Search Results for: w hotel

Downtown Austin: Get Pumped About Pumping Iron.

AG | May 21, 2009 |

I’ve always thought it to be the height of irony that people drive to the gym for a workout on the treadmill. That’s why I have always been a proponent a) just taking a jog around Town Lake or the bustling streets of Downtown Austin, or b) if I feel the need for the equipment, to find someplace within walking distance. That’s one of the main reasons Jude and I joined the Tower Health Club and Spa at the Hilton 555. Most people don’t even think about the Tower Health Club, probably because it’s in a hotel and people assume there’s no open membership. However, they have a variety of membership plans and a pretty decent set of equipment. They also have a steam room, sauna, pool, and hot-tub, which is great. Jude and I hit the gym about three times a week, not only because we want to stay healthy, but because it’s really convenient. My only criticism would be that they don’t offer classes like many of the more commercial gyms.

However, the convenience outweighs the class options for me. While we love the THC&S, there are a variety of places to workout in downtown if you want to use equipment or prefer to take classes. Click here for a Google Map showing some results.

Within the last few months, we’ve also upped the ante a bit and hired a personal trainer, Will Wagner. The unique thing about this guy is that he’ll meet you anywhere (within reason). He’s really flexible in terms of coordinating times and places to meet, and he even E-mails us between sessions to help us stay on track. He also introduced us to The Green Shake (contact him for more info on this), which I jokingly refer to as The Fountain of Youth shake…..He’s got several clients in our building and throughout Downtown Austin, so meeting centrally is generally pretty convenient for him, I think.

I guess the point here is that working out doesn’t have to be an ordeal, particularly for those of us living in Downtown Austin, where pretty much everything is a stone’s throw away. For Downtown Austin dwellers, there are a variety of really attractive options to keep fit, such as employing our naturally beautiful surroundings, dropping by one of the many nearby gyms, or even calling a trainer who is more than happy to meet you where you live.

Go get fit!

1/2 City Block For Sale

Jude Galligan | May 15, 2009 |

The ABJ is reporting that the Whitely Paper Co. building, which was the original site for the downtown Austin 21c Museum & hotel, is back on the market for $3.8MM.

Map

Travis House

Jude Galligan | April 28, 2009 |

Austinist is reporting that Travis House could be replaced soon. I haven’t seen plans for what could replace it, but the owners believe it needs to be razed to do whatever it is they might do. Eric Van Hyfte of BOKA Powell architects appealed to the Historic Landmark Commission last night (detail pdf).

The structure currently known as Travis House is sort of downtown Austin obscurity. The building has been vacant for years and was victim of a fire in January. In past this building has served as a YWCA and also the Guadalupe Hotel. Before 1946 the site was the location of a Southwestern Bell garage. I recall while at UT, the building was a halfway house.

Interestingly, directly across the street at the burned out Guadalupe Arts Center, 1705 Guadalupe and 1715 Guadalupe have jointly obtained entitlements for 350 foot height and a 12:1 FAR which translates into a 30 story tower.

It’s my understanding that historic landmarks do nothing to preserve the ‘history’ of a building, only to prevent it from being torn down. If anyone has more information please email me or share in the comments.

-Jude

image links to pdf

Thanks to DANA’s Roger Cauvin for the heads up on this Daily Texan article!

Brazos Streetscape Improvement & Reconstruction Project

Jude Galligan | March 3, 2009 |

It’s been a few years in the making and it now appears that Brazos St will get the make over we’ve been expecting. This month, the city should begin to send out RFPs for the construction work, which is expected to begin this summer and stretch from Cesar Chavez to 11th Street. There will be significant infrastructure improvements. The most visible improvement will be the addition of Great Streets sidewalks.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/publicworks/brazos.htm

panhandling is not the real issue

Jude Galligan | February 28, 2009 |

I learned something interesting this week. The anti-panhandling ordinance is only enforceable if the ‘victim’ or another witness requests that the ‘offender’ be cited. Otherwise, the police are not obliged to intervene. I’ve come to a conclusion regarding the perceived safety of downtown Austin: panhandling is a red herring issue.

The real issue is the ARCH doesn’t have the capacity to service the thousands of homeless people in Austin. They try, but can’t, and those under served are relegated to the streets of the Entertainment District. These people are easy prey for drug dealers. Over the past six months I’ve seen a surge in drug dealers and gangs staking their turf. Ask any resident that has a view of East 5th street if they’ve recently seen some hooded guy loitering in the middle of a sidewalk for hours on end. What are they doing?

The convention center, hotels, retailers, and residents are becoming more vigilant and zero tolerance on Downtown Austin crime is becoming the battle cry. Downtown stakeholders seem to have reached an unofficial consensus that the police must begin to: 1) shift to a beat system of patrol 2) spread out on weekend nights 3) be more effectual in responding to 911. As a participant in many of the Downtown Austin stakeholder groups, I tell you that the Police force is given plenty of slack. Judging by the frustrated voices at recent meetings, I don’t know how much longer that will continue.