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Save W 6th Street

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West 6th Street is in danger.  Of what we’ve not been able to confirm (and, yes, this is a real promotion).

This could be a response by W. 6th Street bar proprietors to area push back against “bar creep” and early morning noise proliferating into more residential parts of downtown Austin, outside of established entertainment districts.

The Texas Bar & Nightclub Alliance (TBNA) has been active in recent months to reel in problematic bars operating and turning up the volume without an outdoor music venue permit.  

A subset of TBNA representing only W 6th Street proprietors has engaged Drenner Golden to find alternatives to the conditional use permit language recommended by the Downtown Austin Plan for new bars in the CBD.

If you want to Save West 6th Street, you better get to drinking and voting June 8-12.

[Read more…] about Save W 6th Street

Is Austin Bicycle Theft On The Rise?

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There were more bike thefts reported in the heart of downtown Austin during the first five months of 2011, compared to 2010, according to city police records I compiled. However, reports are down in the South Congress area.

I know this because I decided to do my best Council Member Chris Riley impression — sans silver hair — and work on reducing my car usage in favor of pedal power to commute to the Capitol area. I bought a bike over the weekend, did some research and promptly shelled out another $200 for accessories, aimed mostly at anti-theft.

[Read more…] about Is Austin Bicycle Theft On The Rise?

AF1 Racing – Downtown Austin’s Neighborhood Superbike and Scooter Store

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AF1 Racing is opening a Downtown Austin store.  This is their second location, and they are taking the old OK Paper space near Cesar Chavez and Trinity.  I spotted the window graphics going up yesterday, accross the street from Downtown Austin’s Four Seasons Residences.

A quick check of their Facebook page confirmed the news.

Ironically, one month ago I sold my amazing Aprilia Scarabeo 50cc.  Back in 2008, I searched the entire country using Craigslist for a specific two-stroke version with low miles.  (The two strokes had more torque and could zip around much better.)  I found one in Atlanta and shipped it back home.  It quickly became one of my preferred modes of transportation in downtown Austin.

And, I never worried about parking.

Downtown Austin Condo Transaction Report For April (And March, Sort Of)

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In April, I didn’t publish a transaction summary covering March’s downtown deals.

I had assembled all the info, drafted the post, and it was ready to publish.  Some of you noticed that I never got around to posting it, and I’m sorry for not getting it out there (here’s to you John K.).

Jude, why u no post March data?

First and fortunately, I was at the tipping point of having more business than I could handle.  Springtime is always busy for me.  Combine that with opening the RE/MAX Downtown Austin office and I got distracted, operating on little sleep.

Secondly, I couldn’t come up with a headline for March!  March’s data didn’t seem to have a compelling story.  March’s data seemed too predictable.  That spooked me – what was I going to write about?  DAB readers have built up filters to exaggerated headlines, but readers do expect a story.  You should expect some insight.  What’s the story?

[Read more…] about Downtown Austin Condo Transaction Report For April (And March, Sort Of)

Parking Wayfinding Signage Installed Downtown

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Though I haven’t noticed them out in the “wild” of downtown Austin just yet, council informs us they are in the process of installing 44 signs directing drivers where they can park.  The idea is that if you can lead a horse to water it will drink it, instead of circling the city crapping everywhere until it finds water on its own.  [That’s the best metaphor I can muster.]  From the letter… [Read more…] about Parking Wayfinding Signage Installed Downtown

Cinco De Mayo Party Worth Checking Out

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If you haven’t made your Cinco De Mayo plans yet – I would check out this event at La Condesa / Malverde in Downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District.  It’s a hip spot with a killer vibe, and I always enjoy myself when I’m there. And there’s no cover, so there’s that….

Malverde has long been one of my fave places to go when I’m feeling a bit hip and want to enjoy a swanky view.  There’s always good music, good people, and good drinks.  The same goes for the restaurant below, La Condesa.  The interior finish out of the place is a reason to go to the restaurant in and of itself, IMO.

The event begins at 5pm (appropriately) at La Condesa.  There promises to be lots of yummy food and drink to enjoy.  Don’t siesta on this fiesta!

Flyer after the jump: [Read more…] about Cinco De Mayo Party Worth Checking Out

Downtown Austin Home Bicycle Tour (Free Tickets – $44 Value)

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We are awarding 2 free tickets ($44 value) to 1 lucky DAB reader for this AWESOME bike tour happening this Saturday, April 23rd, beginning at 9:30AM.  MEET UP AT WHOLE FOODS ON LAMAR.  Winner will also receive 2 FREE Downtown Austin Blog t-shirts (priceless?)! [Read more…] about Downtown Austin Home Bicycle Tour (Free Tickets – $44 Value)

Downtown Austin’s Railyard District Getting A New Neighbor?

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No, we’re not talking about the news of a rekindled T. Stacy building.  Last month it was reported that Riverside Resources was under contract to buy the Whitley Building at 301 Brazos St.  The downtown Austin development site is zoned Central Business District (CBD) with no Capitol View Corridor restrictions.  According to reporter Jacob Dirr’s Twitter feed, the local development firm is planning a 20-story residential redevelopment of the site.  Dirr’s tweet also links to a rendering of the building [Read more…] about Downtown Austin’s Railyard District Getting A New Neighbor?

Downtown Austin: Census Data In Perspective

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Anyone who knows what a construction crane looks like knows that downtown Austin experienced phenomenal growth between 2000 and 2010. The 2010 Census confirms what we could see: Census tract 11 (which includes the CBD and Rainey Street) more than doubled in population, from 2,386 to 5,512. And that excludes dense developments that most would consider part of “downtown,” including Gables Park Plaza, the Monarch, Spring and Nokonah, all within Census tract 12. Add these and Downtown’s growth was even more impressive. [Read more…] about Downtown Austin: Census Data In Perspective