There’s been plenty of news out of East Austin lately regarding progress at the Plaza Saltillo TOD, but the general area’s identity remains one of funky bars and eateries. The recently-opened Native Hostel and Bar & Kitchen at 807 East Fourth Street is just that sort of establishment, and it was only a matter of time before another contender arrived on…
Prepare for the Moxy Hotel’s Extremely Authentic Arrival in West Campus
When plans first emerged last year for the West Campus development of a Moxy Hotel, Marriott International’s boutique-esque chain seemingly intended to corner the wallets of the millennial set, details were scarce enough that I spent most of my time ranting about the brand’s dreadful marketing, which appeared as adept at capturing the hearts and minds of young people as…
Don’t Look Now, but Gensler’s Teasing Austin About Its Next Downtown Tower
Note: See the bottom of this post for an update on these projects. With more than 44 offices and thousands of employees, you might call Gensler the Coca-Cola of architecture. But that’s not really doing its work justice — the mega-firm’s Austin office is pumping out some of the most interesting projects in the city…
Hey Look, Google Earth Finally Updated Its 3D Buildings in Austin
It’s been years since Google Earth updated its 3D imagery for downtown Austin. If you’re a frequent user, you probably realized the data was a little old when you checked out the Seaholm District — it’s looked like this for as long as I can remember: As you can see, the actual satellite images receive frequent updates,…
Here’s a New View of Canopy by Hilton, West Sixth Street’s First Boutique Hotel
We’ve known the Canopy by Hilton boutique hotel brand had a new location in the planning stages at 612 West Sixth Street since last summer, but until today, we didn’t have any idea what to expect from a hotel designed for such an active commercial and nightlife district — I mean, this site is literally sandwiched between…
From Rainey to Lakeshore, North to South, Let’s Connect Some Dots
How do you think about Austin? That’s not a trick question — really, when you think of different areas in the city, how do they appear in your brain? Do you imagine individual streets, maybe districts? Or can you pull the camera higher and see things from an aggregate perspective, like you’re playing SimCity? I…