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Old 01-09-2011, 12:32 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,058,726 times
Reputation: 9478

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Quote:
Originally Posted by southdown View Post
Coming from Europe, I love to spend time in the park, meeting up with friends, watching my kids play and enjoying a coffee at the same time.

But it seems all the parks I have seen here are devoid of cafes (apart from Barton Springs) and cafes have no open play spaces (apart from Central Market). We often go to Aussie's, which is fun too, but not quite a play-park.

Is there anywhere outdoors that is pleasant to be - that might serve coffee, cake, ice cream - even real food?

btw I'm not looking for a Macdonalds with a playscape next to a highway
Without a doubt the Central Market on North Lamar comes the closest that I have seen to what you are looking for. The cafe has a deck next to a live oak tree shaded playscape for the kids, which is the West end of Central Park, which has some nice trails and ponds. That park contains one of the most majestic live oak trees I have seen in Texas, over near the pond.

Central Market | Stores | Austin-North Lamar
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Old 01-09-2011, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Austin Metro
113 posts, read 371,495 times
Reputation: 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by southdown View Post
Austin is actually a lot less "cool" than the place I sadly had to leave behind, but this kind of thing strikes me as very Austin-y and would be a good thing.

Yes, change can be good...
I would be lovely, but bureaucracy plus favoring capitalist tendencies in the U.S. over community endeavors make it close to impossible. Not impossible, but close. It would take a lot to change things. (And I mean in most American cities, not just Austin.) If you find anything close, please post! Southpark Meadows is not even close, it's a shopping center. You just don't often see these kind of amenities in public parks here.
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Old 01-09-2011, 01:54 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,548,407 times
Reputation: 4001
In the almost three years since this post was alive, didn't SOME enterprising soul take a shot at creating just what everyone wanted? Perhaps the allure fizzled a bit along with the economy . Dang!
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Old 01-09-2011, 07:28 PM
 
Location: Fairfax, VA
1,449 posts, read 3,171,128 times
Reputation: 471
would a place like this do well in Austin?

 (http://www.atplaycafe.com/atplaycafe/Home.html - broken link)

As a part-time working mom, I sometimes have things that have to get done on days I don't have scheduled care for my daughter. This is one of my favorite places to take her on days when I need to get a few things done but would rather not let her veg in front of the TV while I do them. You get free wifi and can buy food and/or coffee, and just pay admission to the playarea where there are employees to watch and play with your child. It is especially good on bad weather days/hot days when no one wants to be outside.
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Old 01-10-2011, 04:59 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,058,726 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 10scoachrick View Post
In the almost three years since this post was alive, didn't SOME enterprising soul take a shot at creating just what everyone wanted? Perhaps the allure fizzled a bit along with the economy . Dang!
Way to go and spoil the party!
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Old 01-10-2011, 06:20 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
12,059 posts, read 13,886,180 times
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Here are some suggestions:

Freddie's has a nice outdoor area right on a creek, very park-like. Other people mentioned Waterloo Ice House. Also Boat House Grill up near Lake Travis has outdoor seating with an outdoor playground.
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Old 01-11-2011, 05:50 PM
 
322 posts, read 846,973 times
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"would a place like this do well in Austin?

 (http://www.atplaycafe.com/atplaycafe/Home.html - broken link)

As a part-time working mom, I sometimes have things that have to get done on days I don't have scheduled care for my daughter. This is one of my favorite places to take her on days when I need to get a few things done but would rather not let her veg in front of the TV while I do them. You get free wifi and can buy food and/or coffee, and just pay admission to the playarea where there are employees to watch and play with your child. It is especially good on bad weather days/hot days when no one wants to be outside."

There was a place like this. It was jungle java in Round Rock and it closed a month ago.
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Old 01-11-2011, 06:39 PM
 
Location: Fairfax, VA
1,449 posts, read 3,171,128 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmaxmor View Post
There was a place like this. It was jungle java in Round Rock and it closed a month ago.
that's too bad. Would westlake or southwest austin be a better market?
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Old 01-11-2011, 07:16 PM
 
1,157 posts, read 2,651,833 times
Reputation: 483
Quote:
Originally Posted by southdown View Post
Austin is actually a lot less "cool" than the place I sadly had to leave behind, but this kind of thing strikes me as very Austin-y and would be a good thing.

Yes, change can be good...
I think this sounds very Austin-y. I know what you are saying- I am thinking back to the restaurants in Central and Bryant Park in NYC and wonder why we don't have something like this in Zilker. Seems like a cafe could fit into the landscape quite nicely if planned appropriately. I'm also not thinking hot dog concession stand either... more like something with a bar and decent food.
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Old 01-11-2011, 10:29 PM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,125,132 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by justanothercalifornian View Post
I am absolutely with you in wishing for a cafe/park experience. When we were in Europe it was our most favorite aspect of daily life. I've thought about opening my own but have no clue on where to begin and really I'm not sure if Austinites would like that sort of thing or not. Please let me know if you ever find something like that. Cheers
The answer is probably to do it in a truck vs an actual cafe.
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