Archives for September 2010

DAB STATS – August Residential Sales Summary

Jude Galligan | September 3, 2010 |

Oh, August. TGIF. It’s been so friggin’ hot!

August and December seem to be the two months when real estate is not a priority for most families. It’s vacation time. Back-to-school time. And, in Austin, Texas it’s violently hot. So hot that downtown Austin’s walkability loses some of its romance.

In August we recorded 16 transactions, with the average sale price of a downtown Austin condo hovering around $298 per foot. Once again, this is consistent with recent evidence that shows +/- $300 per foot seems to be a homeostatic equilibrium for downtown Austin.

Of the top-tier buildings, TCAD shows 11 7 closed units at the Austonian. The W Hotel Residences are approaching completion. The Four Seasons Residences TCAD entries have yet to be divided into individual records. TCAD can take 30 days to update.

You can search for Austin condos and lofts using our map-based viewer. Registered members of DAB can download a complete statistical and transaction report here.

-Jude

Downtown Gets Magical This Weekend

Fred Schmidt | September 2, 2010 |

For something very fresh and different this weekend to drown our mundane laborous lives, check out these cool events on tap ’round the hood:

The 1St Annual Austin Street Magic Festival TONIGHT, 6th & Red River next to Esther’s Follies (home of our own fantabulous, Ray Anderson), 6pm-2am and FREE!

And that’s just the warm up.

For you uber fans of fun and illusion, there’s an entire gathering of renown magicians from across the lands assembling all weekend at the Austin Convention Center. Details here:

Austin 2010 TAOM — that’s the Texas Association of Magicians. Here is the TAOM Facebook page too.

Here’s a news story from News 8.

And also more info to be found on the pages of Austin corporate lawyer (but always a magician at heart — and skill), Hull Youngblood. You can check him out — and be his friend — via the TAOM Facebook link above!

Much fun for all so make like a bunny and vanish your abode already!

Royal Blue Grocery Pushes Forward With 3rd Store

Jude Galligan | September 1, 2010 |

Downtown Austin office and condo dwellers rejoice! Royal Blue Grocery, our favorite local bodega grocer, is preparing for their third location: 609 Congress Ave. Basically they are going to be a 100 feet north from 6th @ Congress Ave. Announced in July, according to this ABJ article, the new location will offer: “… a full kitchen preparing in-house, grab-and-go foods as well as lunches from Meditrenean Chef, Rios Brazilian, TacoDeli, Upper Crust Bakery, Rock Star Bagels and East Side Pies. Stores also sell pastries, breakfast tacos, coffees, drinks and everyday grocery items.”

-Jude

Yes, it is.

Jude Galligan | September 1, 2010 |

Is this the next bar on Rainey Street?

Yes, it is. 86 Rainey Street will become “The Blackheart” bar. The above photo of their TABC permit application indicates a request for mixed beverage with late hour service.

There is already a facebook fan page that alludes to what we can expect: “think 1900’s Nola bordello.” Note the comments about trees, arborists, and chainsaws.

The architecture will be handled by Dick Clark – which bodes well for the design.

Update: interestingly, just 30 minutes after this post went live, the owner of the Facebook page removed the inspired description of “Nola bordello” and all of the Facebook comments (including their fan’s discussion of chainsaws and arborists). Hope that wasn’t because of us. Easy fellas, we’re friendly here. Just intrigued neighbors. 😉