The Austonian Blog - Downtown Luxury Condo in Austin, Texas

May is National Bike Month

The month of May is celebrated by cities across the U.S. as National Bike Month, including Bike to Work Week (May 16-20), Bike to Work Day (May 20), and many other events, rides and celebrations. The goal of this movement is to get more people on their bikes for travel, work, school and play.

The Austonian residences in downtown Austin support multi-modal transportation and have a bike and Segway storage room on site for residents. The concierge has a bike valet available to residents and their guests 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For a full list of Bike Month events, view the article in The Austin Chronicle.  

(Image via valdodge.com) 

The Austin Chronicle: Restaurants at The Austonian are on the Cutting Edge of Downtown Austin’s Future

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Photos by Casey Dunn

The Austonian is featured in The Austin Chronicle for its three dining destinations that showcase downtown Austin’s finest. Executive Chef David Bull and his partners in the La Corsha Restaurant Group hired the best of the best of Austin’s cooks, mixologists, sommeliers and servers to create a team that would run Congress, Bar Congress and Second Bar + Kitchen. Read the full article here.

Congress recently received a five-star review from Austin American-Statesman restaurant critic Mike Sutter, making the restaurant the highest-rated dining spot in the city.

For Earth Day the three establishments have joined Austin Give 5. Five percent of today’s purchases will benefit five Austin nonprofit organizations. More information is available at the Austin Give 5 website.

The Austonian Wins Green Building Award from Austin Business Journal

The Austonian has received a “Going Green Award” green building award from the Austin Business Journal for its commitment to green living. The Going Green awards, announced on January 26, honor those in Central Texas who make efforts to incorporate environmentally sustainable practices.

The building is going green to celebrate – see our “smile” tonight after dusk.

Read more about it in today’s Austin Business Journal.

The Austonian Earns Coveted Four-star Rating from Austin Energy Green Building

This week, The Austonian announced that the downtown condo project has received a four-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building. A press conference was held on the 10th-floor green roof terrace of The Austonian.

Speakers at the event included Mayor Lee Leffingwell, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, City Council Member Chris Riley and Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weiss.

The Austonian is the first and only high-rise residential building in downtown Austin to receive such a rating. Read the full press release here.

Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Austin on November 11th

The annual Veterans Day Parade, hosted by Travis County and the City of Austin, will begin tomorrow, Nov. 11 at the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. The parade is set to start around 9 a.m. and will proceed north on Congress Avenue toward the Texas State Capitol. A special flyover by the Commemorative Air Force, which is based in San Marcos, is scheduled for the start of the Memorial Ceremony beginning at 11 a.m.

Event details are available at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/military/parade_itinerary.htm

Come Dance! 09.12.10: A Day of Free Dance Classes at Ballet Austin on Sunday in Downtown Austin

(Photo courtesy of www.balletaustin.org)

This Sunday from 2 to 6p.m., Ballet Austin and the Downtown Austin Alliance have partnered to bring a free day of dance, movement and fitness classes to the Butler Dance Education Center and Community School in downtown Austin.

The event, which is being held to celebrate the 3^rd birthday of the 34,000 square-foot venue, is open to the public and free for everyone. Classes available include ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop, hula, and Zumba.

For more information and to view the free dance class schedule, visit http://www.balletaustin.org/comedance/.

Austin: Silicon Valley 2.0? Anticipating Growth in the Tech Sector

(Photo credit Thomas McConnell. All Rights Reserved.) 

Today, ABCNews Online ran a story discussing the possibilities for the “next Silicon Valley,” pointing to high costs of living and slowing growth in the San Francisco Bay Area. While the Bay Area continues to be a top market for technology start ups and relocations, the article stated that Austin and New York City are the main contenders on the list of desirable places for tech businesses to flock to.

According to the article, “Austin has quietly grown into a city that attracts -- and produces -- some of the most innovative companies in the country.” Two examples of recent tech companies expanding to the capitol city from Silicon Valley include Facebook and LegalZoom.

Austin is a popular place for companies to move because the population is highly educated; 38 percent of the 6 million people in the Austin area have a bachelor’s degree, which is more than twice the national average of 15.5 percent. The area is similar to Silicon Valley in the early days in many educational, cultural and ideological ways, which points to Austin’s potential to become Silicon Valley 2.0.

Read the full story here: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/austin-nyc-silicon-valley/story?id=11480847&page=2.

The Austonian Art Collection: Austin Artist Shawn Smith Opens at D Berman Gallery

Austin artist Shawn Smith, who created the Fuentes Ficticias sculptures installed on the 10th floor lawn of The Austonian, is having the opening reception for his show at downtown Austin’s d berman gallery on Thursday from 6 to 8p.m. Artist Joseph Phillips is also opening his show at d berman tomorrow night.

Smith’s artwork focuses on meticulously-created, pixilated abstract sculptures which present un-natural nature to the viewer. According to Smith, “My conceptual and material practice explores digital identity, color, colliding systems of information, labor, technology, and science. As an object maker, I am interested in relating these concepts back to the symbiotic connection between the hand and the ‘thing.’”

For more information about the exhibit or Smith’s work, visit http://www.dbermangallery.com/. 

(Photo: Fuentes Ficticias on the 10th floor lawn, Credit Mary Sledd) 

Austin Ranked Best City for Quality of Life in Recent Study

A recent study of cities across the United States by Business Facilities Magazine ranked the top cities in categories ranging from Economic Growth Potential to Quality of Life. Business Facilities named Austin the superstar of the study, identifying the capital of Texas as a place that stands out among others.

Austin landed the number-one ranking for Quality of Life, which takes into account the lifestyle supported by Austin’s warm climate, scenic surroundings, expansive options of outdoor activities, and numerous lakes. Additional factors include Austin’s diversified workforce and growth in the high-tech, education, government and financing industries.

Austin has been ranked one of the best cities for business by Forbes and Fortune and is the second fastest-growing city in the United States.

“Austin has become one of the few places in the country where people come to live by choice, for all it has to offer,” says Austin-based economist Angelos Angelou.

(Photo credit Thomas McConnell. All Rights Reserved.)

The Austonian Residents will Enjoy 4th of July Fireworks from a New, Taller Perspective

This Sunday, thousands of Austinites will congregate at Auditorium Shores for the HEB Austin Symphony July 4th Fireworks celebration. The event begins at 8:30p.m. and the fireworks show starts at 9:30p.m. The Austin Symphony will play patriotic songs during the show.

The Austonian residents will have one-of-a-kind views of the glittering skies over Lady Bird Lake from the 56-story building and its 55th-floor outdoor terrace.

The Austonian condominiums opened this month. Photos from last year’s 4th of July celebration, which were taken from the 45th floor of the unfinished building, are posted here.