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2nd Street Holiday Celebration TONIGHT – 6-9 pm

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From the website (under Events):

Come downtown for holiday shopping in the true spirit of the season.

  • Trunk shows
  • Special Holiday discounts
  • Music
  • Bites and bevs

Plan your night, and shop all six blocks:

  • Begin your evening as early as 4pm.  That’s when Soco Designs begins serving up the fun, including 20 percent off all non-sale rugs purchased off the floor.
  • Then moved on to gallery d and Finch for 15 percent off storewide, trunk shows by Studio 3 and Stephanie Nance Studio PLUS live music from Austin’s own OHN.
  • Enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres at Minx during the Jodi Arnold trunk show and get 25 percent off all purchases.
  • Sip & save at Wee with 20 percent off all in-store merchandise, plus wine and snacks.
  • Don’t miss the Branch jewelry trunk show & cocktail party at Eliza Page.
  • Celebrate some of our favorite Austin designers at Beyond Tradition.  Meet the designers in-store and let them help you select the perfect gift for anyone on you list while you enjoy hors d’oeuvres from III Forks and cocktails by Paula’s Texas Spirits.
  • From 9 to 11 pm celebrate the opening of “Directions in Light,” a series of contemporary shadow boxes with sculptural interiors lit from within, created by artist Brooke Gassiot at milk + honey Spa.

And if you’re near Blu Cafe, Bar and Lounge catch the Peyton’s Place fashion show at 7 pm.  See fabulous new holiday arrivals and give-away gift bags and certificates.

Statesman Blotter Headlines

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David Cross robbed your bank
Did David Cross just rob your bank?

Recently, the Statesman’s Blotter headlines have provided me with a few chuckles.  I don’t intend to make light of the actual crimes – at all – just the headlines.

The above man, bearing a strong resemblance to David Cross (aka. Tobias Funke), apparently entered a bank and demanded money.  The bank gave it to him. Is it really that simple?  Then, there was the story of two men stealing socks and a chicken from Wal Mart in Cedar Park.  Look at those ready-for-myspace mug shots!  Next, was a story involving a carnival worker.  Not a funny story.

From the archive: What Does Downtown Austin Need?

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Last month I wrote about six items downtown Austin could significantly benefit from.  It’s a slow news morning, so I thought I would re-post the links together.  Politicians love to talk, form task forces, and spend time doing everything except for making decisions as they are needed. So, this is an appeal to Downtown Austin stakeholders that know how to get things done: the residents, developers, retailers, and land owners.

This is what we need:

1) Super Target on Congress Ave. (link)
2) Hardware store on Congress Ave. (link)
3) More bodega grocers (link)
4) Move social services away from Sixth Street (link)
5) Improved landmark protection and design standards (link)
6) Urban Rail (link)

-Jude

Another cup, please.

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downtown Austin from South bank of Lady Bird Lake
downtown Austin from South bank of Lady Bird Lake

It’s Sunday morning – my favorite time of the week. This morning I walked to Jo’s coffee, ordered two breakfast tacos and a Topo Chico. It’s packed with people of all ages.  This Sunday morning routine is something I developed growing up in Pittsburgh and, personally, it perfectly describes why I love living in the city.  Downtown Austin has come a long way in a short amount of time. Most people that live in Austin are not from Austin (I don’t have any data to back this up, but stick with me). People immigrate to Austin from California and the Northern states.  We come here for the weather and the lifestyle, and inevitably gravitate towards dense neighborhoods.  We seek out places to live and work that have close proximity. Places where each person’s experiences are more intimate and common to everyone else.  Here I am, in one of America’s greatest cities, with laptop open I just ordered another cup of Jo’s coffee.  I see people I know. Damn, this is nice.