Downtown Austin Blog

downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog

You are here: Home / Archives for 2010

Archives for 2010

Downtown Gets Magical This Weekend

| |

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

| |

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.

| |

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.  😉

A Taste Of Africa

| |

Soft opening this week, Cazamance, is an outdoor African fusion concept opening in the Rainey Street District.  Located on the northwest corner of Davis @ Rainey, and directly across from Clive Bar.  This takes the place of where Container Bar was planned to go.

Iba Thian, a famliar face at Clive Bar, is spearheading the project in cooperation with Bridget Dunlap and Scranton Twohey.

You should be able to stop by tomorrow to pick up a menu and try it out.  Just remember this only their soft opening.

Along with El Naranjo and G’raj Mahal, Rainey Street is starting to become a respectable destination for authentic cultural cuisine… al fresco style.

-Jude

Starr Building Renderings

| |

Two renderings of the Starr Building, re purposed to include a parking structure at 5th and Colorado.  A while back we showed you the history of this building before it was purchased by Kemp Properties.  Not much newsworthy here, but this is the first time I’ve seen the renderings.  At least the parking structure has retail underneath!