Downtown Austin has been transformed over the last 20 years into a thriving community of condominium residences, work/live projects, tech/business centered buildings as well as remaining the seat of the State of Texas government. Downtown is bordered by The Colorado River to its south, IH 35 to the east, Lamar Boulevard to the west and MLK Boulevard to the north. Three bridges allow Austin residents to cross the river into Downtown from South Austin. The iconic Congress Street Bridge which houses the largest urban bat colony in the U.S, South First Street bridge and the bridge on South Lamar Boulevard.
Austin boasts a very accessible and vibrant downtown, with a culture of creativity. With a Metro Statistical Area population of over 2,000,000 people, Downtown Austin represents the heartbeat of the city in the areas of art, food, events, and activities. Downtown is also representative of the high-growth nature of the city with over 2500 units built since 2000 and over 850 condominiums under construction. A mixture of historic buildings from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s anchor Downtown, that for most of its history were the backbone of culture and commerce. Congress Avenue is the center of the city leading from the river to the Texas State Capitol. To its right and left the grid of the city was laid, north/south streets named for Texas rivers and east/west streets named originally after Texas trees…later laid out as numbered streets. 6 th Street was originally Pecan Street and still hosts a festival that bears its name of origin.
Visitors to Downtown Austin number over 23 million a year and several microcenters have emerged to rival the most famous downtown attraction which is the music venues, bars, and restaurants on 6 th Street. The 2 nd Street District boast amazing restaurants, shopping and coffee options that feel upscale by Austin’s standards. The Warehouse District hosts many of the bars and restaurants that Austinites love and patronize. Rainey Street has transformed from an avenue of run down bungalows to one of the most thriving entertainment districts in the city and the Red River Cultural District is home to fine galleries, art studios and classic music venues including the famous Stubbs Bar-B-Que restaurant featuring beer, brisket and music with a renowned Sunday gospel brunch. With the flagship headquarters of Whole Foods at 5 th and Lamar, Austinites downtown grab a quick bite in the café, a signature coffee drink and shop for their favorite gourmet foods.
From early morning to late evening, the city life of Downtown Austin shines with abundant options of activities and events. Lady Bird Lake and Zilker Park offer the outdoor life in a beautiful, natural setting for exercise including paddle boarding or kayaking and walking or biking along the path that loops along the serene waters of the Colorado River. Zilker Park features sports fields, a dog park, the Zilker Botanical Garden and Umlauf Sculpture Garden and provides Downtown Austinites opportunities to relish in Austin’s fabulous weather year round. The evening boasts access to the Music Capitol of the World, while after dark the city comes alive, with patrons filling restaurants, bars and the streets until the early hours before the sun when Austin’s health conscious residents take to the streets, parks and trails.
Downtown Austin is served by The Austin Independent School District for those who choose public education. Several highly rated public and private schools are within the city limits including seven elementary schools including Lee Elementary & Matthews Elementary (K-5) and six middle schools including O. Henry Middle School & Keeling Middle School(6-8). Older students attend one of four high schools including Austin High School (9-12), known for their wide range of academic programs, programs for non-typical students and student activities. Downtown Austin private schools include Headwaters-Montessori/International Baccalaureate Program (PK-12), Cathedral School of St. Mary’s )PK-8) Kirby Hall (PK-12), Austin School for the Performing Arts (6-12), as well as Montessori schools and day care facilities.
With over 70 years of combined experience, the Cooper Advantage Group has the experience, skills, and connections to make sure that we can handle all of your real estate needs.
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