Downtown Austin Blog

AG · July 12, 2012

This past Sunday, I had the best manicure / pedicure that I’ve ever had. I had the service at Hiatus Spa + Retreat, a spa concept headquartered in Dallas, but with a location on the ground floor of the Gables on West 5th – just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from Downtown Austin.

The whole experience there is top-notch from beginning to end, actually – but the actual service is just different enough from the other places that I think it deserves to be called the best.

There are two things that make it different than any other manicure / pedicure I’ve every had. The first thing is [Read more…] about The Best Pedicure in Austin (that I’ve had so far….)

Jude Galligan · July 8, 2012

Have you been to any of downtown Austin’s parks recently?

I walk near and around them almost everyday. Yet, they fail to draw me in.

Over the last couple of years, Republic Square Park has received a nice face lift. Smart people and private money ensured the auction oaks are preserved and cared for. Add to that good programming such as the Alamo Drafthouse’s Movies in the Park and the Saturday morning farmers market.

Republic Square is doing the best of the downtown parks. Still, most of the time downtown Austin’s parks are empty. That’s the unfortunate truth.

And, this is the reason:

During the week (daytime) Republic Square Park offers nothing to attract workers, visitors, or residents. It is neither a conduit nor a destination for most people.

Here’s how we fix it. [Read more…] about The ONE & ONLY Way To Activate Downtown Austin Parks On A Regular Basis

Jude Galligan · June 30, 2012

The 600 block of W. 5th Street has strangely evolved to host a single use: drive through banks.

Yesterday’s Statesman article announcing Endeavor’s forthcoming development of IBC Bank Plaza left me chuckling, as I wondered about the market forces leading to this.

It’s quite odd. Unlike retail or entertainment districts, there are no obvious economies of agglomeration with several drive through banks near each other. They don’t even share driveways.

This particular block of 5th Street has nice wide great-streets-style sidewalks, which the respective developers paid for. And I grant you, the surface parking is neither attractive nor productive. I’m not complaining about the new IBC Bank. It’s just a curious situation.

AG · June 22, 2012

I love a good deal. And more than that, I love SHARING a good deal.

Luckily for me, Rocket Electrics over on E. Riverside (just south of Downtown Austin, on the ground floor of the AMLI South Shore Apartments) is offering you lucky Downtown Austin Blog readers a fabulous discount on their Electric Bike rentals. The discount starts TODAY, and is good for a WHOPPING [Read more…] about Rocket Electrics Electric Bike Rental Discount Code – Exclusive for Downtown Austin Blog Readers

AG · June 18, 2012

Oh, Glee. I sometimes enjoy you, but often I am overcome with shame for watching you. But, last week – you actually accomplished something useful. Because of you, Glee, I finally recycled my big ol’ bag o’ batteries.

Okay, let me explain. See, up until last week, I had been keeping this huge Ziploc bag stuffed with used up AA batteries under my kitchen sink. I didn’t know where to take them and I always seemed to forget to Google a nearby location. So, the bag o’ batteries just kept getting bigger.

And then I started seeing this Glee PSA about recycling batteries. Over. And over. And over again. [Read more…] about Glee. (Indirectly) Making Downtown Austin a Little More Environmentally Friendly