Downtown Austin is the central business district of Austin, Texas. Downtown is located on the north bank of the Colorado River. The approximate borders of Downtown include Lamar Boulevard to the west, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and the University of Texas at Austin to the north, Interstate 35 to the east, and Lady Bird Lake to the south.
It is where the city’s highrise buildings are located, as well as being the center of government and business for the region. Downtown Austin is currently experiencing a building boom, with many condos and high rise towers being built. The top three tallest condo buildings west of the Mississippi River are all located in downtown Austin: The Independent, The Austonian, and the 360 Condominiums.
The story of Downtown Austin began with the Republic of Texas and President Mirabeau B. Lamar in the 1830s. Lamar tapped Edwin Waller to direct the planning and construction of the new town. Waller chose a site on a bluff above the Colorado River, nestled between Shoal Creek to the west and Waller Creek to the east. Waller laid the new city in a simple grid pattern on a 640-acre (or one square-mile plot) with 14 blocks running in both directions. Much of this original design is still intact in downtown Austin today.
One grand avenue, which Lamar named “Congress,” cut through the center of town from Capitol Square down to the Colorado River. The streets running north–south (paralleling Congress) were named for Texas rivers with their order of placement matching the order of rivers on the Texas state map. The east–west streets were named after trees native to the region, despite the fact that Waller had recommended using numbers (they were eventually changed to numbers in 1884). The city’s perimeters stretched north to south from the river at 1st Street to 15th Street, and from East Avenue (now Interstate 35) to West Avenue.
Waller reserved key spots for public buildings and four public squares. Three of Waller’s original squares survive to this day: Wooldridge Park, Republic Square and Brush Square.
Living in downtown Austin real estate means strolling past the pulsating nightclubs along Sixth Street or simply meandering your way around the 17-mile trail that encircles Lady Bird Lake. Or perhaps you’d like to take in one of downtown Austin’s most unusual events: watching the bats fly from the Congress Avenue bridge each night as they leave their nests to feed.
Some of the finest dining in all of Texas can be found in downtown Austin as well, in addition to unique shops, cafes and of course, live music. Due to the character and variety of the homes and condos for sale in downtown Austin, you’ll also find a wide array of list prices to fit nearly all budgets. The majority of these homes boast quick access to major thoroughfares to take you to all parts Texas.
Downtown Austin real estate is fast becoming known as one of the hippest and hottest markets of any in the country. With a booming economy and a terrific real estate market, Austin has consistently been ranked one of the top ten cities in most every major report in terms of economic opportunity, business growth and overall one of the best places to live in the United States.
