Matt Layman
The quality of life is what attracts new-comers to Austin
The quality of life is what attracts new-comers to Austin, TX
A cool map of Austin, TX
Music: No matter how many things you’ve heard about the music scene in Austin, you can’t visualize its full depth and breadth. More than 150 venues offer regular musical sets. At any given time, more than 3,000 musical acts navigate this maze, and public places are a magnet for live music. Almost across the board it’s a consistently high level of musicianship that twice a year peaks in mammoth festivals: South by Southwest (SXSW) in the spring and Austin City Limits Music Festival in the fall. The SXSW Conference & Festival offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. It’s a unique environment and experience and could only happen in Austin. You have a chance to discovery the hottest up and coming bands and artists that are coming out of the music world, you also get to gaze your eyes on some killer independent films that are on display, and take a bath in the latest innovative technologies where the brightest minds in emerging media and industry leaders share visions of the future through the latest digital tools and platforms. The SXSW is dated for March 11-20, 2011. Austin City Limits Music Festival know as ACL is a three day, eight stage event that happens in Austin every fall that will feature over 130 of the hottest and most popular bands and artists from around the world. This year the event will be held on September 16-18th 2011. If you love live music – Austin, TX is for you!
Arts: Second only to music, the arts are ubiquitous in Central Texas. In a select group of cities with professional symphony, opera, ballet, and theater companies, Austin also has benefited as those offerings improved exponentially during the past decades. There’s only one large art museum – the Blanton Museum of Art – but plenty of high-quality galleries and smaller museums. Comedy is red-hot in Austin, with dozens of transient sketch , improv and hybrid comedy troupes winning international fame.
Movies: Austin has been a movie mecca, more or less, for about 20 years. Besides giants like Robert Rodriguez, Mike Judge, Richard Linklater and Elizabeth Avellan, other directors, actors, designers and technicians wander our streets every day. Austin has been nicknamed Hollywood’s third coast and is rumored to be second in movie film and production only to Hollywood. And Austin was also featured #5 out of 10 best cities in the US to live, work, and make movies in 2010. The Alamo Drafthouse phenomenon started here and if you haven’t experienced a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse you must on your next visit. Not only do you get to have the opportunity to view old movie classics but you get to eat, drink and be merry while taking in your favorite cinema. Depend on the good folks with the Austin Film Society, Austin Film Festival, SXSW film festival and other hyperactive groups to keep this city cranking out the films. The most recent box office hits: Machete and Predators were both filmed in surrounding Austin area, Bastrop, and film/edited at Robert Rodriguez studio named Troublemaker Studios located in the Mueller master plan community of Austin which is located right off I-35 five minutes from downtown Austin.
Alamo Draft House
Nightlife: As money poured into Austin during the past two or three booms, club scenesters multiplied the “going out” options. Ultra-lounges were all the rage a couple of years ago. Now the night tribes follow celebrity party planners, social media mavens, and mixologists sparking the next cocktail revolution. Newer entertainment districts include West Sixth Street, East E. Sixth Street and Rainey Street. If your looking for a point in the right direction I would be glad to share with you some of my favorite nightlife spots from pure clubs, to outside roof top bars, to lounges, to old gutted houses turned into a chill scene to meet friends for drinks after a long day of work.
West 6th Street - visit Dogwood & Molotov I know the owners!
Sports: In Austin, sports count as entertainment. Especially the University of Texas Longhorns on any field of action. They’ve been joined recently by superior minor-league teams, such as the Round Rock Express, Austin Toros, Texas Stars and the amazing freshman Austin Aztex. The University of Texas has an impressive winning record when it comes to Football, Basketball, & Baseball. The teams each respectively are always in the top 5 or 10 in the nation year in and year out. Which is very impressive considering it’s tough to keep that level of consistency going in a college program. Add to that fast-expanding local sports bar phenoms, such as Third Base, Bikinis, Cover 3, and Cuatros.
Sytle: Not long ago, the only fashion show in town was staged annually by the UT design program. Now it seems models walk the runway every night of the week. The presence of powerful national stores (Neiman Marcus, Saks, etc.) helps, but more influential are the masses of designers and boutiques that make up the backbone of the Austin fashion scene. If you are in Austin on a first Thursday – take in the sights and sounds of south Congress as all the local boutiques open up for extended hours to show off their latest fashion forward designs, sales, along with offering up cool music by some of the hottest Austin DJ’s, and delicious food and drinks.
Food: When asked what they do for entertainment, Austintes often say: “Eat out.” As you will soon discover, dining in Austin often comes with a dash of design, music, comedy, or film. Austin is home to the most restaurants and bars per capita than any other American city! So take it all in!
If your thinking about visiting Austin because you are attracted to the quality of life that this city offers - and interested in getting a closer look at the local real estate market because you seriously considering a move or relocating- please give me a call to set up an appointment to tour this wonderful place we call heaven cell: (512) 771.0754 or email: mlatxrealestate@gmail.com If you are all ready living in this Rock ‘in town we call Austin and looking to become a first time home buyer or looking to move up give me a call I would love to assist you find your next dream home.
Keep Austin Rock’in,
Matthew C. Layman
Austin’s Rock ‘in Realtor
http://austinsrockinrealestateblog.com/
cell: 512.771.0754
Austin downtown condo sales rose 50% in 2010
This article doesn’t surprise me because I saw a healthy appetite for downtown Austin living this past year! I was on a regular basis showing units weekly or bi-weekly at 360 Condos, Spring, The W, the Austonian, and Four Seasons Residences.
What’s your favorite downtown Austin condo and why?!
AUSTIN DOWNTOWN CONDO SALES ROSE 50% IN 2010
Downtown Austin skyline
Here’s the article in the Austin Business Journal:
Austin condo sales through listing services doubled last year, while prices were stable, according to recent Multiple Listing Service data released Monday.
A report from AustinTowers.net, a downtown Austin real estate blog, compiled MLS data from 25 downtown residential towers. The group tracked 168 sales last year, or about 50 percent more than in 2009. The average selling price last year was $294 per square foot, down from $296 per square foot in 2009. Units sold for an average of $308 per square foot in 2008.
“With more than 2,000 new downtown condo units built downtown in the last decade, overcapacity and the real estate downturn threatened to depress condo prices” AustinTowers Editor Paul J. D’Arcy said.
“The 2010 sales results show that the market remains quite strong given the difficulties facing the broader real estate and mortgage markets.”
The report said the average price per unit sold downtown was $343,983 up from about $330,344 last year, but down from $345,856 in 2008. The average time to sell a condo was 100 days, a 12-day increase from 2009.
The latter half of the year was particularly active, the Austin Business Journal reported in November. In October, there was 30 closings for downtown condos, according to Travis County data confirmed by developers. Twenty-one of those were at the three latest high-profile condo buildings downtown: The Four Seasons Residences, Spring Condominium, and The Austonian.
The 360 condos in Austin at the corner of Nueces and West Fourth streets was the highest selling property last year of those listed, closing about 38 deals, according to AustinTowers.net. The data does not include properties that were direct sellers, including Montevista Condominiums in Austin. That property sold 44 units lat year, according to officials.
Of all units tracked by Austintowners.net, eight buyers paid more than $1 million, up from two in 2009 and one in 2008.
A significant number of condos also sold for close out prices, with about 38 going for less than $200,000. One buyer paid $86,000 – the lowest price paid for a downtown condo last year.
Developers are still planning new projects downtown, as well. A 12-story, 72-unit condominium complex is being planned at 805 Nueces St, at the corner of Nueces and 9th streets downtown.
Direct Link to article: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/01/24/downtown-condo-sales-rose-50-in-10.html
If you are interested in setting up an appointment to view a particular Condo or unit or have questions about Condos in general in Downtown Austin, please call Matthew C. Layman at 512-771-0754 (cell) or email mlatxrealestate@gmail.com I would be glad to help and answer any questions you may have.
I’m looking forward to serving your Downtown and Urban life-style needs!
Keep Rock ‘in,
Matthew
Austin’s Rock ‘in Realtor
Downtown Austin & Urban Real Estate Specialist
512.771.0754
Austin a top spot for young entrepreneurs
Austin, TX. keeps making news headlines again. Austin was one of the top 10 cities for young entrepreneurs last year according to Under30CEO.
Austin, TX
Austin, TX was ranked number 3 on the top 10 list. I can remember like it was yesterday when I decided to move to Austin. It was back in November of 1999, I was living in Harrisonburg, VA. at the time and just returned from a long 3-day weekend visiting Austin over Halloween weekend. I was a young 21 one year old entrepreneur with ambitious dreams of making it big in the ‘live music capital of the world’. At the time I had a home-based business where I sold air and water purification equipment and decided Austin was a great place to further my career as an entrepreneur. One of the many reasons why I decided on Austin over several other cities as it was a small-business friendly city. At the heart of Austin beats the entrepreneur spirit. And since Austin is so forward thinking we attract lots of start-up companies, green companies, hi-tech, computer-science, investing, etc.
It’s no surprise to me to see Austin now in 2010 and 2011 leading the nation in the recession recovery. With the Texas Workforce Commission predicting a 2-2.5% annual net growth in jobs through 2012.
If you are a young ambitious entrepreneur part of the generation Y moving to Austin to start your own firm, or land a cool hi-tech job at Samsung, or maybe trying your hand at the leading social networking site Facebook, this Rock’in city has a place for you. And because Austin is so cool we attract young and old, Austin is one of the leading places in America as well where baby-boomers go to retire.
To read more about this article visit the Austin Business Journal here: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/01/04/austin-a-top-spot-for-young.html
If your thinking of moving to Austin and have questions about the city from weather to business networking I would be glad to help out anyway I can. If your thinking of calling Austin home I would highly encourage you to make an official visit to explore and see the city for yourself. You will find some many wonderful reasons why to fall in love with this place. From the live music scene, two beautiful lakes, University of Texas, state capital, south congress shopping, the ever growing downtown Austin skyline, to our beautiful hill country this city has it all. Regardless of your age … young or old this city is for YOU! Come find your purpose and destiny here and help us continue to make Austin, TX the #1 destination city in America.
If you have questions or If I can assist you with any real estate needs don’t hesitate to call 512.771.0754 or email: mlatxrealestate@gmail.com
Keep Austin Rock’in,
-Matthew
Austin’s #1 Rock’in Realtor
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/matthewclaymanFollow me on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/matthewclayman
Austin, TX in the News Again! Austin ranks high on ‘Quality of Life’ …
Austin is in the news again! Austin ranks high on ‘Quality of Life’
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2010/05/24/daily8.html
When you click on the article you will be able to click on a really cool interactive chart.
Austin has had strong population growth, 32 percent since 2000, also helped in overall ranking, as well as a comparatively high percent walking to work , 7.1 percent.
When YOU think of ‘Quality of Life’ … what characteristics come to mind? If you had to name out or list ten things that really stand out to you … that would give you that quality of life that we all seek and desire what would those be?
I want to hear from you.
It feels good to call Austin home. I’m proud to be a resident of Austin, TX for over ten years now and going on eleven. Wow does time fly when you are having fun!
If you are thinking about relocating to Austin, TX and interested in learning more about the Austin, TX Real Estate market feel free to give me a call at 512.771.0754 or email: mlatxrealestate@gmail.com anytime. I will be glad to assist you with any of your real estate needs. If you have questions or just wanting to get some feedback I will be glad to help anyway I can. To stay up on the Latest Rockin’ News & Real Estate News in Austin subscribe to my blog and you will be emailed every time I make a new post: http://austinsrockinrealestateblog.com/
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