I’ve been reading a few great articles recently about downtown living in Austin. As much resistance as there has been to change, the inevitable is happening and the downtown skyline is changing.73% of the 1,562 condos that have already been built or are currently under construction are occupied. The most anticipated  projects nearing completion are the Austonian and W Hotel and Condominiums. With no new construction slated to start for another 4-5 years, demand may... Full Story

There are three, count them three movie premiers debuting in Austin in the next four days.

Tomorrow night, Quentin Tarantino will be premiering “Inglourious Basterds” at the Ritz Alamo Drafthouse. He will be on hand to curate the first of three films of the Cinemapocalypse, an all night movie marathon. Not surprisingly, tickets sold out in 45 seconds. The real question is… will Brad Pitt be making a cameo appearance???

Sunday afternoon head over to the historic... Full Story

Carlos’NCharlie’s Fireworks Extravaganza

Friday, July 3 – 5973 Hiline Road Austin, Texas 78734

http://www.cncaustin.com/index.html

Lakeway 4th of July Celebration

Saturday, July 4, 2009 – 8:30 am – City Park, Lakeway, TX

www.lakeway.org

Fourth of July all day event starting with a fanciful sponsored parade/floats that make their way down Lakeway Drive. Locals then head to the park for a picnic, games for kids, music and the announcement of the float award winners. The... Full Story

I can’t believe we have to wait five more months, but I think it will be well worth it! Rumors were swirling that Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band and Beastie Boys were front-runners for the headlining band but now it’s been confirmed that all four are playing!For a complete list of the lineup Click Here.Rock on!

According to builderonline.com, the Austin housing market ranks second in the healthiest housing markets in the nation for 2009. While most markets are seeing drastic declines in unemployment, the Austin job market actually added 17,400 new jobs last year. That’s a 2.3% increase! While the average price of a home in Austin is slightly higher than most major cities in Texas at $188,600, it still sits below the national average which further adds to the appeal... Full Story

 This weekend my husband and I ventured to a new establishment, Fion Wine Pub in Steiner Ranch, for a birthday dinner. This place is really interesting. While it started out as a beer and wine retail store, they have recently added a bistro-style dining area complete with an open chef’s kitchen and eclectic decor. The store boasts a HUGE selection of beer and wine, 500 different beers from around the world (some... Full Story

A recent report in the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate has ranked Austin 11th in top cities for U.S. and global investment in 2009, up from 16th place in 2008. Washington D.C. took the top spot on the ranking, followed by New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Houston for the top five. Foreign investors were most interested in purchasing multifamily sectors, followed by office space, industrial buildings, retail space and hotels. What’s interesting to note is that the... Full Story

We visited on of Austin’s iconic landmarks, the Broken Spoke, for a friends birthday Friday night and I have to say, it was a lot of fun! Although I didn’t have any boots to dust off ( I wore heels), I could still boogie with the best of them, well sort of. Jake Hooker and his band played and the place was packed. If you’ve never... Full Story

So this past weekend my husband and I ventured out in search of some delicious Mediterranean food and found an abundance of it at Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet located at 4301 William Cannon Dr.  

Located in what was formerly a Village Inn restaurant, Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet is a breath of fresh air for the Southwest Austin foodies looking to expand their cuisine horizons. There is an abundance of food to choose from, including many vegetarian items which is a high... Full Story

A 2008 crime report conducted by CQ Press in Washington DC recenty ranked Austin the safest of Texas’s biggest cities based on 2007 crime statistics. Overall our fabulous city ranked 199 in least amount of criminal activity in cities with populations over 75,000.

 To check out crime statistics in your particular area visit: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/crimeinformation.htm