Saturday, August 31, 2013

Clarksville Dining, Shopping, and Entertainment


This month, we’re spotlighting the Clarksville neighborhood of Austin, Texas.  This week, we’ll be taking a look at the dining and entertainment options in this West Austin neighborhood.

Jeffrey’s is a Clarksville institution, known since the 1970’s for their high end food, cocktails and wine selection.  If you’re looking for a special occasion restaurant to really impress the one you love, Jeffrey’s is it!

Nau’s Enfield Drug has been in Clarksville since the 1950’s, but it’s so much more than a drugstore.  It has an old-fashioned soda fountain with delicious ice cream, shakes and malts, as well as a grill that serves up burgers and similar American fare.  A trip to Nau’s will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

Clark’s Oyster Bar is a much newer addition to the Clarksville area, but it’s quickly become a favorite among residents.  Billed as the “little brother” to Perla’s, the oyster restaurant on South Congress, Clark’s focuses on fresh oysters, simply prepared seafood, sustainable selections of caviar, house baked bread, hamburgers, brunch and a in-house created cocktails in an atmosphere that transports you to the seaside.

Cipollina bills itself as a West Austin bistro, but what that means for you is delicious food, amazing wines, and a comfortable, friendly atmosphere!  For lunch or dinner, Cipollina takes pride in serving dishes that work with the seasons and what is available locally.

Fresh Plus Grocery is the antidote to big box stores.  This comfortable neighborhood spot has fresh produce, meat and everything you need on your grocery list, plus you don’t have to worry about getting lost like in one of those giant stores that stocks everything from motor oil to bananas.

Looking for an apartment in Clarksville?  Call Apartment Specialists today at 512-241-1111 to take advantage of our expert knowledge of the vacancies, move-in specials, and amenities at all the best addresses in Clarksville and beyond!

Want to learn more about Clarksville? Check out our other articles…

Friday, August 23, 2013

Clarksville


This month, we’re spotlighting the Clarksville Neighborhood of Austin, Texas.  The neighborhood is bounded by West Lynn on the east, Mopac on the west, 10th Street on the south and Waterston on the north. Clarksville is a historic district that is west of downtown near Lady Bird Lake, northeast of the intersection of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and West Tenth Street.  Clarksville has a deep history, beginning as a freedomtown, an original post-Civil War settlement founded by emancipated African-American slaves.  

Clarksville is now the oldest surviving freedomtown west of the Mississippi River, but it was originally part of 365 acres which belonged to Texas Govenor Elisha Pease until it was sold in 1871 to Charles Clark, a freedman who founded the area.  Clark put his home on the modern-day West Tenth Street and divided the rest of the land and sold it to other freedman.  In the early 1900's, developers realized that Clarksville was very valuable due to its location near downtown Austin and Austin city policy started pressuring black communities in west Austin, including Clarksville, to move to east Austin.  To achieve this, the Austin school board closed the Clarksville school in 1918 and later forced Clarksville residents to use city services in east Austin or to have none at all.  

Despite this pressure, most African-American families in Clarksville continued to live in the area without city services.  In 1968, 33 families were forced to relocate when Mopac was built.  It wasn't until 1975 when the Texas Historical Commission named a two block-wide strip of Clarksville as a historic district that the city paved the streets with asphault.  From there, the city continued to make improvements to the area, but due to the rising costs of property, many of the lower-income residents were driven out of the area.  The Clarksville community Development corporation strives to keep low-income options available to preserve some of the diversity in the area.

There are many businesses that still are enjoyed by residents that opened in the mid-1900's, like Anthony's Laundry and Cleaners and Nau Enfield Drugstore.  Residents today love the area for its proximity to Downtown, the Lake, and local businesses.

Looking for an apartment in Clarksville?  Call Apartment Specialists today at 512-241-1111 to take advantage of our expert knowledge of the vacancies, move-in specials, and amenities at all the best addresses in Clarksville and beyond!

Want to learn more about Clarksville?  Check out our other articles...
Clarksville Dining, Shopping and Entertainment
Clarksville Schools and Employers

Monday, August 19, 2013

Brentwood Apartments


This month, we’re spotlighting the Brentwood Neighborhood of Austin, Texas.  This week, we’ll be taking a look at a few of the apartment complexes in this charming, North Central Austin area.

Oak Creek is a newly remodeled property that is centrally located.  For convenience for those who don’t have or just don’t want to use a car, Oak Creek is on several bus routes. The charming units even have hardwood floors!  

Argosy at Crestview is an older property built in the 1980’s that has recently been remodeled.  It has hardwoods in some of the units and is within walking distance of not only Crestview Station, but also is very close to major bus lines.  

Central Park II Apartments is a courtyard community that features spacious floorplans.  Units have gas in the kitchen for all you gourmet cooks and porches for when you just want to relax and enjoy the Central Texas weather.  Central Park II pays water and is also on many major bus routes!

Looking for an apartment in Brentwood?  Let Apartment Specialists help with our expert knowledge of vacancies, amenities and move-in specials at all the best Brentwood addresses!  Call us at 512-241-1111 today!

Want to learn more about Brentwood?  Check out our other articles...
Brentwood Overview 

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Brentwood Schools and Employers


This month, we’re spotlighting the Brentwood neighborhood of Austin, Texas.  This week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the schools and employers in this North Central Austin area.

Students in grades pre-Kindergarten through Fifth grade attend the TEA Recognized Brentwood Elementary, whose mascot is the Bulldog.  Brentwood’s colors are blue and white and their mission is Brentwood Elementary:  Where we Always do our Best!

Students in sixth through eighth grade attend Lamar Middle School, which is a Fine Arts Academy and whose mascot is the Scotties.  Lamar’s colors are Purple and Grey and its mission is to provide students with a safe environment and to challenge them to become successful, motivated, life-long learners by maintaining and supporting cooperative teaching and learning opportunities.

Students in grades nine through twelve attend McCallum High School, which is a Fine Arts Academy with the mission of Mastery, Accountability, Creativity.  McCallum’s mascot is the Knights and their colors are Royal Blue and Grey.
Brentwood’s location makes it a convenient place to live whether you commute into downtown Austin or the suburbs. 
 Brentwood is less than eight miles from downtown Austin and less than 20 miles from Round Rock.

Google has offices just thirteen minutes from Brentwood.  The Austin office of this internet services and products giant is focused on marketing, sales, and staffing and is growing quickly.  

The Texas Department of Public Safety has offices by Brentwood, at the corner of Koenig and Lamar.  TDPRS is responsible for statewide law enforcement and vehicle regulation.

Looking for an apartment in Brentwood?  Let Apartment Specialists help with our expert knowledge of vacancies, 
amenities and move-in specials at all the best Brentwood addresses!  Call us at 512-241-1111 today!

Want to learn more about Brentwood?  Check out our other articles...
Brentwood Overview
Brentwood Dining, Shopping and Entertainment
Brentwood Apartments

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Brentwood Dining, Shopping and Entertainment


This month, we’re spotlighting the Brentwood neighborhood of Austin, Texas.  This week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the dining, shopping and entertainment options in this North Central Austin Neighborhood.

Looking for a great cup of Joe in the neighborhood?  Thunderbird Coffee has been the go to spot for Brentwood residents for years to grab a cup of locally roasted Cuvee coffee and a pastry or sandwich.  Bonus:  they’ve got beer on tap and wine.

Phil’s Ice House is the place to go if you want to get delicious burgers for the whole family and brews for the parental set while the kiddos play happily on the playground.  Enjoy a conversation with your spouse and relax while the kids have the time of their lives.  After dinner, indulge in some Amy’s Ice Cream, conveniently located adjacent to Phil’s.

In the mood for something a little different?  Lucky J’s Chicken and Waffles has been pleasing lovers of the classic Southern combo of waffles and fried chicken since 2009.  Don’t worry, you can get them separately if that’s a little too wild for you.

Need to furnish your new digs?  Uptown Modern is home to a plethora of lovingly restored mid-century modern furniture.  The selection changes all the time, so make Uptown Modern a regular shopping destination to make sure you don’t miss out on an amazing vintage piece!

Looking for something fun to do with family or friends?  Dart Bowl is recently remodeled, but has been hosting people looking to make a strike for as long as anyone can remember.  Enjoy a White Russian from the bar, some enchiladas from the snack bar, and do your best Big Lebowski impression.

Finally, if it’s July and you’re feeling like Christmas is just too far away, visit Brentwood institution Lala’s, which is permanently decorated for Christmas.  This dive bar’s decorations will put you in the Christmas spirit instantly, and if they don’t, the cheap drinks certainly will.  

Looking for an apartment in Brentwood?  Let Apartment Specialists help with our expert knowledge of vacancies, amenities and move-in specials at all the best Brentwood addresses!  Call us at 512-241-1111 today!

Want to learn more about Brentwood?  Check out our other articles...
Brentwood Overview
Brentwood Schools and Employers 
Brentwood Apartments