April 11, 2024

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Today’s Forecast

💯 It’s a centennial celebration

The Mayor and more than a dozen other city and hotel employees hold a ribbon to cut in order of the proclaimation.

Mayor Kirk Watson stopped by to celebrate a piece of Austin’s hospitality history. | Photo by ATXtoday

Downtown’s Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel turns 100 years old this year.

Mayor Kirk Watson stopped by to proclaim Wednesday, April 10 as “Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Centennial Celebration Day.” In honor of the centennial celebration, the hotel will also bring back its 1920s-inspired pop-up, “The Austin,” for two days: Thursday, April 11 and Thursday, April 25 from 4 to 7 p.m.

The building, located at 701 Congress Ave., holds some rich local history, so we wanted to share some fun facts.

When the Stephen F. Austin Hotel opened to the public in 1924, it was the tallest building in the city (other than the Texas Capitol) and cost $600,000 to build. It’s also the second-oldest historic landmark hotel in the city, second to The Driskill.

A black and white photo of the hotel in 1924. — In 1924, the Stephen F. Austin hotel was the tallest private building in the city.
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Photo courtesy Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel

The original building stood 10 stories tall with a rooftop ballroom, but saw a five-story addition in 1938 that brought the hotel to its height today, at the expense of the rooftop ballroom.

The hotel was originally called “The Texas,” but changed to the “Stephen F. Austin Hotel” when the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Austin spearheaded a campaign to give the building more local appeal. It was renamed the “Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel” in December of 2020.

The space has served as campaign headquarters for several Texas politicians, notably for Lyndon Baines Johnson’s winning House of Representatives election in 1937, plus George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush’s political campaigns.

A display case full of photos, menus, tickets, and more next to a sign with a QR code for a guided brochure. — Check out a display case full of mementos — complete with a guided brochure — from the hotel’s history next time you’re on Congress.
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Photo by ATXtoday

Next time you watch “Miss Congeniality,” “Grindhouse,” or “Machete,” keep your eyes peeled: scenes of each were filmed at the hotel.

Today, the hotel is home to 375 rooms, the Roaring Fork restaurant, and a wraparound terrace overlooking Congress Ave. Stop by the lobby next time you’re in the area — there are mementos from days of yore on display.

Asked

What was the population of Austin in 1925?

A. ~24,300
B. ~42,200
C. ~87,900
D. ~130,400

Boom or bust?

Events

Wednesday, April 10

Moontower Just for Laughs | Now-Sunday, April 21 | Times vary | Multiple locations, Austin | $150-$275 | See performances from Andrew Schulz, Amy Sedaris, Joe Pera, and dozens of others… need we say more?
Tyler Childers | Wednesday, April 10 | 8-11 p.m. | The Moody Center, 2001 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | $50-$421 | The “Mule Pull” tour stops in Austin with special guest Hayes Carll.

Thursday, April 11

Power of 3 Group Art Show | Thursday, April 11 | 7 p.m. | South Congress Hotel, 1603 S. Congress Ave., Austin | Free | Take in artworks by Ana Stapleton, Jodie King, and Stephanie Moore.
“Into The Woods” | Thursday, April 11-Sunday, April 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Mary Moody Northen Theatre, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin | $30 | Dig into the dark side of fairy tales with this comedy by Stephen Sondheim + James Lapine.

Friday, April 12

“Smells Like Nirvana” tribute | Friday, April 12 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Parish, 501 Brushy St., Austin | $20 | Enjoy a tribute to the famous grunge band with the band Dead Original.

Plan Ahead

Austin Blues Festival | Saturday, April 27-Sunday, April 28 | 12 p.m. | Moody Amphitheater, 1401 Trinity St., Austin | $80-$500 | See Brittany Howard, Big Freedia, Jimmie Vaughan, and several others at this outdoor music fest.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Civic

Kirk Watson officially announced his plan to run for re-election for mayor yesterday. Watson is currently serving a shorter term than usual as Austinites voted to align mayoral elections with presidential campaigns in 2021. (KVUE)

Biz

Toy Joy is going statewide, with plans to open four to eight new stores in major Texas cities. The iconic local brand currently has four stores in Austin, and owners are working to secure investment for expansion. (Austin Business Journal)

Ranked

Austin has the best job market in the Lone Star State, followed by Dallas, according to the Wall Street Journal. Not only that, but Austin’s job market ranked No. 7 across the nation and first for labor force participation.

Arts

Local artists, including J Muzacz of Something Cool Studios, unveiled a mosaic mural at the Red Line’s new McKalla Station. Titled “The Heartbeat of Austin,” the 81-ft mural is made of ~130,000 tiles and features Austin FC fans and transit employees. (Austin American-Statesman)

Real Estate

A new apartment complex in Mueller called Solomon will welcome its first residents this month. Located at 1414 E. 51st St., the mixed-use complex provides 369 new apartments, including some income-restricted units for those making 60% or less of the median family income. (Austin American-Statesman)

Weather

Did you see the hail on Tuesday? Residents of northwest Austin, Marble Falls, and Spicewood reported damaging hail up to the size of a baseball. See their photos. (KXAN)

Sports

Is Baylor’s basketball coach Scott Drew headed for Kentucky? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Baylor Bears with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Plan Ahead

Psst — Taxes are almost due. Use E-file for quick, online filing. Plus, file your federal taxes for free with their basic software plan.*

Outdoors

🛝 Now open: Taniguchi Park

People sit on a blanket wearing kimono in a sunken green area of the park, surrounded by sidewalks and pathways.

The Japan America Society of Greater Austin celebrated the grand opening of the park with a traditional tea ceremony. | Photo by ATXtoday

Mueller’s new Taniguchi Park is now open at 3005 Sorin St.

The one-acre park contributes to a broader goal of turning a fifth of all land in the Mueller neighborhood (which totals ~700 acres) into green space. So far, the Mueller team has built 122 parks.

The park was named after Isamu Taniguchi, a Japanese immigrant who moved to California just before WWII. Taniguchi and his family were imprisoned at an internment camp in South Texas at the start of the war, but upon their release, started a farm in the Rio Grande Valley and eventually retired.

Taniguchi later moved to Austin, where his son — then dean of architecture at UT — connected him to the Parks & Recreation Department. Together, they created a public Japanese green space inside Zilker Botanical Garden.

The Mueller park features a covered gathering space with a large table, moveable furniture, grills, a rooftop that channels water to rain gardens, and a winding pathway.

The Buy

Your furry friend’s new spot to sleep. Say goodbye to traditional pet beds and pick your favorite print.

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The Wrap

City Editor Figi poses with an adorable goat.

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

I love all animals, but I really love cats, and I especially love my cats. It’s been really cool seeing the Austin community embrace felines in recent years, but it’s still a bit of a struggle to find cat-centric local places to buy good toys for my active kitties.

If you’re a cat lover, send me your recommendations.

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