downtown Austin's neighborhood and real estate blog
Looks like FLOR will be opening in downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District (209 W 2nd to be exact, where Mercury Design Studio was – they’ve now moved 2 doors down).
They’ll be opening a day before SXSW 2013 starts, just in time for the crazy crowds. We suspect they’ll do well in the area with DWR and Mercury Design Studio nearby – as well as several high-end downtown austin condos and apartment buildings, and look forward to doing a little shopping there ourselves.
Remember that mega post I did on what’s happening on Rainey Street? In the post, I talked about 87 Rainey Street located in the Rainey Street District of Downtown Austin, and how I had not heard any updates on just what exactly was going on in that space. Well, that must have hit Brad Sorenson‘s (the head chef of the new concept, perhaps more widely known for his stint on The Next Food Network’s Star) Google Alerts, because he promptly posted a comment on the Blog saying things were still a go for the restaurant concept.
Which was great, but I wanted more info – so I emailed him and asked if we could meet. I was actually very surprised when he said okay.
So we met. Last week. And, let me just say this – the guy OOZES affability. He’s also real, real tall.
I was absolutely charmed, I will admit – but not only by him as a person, but also by what he told me about NO VA.
First off, NO VA is the name (there’s a space in between “O” and “V”, 2 words), not NOVA, as it’s previously been reported. There’s actually a cute little story behind the name, too, Brad tells me. ”No va” is what the owner of the business said when he looked at the house at 87 Rainey Street when he initially purchased it, in late 2009. He said “No va”, because, at the time, [Read more...]
The Rainey Street District in downtown Austin has been a hotbed of activity lately, from new apartment high rises, to an influx of new bars – things are really happening in Rainey. So, we thought it helpful to put together a property-by-property guide about all that’s going on. Everything we know about Rainey Street to date [mostly] in one place – this post!
This picture of the Rainey Street has each lot numbered with its numerical address. Look below to the corresponding number to see the skinny on the lot.
51 Rainey Street, Austin (address not shown on map, across from the Milago Condos), Austin Skyhouse apartments
The ABJ reported on the imminent ground-breaking of the Austin Skyhouse Apartments last month. Being built by Novare-Andrews Urban, the same group behind the successful 360 condos, the 20,000 feet of ground floor retail is rumored to include a Royal Blue Grocery.
Today was the grand opening of Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden in the Rainey Street District of Downtown Austin. Our office at the The Shore Condos is just a stone’s throw away, so we wanted to support one of the most anticipated venues coming to the ‘hood. We went, had a beer and some grub, and really just enjoyed the perfectly chill vibe, despite the crazy, terrible, make-me-want-to-stab-my-eyes-out heat.
Some will say this is Rainey Street’s answer to [Read more...]
Oh, Glee. I sometimes enjoy you, but often I am overcome with shame for watching you. But, last week – you actually accomplished something useful. Because of you, Glee, I finally recycled my big ol’ bag o’ batteries.
Okay, let me explain. See, up until last week, I had been keeping this huge Ziploc bag stuffed with used up AA batteries under my kitchen sink. I didn’t know where to take them and I always seemed to forget to Google a nearby location. So, the bag o’ batteries just kept getting bigger.
And then I started seeing this Glee PSA about recycling batteries. Over. And over. And over again. [Read more...]
The focus is on inclusion. That’s what Nicole Harmon of Core Health Foundation, a non-profit spin-off of Core Health (a for-profit facility focusing on rehabilitation of those suffering with brain injuries), tells me. The project is a fishing pier, located on the northern shore of Lady Bird Lake, just south of the Holiday Inn off I-35 in the Rainey Street District. The project has been in the works for over 8-years, but was officially approved in 2010, and construction is expected to be complete in 2013. And while the driver and primary purpose of this project is for [Read more...]
A unique boutique is opening its second location on May 10th, 2012, right across the street from The W Hotel and Residences on Lavaca (the first location is in The Arboretum, and opened in 2009) in Downtown Austin. No, it’s not another fancy dress store or whimsical gift shop. This time, it’s a niche [Read more...]
Next Sunday, April 22, 2012, from 11am-5pm, is the 2012 Downtown Living Tour. The Tour is a showcase of homes located in Downtown Austin, and is put on by the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (it’s DANA’s only fundraiser, and helps keep the organization chugging throughout the rest of the year). A portion of proceeds this year will also go to The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).
The 2012 Downtown Living Tour has [Read more...]
We wrote about the changing face of the Railyard district not too long ago, and one of the new establishment mentioned was Wanderlust, a new Yoga Studio and Live Music Venue that’s opening soon on the northeast corner of 4th and Brazos.
Well, we’ve recently learned a bit more about the concept and wanted to share…..
So a short summary of the back-story – apparently, Austin locals Ashley Spence Clauer and Joanna Kutchey were so inspired by the Wanderlust Festival, that they decided to bring it to Austin!
And here are some excerpts from a press release sent by their marketing department directly to our office:
Located in a revamped historic warehouse in the heart of the entertainment district of downtown Austin, Wanderlust LIVE’s impeccably designed space is not your average yoga studio. Featuring two studios—one for regular classes and one with a built in stage and top of the line sound and lights—the 6,000 square foot Wanderlust LIVE will offer Austinites a new place to rock out, consciously.
……
Truly bringing the festival experience home, Wanderlust LIVE will feature organic eats by Austin’s Blenders and Bowls—serving healthy and delicious organic acai bowls, natural fruit smoothies, coffee, tea and more. The studio’s outdoor patio seating will provide ample space to eat, relax after class or sip a beverage at Wanderlust happy hour. At all live music and other special nighttime events, attendees also may enjoy organic beer and hand picked biodynamic wines. And inside, the Wanderlust LIVE Boutique will offer specialty yoga gear and apparel.
It looks like this place is going to have a few uses – retail, restaurant / bar, live music venue, and yoga studio. What’s not to love? And, they’ll be hosting an open house on April 13th, the Friday before they open to the public.
I know that I’m getting a little excited about it after reading about it – and will definitely want to check it out!
Let it be known as the Railyard District, that part of downtown Austin, south of 5th Street and sandwiched between Congress Ave and the Austin Convention Center. You could straddle the convention center and include the area east, around Moonshine, too.
It’s an interesting mix of conventioneers and locals, both feeding on chicken and waffles at Max’s Wine Dive.
For decades, the district has been anchored by the Railyard condos, and recently flanked by the Four Seasons. Soon, these will not be the only full time residences.
In the past couple of years we’ve seen improvements and new businesses open in the neighborhood, including AF1 Racing, Vince Young Steakhouse, Hank’s Garage (which is gone), and Skinny’s Ballroom.
Walking around a post-SXSW absent is the hyper-pedestrianism of the past 10 days, and I observe a “coming soon” sign. I see more as I keep walking. In one lap around the Railyard district, I counted nine businesses or projects “coming soon”!
Nine!
What’s COMING SOON to the Railyard District? [Read more...]
Contact Jude Galligan, REALTOR, Broker and publisher of Downtown Austin Blog (aka. "DAB"), spends his time matching remarkable people with remarkable properties in Austin’s urban core.
A long time downtown Austin resident and business owner, Jude serves on the Board of the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) and the City of Austin Downtown Commission.
 Jude Galligan |  amber gugino |  Fred Schmidt |  @JacobDirr |
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