Austin’s downtown scene is growing at a rapid pace and it is getting cooler every single day. Just a few years ago downtown was known mostly just for its 6th to 4th street party scene. These days, it’s much, much more. With the addition of all the mixed use condominiums that include trendy restaurants, funky lounges and modern retail clothing shops, what was once just a drinking hangout has morphed into an urban mecca of cool and comfort. 

From the recent hubs at the 2nd street district below the AMLI, to the new West 6th street district, the urban sprawl is spreading at a rapid rate. Austin’s population explosion is supporting this sprawl and with the economy holding its own the way it is here (even in a recession) it does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. 

 

Below are some of our picks for the hippest, coolest places in town. To search for downtown Austin condos on the MLS database click here. 

 

 

One of the slickest buildings to hit Austin in recent years, this project consists of 44 floors and 460 units. The ground level houses retail and restaurants, including Mulberry Restaurant and Wine Bar, Blu Café Bar and Lounge and Garridos Mexican Restaurant. All of these are cool, trendy establishments, and right across the street from the 360, Austin Music Hall on one side and La Zona Rosa on the other. This is truly a music lover’s paradise.    With a 9th level modern pool with cabanas, gas BBQ and both indoor and outdoor plasma big screens, this complex is great for entertaining guests or just plain hanging out. Prices start in the high $200K’s and go up to over $1M for residences here.

The Spring is the newest addition to the Austin skyline (at least until the Austonian finishes). This complex is 400 feet tall and consists of 36 residential floors as well as five levels for parking, gym, pool and other amenities. It has a modern, slick design and is located within walking distance to Zilker and Lady Bird Lake. Sure to be a leader in the new wave of condo kings in town, this is one property to consider when searching for the urban condo in downtown to call home. At the time of this writing (10/09) the building is just finishing up and occupants are starting to move in.

 

 

Luxury living with all of the amenities that The Hilton hotel and resort has to offer. This great building at the corner of 5th and Red River now has great listings that are priced to move. Click on the link above this paragraph to see our most recent review and also to check out the video tour that we provide. 

 

 

Still a good ways from being finished, this property is going to be worth the wait for those who can afford it. This is resort style living with all the amenities. Every condo is finished out beautifully with selections including Bulthaup kitchens with Miele gas cooktops and appliances that are integrated with wifi sensors that alert the manufacturer if a part is going out. Residents have access to 24 hour maid and maintenance service at a reasonable price of $35 an hour, I might add, as well as valet. The building is going to house the new 2,700 square feet recording studio for Austin City Limits and Tyson Cole (Executive Chef at Uchi) has plans on opening a new Japanese influenced restaurant as well.   This is luxury at its best, but it doesn’t come cheap. Just under $500K for around 650 square feet.

The Austonian

Nearing completion, this 188 unit, 56 floor building will be the tallest building in Austin. It is loaded with amenities including 24 hour valet and concierge service. Each unit comes with a touch screen control panel that controls climate, lighting and you can even order your car to be pulled by valet and control what room in your unit will play music and how loudly. This project even has its own dog park on the 10th floor. Its 55th floor clubhouse is 6,000 square feet with 360 degree views of Austin up for use for its residents and guests. This is one project that will live up to the hype.

The Milago

The Milago Condominiums are located at 54 Rainey, just about a hundred yards from Town Lake, also known as Lady Bird Lake. Built in 2005, this is one of the first buildings in the “new breed” of condos. It’s proximity to Lady Bird Lake makes it very appealing to outdoor enthusiasts. Also, there is a dog walking area just outside the front door, which is not something you can say about most of the more centrally located, newer downtown Austin condos. That being said, the location is NOT as centrally located, being that this property is just a couple of blocks from I35 and a couple of blocks South of Riverside. The walk to the major hotspots of Austin is a little bit longer.

Plaza Lofts

One the first of the Luxury downtown Austin condos built in the new century, The Plaza Lofts at Republic Square set the standard for luxury downtown condos for sale in Austin.  Great location with a modest number of residences and walking distance to some of the best eating and drinking the city has to offer, including Maiko Sushi and The Belmot bar and restaurant.  

 

 

The abbreviation of South Lamar and South Congress, this area is just south of Lady Bird Lake from downtown and includes the eclectic cool side of Austin. The common bumper sticker sums it up “78704, A Way of Life”. Home to Zilker and the annual Austin City Limits Festival, this area is full of wonderful newer condos as well as older established neighborhoods such as Travis Heights. This is going to be a whole different feel than the suburbian life in such neighborhoods as Travis Country and SW Austin.

 

South Congress has developed some of the coolest, eclectic shopping, dining and entertaining spots such as The Continental Club, Vespio, Hey Cupcake, Southside Tattoos and much more in just a few block radius. It’s a lot like the downtown vibe, but with its own unique flare.  Prices in this area start around $200K for a 2/1 home that is not updated and go to over a million for both condos and single family residences. 

 

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