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Fantastical Fun Fun Fun Fest

by | November 6, 2009 |4 Comments

In honor of Fun Fun Fun Fest (this weekend at Waterloo Park), I thought I’d write a fun, fun, fun and fantastical story that incorporates some of the band names (with links to their Myspace pages or Website) that will be playing.  Because word games are fun, and not at all nerdy.

RATATAT!!! Was the sound made by some group of Night Marchers, and heard loudly in the Crystal Castles of Montreal (which just happens to be less than 7 Seconds from the Moonlight Towers, but an incredible distance from Harlem.) Regarding all this noise, Why? Well, the marchers were a group of The Laughing Young Widows, along with their All Leather wearing Street Dogs (whom, by the way, kept running Russian Circles around the Strange Boys that were passing by) and were on their annual Mission of Burma to find the Shonen Knife and to finally come Face to Face with Lucero (who, in his ever Growing power, would grant them the gifts of the mighty Destroyer.)

The plan that this Youth Brigade had was to Broadcast the Atlas Sound and light the sacred D.R.I Torche in The Underground Railroad to Candyland, where hopefully they would meet Lucero.  Then, these Cool Kids would Reign Supreme, yelling “Off With Their Heads” to the deaf yeasayers and the already Dead Confederates who made mayhem in the Coliseum there. Things might get Fucked Up, but they were prepared for The Roller coaster, and did not let the bitter warnings of “This Will Destroy You!” upset their brave Foot Patrol or push their Fuck Buttons.

Danzig, the Neon Indian who was their king, donned ceremonial Crystal Antlers atop his Royal Bangs.  He seemed to have No Age – to be in perfect HEALTH. Death could not touch him. His Kid Sister, whom they called Mika Miko, however, was definitely one of the Whitest Kids U’Know (or will ever know – trust me on this). Red Sparowes told of how her whiteness was brighter than Alaska in Winter.

As their journey wore on, the group began to Coalesce like a Melt Banana – their purpose was clear and true.   There were the Bankrupt and the Borrowers during these Black and White Years, but one Pack of Wolves would begin the New Movement that had been wished for since the beginning, since the time of Vega.  It was time….time to conquer, time to entertain, time to get on with things…it was time to go to FUN FUN FUN FEST!

Enjoy everybody!

Filed Under: austin recreation, downtown austin, entertainment district

Downtown Austin Neighborhood Watch Training Session 10/29

by | October 29, 2009 |1 Comment

Sixth Street Austin Community Forum

TRAINING SESSION: 6TH STREET NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

We have scheduled a training session with officer Carlisle and officer Ehrler who help coordinate the Austin neighborhood watch programs. The meeting will be held at the Alamo Drafthouse at the Rizt (320 E 6th Street) at 3:00 PM on Thursday, October 29. Complimentary drinks and light snacks will be available.Officers Carlisle and Ehrler will train residents and business owners on how to safely patrol the district, what to look for and how to report and give us guidance on setting up a system appropriate for our neighborhood.Following the training, we will then meet as a group to discuss a system that is appropriate for our neighborhood.

If you are interested in attending this meeting, please RSVP to info@6thstreetaustin.com

Filed Under: downtown austin, entertainment district

Paradise Adding A Patio For Pecan Street Patrons

by | October 15, 2009 |2 Comments
paradise bar austin patio

paradise bar austin patio

Photo snapped today.  The Paradise bar at 6th and Trinity is getting a 2nd story patio.  Too early to tell if the sidewalk will go underneath or around it.

Filed Under: downtown austin, entertainment district

For Real This Time: The I-35 Makeover Is Happening

by | September 14, 2009 |15 Comments
I-35 Makeover, Day Perspective
I-35 Makeover, Day Perspective

I-35 Makeover, Day Perspective

In 2006, neighborhood associations on both sides of the interstate were empowered to develop a concept to enhance East-West pedestrian movement beneath I-35.  The vision was to take what is the most trafficked overpass in Austin, and create a landscape that is lighter and smaller in scale than the one currently dominated by the car.

The downtown Austin segment of I-35 was constructed in 1962 and served to physically reinforce the racial divide that East Avenue had historically represented.

Now, the City of Austin leases from the State the land below the I-35 freeway.  The area is uninviting to say the least.  As part of the makeover, that area will remain parking, while the perimeter and sidewalks connecting East Side to downtown will get something closer to the “Great Streets” treatment including trees, wider sidewalks, and benches.

From Cotera+Reed Architects:

“Fourteen curved and tapered galvanized steel poles will be supported under the freeway deck, and area lighting is attached along the undersides. Individually, the shape of the poles resembles a suspension bridge – re-associating the spot with connecting. Connecting land masses, across an interruption of the landscape, proposing the idea of separation and connecting at the same time. It is intended to be a gesture – a handshake under the freeway.”

Construction is scheduled to begin as early as February 2010.

-Jude

I-35, night perspective

I-35 Makeover, Night Perspective

Filed Under: austin transit, downtown austin, entertainment district, history, urban family Tagged With: , ,

Bars On Rainey Street

by | September 8, 2009 |8 Comments
85 Rainey Street

Click here for more recent DAB articles covering the Rainey Street neighborhood.

Over the weekend I was walking down Rainey Street and decided to collect photos of the explosion of TABC application permits. It’s worth pointing out again our belief that downtown Austin has an “over saturation of bars” to quote Tom Stacy at today’s RECA luncheon. Single nighttime only uses would be short sighted, and will fail to tap into the consumer demands of the 858+ residences in the Rainey Street neighborhood. Of course, TABC application posts do not indicate that the venue will just be a bar – the venue is just as likely to be a restaurant or cafe.

Below is a complete list of burgeoning Rainey Street venues. DAB readers, please use the comments to fill in any details you know about these venues.

[Link to recent Statesman article]

“El Naranjito”
85 Rainey Street
application only

“Container Bar”
90 Rainey Street
application only

“96″
96 Rainey Street
under construction (link)

“Lustre Pearl”
97 Rainey Street
open for business

“Clive Bar”
609 Davis Street
application + under construction

-Jude

85 Rainey Street

85 Rainey Street - El Naranjito (?)

90 Rainey Street

90 Rainey Street - Container Bar

609 Davis Street - Clive Bar

609 Davis Street - Clive Bar

Filed Under: entertainment district, Rainey Street District Tagged With: , ,

A Residence On 6th Street? You Bet.

by | August 21, 2009 |Leave a Comment
A Residence On E 6th Street

A Residence On E 6th Street

A Residence On E 6th Street

This couple, David and Jean Graeber, has been doing it for 35 years!  During that time bars have become the defacto use along E 6th Street, the facades have taken a beating, and the recent string of bad press may have you thinking this is a ludicrous idea.  It’s not – it’s an opportunity! You could own a property, including the dirt below it, on Austin’s most notable street.  Right now there are at least three properties on E 6th for sale.  Asking prices begin at $995,000.  Even if you spent an additional $200 per foot to renovate, you could spend the same amount of money at the Austonian.  Of course, this lifestyle decision isn’t for everyone, but it is a lifestyle that will appeal to lots of people.

Below are three properties for sale on E 6th, none of which need to be occupied by a bar :-)

502 E 6th
410 E 6th
719 E 6th

-Jude

Filed Under: downtown austin, entertainment district

UPDATE: Austin Gets Raw, Y'all

by | July 8, 2009 |1 Comment
Raw Food

9/30/2009

UPDATE: Just got word that Borboleta is now offering bicycle delivery. The bicycle delivery service goes to downtown and Clarksville. It’s provided by Beat the Clock bike messengers. They will deliver to downtown or Clarksville for lunch or dinner. There is a $5 delivery fee and a $20 minimum. Please allow ample time for delivery (currently up to an hour).

Most Austinites are familiar with the raw food movement in some fashion, but many of these same Austinites still don’t “get it.” The reality is, most people like their meals cooked. Can’t say I blame you if you think it’s a bit weird, but I will say this – the “living cuisine” movement is super healthy, and when done well, actually pretty delicious.  And downtown dwellers are very fortunate to have a living cuisine restaurant right in the neighborhood (well, technically Clarksville, but RIGHT on the edge of downtown Austin). The name of the place is Borboleta Gourmet.

Borboleta’s food is organic, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, kosher, soy-free, and trans-fat free. Sounds like everything a true southerner would hate, right? Well, I’m here to tell you – it’s really good. I found out about the restaurant through an E-mail campaign from the restaurant , and I was intrigued enough to stop by.  I took the ‘Dillo to Whole Foods, and walked west 4 blocks.  Borboleta Gourmet is actually inside Bella Hair Salon (although the entities are not related, I’m told).

You walk in, and the atmosphere is quaint, but polished.  It’s a small cafe setting, with only about 6 tables. There are two large commercial refrigerators that house most of the food.  I think they are still in the process of “figuring” out the service, but when I ordered, I simply grabbed the covered plate of food I wanted from the refrigerator, gave it to the cashier (who prepped it and touched up the presentation), paid, and chose my seat.  The food was delivered only moments later.  Easy and quick!  And so good.

I like the atmosphere of the place, the fact that it’s raw, vegan, soy-free, etc etc, and that the menu rotates weekly (so it’s consistently different and interesting).   You can also order brewed coffee, so it’s not only a good place to eat lunch, but also just chill and read the paper.

Borboleta is the type of unique/eclectic small, local business that I want to see more of in and near downtown Austin.  It offers a unique food experience, is convenient, and supports the local economy with a function that a wide-array of folks can enjoy. And it’s just NEAT.  I don’t know of another place like it in Austin (with the possible exception of Casa de Luz, but Borboleta is really pretty different from the Casa de Luz concept and vibe, as well). I think downtown Austin residents are lucky to have these kinds of fun and different choices at their disposal and should support them accordingly.

Contact Info: 1221 W Sixth St, Austin, TX 78703, (512) 828-7404, www.borboletagourmet.com

Hours: Mon-Fri: 8-8, Sat: 10-5, Sun: Closed.
Filed Under: downtown austin, entertainment district, life, small business

Stubbs: More of A Good Thing

by | May 5, 2009 |Leave a Comment

The ABJ is reporting that the planned expansion of Stubbs in downtown Austin is inching forward.

“Austin City Council approved Stubb’s request to waive on-site parking requirements, with the exception of handicap parking, and to become classified as an outdoor entertainment venue.”…”The expansion will add 4,295 square feet to the restaurant, 6,445 square feet to an outdoor concert amphitheater, and a new 35,753 square feet indoor auditorium.”

Filed Under: entertainment district Tagged With:

Interesting Quote

by | April 20, 2009 |1 Comment
Andy Langer
Andy Langer

Andy Langer

I’m a little behind on my reading, I’ll admit.  But I find Sundays are a great day to catch up on many of the things that pass you by…..all while enjoying a mimosa or glass of wine.  Anyway, last night, wine in hand, I was reading through Austin Monthly‘s March 2009 Issue (the Music Issue) and an interview with Andy Langer piqued my interest.  Andy Langer is not only an Austin music journalism institution, as he’s covered the scene for years and years and lived in Austin for quite sometime, but he’s a national contributor to magazines like Esquire, and has traveled seemingly everywhere to see shows and meet bands.

Anyway, the interview was essentially just a bunch of quotes from Mr. Langer, and one sort of popped out as not only a strong sentiment, but also as being particularly relevant to this blog:

“Find me a place that doesn’t have cranes in the sky building expensive condos and you’ll find me a place that’s seriously depressed and probably a place where I can’t have The New York Times delivered on my doorstep.  And I think that’s probably not a place that I wanna live.”

Andy’s credentials don’t necessarily qualify him as a real estate expert, but he’s arguably got a pretty good background in social culture and the issues surrounding Austin’s social scene. And it kind of sounds like he’s saying that the cities that aren’t building and that aren’t building projects in a way that embraces urban density and development are the cities that probably don’t have or won’t have the cultural reach/appeal that most of us generally recognize being an enhancement to our quality of life.

Source:  Austin Monthly, March 2009 Issue, “Things I’ve Learned” with Andy Langer, by Paul Carruba.

Filed Under: development, downtown austin, entertainment district

Bones Rolling in Downtown Austin

by | April 15, 2009 |1 Comment
Downtown Austin Bone Bike

Did anyone else see this last night? Don’t know who Austin Bike Zoo put it together, but it’s pretty cool!

Downtown Austin Bone Bike

Downtown Austin Bone Bike

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Austin photos, images, downtown austin, entertainment district Tagged With:
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