But why? Aren’t I already being hit hard enough with tolls, taxes, and tickets? According to the city, the change is needed to help traffic flow. Now there’s an idea – I’m sure I’m not the only Austinite sick of traffic! But wait, how does that help? According to city officials, downtown traffickers will be forced to park in garages instead of circling the block looking for free parking. Hmm. Sounds downright illogical to me. Kind of like dieting by over-salting all your food – you’ll eat less at first since it tastes bad, but eventually become accustomed to the taste, eat the same, and have a bunch of unnecessary salt in your diet. Except the city stands to gain directly from my bad cholesterol. Shouldn’t they just come out and say it? Without a state-income tax and after a poor year of sales tax revenues, we need more money, and we’re going to nickel and dime you for it!

In all seriousness, infrastructure is an issue we should be addressing, and especially so considering Austin’s projected population growth. But it needs to be addressed head on – and no parking meter adjustment will ever play any significant role in improving it.

Con:  Personalization Abilities are Limited
One potential downside to living in a condo is that you are more limited in terms of personalizing your home. While you can make modifications to the inside of the condo, you can’t change the outside to suit your personal taste and lifestyle.

Pro:  You Don’t Have to Worry About Maintenance
While you can’t make modifications to the outside of the condo, you also don’t have to worry about maintaining the structure or performing routine tasks such as mowing the lawn or taking care of the landscaping.

Con:  Paying Fees
Of course, to enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle, you will have to pay association fees when living in a condo. Although these fees generally are not too extravagant, it is certainly something to consider when trying to decide if condo living is right for you.

Pro:  Enjoying Amenities
In addition to having maintenance cared for, the fees you pay while living in a condo also grants you access to the amenities the condo has to offer. In many cases, condos have swimming pools, workout facilities, free parking and other attractive amenities available for their residents.

Cons:  Lack of Privacy
Since living in a condo generally involves living in the same building with many other people, condo living typically results in less privacy than living in a house. Therefore, if you are someone who places a premium on privacy, living in a condo may not be the right choice for you.

Pro:  Making Friends
While there is a certain lack of privacy involved with living in a condo, condo living does provide you with the opportunity to get to know your neighbors. In fact, many condos regularly host special events for residents that allow them to get to know each other better. Therefore, if you are someone who enjoys socializing with others, living in a condo might be just what you are looking for.

All in all, in my opinion, it comes down to how much free time you have and how you want to spend it. If you enjoy having the flexibility to come and go without concern for maintenance of the exterior of your property then this owning an Austin condo might be right for you.  If you’d rather work in the garden, enjoy the smell of fresh cut grass and then perhaps a single family home in the Austin area might be better.

About the Author: Brian Kinkade is a broker and team lead with Brokers Guild – Cherry Creek Ltd, one of Denver’s fastest growing full service Denver real estate firm. Brian’s team of Internet savvy agents service the Denver Metro area while specializing in Denver luxury homes and Denver luxury foreclosures.

• Alumni giving
• Difference between predicated and actual graduation rates
• Faculty resources
• Financial resources
• Graduation rates
• High school counselor ratings
• Retention rates
• Student selectivity
• Undergraduate academic reputation

With a total of 100 points possible in the system developed for this particular study, the University of Texas earned 59. Some of the reasons the university earned such high rankings included the school’s admissions selectivity and the fact that it is located in a city with one of the “best city atmospheres for students.” The fact that the university has more than 900 clubs and 50 fraternities and sororities also helped it earn high marks, as did the fact that it is home to some of the most highly regarded graduate and undergraduate programs in the country.

Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania took the top five spots, with Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania tying for the fifth position. Other Texas schools that made the list include:

• Rice University (Number 17 with a score of 82)
• Southern Methodist (Number 56 with a score of 53)
• Texas A&M University (Number 63 with a score of 52)
• Baylor University (Number 79 with a score of 47)
• Texas Christian University (Number 99 with a score of 42)
• University of Texas-Dallas (Number 143 with a score of 32)
• Texas Tech University (Number 159 with a score of 28)

In all, 262 schools were included in the list.

Interestingly, in related news, the University of Texas was recently granted two grants from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board totaling $490,000. Approximately $400,000 of this grant is to be used for an initiative that is meant to improve college readiness as well as developmental education by providing the funding needed for students to participate in a summer bridge program, unique learning communities and non-course-based remediation options.

“By developing and testing innovative approaches to developmental education, we can positively impact the future success of not only University of Texas at Austin students, but students across the state,” said Dr. Cassandre Alvarado, who is the co-director of the grant as well as the assistant dean, in an Austin Biz Journals article.

As one of only nine schools participating in the study, this initiative only further demonstrates why the University of Texas was ranked so highly by U.S. News & World Report on its list of the nation’s best schools.

Considering the fact that Austin has managed to maintain a more stable housing market and employment rate than the rest of the country during the recession, it doesn’t come as much surprise to learn that the capital city has enjoyed the top position on so many surveys and polls. In fact, according to the Texas Workforce Commission, unemployment levels within the Austin-Round Rock area was 7.2% in October, while the state average was 8.1%. In November, unemployment rates in the Austin-Round Rock area fell to 6.9%, while the state average was 7.9%. On a national level, on the other hand, unemployment rates were 10.2% in October and 10% in November.

According to a report in the Austin Business Journal, the Texas Water Development Board has approved a loan in the amount of $31.8 million to be used by the city for wastewater system improvements. The loan, which will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will help finance the improvements that need to be made to the water and wastewater infrastructure.

To improve the water and wastewater infrastructure, the city is proposing two major projects. The first involves constructing aeration facilities, while the other involves upgrading the treatment equipment that is currently located at the Hornsby Bend Bio-Solids Management facility.

Currently, the Hornsby Bend Bio-Solids Management facility is used to treat and to covert the wastewater sludge that is created by the city’s wastewater treatment plants. This sludge is converted into a Dillo-Dirt, which is a reusable compost that was first developed by the City of Austin in 1989. Dillo-Dirt meets all EPA and Texas requirements for enjoying unrestricted use, which means it can be used on all types of gardens – including vegetable gardens. Not only does Dillo-Dirt add valuable microbes to the soil, it also successfully recycles wastewater sludge as well as yard trimmings and other waste.

Of course, the pending infrastructure upgrades to be made to the water and wastewater treatment facilities aren’t the only eco-friendly activities taking place in Austin. In fact, Austin Community College has also recently announced that it has joined with other agencies in the area in order to start the Austin Conservation Corp.

“The Austin Conservation Corps gives the city a very inexpensive way to clean and repair the trails along Lady Bird Lake and to improve other parks. It also gives young people a positive way to earn money and a great way to advance their education,” said former Texas Gov. Mark White, who is a member of the board of the Austin Conservation Corp’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies, in an Austin Business Journal article.

Currently, the Austin Conservation Corp is slated to have nine members who have committed to a 12-week stint. Next spring, however, the group plans to expand to 25 members. With major organizations such as Austin Energy, Goodwill Industries Inc. and The Austin Parks and Recreation Department all providing support to the organization, it is likely that it will be around for quite some time.

In order to draw this conclusion, the Wall Street Journal took a poll with a panel of experts ranging from economists to demographers. The major focus of the poll was to determine where the experts believed young college graduates were likely to move over the next few years. Austin made the list for a number of reasons, including the fact that the city has a low unemployment rate as well as a median household income that is relatively high. In fact, of the top five cities included on the list, Austin’s unemployment rate is the lowest.

The top 10 list of cities cited by the experts include:

·    Washington D.C. and Seattle, Washington (tied for first)
·    New York, New York
·    Portland, Oregon
·    Austin, Texas
·    San Jose, California
·    Denver, Colorado
·    Releigh-Durham, North Carolina
·    Dallas, Texas
·    Chicago, Illinois

When compared to top-ranking Seattle ad Washington D.C., Austin did fall short in terms of educational levels. While 61.3% of D.C.’s 25 to 35-year-old residents hold a bachelor’s degree or hire and 64.2% of Seattle’s residents also fall in this category, only 41.8% of this demographic holds at least a bachelor’s degree in Austin. Still, this is higher than the national average and Austin has many other desirable characteristics that help draw in the younger crowd.

“Austin has become a gathering place for tech- and arts-conscious young adults,” writes the Wall Street Journal. Austin is also home to the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, which welcomed such big-name bands as Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dave Matthew Bands and Pearl Jam to its venue at its most recent event.

The Austin City Limits Music Festival is just one example of how the city has managed to create such a powerful and respected cultural identity. It is thanks to the city’s low unemployment rates, reasonable housing prices, ample educational opportunities, eco-friendly and tech-savvy mindset combined with its strong emphasis on the arts that so many people find the city to be simply irresistible. It is for those reasons that the experts polled by the Wall Street Journal put Austin at the top of the list of cities recent college graduates will flock to in order to start a new life.

The weather may be starting to get a tiny little chill in the air but downtown Austin was warm this weekend with the fun and exciting Pecan Street Festival. This bi-annual street fair has been a part of Austin’s yearly calendar for almost thirty years now and it never fails to bring the city’s residents out in droves to enjoy the treats of arts and crafts, live music and great food. The festival seems to get bigger and better with each year that passes and residents attending this year’s event report that it continues to be a great featured event of downtown Austin.

The Pecan Street Festival is held on 6th Street, home to downtown Austin’s entertainment scene. The music scene that the city is known for thrives here and this is reflected in the live music that is an important part of the festival. There were six different stages set up this year including everything from a Latin stage to a children’s stage. These offered not only performances but also dance lessons and provided a good time to everyone in Austin who made it out for the event.

Although the music is an important part of the Pecan Street Festival, most people go primarily to check out the arts and crafts that are sold by the vendors who come to share their wares at the event. Local and regional artists were out there selling everything from hand carved djembe drums to watches made from wood, coconut and fiber. Traditional jewelry and painting crafts were also represented here.

The Pecan Street Festival is representative of a lot of the things that are really great about Austin and it’s fitting that the event is held in downtown Austin which is where the heartbeat of the city really is these days. The merging of music and art, the coming together of a community and the blending of both a historic event and a modern one are all what downtown Austin seems to be about right now. The Pecan Street Festival offered a tangible way to celebrate that!

The tour allows people who are interested in downtown Austin to see what it’s actually like to live there. Downtown residential projects that are going to be featured on the tour this year include the Austonian, Gables West and the 360 Condominiums. Those people who opt to purchase VIP tickets (which only run $30 each) can enjoy a pre-tour poolside party at the 360 Condominiums which are considered to be one of the hottest places to live in downtown Austin today. (Incidentally, the condos at this development are sold out but there’s a waiting list for those people who hope to get lucky and get a space in there at some point.)

The annual tour has been taking place for five years now but this year is really exciting because people attending the tour are really going to see a different Austin than what they might have seen just one or two years ago. The urban development in this area has been intense and the result is that there are not only residential spaces to see downtown but also a wealth of entertainment and retail hot spots to appreciate.

There are two pieces of good news in regards to this influx of both event-based and daily traffic in downtown Austin. The first is that the city has some good controls in place in terms of traffic enforcement to make sure that residents driving through the area know exactly where it is that they are supposed to be going when roads are altered due to events. The second is that downtown Austin has now become such a multi-use area that it is possible to get around in downtown Austin without needing to use a car.

Downtown Austin is really being developed with an eye towards keeping people centralized in the area. This means that commutes can be avoided by those living in the area who now also choose to do their shopping and get their entertainment within walking distance of their downtown homes. The installation of new bike racks and the improvement of public transportation in the area are making it so that people have many options in terms of car-free transportation here. As more and more people move into the area to experience the lifestyle and events that are available, it will be increasingly important for those living in downtown Austin to make lifestyle choices that involve getting around without a car.

The sculptural art will serve to enhance the appearance of downtown Austin. The art will be chosen to reflect the work of local artists and to encourage people who are being creative in the city to turn their attention to helping beautify the growing downtown area. Downtown Austin is becoming revitalized with attention to the importance of an artistic way of life. Galleries, museums and performance event spaces are all lighting up with events that are designed to help revive the creative spirit in this area. The new bike rack sculptures are another part of bringing art to the daily lives of the people who are residing in downtown Austin.

Those people who are moving into downtown Austin today are encouraged to consider a car-free way of life. The condos that are being erected in the city are multi-use spaces which allow the downtown area to now provide residential, work, retail and entertainment functions. This means that people can do all that they need to do in this one small-but-growing area of the city. This helps to reduce the reliance of people on cars in the city and encourages an eco-friendly approach to living in the downtown area. Having accessible bike racks throughout the downtown area makes it easier for residents to adapt to this twenty-first century approach to living.