downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog
More tenant changes are on tap in the shadow of the Capitol on on Congress Avenue.
Middle Eastern restaurant Marakesh Cafe & Grill, at 9th and Congress, closed its doors and has a sign indicating its looking for a new location, but its fate is questionable.
Tucked on the southern side of the ground floor of the Spring Condos, Escobedo Esthetics is a new 3,000 sf office that offers a variety of cosmetic surgery services.
My friend Kristina won a gift card to for a microdermabrasion treatment at the last DANA Urban Core Happy Hour . She couldn’t go, so I put that baby to good use.
Upon arrival, immediately I noticed the clean lines and almost masculine feel of the place: dark woods, brown shiny concrete floors, and deep red and blues. [Read more…] about Escobedo Esthetics Loves Your Mug
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive in downtown Austin’s Shore Condos. Resident Nate Taylor and Matt Abendschein have turned their passion for ez-living, good beer, and good views into an event known simply as “Bats & Beer”.
Bats & Beers is a monthly event showcasing Austin craft brewers, and is an opportunity to gather with good people and explore the craft beer industry in Austin. Set on a pool deck overlooking Lady Bird Lake and Downtown Austin, Bats & Beers aims to connect brew masters, chefs and engaged people of Austin to explore creations and collaborations.
I like this genre of curated entertainment/leisure/dining – one of the attendees compared it to Dai Due, but for beer. Since I would typically reach for the coldest Coors Light or Shiner Bock available, it’s events like these where I learn to appreciate good craft brews.
This month featured Jeffrey Stuffings, owner/brewer of Jester King Craft Brewery, offered tastings of “Drink’in The Sunbelt” (hoppy white beer), Wytchmaker (rye India pale ale), and Black Metal (imperial stout). Next month: Austin Beerworks.
-Jude
![Nate Taylor and Matt Abendschein [Bats & Beers]](https://e2718.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/IMAG0033-e1313511836611.jpg)
Kinky sigh.
A familiar icon of Austin small business, a lone downtown Austin retailer amidst a sea of E 6th Street bars, is shutting its downtown doors on August 28th. The ABJ reports that Forbidden Fruit is redirecting its efforts on a better performing store. From the article, owner Lynn Rairden says:
“We have seen a dramatic shift in customer base away from this location, with more of our patrons shopping at the store at 108 E. North Loop”
So, is North Loop just kinkier than downtown? I doubt that, but Forbidden Fruit is crowd sourcing their next location.
I will be sad to see it go. I stepped into the store a couple of times in college, and since then I just enjoyed knowing it was there. Forbidden Fruit’s downtown store was a beacon of hope for Austin small businesses anticipating that 6th Street can rebalance its mix of commercial use to include more retail.
3Seventy, a company that provides cloud-based, mobile client relations software, is moving into downtown Austin. The company, formerly called “TXT4CRM” until it changed its name last year, said it plans to hire 30 to 40 people over the next 12 months in downtown and an office in Lithuania.
While it might seem old hat to a lot of Austinites, it’s worth reminding that downtown communities across country roll out a red carpet for any business that invests in downtown and 3Seventy’s downtown Austin investment is something to be celebrated, not be taken for granted.
[Read more…] about EXCLUSIVE: Client relations firm announces $2M expansion, downtown Austin HQ
