttle that serves the heart of downtown Austin. Conversations with the local community and the City of Austin, supported by MobilityATX data, revealed a need for more reliable east to west transportation options.

Our fixed-route pilot program, in partnership with Electric Cab, solves that need with a series of open-air electric cabs.

The route is currently pretty small (a bit smaller than the Dillo routes of yore), but it’s only a pilot program, and we hope to see expansion if the pilot proves successful.

ridescout-route

The shuttles run every 5-10 minutes on weekdays from 7am-1pm.

Learn more about the Ridescout Route and the Ridescout App here.

[Hat tip to Jace Deloney for sharing!]

A “spiritual sequel” | The Once (& Possibly Future) ‘Dillo: http://t.co/J3dc8QofB4 via @KUT‘s @TerrenceHenry pic.twitter.com/h8eqaiZ4h9

— Jace Deloney (@JaceDeloney) June 24, 2015

Filed Under: downtown austin

Major Rainey Street District Site Sells, Signals Potential For New Tower Development

AG | June 18, 2015 |

You can file this under “N” for “Not that surprising,” but news broke the other day about World Class Capital Group’s ‘eventual’ plans to develop a recently acquired site at 50 & 56 East Avenue.  We knew someone was gonna do it, and it might as well be the group already controlling some of the best downtown Austin development sites.

2015-06-19-56-East-Ave-downtown-Austin

No timeline has been announced, so we can presume Travis County services are there to stay for a little while longer, at least.

Although the site has partial view encumbrances to the west from Skyhouse Apartments and The Milago condos and to the south by Windsor on the Lake, the site does have several excellent vantage points, which combined with no height limitation we’re sure developers will take full advantage of when the time comes to build.

56_East_Ave_-_Google_Maps

The site was previously owned by Austin Travis County MHMR d/b/a Austin Travis County Integral Care and publicly available documents show a $6.3MM lien against the property from Falcon International Bank, so that’s at least the debt component of the purchase.

2015-06-17-56-East-750-1

The City of Austin currently owns the site across East Avenue (to the east), which is a half green, half poorly paved and mostly unused lot for the time being.

City Owned Lot
City Owned Lot
56 East – southwest perspective from East Ave
56 East – northwest perspective from East Ave

Filed Under: downtown austin

Parks in Downtown Austin

AG | June 11, 2015 |

Humans require some green space.  Gathering spaces that are shared by everyone.  Parks are integral to keeping a vibrant urban cores.

There is research to back it up, too.  Being next to a good public park can enhance property value in urban areas.  One report, Real Value: The Parks Premium, written by John Crompton, professor at  Texas A&M, states:

The real estate market consistently demonstrates that many people are willing to pay a larger amount for a property located close to parks and open space areas…

This particular report is from 2000, and back when it was written, there weren’t many other examples of high-rises near public parks aside from the Nokonah, located not only adjacent to Shoal Creek, but also in the midst of a booming retail / commercial district on Lamar. But now, several downtown Austin condos for sale are located near parks:  The Shore Condos, The Milago condos, the Villas on Town Lake, and 360 Condos are some examples.

Bottom line is that downtown Austin has some great green space, and not only do many of these parks offer programming that all can enjoy, but they are great public, open places that are a wonderful complement to the dense development occurring in downtown Austin. These parks are not only wonderful spots to bring a blanket and a book and simply unwind, but are also part of the complex economic fabric that makes Downtown Austin an in-demand place to live.

Downtown has several municipal parks within it’s borders:

Republic Square Park | 422 Guadalupe St. | 1.75 Acres

This is probably downtown Austin’s best known park, sitting adjacent to the Plaza Lofts, and host to a variety of programmed events, including a weekly Farmer’s Market put on by the Sustainable Food Center each Saturday morning from 9am-1pm. The Austin Parks Foundation also hosts Movies in the Park at Republic Square Park.

republic-square-fb
Courtesy of Republic Square Facebook Page

Historic Squares Leadership Team, a partnership between the City of Austin, Downtown Austin Alliance, and the Austin Parks Foundation, has recently formed in order to do some capital improvements to the park and foster a future of robust programming and operations management for the green space.

Below is a rendering of the currently preferred Concept Plan for the park’s re-design:

republic-square-park-concept-plan-downtown-austin

Not too very long ago, Jude wrote an op-ed about the proposed Travis County Courthouse, currently proposed to border the park to south.

 

Wooldridge Square | 900 Guadalupe St. | 1.73 Acres

Jamie Lagarde, Michael McGill, and Jude Galligan hanging out at a re-opening event
2009, Michael McGill / Wooldridge Square FB
Austin History Center

Wooldridge Square has also been getting a fair amount of attention the last couple of years.  This historic site (it was one of the four original downtown Austin parks) has a bandstand / gazebo that is used for events held on the site.

The site had often been called a “magnet for the homeless” and went under extensive renovations in 2013, capped off by a schedule of aggressive re-opening programming, intended to diversity the public use of the space.

Current programming at this site includes Movies in the Park, Yoga in the Park, and Giant Chess.

Austin Giant Chess Facebook
Austin Giant Chess Facebook

 

Duncan Park | 900 W 9th St. | 5.11 Acres

courtesy of AustinParks.org
courtesy of AustinParks.org
courtesy of AustinParks.org

Duncan Park is one of the coolest parks downtown, in my opinion. The park plays host to a volunteer built and managed BMX bicycle track and the people watching is pretty amazing. I strongly encourage taking a picnic lunch and a book and just camping out for a couple of hours to watch some astounding BMX tricks.

Here’s an amateur video of some of the track.

 

Brush Square | 500 E 12th St. | 1.75 Acres

O. Henry Pun Off Austin Texas

Situated near the 5 Fifty-Five condos in downtown Austin, Brush Square is probably best known for hosting the annual O. Henry Pun Off. Check out some past videos from this very punny event.

 

Waterloo Neighborhood Park | 500 E 12th St. | 10 Acres

Waterloo Park, named after the town that preceded Austin on the same site, borders Waller Creek close to Austin’s downtown. The limestone embankments of the creek are picturesquely entwined with parts of Waller Creek Trail.

The park is currently under construction related to the Waller Creek redevelopment.

Before moving to Auditorium Shores, Fun Fun Fun Fest was held in this park. Wayyyy back in 2009, I wrote a fantastically Fun Fun Fun story using band names from that years’ line-up (this is one of my very favorite posts to have ever authored, by the way).

 

The Austin Recreation Center | 1301 Shoal Creek Blvd. | 5.48 Acres

skate-park-photo-by-jim-hatch
AustinParks.org, Photo by Jim Hatch

The center at 1301 Shoal Creek is Austin’s oldest recreation center, and is home to several sports leagues (adult kickball and volleyball).  It also has a skate park / bowl.

 

Palm Park | 711 East 3rd St. | 2 Acres

Quite honestly, I feel that this is downtown Austin’s most disappointing park. It faces into I-35 and doesn’t currently have much to offer. It also has this real gross pool that doesn’t have filtration system (so it has be refilled with each use). Some groups have begun to adopt the space for programming, however (most notably, Waller Creek Conservancy for it’s very successful Waller Park picnic series).

 

Old Bakery and Emporium Park | 1006 Congress Ave

This is really considered more of a museum type space than park, but I love the intimate feel of the outdoor space at 1006 Congress Avenue.

 

The MACC 

Green space at the Mexican American Cultural Center
Green space at the Mexican American Cultural Center

Located in the Rainey Street district of downtown Austin, this “park” is adjacent to Lady Bird lake and used by residents of The Shore Condos, The Milago, and others.  It’s a great resource for condo dwellers in the neighborhood and you can often see folks playing with their pups or their children here.

 

I also consider the Texas State Capitol Grounds to be downtown park land, but that’s, of course, not managed by the City.

Related: Interested in how other types of public spaces interact with the communities that surround them? Check out our semi-related post on urban cemeteries.

 

Filed Under: downtown austin

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