My Husband's First Yoga Class - Yoga Vida Downtown Austin

Last night was "date night" and we started out at Yoga Vida downtown Austin where my husband attended his first ever yoga class... and it was awesome. Yoga Vida teaches vinyasa hatha flow (something-or-other-i-am-not-a-yoga-expert) style yoga classes and they heat the room to just under 90 degrees... but on a hot day like yesterday, it was probably even hotter than that.

I planned in advance and brought towels for my novice yogi hubs... but I had forgotten just how much he sweats when he exercises (yes, it's rather gross). The dainty hand towel I had brought him did little to mop up the large beads of sweat continuously pouring onto his mat. In spite of his sliding all over his mat (unable to get traction because of the pools of sweat), he dug in, persevered, and embraced the class. He twisted. He reached. He held the pose (bent knees and all). I must admit, I was impressed. A lesser man would have crumbled into child's pose and called it a day. Most impressive was that after the class... he even said he felt "terrific".

If you haven't tried the new downtown Austin yoga studio at Yoga Vida (located at 7th and West, ample parking in back) -- you should. It's one of my new favorite things in downtown. It's a very serene, beautiful environment (feels and looks like a spa) and the instructors are all good (although some are definitely better than others). I love the 60 minute noon classes... it's a great break in the middle of your day. They also have a shower equipped with yummy Aveda shower gel so that you can rinse off before you head back to work.

My husband and I followed up the yoga class with dinner at the Clay Pit where, oddly enough, we sat at the table next to Kinky Friedman and his lady friend. ... which is the 2nd time I have dined next to Kinky Friedman in the past 2 months. (weird. no?)

East Austin - New Restaurant - East Side Show Room

Last night my hubs and I went out with some friends to celebrate his birthday. We made plans to meet friends at the Shangri-La on East 6th for drinks... but when we got there it was closed. (I know I don't get out much anymore, but I thought the under 30 set still went out on Sunday nights? What's up with that?)

Quite serendipitously, East Side Show Room, this new bistro - lounge - gallery - venue recently opened up at 1100 East 6th Street, and they were open for business. We popped inside and found a wonderfully quirky part French bistro part 19th century curiosity shop inspired scene.

This picture makes it look a bit like just any other bar... but trust... the place was gushing with ambiance and character. Exposed brick walls all around. The specials were written in chalk on the iron beam overhead.

I ordered from their specialty drink list and had a "Pink Pony" which (if I remember right) was a type of gin, crushed ice, cucumber liqueur, and grapefruit juice. It was yummy. The food menu uses only locally procured ingredients. We had a cheese plate that was excellent. Next time we'll stay for dinner.

East Side Show Room is just another addition to the lovely East 6th dining destinations popping up these days. Hope there are many more to come. Oh, and there's a quaint patio out back for dining or siping.

Condo Projects that Look/Act Like Houses in Central Austin?

$325K Watson St. - near Crestview Station

Wondering about the large number of 2 unit detached condo projects in Central Austin. These are new construction properties that look like single family homes, but that are technically classified and sold as condominiums. This is happening quite a bit in Central Austin where land is becoming increasingly scarce and builders buy one full size lot, tear down the existing structure and put two, even bigger properties on the lot. The builder may subdivide the lot and classify the dwellings as single family homes, however, sometimes the lot size is too small to qualify the dwelling as a single family home. In addition, even if the lot is big enough to qualify as a single family home, the builder has to go through a public hearing to subdivide the property and may be met with adversity from neighbors and neighborhood associations in some of these older Austin neighborhoods. In this case, the builder may prefer to create a condo project, which is just a administrative legal process.

These properties can be wonderful: exquisitely designed, well constructed, close to downtown, well priced, etc. Overall, precisely what you are looking for in a new home. However, before you buy, there are a couple of things to know about these properties before you consider buying one.

1. Mandatory COA: Even though there are just 2 units, there will have to be a COA, which is a legal entity. The COA should have a budget that pays for common grounds liability insurance and tax preparation, at minimum. Be sure that the money you are paying to the COA goes to something of value. As one of the owners, you will be an officer in the COA and have 50% voting rights. If you and your neighbor do not agree on something 100%, then nothing happens. Either everyone agrees or disagrees.

2. Perceived Market Value: Most home buyers are searching for "houses" to buy and therefore, there is a lower perceived value in a condo vs. a single family home. This may be a problem when you go to resell your property. It will actually be listed as a "condo" in the MLS and may not even pop up in potential home buyers' searches.

3. Condo Financing: The underwriting requirements for financing a condominium is changing and financing is getting tougher to obtain as time goes on. Some federally backed loan programs will not finance a condo project that is not at least 50% owner occupied. If your neighboring condo is owned by an investor, it may be difficult for you to find a buyer who can buy your condo with conventional financing when you go to resell.

Some additional condo projects in Central Austin:

$399K Alegria St. - Crestview Area

$325K 2nd St - East Austin

$275K Stacy Ln - 78704

East Side's El Chilito Now Downtown

My daughter is addicted to the taco's from hipster/gringo taco joint, El Chilito in East Austin, located at 12th and Chestnut. She loves the breakfast tacos and the chicken (pollo asado).

This morning I happened upon a NEW El Chilto on Congress Ave, just north of 9th St next to Little City Coffee in downtown Austin. (Only about 300 yards from my office building.) There was a line out the door at lunchtime. I think it's going to be a hit with the downtown set. Click here for full story on ABJ.

Race for the Cure This Weekend

I am looking forward to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this weekend. If you haven't already registered, you can register here. I am participating in the UNTIMED 5K. Starting line is on 1st street, just north of Riverside... bright and early Sunday morning at 8 AM (8:15 for UNTIMED). Don't forget about daylight savings... yuck.

Oh...and there is actually an option for "Sleep In for the Cure". ...You can donate $50.00 and get a t-shirt that says you slept in... I see no shame in that. !!

Stand Up Paddle Surfing

Apparently this is the new thing, stand up paddle surfing... or SUP-ing. (or more like "old thing resurfacing and is now all the rage" I guess)

The sport is suppose to be a ton of fun as well as an amazing strength building exercise for core body muscles ...and Austin's Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) is an excellent place to partake in the growing trend. I am trying to find a place in Austin to rent a board and take lessons - but haven't had any luck yet. Leave a comment if you know of a place or someone!

Thanks to Mike Baird on flickr.com for the pic. Note, the pic was unfortunately not taken on Lady Bird Lake... I couldn't find a good pic of someone SUPing on LBL. If you have one, send it to me!

Hot Sauce Festival This Weekend

Tomorrow (Saturday, August 24th) is the Austin Chronicle's annual Hot Sauce Festival. Not only can you sample the best homemade/local hot sauces in town...but there's also a great line up of bands including Black Joe Louis, Fingerpistols, Jungle Rockers, Girl In the Closet, and Band of Heathens. Bring a picnic blanket and lawn chairs. Dress cool (as in temperature). Each entrant is allow 2 factory sealed bottles of water. Admission is free with the donation of three non-perishable food items. Donations go to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. Festival is held at Waterloo Park (12th and Red River) 11:00 AM - 5:30 PM. Check out Austin Chronicle website for show times and complete festival guidelines.

Hot sauce photo courtesy of Basykes on www.flickr.com

Rad Skateboards ... from Austin with Love

I am not a skater or skateboarder by any stretch of the imagination...but I do have soft spot for sports whose athletes regularly use words like "stoked" "rad" and "totally cool". I also have a pension for Vans footwear.

I stumbled upon this new skateboard company here in Austin called Roger Skateboards. The boards are designed and developed by Michael Sieben (super cool artist/illustrator, skateboarder) and his buddy Stacy Lowery (former pro-skateboarder). Apparently the two share not only a passion for skating, but also a wicked, satirical sense of humor, communicated through their eye-catching graphics. Check out their website for more from this dynamic duo...it's very entertaining.

Look for their boards at No Comply, 812 W. 12th Street (12th & Lamar).

The "Human Race" ... Here in Austin

I just signed myself and hubby up for the Nike Human Race to be held here in downtown Austin on August 31st. Austin is one of 25 cities to host the first ever "global" 10K where over 1 million runners will be running to benefit global charities including Livestrong, the UN Refugee Agency, and WWF (environmental preservation). Other cities that are hosting the event include Paris, Los Angeles, New York, London, Quito, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Warsaw, Singapore ... I love that Austin is on this list of world cities! Following the race is a concert by Ben Harper ... open ONLY to race participants. ! It costs $35 to register. Click here to register for the race.

Pick provided by Patrick Dentler on flickr.

Sno-Beach ... Reviewed

We went to "Sno-Beach" this past week. Sno-Beach is a snow cone stand situated on Barton Springs Road between South First and Lamar. I love the concept of Sno-Beach...a random seasonal trailer that pops up during hot summer months selling wonderful ice cold treats. I was a little disappointed with the execution...but really...what can you expect from an establishment housed in a trailer that can be rolled away at a moment's notice? It was hot, very, very hot...and there was basically no shade...except that generated by an office building next door...and the bumle bees were out en masse making nose dives into our snow cones! Oh - and the snow cones are actually served in cups, not actual cones, which was a little disappointing too. (although I guess less mess) Anyway, my 3 year old was thrilled with the whole scene regardless - thumbs up from her. Oh - and kudos that they pass out giant golf umbrellas to everyone waiting in line.

New Downtown Boot Shop...Every Girl Needs a Pair of these...

These vintage cowboy boots sold at a new downtown shop are seiously cool. I want some. "Part Artwork, Part Footwear, All Fancy" ... Owner/designer Jerry Ryan creates vintage inspired boots, combining elements from the past (ode to Texas history) with his own designs to come up with a totally unique "retro-modern" look. ...which I think is right in line with our unique fashion style 'round here in Austin. I see me wearing mine with lots of flowy skirts and dresses. Prices start at $300. Shop is located at 117 W. 8th St. between Congress and Colorado. http://www.heritageboot.com/

'Walk Scores' for Austin's Neighborhoods

I found this website ** http://www.walkscore.com/ ** where you can plug in any address, and it will calculate that address's "walk score". A high walk score means less dependency on automobiles to go about one's daily life and judges distances to grocery stores, gas stations, fitness centers, hair salons, post offices, restaurants, etc ... a low walk score means high dependency on the car. I plugged in addresses for some of Central Austin's neighborhoods and here's what I got:

(possible total score = 100)

Travis Heights *55* - somewhat walkable
Bouldin Creek *78* - very walkable
South Congress (SoCo) *80* - very walkable
Rollingwood *52* - somewhat walkable
Westlake *45* - car dependent
Zilker *75* - very walkable
Downtown *94* - walker's paradise (obviously)
Clarksville *86* - very walkable
Tarrytown *63* - somewhat walkable
Rosedale *72* - very walkable
Allandale *55* - somewhat walkable
Crestview *62* - somewhat walkable
Northwest Hills *40* - car dependent
Delwood *58* - somewhat walkable
Hyde Park *78* - very walkable
French Place *72* - very walkable
Central East Side *58* - somewhat walkable
Holly Street District *69* - somewhat walkable

...next up... SCOOTER SCORES!

(thanks to Sister72 @ flickr.com for the pic!)