The South by Southwest music festival just wrapped up in Austin, Texas, after five days, 2,000 performers, and 90 different venues rocking nearly around the clock. While the Austin business community might enjoy the estimated $110M in revenue generated by the fest, some of the city's residents are starting to sour on the idea of living amidst the "Live Music Capital of the World." You know things are getting bad when some condo owners are spending more than $15K to soundproof their homes. Our suggestion, move up or move out! During the pre-recession building boom, developers undertook some ambitious building projects in downtown Austin, meaning, unlike many cities, the tallest towers in town are solely residential. And if that doesn't cut it, there's always a good old fashioned Texas ranch.
The 360 Condominiums, completed in May 2008, is one of the tallest buildings in downtown and plays host to apartments with modern amenities and loft-style finishes, such as exposed concrete and duct work. On the 34th floor, this 1,280-square-foot two bedroom condo (above) offers walls of glass with no horizontal mullions, making for flowing views over the Texan landscape. Not bad for $565K.
? The hi-rise at 555 East 5th Street, known, appropriately, as 5FiftyFive, was completed in 2004, but doesn't give much away to its newer competition. This one-bedroom unit, on the 28th floor, enjoys breathtaking views through floor-to-ceiling glass, electric window shades to cover those windows, sustainable bamboo flooring, a Wolf range, and a Jacuzzi, all for $325K.
? Luckily for noise-weary Austonians, the Texas plains serve up plenty of land fit for peace and quiet—provided they're ready to pay for it. For $4.4M, the next owner of this German-inspired ranch will take more than 229 acres of solitude and a home built with 15-inch-thick solid limestone walls that should be enough to keep out any marauding musical hipsters. The only trouble is the commute—it's located about an hour from downtown Austin.
? A little closer into town is this 34-acre ranch with a 16,000-square-foot main house, a three-bedroom guest house, and parking for 12 cars. It's just 25 minutes from downtown Austin and costs just under $2M, but the next buyer will have to set aside some funds to deal with that church-looking structure, or use it to hold outdoor weddings and offset the cost of this ear-saving boondoggle. Pity, too, because the massive outdoor entertaining space would make a near-perfect concert venue.
· Downtown Residents' Noise Complaints [Eater Austin]
· SXSW could have $110M impact on Austin economy [Austin Business Journal]
· 360 Condominiums, #3411 [Austin Stowell]
· 5FiftyFive [Sotheby's]
· 3777 Middle Creek Road [Sotheby's]
· The Elk Ranch [Sotheby's]