About Travis County, TX

Looking To Find Something To Do ~ Austin, Texas

There is always something to do in Austin. Alamo Title created a wonderful marketing piece concerning Austin's Best Attractions. But, if one of these doesn't stir you to action check out Austin's attractions at: AustinWebPage.com.

P.S. Did you know that Bloomberg Business Week has ranked Austin as one of the best places to live?

Lots of great news in the Greater Austin and Lake Travis areas over the last month or so. If you have any news you would like to share, contact us. Scroll down to the bottom for our recent Paragon Property Group and general news.

• Williamson County broke ground in January on a new 30,000 sqft Emergency Services Operations facility at a cost of just over $12M.
• Riviera Bistro, a gourmet gluten-free restaurant, is replacing Apatite Café inside Bodhi Yoga and will be operated by Rachel and Shoel Ross, opening in January 2012.
• At the last City Council meeting the final phase of 68 homes in Serene Hills was given the go ahead. Despite concerns over driveway placement and overall traffic volume, the Council had little choice but to approve the final phase as most approvals had already been given to the whole development. Serene Hills wraps around the western edge of Bee Cave and joins with 71 West of Falconhead West.
• South Austin’s new Alamo Draft House plans its grand opening on March 22^nd.
• The Wolf Ranch Town Center in Georgetown located at the southwest corner of Interstate Highway 35 and State Highway 29, plans to add a National American University campus by Feb. 18^th and a Gold's Gym Express on March 5^th.
• Formula One has released details on date and race times for the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix in Austin at the Circuit of the Americas track. Practices will be held Nov. 16^th at 10am and 2pm. A Nov. 17^th practice will be held at 10am followed by a 1pm qualifying run. The main event Grand Prix race will be held Nov. 18^th at 1pm.
• Cedar Hills, an affiliate of Austin-based Realtex Development Corporation, has applied for housing tax credits with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to build an affordable housing complex near the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and Yager Lane. But area leaders said they are hesitant to support the project.
• The Trails at 620 development, located across from Concordia University Texas, is under construction. Whataburger will open Jan. 31. Schlotzsky’s and Mattress Firm are expected to open early spring. Angel Donuts & Treats, a locally owned bakery, has also signed a lease with The Trails at 620. The Galaxy Theatre is expected to open November 1^st.
• Lupe Tortilla, a Houston-based Mexican restaurant, plans to open a new location in early 2012 in Westlake at 701 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Ste. K.
• The City of Lakeway held a public meeting Jan. 24^th proposing a 15-year capital improvement plan to residents. A capital improvement plan is a multiyear plan for major capital expenditures, which can range from transportation improvement projects, new buildings or park improvements.
• Like many housing development projects throughout the nation that came to an abrupt halt following 2008, the Lake Travis area had its own struggles with developments going into foreclosure, such as Ladera, Sweetwater, Rocky Creek, and Spanish Oaks. Those developments have been purchased by new developers and are now under construction, indicating the local housing market may be on its way toward recovery.
• Whole Foods expansion continues around town. The Hill Country Galleria, 12601 Hill Country Blvd in Bee Cave is slated to open late spring/early summer. The Whole Foods being constructed at the Shops at Arbor Trails will likely open this summer, according to company officials, in the old Haverty’s Furniture space at 301 W. William Cannon Drive, Bldg. B1.
• Plan for Lakeway Regional Medical Center campus have been unveiled. A developer of the property surrounding the Lakeway Regional Medical Center shared their vision Jan. 17^th for what they say could become one of the nation's premiere medical campuses. The plan for the 93-acre development includes: two restaurants, additional medical office buildings that depend on demand, 120-room hotel, 250-unit apartment complex, independent living facility, skilled nursing facility,78,000-sqft retail area, a dependency/recovery center, and an approximately 4-mile trail system that will go throughout the campus.
• The City of Austin will soon implement a complex overhaul of its waste plan that includes a large recycling initiative, a new composting method, and waste reduction efforts that will reduce costs for those who produce less waste. Under Austin Resource Recovery’s master plan, the city hopes to have 95 percent of all its waste diverted away from landfills and back into everyday use by 2040. Austin Resource Recovery was formerly named the Solid Waste Services Department.
• The Austin Food & Wine Festival will be held in April. Another inaugural festival will be held in downtown Austin over the same weekend—The Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival. The initial list of Moontower's confirmed comedians that was released Jan 25^th includes “Saturday Night Live” actor Seth Meyers, Steven Wright, Aziz Ansari, Matt Bearden, and more. The festival will serve as a four-day event at multiple venues throughout downtown Austin that will host more than 60 comedians.
• The Egg & I Restaurant, headquartered in Lone Tree, Colorado, will open its first location in Austin on Jan. 30^th. The eatery is located in the Northcross Shopping Center at 2525 W. Anderson Lane. It will host a private, pre-opening training day Jan. 29^th and will donate 100 percent of that day's proceeds to the Austin Humane Society.
• More than 20 new laws passed during the state's 82^nd legislative session went into effect Jan. 1^st, including Senate Bill 201, a law that offers property tax exemptions for surviving spouses of disabled military veterans.
• After six months of community involvement and discussions, City of Austin staff is now reviewing a work group’s findings that allow short-term rental properties to remain in Austin, provided they follow soon-to-be-approved regulations

General News & Information - Paragon Property Group

Sweet Treats @ Russell's Bakery and Deli (Austin Texas)

Craving a sweet treat? Wanting to have a great cup of coffee while visiting with your friends? Need a special cake for a special occasion? Looking for a place to have a small group meeting?

Locally owned Russell's Bakery and Deli is the place for you! Breakfast, lunch or dinner....you can't beat the atmosphere, price or taste that you will find "hidden" at the corner of Hancock Drive and Balcones.

My favorite is Russell's chicken salad. Or better yet try the 3 salad plate with chicken salad, tuna salad and pimento cheese... o my, o my, o my!!

Pastries are baked fresh daily from scratch! Time tested recipes are used for the cakes.....no box mixes. Try a piece or order a whole cake for the office birthday party.

Russell's is located in a re-purposed "filling station". It's ultimate in recycling and makes for a relaxing environment.

I love that Russell's has local artists display their original art. I've purchased a beautiful watercolor several years ago and have it hanging with pride in my dining room.

Open 7 days a week! Call (512)419-7877 to order your sweet treat for Valentine's Day....surprise your loved one!

Russell's Bakery is conveniently located at the corner of Hancock Drive and Balcones. Exit Mopac at FM 2222, west one block to Balcones, and south four blocks to Hancock. We'll be on the SE corner. Hope to see you soon. 3339 Hancock Drive (78731).

Call Gwynn Teal Carpenter, Broker of Home and Hearth Realty @ (512) 467-6191 when you need to purchase a home close to Russell's Bakery so you can just walk to have that sweet treat and coffee!

One of my favorite mortgage lenders, Paula Hudgins with Mission Mortgage just shared this press release with me. I thought it was good news worth sharing with you.Cedar Park's newest luxury single family home community just broke ground.

"A new luxury residential development is breaking ground on The Reserve at Brushy Creek. Its a 30 acre community that will eventually build 130 single family homes near the intersection of Brushy Creek and Parmer Lane. The developer is Milestone Community Builders, one of Mission Mortgage’s preferred builders. We have been working with Milestone for some time and have found their homes to be well-planned and constructed. We have watched them successful launch a number of projects and we are very proud to continue to be one of their lending partners.

The new development is estimated to cost upwards of $25 million to construct and Milestone has announced that they will be selling homes from their Pinnacle Home Collection – their luxury line of homes. Specific models and pricing have not been announced. The plans call for a centralized amenity center for the use of all residents. The amenity center is designed with indoor, outdoor, and covered outdoor spaces along with a family-friendly swimming pool."

Betina Foreman- Realtor, C.N.E.

(512)771-6318

Austin Home Girls Realty

1601 West 6th Street

Austin, Texas 78703