An aerial photo of the Rainey Street District, with the trailhead area highlighted. Image: Bing Maps
Though downtown Austin condo and apartment projects tend to spring up everywhere around the urban core, the sheer volume of current and expected residential development in the Rainey Street District sets it apart in several ways — not all of them necessarily positive, but ideally those growing pains should make it easier to see what needs fixing.
Looking north up Rainey Street from the trailhead area. This picture’s a couple of years old at this point, since 70 Rainey’s just a baby here. Photo by James Rambin.
One impact of the Rainey neighborhood’s growing population is that the area’s become an important entry point for hikers and bikers on our city’s beloved and aptly-named Hike-and-Bike Trail, particularly at the southern end where the trail runs near the intersection of Rainey and Cummings Streets. The Trail Foundation, working in partnership with Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, announced this week that some improvements were in order for this section of trail and its surrounding parkland, in order to establish a full-fledged “Rainey Street Trailhead” that would increase the area’s recreational potential with new amenities.
We’re being vague because they’re being vague — the first community engagement event for the project takes place on Saturday, September 28, meaning we don’t have exact details regarding what might be on the table just yet. “The community will advise on what would make this area more functional and explore ideas on preserving the ecology of this space,” says the city’s very short press release on the upcoming meeting, but it still has us thinking.
The present state of the trailhead isn’t bad by any means, it’s actually one of the nicer parts of the district in terms of natural beauty — and it contains what’s gotta be one of the most striking outdoor restrooms ever designed. Seriously, as public toilet architecture connoisseurs we like it very much. The trail entrance here also leads users directly into the tranquil rear grounds of Austin’s Mexican-American Cultural Center, provided you’re heading westward:
It’s truly a pleasure to walk the grounds of the MACC on the Hike-and-Bike Trail. You should try it!
Still, it’s easy to imagine what we could do here to create a space people feel compelled to linger, rather than simply stroll through. There’s a lot of shaded open space directly off the trail in this area, as seen in the photos provided by the Trail Foundation — in fact, the second picture below almost feels like foreshadowing for what might become a plaza or recreational space of some kind. Is it cliche to suggest, like, giant chess or something? How about a pétanque court?
Image: The Trail Foundation
Image: The Trail Foundation
Whatever happens over here, there’s at least one good reason to start thinking about these improvements — a lot of new neighbors moving in directly across the street from the trailhead area at the upcoming 44 East condo tower project. Recent coverage of the building, the construction of which could get moving any time now, mentions its developers Intracorp will contribute funds to the trailhead improvement effort.
Let’s at least give them something interesting to pay for — so go to this month’s event and tell them what you’d like to see in downtown’s fastest-growing neighborhood.
Rainey Street Condos For Sale
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$631,583
70 Rainey ST #2505
Austin, TX -
$602,250
44 East AVE #1608
Austin, TX -
$1,828,570
70 Rainey ST #2506
Austin, TX -
$830,700
70 Rainey ST #2307
Austin, TX -
$548,382
70 Rainey ST #2803
Austin, TX -
$1,274,242
70 Rainey ST #1501
Austin, TX -
$345,000
54 Rainey ST #603
Austin, TX -
$599,000
54 Rainey ST S #604
Austin, TX -
$1,319,242
70 Rainey ST #1801
Austin, TX -
$2,800,000
44 East AVE #4504
Austin, TX -
$565,000
54 Rainey ST #101
Austin, TX -
$605,773
70 Rainey ST #2209
Austin, TX -
$735,184
70 Rainey ST #3105
Austin, TX -
$2,265,000
70 Rainey ST #2801
Austin, TX -
$1,842,500
44 East AVE #3201
Austin, TX -
$1,300,000
44 East AVE #4005
Austin, TX -
$945,000
44 East AVE #1310
Austin, TX -
$330,000
44 East AVE #2206
Austin, TX -
$489,000
54 Rainey ST #907
Austin, TX -
$599,999
603 Davis ST #1204
Austin, TX -
$475,000
54 Rainey ST #607
Austin, TX -
$1,135,000
70 Rainey ST #1602
Austin, TX -
$1,255,000
70 Rainey ST #1304
Austin, TX -
$950,000
54 Rainey ST #1018
Austin, TX -
$439,000
40 N Interstate 35 #3D4
Austin, TX
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$631,583Lot SizeN/A
Home Size837 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$602,250Lot SizeN/A
Home Size793 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,828,570Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,179 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$830,700Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,128 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths2 Baths
-
$548,382Lot SizeN/A
Home Size663 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$1,274,242Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,697 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$345,000Lot Size218 sqft
Home Size865 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$599,000Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,189 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,319,242Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,697 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$2,800,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,858 sqft
Beds4 Beds
Baths4 Baths
-
$565,000Lot Size349 sqft
Home Size1,294 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths2 Baths
-
$605,773Lot SizeN/A
Home Size718 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$735,184Lot SizeN/A
Home Size837 sqft
Beds1 Bed
Baths1 Bath
-
$2,265,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,851 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$1,842,500Lot SizeN/A
Home Size2,114 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths4 Baths
-
$1,300,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,594 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$945,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,260 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$330,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size481 sqft
BedsN/A
Baths1 Bath
-
$489,000Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,164 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$599,999Lot Size218 sqft
Home Size1,252 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$475,000Lot Size305 sqft
Home Size1,164 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,135,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,154 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$1,255,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,321 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
-
$950,000Lot SizeN/A
Home Size1,956 sqft
Beds3 Beds
Baths3 Baths
-
$439,000Lot Size1,046 sqft
Home Size1,360 sqft
Beds2 Beds
Baths2 Baths
