Thank you to everyone who attended our Grand Opening event on Saturday, April 30th! 

The day began with a great opening ceremony, complete with remarks from the BartonPlace developers, partners, IBC Bank President Bob Barnes, and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez. 

Music filled the air as guests enjoyed beer and barbeque from Uncle Billy's as well as champagne and desserts in one of our rooftop lounges.

Enjoy a few pictures from the event and we hope to see everyone again soon!

Austin Energy awards BartonPlace Three Star Green Rating

We are excited to announce that BartonPlace was recently awarded an official 3 Star Green Rating by Austin Energy's Green Building department. 

Here are a few 'Green Facts' about BartonPlace that helped us earn our stars:

Austin ranks high for...everything.

 Austin Business Journal - April 13, 2011

Rarely does a week go by without Austin being listed at or near the top of a "best of" list.

With so much positive PR for this city flying around, I thought it would be helpful to wrangle it all together. So here goes.

· The biggie people still like to talk about came from Kiplinger's Personal Finance in May 2010, which tagged Austin as the No. 1 best city to live in for the next 10 years.

· Just last week, Austin placed third in a "Youngest Cities" ranking, which was based on how youthful residents feel, not their actual age.

· When it comes to social networking, few cities beat Austin's prowess, Men's Health magazine says.

· Austin is the second-best place to find a job right now, according to number crunchers at Ajilon Professional Staffing.

· In November, Austin was deemed to have the second-strongest job market in the country by the Milken Institute (behind only Killeen, Texas).

· That backs up another list in July 2010 that put Austin among the top job-generating cities.

· In May 2010, Austin was listed among the country's healthiest cities on two other lists.

· A CNN/Money study last year labeled Austin as recession-proof.

· Austin was chosen as one of the eight best places to live and work in the U.S. by Business Review USA.

· Austinites have the ninth-best "quality of life," according to Portfolio.com study in May 2010.

· Austin (again) ranked No. 4 on a list of the biggest tax procrastinating cities. I'll go out on a limb and put this one in the "positive" category because it illustrates how laid back and cool this city is. We're much too busy this time of year with rodeos, music festivals and perfect weather to be bogged down by tax forms.

· Austin was ranked the third-best city to move to in the United States, according to a RelocateAmerica.com report about a year ago.

· They were on to something, because earlier this year U-Haul said Austin is one of the most-moved-to cities in the country.

· Austin was picked as the nation's most progressive and proactive entrepreneurial center in a July article from Entrepreneur.com.

· PayScale Inc. just ranked Austin second among cities considered an IT startup "Hot Spot."

· Austin is the third-best city for young entrepreneurs, says Under 30 CEO.

· Entrepreneur magazine ranked Austin a top creative center in July.

· If you're a college student, there are few places better than Austin, according to a Huffington Post ranking.

· Austin ranks as the nation's fifth-best city for new college graduates in the latest annual listing by Bloomberg Businessweek.

· Austin was deemed by Men's Health to be America's most sex-happy city.

· Austin was Yahoo Travel's third-best city for singles last year. And Vavoom.com put Austin as its second-best city for dating behind Miami earlier this year.

· Austin did well on a Forbes list in June 2010 highlighting the best cities for young professionals.

· We have some of the cleanest air in the country, according to another list.

· Austin is the best city for Hispanics, according to Popular Hispanics.

· While we're not really an industrial town, Austin is still one of the country's top cities for manufacturing jobs, according to Manufacturers' News Inc.

· In December, Forbes put Austin at No. 12 on its first list of the best cities for shopping.

· We already have more restaurants per capita than most cities, but that didn't stop Austin from being named recently as one of the top 10 emerging restaurant markets in the U.S.

· When it comes to live music, Austin is No. 3 in the U.S., according to MSNBC.com.

· Austin is also one of the safest cities of its size, another study said.

· Late last year, Austin residents were ranked the 7th brainiest in the U.S. by Daily Beast.

· And all that brainpower must make life easier, because Austin is one of the least-stressed cities in the U.S.

Read more: Austin ranks high for, well, just about everything | Austin Business Journal

Austin rents will rise

 Austin business Journal - April 28, 2011

Smart renters decide to own at BartonPlace!

Austin apartment rates are expected to rise about 4.2 percent this quarter as construction slows and the population grows, Marcus & Millichap real estate investment analysts said this week.

The first quarter outlook report said Austin's apartment market will "continue to strengthen through 2011" as the city's "growing employment opportunities and job creation" attract troves of new residents. So far this year, Austin employers have added 21,000 positions, or about 2.7 percent more than the growth last year.

At the same, just 1,000 new units are expected to come online in 2011 after restrained permitting in the past two years. Last year, developers delivered 2,900 units.

As vacancy rates are squeezed to about 6.6 percent, rental rates are expected to rise to an average $894 per month asking, and $816 per month effective. The 4.2 percent and 5 percent rise, respectively, is up from 1.7 percent and 2.6 percent last year.

Read more: Austin rents will rise, report says | Austin Business Journal

Trader Joe's coming to Texas

 Austin business Journal - May 3, 2011

Specialty grocer Trader Joe's Co. Inc. is said to be joining the growing list of California chains eying Texas for growth.

The sort-of small scale Whole Foods Market concept (thought to be more cost accessible) told the Dallas Morning News that executives are hunting down spots in Dallas, Houston and Austin. This counters what a spokeswoman told the paper last March, saying Texas was not in the company's two-year plan.

The company released a statement on Tuesday saying: "Dallas, and frankly the entire state of Texas, is a place we've wanted to be for a long time. ... We're excited about bringing Trader Joe's to the wonderful cities, towns, and neighborhoods in and around Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and beyond. We are actively looking for sites and we're anxious to identify some great locations and begin hiring crew members."

Community Impact quoted officials saying the Austin site wouldn't be until at least 2013.

Maybe it was peer pressure. California-based In-N-Out Burgerannounced plans in March for rapid expansion in the Lone Star State. Similarly, CKE Restaurants Inc., which operates Carl's Jr., is on a Texas expansion spree, as is Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

Trader Joe's already operates stores in 27 states. It touts the brand as selling gourmet, organic, and health foods at relatively cheap prices.

In Central Texas, the chain would have to compete with the H.E. Butt Grocery Co.'s new low-cost gourmet grocery banner. HEB spent two years planning the new brand, Joe V's Smart Shop, a name that got the company in a legal tussle with Trader Joe's. The first pilot store opened in Houston on May 5, 2010.

Local Food + Drink News

From www.umlaufsculpturegarden.com

Enjoy yoga in one of Austin's most unique outdoor settings.  Every Wednesday in May, yoga will be offered at Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, just a few blocks from BartonPlace, nestled in Zilker Park.

When:  Wednesdays, 10:30am - 12:00pm

Cost: $10.00 per person

Find Out More

 From http://rei.com

Austin Downtown REI - National Bike to Work Day

• Time: 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. (CDT)
• Leader: REI and Whole Foods

• Date: 5/20/2011
• Event Location: Whole Foods Market
• Event Fee: Free

Join thousands of cyclists across the nation celebrate Bike Month by riding your bike to work. The Austin community will support you by offering free breakfast stops all across the Austin area. Join REI and Whole Foods at either of the Whole Foods Market locations for some great food and a complimentary minor adjustments to your bike.

To find out more click here.