Jude Galligan - Downtown Austin Realtor

originally posted at Downtown Austin Blog

Footage of the A4 floor plan. For more information contact Jude Galligan, Downtown Austin Realtor/Locator @ (512) 226-3414

The Legacy On The Lake is located across the street from Milago Condominiums. The club room is one of the best I've seen in any Downtown Austin condo or apartment building. I advise my clients that have dogs and/or are interested in outdoor activities to look at the Rainey Street district. The trails are in your back yard and you can drop a kayak into the water less than 50 paces away.

originally posted at Downtown Austin Blog



I received an email last week that the new Legacy On The Lake residences were open for business, ready to lease, and offering tours of the building. This would be a good opportunity to preview a building that seems to have been under construction forever. So, I grabbed my camcorder and headed over. Located at 43 Rainey street, the Legacy is the third building, along with the Shore and Milago, to join the Rainey Street neighborhood in the past three years. With 31 floors, the Legacy towers over the lake. The views are what you would expect at that height - amazing.


Common Area

On the morning of January 8th, 2007 something strange happened on Congress Ave. Birds fell out of the sky. Literally. I remember hearing this news and thinking to myself "is this how it's going to end?" According to Texas A&M these birds fell victim to parasites and a sudden drop in temperature.

The good news is the world did not end. The bad news is that mother nature only claimed a handful of these birds - Grackles. They're loud, aggressive, and poo everywhere. If you've ever been to Whole Foods and decided to enjoy your meal al fresco, a Grackle likely pulled up a chair at your table, looked you dead in the eye, and told you who's in charge without every saying another word but 'caw caw'.

I live on the 4th floor of my condo, so my windows meet the tree tops. It's a stunning view, really. To be downtown with a verdant view is a luxury. Until, this past September when the Grackles took over my tree tops. They must number in the thousands with a communal biological clock which you could set your watch to. These birds became my alarm clock... at 5:30am. My business is real estate and I have no good reason to be up at 5:30. I decided to take action.

At a recent DANA board meeting I learned that Grackles don't like lasers. Apparently, if you shine a laser light into the tree tops it irritates them so much that the Grackles move elsewhere. The University of Texas used to have a problem with grackles. Their solution was to fire shotgun blanks. It worked, but I don't think my neighbors would think well of me it I took that route. Light seemed like a harmless way to deal with the problem. I don't have any lasers, and I'm not sure where to get them, but I do have a powerful Mag-Lite.

I placed the Mag-Lite next to my bed and, like clockwork, at 5:30am thousands of birds erupted in cacophony of noise. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my Mag-Lite and proceeded to illuminate the trees, shaking and directing the light beam over several tree tops next to my building and across the street. (This must have looked very strange to those heading to work in the morning.) Amber thought I was nuts. It didn't take more than a second for thousands of birds to migrate to another spot a few blocks away. I did this for two weeks and the Grackles are gone and no longer wake me up at 5:30. Instead, they've gone to the other side of my building. So, neighbors if you are reading this, get your self a Mag-Lite and get back to bed.

There is a lively discussion about Grackles on yelp

originally posted at the Downtown Austin Blog

Whole Foods made Downtown Austin what it is today. There, I said it. Without an anchor grocery store Downtown Austin would never have come so far. The Market District wouldn't exist. It helps that Whole Foods has a brand cache and a great shopping experience. Personally, I end up spending as much money at other grocery stores, so I don't believe Whole Foods is over priced. And, as big as it is today, Whole Foods was at one time a small business in Austin.



When AMLI Downtown opened, Downtown Austin got its second grocer. George Scariano opened Royal Blue Grocery. It was an instant hit. Urban dwellers want to see more of those blue awnings around town. Anyone that's lived in NYC will feel at home here. It's a small bodega-style grocer that has a little bit of everything. Outside you'll find a magazine rack, tables, and people enjoying the scene.

Recently, the city received design ideas for the Green Water Treatment facility on Cesar Chavez. One of the entries prominently rendered a two-story H-E-B as part of the retail mix. The first time I saw that rendering I was sold on the idea. I realized how nice it would be to have some choice. Don't get me wrong, I love Whole Foods and Royal Blue, but there is a place for a "regular" grocery store. I'll go a bit further and say that I'd like to see it along Congress Avenue.

originally posted at Downtown Austin Blog

For a few months La Vista was turning dirt, blocking streets, and looked like a real development. Then...nothing. Radio silence. In early 2008 rumors began to trickle through the real estate community that prices for these condos would average $500psf. Some would consider that hubristic price for a location has been overlooked for years. Located at 18th & Lavaca, this project sits between three major economic zones - Downtown Austin, the Capitol, and UT. This location, historically underutilized, could be the perfect fit for lawyers, lobbyists, and [tenured] professors.

I imagine the terms on this deal are pretty favorable for the new investors. This is great news for Downtown and UT. If, in fact, La Vista on Lavaca reaches completion, it has the opportunity to revitalize the area surrounding it. Fingers crossed.

more about this story can be found at the Austin Business Journal

Originally posted at Downtown Austin Blog