downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog
According to Downtown Austin Blog friend Yola of the UT Urban Development Society:
“I also wanted to give you a heads up on the Tea Embassy (located at 9th and Rio Grande). If you didn’t already know, they are giving away free chocolate and tea samples on Friday and Saturday from 10AM-6PM. It sounds like a good afternoon Valentine’s Day plan that others might find interesting.”
Thanks, Yola!
Loft Decor consolidates its retail at the Domain (link)
W-Hotel goes after back up financing (link)
CapMetro working to quiet railroad crossings on it’s 32 mile commuter rail (link)
Urban Transportation Commission Adopts Recommendations for Downtown Austin Plan (link)
Governor’s mansion is one of Texas’s most endangered historic places (link)
I was having coffee earlier this morning and chatting with someone about how most people in the world purchase their food on a daily or weekly basis. In New York it’s routine to drop in to D’Agostinos and pick up a few things for the next day or so. Then, with synchronicity, a few minutes ago I receieved a note from DANA’s Roger Cauvin telling me that at Royal Blue Grocery you can open a “tab”! That’s cool.
“Did you know that you can open a “tab” with Royal Blue? When you sign up, they take your credit card info and enter you in their computer. Then, whenever you buy items at the store, they simply put it on your tab. At the end of each month, they automatically charge your credit card and send you a statement. There is no fee for the service.
One of the benefits of having a dense downtown is that it makes conveniences such as this one viable, due to the sheer number of residents within walking distance of retail shops.” – Roger Cauvin
The phenomenon of the supermarket was an American invention that paralleled the exodus from cities into suburbs. Well, as people move back to the city to become more connected, it’s nice to see an Austin entrepreneur, George Scariano, meet the demand for more neighborhood friendly businesses that are walkable and accessible on a daily basis. Also, see Waltons Fancy & Staple and Emerald City
Royal Blue is located @ 3rd & Lavaca. Their second location, at the ground level of 360 condos, is expected to open next week.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv–5rKnMJs]
Nice example of urban hackery. Yesterday, months of planning came through with an Improv Everywhere-esque human freeze at Whole Foods. This is why I love Austin (and Whole Foods)… from the Flash Mob Austin blog…
“Can we just do a quick shout-out to Whole Foods and their Lamar/ Flagship crew? They were such good sports! They could have very easily gotten annoyed and angry and demanded that we leave, but they were super cool with it. Huge kudos goes out to Whole Foods security, managers, and food staff on the salad bar side of the store. Thanks for not calling the police! Oh, and thanks so much to those who grabbed some lunch there or bought some groceries after you unfroze!”
Video of the Flash Mob @ Whole Foods
Flash Mob Wiki
Club FUZE is the next venue on the Downtown stakeholders’ list of night clubs identified as hosting recurring criminal activity. A letter was sent on behalf of several Downtown stakeholders (including DANA, Capital Metro, and multiple residential buildings) to Don Garner, the owner of 505 Neches where Club FUZE is located. According to the letter:
“In the past year the criminal activity inside and surrounding Club Fuze has escalated considerably. Reports obtained from the Austin Police Department data base reveal a serious escalation of violence, public drunkenness, prostitution, and illegal drug activity both in the club and on the adjoining street.”
The letter goes on to state,
“The club’s dangerous and illegal activities have reached the point that visitors are now being warned to not walk down Neches during peak club hours, hotel guests are being encouraged to avoid the area, and local residents have been forced to avoid the area and to warn their friends to not park near the club.”
Part of the challenge for the Police is coping with venues that have recurring problems. According to data found at Krimelabb.com you might want to avoid club FUZE and the area around it. Below is a list of criminal activity inside or in front of FUZE in December.
Citizen stakeholders have recently been successful in purging the neighborhood of offending night clubs. Last month, Tim Finley, the owner of the building housing Club Paradox and Club Planeta, was urged to clean up his tenant’s act after discussions with residents, police, hotels, and the convention center. After years of increasing crime and violence in and around clubs Paradox and Planeta, it was clear to Tim Finley that change was needed. He terminated their lease.