As Lake Travis continues to grow, so do the many shopping options in the area. Residents can choose to shop from the local boutiques throughout Lakeway to the Hill Country Galleria Mall in Bee Caves, offering 500,000 square feet of retail stores and boutiques. Barton Creek Square Mall, home to major department stores and specialty retailers, is also only a short drive away form Lake Travis homes!
Hill Country Galleria
The Hill Country Galleria has everything from retail shops to residential apartments to office space. This lifestyle center will keep you entertained for hours with its wide variety of shopping, dining and various events throughout the year.
Shops at The Galleria
The Shops at The Galleria has more to offer than its breath taking views, open courtyards and fountain ponds. This premier shopping destination has national, regional and local tenants available to its visitors. Some of the featured shops include Lowe’s, Newflower Market, Petsmart, Bestbuy, Maudie’s, Waterloo, Mandola’s and Spec’s.
Texas Treasures
Texas Treasures features local artists who produce original paintings, designed furnishings and decorative items perfect for furnishing your Lake Travis home. With over 3,000 square feet of shopping, visitors will undoubtedly find that special something they are looking for.
Lakeway Commons
Lakeway Commons is the perfect Hill Country setting for visitors to enjoy shopping and dining. With delicious restaurants and boutique shopping, Lakeway Commons has something for everyone to enjoy. Featured stores and restaurants include John Ryan’s Clothing, Mad About Shoes, Mulligan’s Sports Grill, Vino 100 and much more! All of this shopping is just minutes from great Lake Travis homes!
Archive for March, 2012
Congress Avenue Bridge: Keepin’ it Batty
Monday, March 26th, 2012Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, also called “Congress Bridge” is a very popular South Austin attraction for visitors as well as locals. The Congress Bridge was named in honor of late Texas Governor Ann W. Richards in 2006. Prior to that, the bridge was known as Congress Bridge.
The Congress Bridge sits on the southern end of downtown Austin and spans Lady Bird Lake, connecting South Congress Avenue and downtown Austin. Made of concrete, the sturdy structure serves both as a route for vehicles and scenic walkway for pedestrians and cyclists. From the top of the bridge, visitors experience gorgeous views of the downtown skyline reflecting on the peaceful lake. By day, the waters below the bridge are filled with kayaks, paddleboards and tour boats.
Though beautiful on its own, the bridge actually attracts thousands of tourists per year because of what lies underneath the bridge between its concrete beams. During the warm months, the Congress Bridge is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony – 1.5 million of them! In early fall, the bats migrate to Mexico where remain for up to 6 months before returning to Austin in the spring.
People gather every evening from May-September to view the Congress Bridge bats in flight. Each night at dusk, the bats emerge from underneath the bridge to feed. It is quite a sight! Individual bats emerge cautiously and within minutes this builds up into a steady stream of bats that look similar to a quickly moving dark cloud. The colony flies over the lake waters and wind along the river’s path until they are out of sight. Seeing the Congress Bridge bats is a must-do for any Austinite!
This post was provided by Realtor Marc Warshawsky. To learn more about the Congress Bridge andSouth Austin homes homes near this classic Austin attraction, visit SouthAustinHomesOnline.com today!
Soda Blasting Removes Odor, Mold, Fire and Water Damage in 1 Step
Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
This post was provided by Rapid Recovery Service, Inc., experts in fire, water, storm and mold damage restoration.
Soda Blasting is a widely recognized technique by the insurance restoration industry to eliminate lingering odors of fire and water damage. Compared to other alternative methods such as sand blasting, which is more abrasive, and dry ice blasting, which raises safety concerns due to the high levels of carbon dioxide, soda blasting is a faster, safer and cleaner solution.
Soda blasting applies baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) against a surface using compressed air. This method is chemical-free and nontoxic and is successful at eliminating most contaminants from a variety of surfaces from wood, brick and metals.
The use of soda blasting in fire damage restoration is successful at removing soot, char and smoke odors. In regards to mold damage, the process eliminates mold growth and spores with minimum impact on the surface. It also speeds up the restoration process by eliminating the need to remove and replace materials and is even safe to use around window frames and door-walls without damaging glass panes. The benefits of soda blasting greatly reduce the time of the restoration process and are a proven cost savings technique to owners. Visit our website to learn more about soda blasting and our services for fire and mold damage restoration.
South Congress: Keepin’ it Wierd
Thursday, March 8th, 2012Few other neighborhoods capture the spirit of Austin quite like South Congress. “SoCo,” as it is called by some, is undoubtedly one of Austin’s most loved areas. Thousands visit this vibrant shopping and dining district each year to experience the sights and sounds of South Austin. The crowd includes all types from tourists looking to get a taste of funky South Austin shops, to locals patronizing their favorite food trailers.
Located between Riverside and Oltorf in South Austin, South Congress is the home to unique boutiques, art galleries, and popular bars and restaurants.
Within walking distance of downtown Austin, SoCo perfectly marries Austin’s relaxed hippie vibe and metropolitan feel. It is the single place in Austin where you will find a world-class costume shop, old-fashioned candy store, vintage clothing boutique, and historic music venue all in one location. SoCo is also where you can find some of Austin’s finest food trailers serving everything from snow cones to BBQ. South Congress shopping simply can’t be beat!
Visitors also enjoy visiting the neighborhood during “First Thursdays,” a monthly event that lights up the town. Shops on SoCo also stay open late, have special sales and host in-store events. Outside of the shops, street vendors, musicians, and artists like the sidewalks. You’ll probably also catch a dozen dogs hitting the town with their owners.
SoCo Austin truly captures the city’s warm and friendly vibe and offers a wonderful view of downtown Austin to boot. It truly is a one-of-a-kind neighborhood.
This article was provided by expert realtor and South Austin homes guide, Marc Warshawsky.
How Ozone Removes Odor
Thursday, March 1st, 2012Ozone
Ozone (O3) is a form of oxygen (O2)that contains three atoms instead of two. It is slightly heavier than air, and at low concentrations smells slightly sweet, but at higher concentrations has a pungent aroma. Ozone is molecularly unstable and reacts quickly to revert to a more stable form.
How is ozone formed?
Nature forms ozone every day in a method that is very familiar – thunderstorms. When lightning occurs, ozone is formed by the high-voltage arcs that ionize the air. The air is freshened after the storm because ozone removes many of the impurities that are in the air.
How does ozone destroy odors?
Ozone breaks down, or changes, the molecular structure of the odor molecule. Ozone is an extremely powerful oxidizing agent, and it uses the third oxygen molecule to cause the odor to either reduce in complexity, or stabilize into a compound with less odor. Some odors go through several steps (requiring additional ozone), to be reduced to levels that are no longer detectable. Many odors can be reduced to simple carbon dioxide (CO2), water (H2O), and oxygen (O2).
How is ozone manufactured?
Ozone, due to its instability, has a very short life-span. This means ozone naturally returns to its original form of oxygen. Ozone must be produced when, and where it is needed. The most popular method of producing ozone is by “corona discharge,” which simply means generating a high voltage electrical field and passing air through it. Passing air through the corona converts approximately 1-2% of the oxygen into ozone.
How are the ozone units used to remove odors?
Ozone models are industrial ozone generators that are capable of high levels of ozone. These units do not use any chemicals, operate unattended, and need only occasional cleaning and maintenance from a company that specializes in professional odor removal and emergency cleanup. They contain electrical and electronic components to generate ozone, using only small amounts of electricity. Ozone output is 100% adjustable to match the odor levels. They are ideal for applications that need high ozone levels to remove malodorous situations such as garbage, fire and smoke, sewage, animals, decaying organic matter, chemicals, etc. Ozone units destroy odors, retard bacterial growth and slime production, and circulate the ozone allowing it to destroy the odor molecules. Industrial ozone generators are designed to be used in uninhabited areas, or used at volumes that are limited by OSHA or EPA regulations.
