Community Blog

The Sienna Ridge Apartments may not have the same zip code as SoCo, but we’re on the very doorstep of Austin’s South Congress scene, and all the wonderfulness it has to offer.

Take for instance the Ruta Maya International Headquarters.  It’s a coffeehouse in the great funky Austin tradition. Regulars there love the selection of coffees. And many people appreciate that the coffee is all organically grown on farmers collectives in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It’s a matter of good tasting coffee and good economic karma.

Ruta Maya also has a good selection of domestic and imported beer, delicious snacks and free WiFi.

But it’s not just a coffeehouse. Ruta Maya International Headquarters is also a thriving music venue, art gallery, yoga studio (free lessons with purchase of a coffee), salsa school, and just a great place to hang out, study, meet friendly people or just be left alone to ponder life.

It’s official address is 3601 South Congress Avenue, but in actual fact, it’s tucked behind that address on Alpine Road– there’s a water tower in the parking lot. That’s just about a block south of the St. Edwards University campus, and therefore only a couple of miles from the Sienna Ridge apartment community, just on the other side of I-35

Ruta Maya International Headquarters is worth a visit, and it could become your favorite place to hang. Check out Ruta Maya’s website for information on all the stuff going on there.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Paige Maguire.

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What’s the best part of yard sale shopping? The bargains? Or is it the hunt for good stuff? Both answers are, of course, correct. And let’s add an additional correct answer: yard sales can be good for the environment to the extent that they keep otherwise useful stuff from ending up in the local landfill.

There will a good measure of all three of those good things on Sunday, August 22 when the UT Campus Environmental Center opens the doors to Austin’s biggest yard sale of the year. It’s the Trash to Treasures Garage Sale.

It’s actually the second act in an exercise in economy and ecology that began last spring when UT students were emptying their dorms and apartments preparing to head elsewhere for the summer. The Campus Environmental Center collected the students’ (and the public’s) donated furniture, electronic good, clothing, kitchen utensils, books and such, and stored it away.

It’s now time for new and returning students (and the public) to make use of those collected goods. It’s a convenience. It’s a way for poor students (and the public) to same some money. And it keeps a lot of useful stuff from becoming trash.

The Trash to Treasures Garage Sale starts Sunday at 9am, and continues until 3pm. If you plan to get there early (and you should), there will be a nominal entrance fee of $4 ($2 for current UT students). After 10:30, though, entrance is free of charge.

All proceeds from the event go to the Campus Environmental Center to pay for student-led environmental projects.

It’s happening quite close to Sienna Ridge, too– at the UT Recreational Sports Center at 21st and San Jacinto.

Have fun, and get something good for your apartment.

Photo used under  Creative Commons from Eastlaketimes.

This probably doesn’t quite make to the level of being One of Austin’s Best Kept Secrets. But it’s pretty cool… or warm, to be exact.

Sienna Ridge is just a mile away from what might be called “the two Stacys”– Big Stacy Park and Little Stacy Park.

The two parks, which are actually connected, are just on the other side of I-35 from Sienna Ridge. It’s walkable, or a very easy bike ride. The only remotely tricky part is getting across the interstate highway, but the bridge has a generous bike lane and sidewalk, so it’s not an obstacle. And once you’re past that, it’s quite pleasant.

The two Stacy parks are lovely, with lots of trees and open space for kickball or tossing a Frisbee.

Sienna Ridge of course has an absolutely wonderful swimming pool, complete with lounge chairs and space to lie in the sun. It’s part of what makes Sienna Ridge such a great place to live. But you still ought to check out Big Stacy Park’s claim to fame: the year-round swimming pool. It’s fed by naturally warm spring water. You can do your lap swimming there in December if you want to. The Big Stacy pool gets rave reviews on Yelp.com.

There is also a free wading pool for the kiddies in Little Stacy Park, too.

The Big Stacy pool will never replace the great swimming set up at Sienna Ridge. Rather it’s a great complement, and the parks themselves provide some wonderfully green and shady open spaces whenever you want to escape the concrete for an afternoon… just a mile away.

For more information, check out the Austin Parks Foundation’s excellent website. And the City of Austin has all the basic info, too, on its website.

Photo used under Creative Commons from Emmanuelle Bourgue.

Going to a concert is always a fun time, regardless of the band. The vibrant energy that’s being pumped through the venue, as people file inside, usually is groups. Then the lights dim and the opening act takes the stage and plays their tunes as the headliner band preps backstage for their awaiting audience. And the Texas Renegade is no exception.

On tour once again, the Texas Renegade is stopping at the Cheatham Street Warehouse in San Marcos on Saturday night to perform as they continue their tour around the state. The talented Bobby Duncan will be opening for Texas Renegade at 9:30 PM on Saturday night.

The Cheatham Street Warehouse doors open at 8:00 PM, and the Texas Renegade take the stage at 10:30 PM, so be sure to get there early and pick up your tickets from the will-call window. Then, head down the street to Wienerschnitzel and grab a quick bite to eat before the show starts.

Tickets are $8.00 per person and must be picked up at will call.

(Some Rights Reserved, Dave Hensley)

We mentioned an idea for a July Fourth weekend getaway to see a Texas Rangers baseball game– admittedly a long shot, but just the kind of thing you might not think of.

Here’s another idea for something fun to do on the Fourth. It’s guaranteed to be a lot of fun, but we’re sure at least a few people will be there just to check out the new venue.

We’re talking about the Fourth of July Celebration at Seaholm Power Plant. (Someone recommend to the organizers a catchier name, please.) In case you haven’t been reading the newspaper, Seaholm Power Plant is redevelopment of the old power plant site on Town Lake opposite Auditorium Shores. MTV rented the space for South by Southwest– but we don’t know anyone cool enough to have been invited to that party, so this will be our chance to go inside to see the space.

The Fourth of July festivities will feature live music by T Bird and the Breaks, the Bright Light Social Hour and Til We’re Blue or Destroy.

Also, local restaurants will be selling food, beer and soft drinks.

And perhaps the biggest selling point to the soirée is that this will be a terrific place to see the fireworks over Town Lake.

It’s free, too. But organizers hope you’ll donate some money to benefit Anthropos Arts, which runs some pretty cool music education programs for low-income middle and high school kids.

It starts at 4pm, and wraps up after the fireworks. It’s fun for all ages and families.

Enter the site from West Ave., not from the lake side. Consider using the valet parking service– parking might be an issue.

(Photo: Some rights reserved, Brandon Watts)

Have you made your plans for the Fourth yet? If not, here’s a great last-minute idea: a day trip up to Arlington for baseball, fireworks, and celebration.

One thing I love about sports is the common interest people share cheering for their favorite team. And there’s a lot to cheer about, the Rangers are number one in the west division of the American League.

While the Astros have the night off on the Fourth of July, the Rangers will be going against the Chicago White Sox, a worthy opponent, that’s ranked third in their division. After the game, there will be a spectacular fireworks display in celebration of the Fourth of July.

So let’s pack an over-night bag, find a good hotel and head north on Saturday afternoon. Toss the cooler in the trunk and prepare some sandwiches for a tailgate before the game on Sunday. It’s time for a well deserved, quick weekend get-away.

(Photo: Some Rights Reserved, Randy Rodgers)

Let’s get out of town this weekend. I’m thinking it would be nice to take a long drive through some Hill Country. Maybe sample some good food, and do some early Christmas shopping.

The perfect getaway this weekend is to the Blanco Lavender Festival.

There will be arts and crafts for sale, as well as some Texas wines, we hear. Probably some home made salsa, and other goodies. Many of the restaurants will be serving special dishes seasoned with lavender, too.

It sounds like a fun day, or maybe even a fun overnight stay.

Blanco is only about an hour’s drive from Sienna Ridge, and it’s a pretty drive, too.

Go to www.blancolavenderfest.com for more information.

This is a bit of a long shot, we admit. But it’s such a good cause, and maybe it’ll help you get rid of some stuff cluttering your closet.

Donate your old, unwanted band equipment to the Girls Rock Camp Austin.

They’re looking in particular for P.A. and speakers, bass amps and guitar amps, drum sets, electric basses and guitars– all in good working condition, please. (High-end quality not required, but welcome!) New cables, tuners, sticks and picks are also needed.

Girls Rock Camp Austin is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls and women of all backgrounds and abilities through musical education and performance. The camp stays alive only through fund raising, volunteering and donations from those who want to help enrich the lives of girls.

The world would better with more rocker girls. Know what we mean?

If you have questions or want to arrange for pick up or drop off, contact Emily Marks <director @ girlsrockcampaustin . org>.

And if you’d like to buy them something new, you can also check the camp’s wish list on Amazon.com–> here. The camp would seriously appreciate that.

You can learn more about the organization and what they do (and when this summer’s camps are scheduled) at the Girls Rock Camp Austin website.

(Photo: Some rights reserved, rainmaker)

We wish to congratulate everyone on making through one of the longer stretches in the American calendar without a three-day weekend.

We hope you’ll be able to spend some down time the next few days doing something you like, even if it’s just remaining horizontal on the sofa.

But we invite you to take a moment this weekend to think about the terrible sacrifices made by our servicemen and women– and their families– to protect our country. We are grateful to everyone in the armed services, past and present.

Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend, Sienna Ridge.

(Photo: Some rights reserved, Tom Nguyen)

We here at Sienna Ridge are among the lucky few who get to live in Austin. And sometimes we might forget just how awesome this place is.

The Times of London just published quite an extraordinary account of a foreigner’s visit to Austin that should make us all proud of our city. The travelogue was written by Amber Marks, who has spent much of her life with a very bad opinion of the

United States. Some of this comes because her infamous father, Howard Marks, spent several years in a Federal prison for marijuana smuggling. So, maybe her bad feelings are understandable.

The point here, though, is that Amber’s reluctant trip to Austin changed her opinion of America.

It’s interesting to see Austin through her eyes. She  specifically mentions South Congress as being part of what makes Austin great. She  describes the shops, the ethnic flavor, the people and SoCo’s “idiosyncratic bars and restaurants” (that’s a compliment).

It’s Austin’s diversity, openness and celebration of the weird that charmed her. And those traits are at the top of the list for everyone who loves Austin.

It’s a good read, linked —-> here.

(Image: Some rights reserved, harmon)

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