Triangle State

Triangle State has got to be the most effective, most perfectly executed planned community I have ever seen. Catering pretty much exclusively to wealthy young professionals, the entire area was designed to be self-contained and self-sustaining, with tons of upscale shopping, tons of upscale housing, and tons of well-manicured green space. The cost of entry to the area is prohibitive for most ordinary people, and many more would opt out of living here just because the perfectly polished environment is more or less the opposite of what people have come to expect from Austin living.

Still, it’s impossible to argue that it isn’t a lovely place to live. What it lacks in character and intrigue, it more than makes up for in exclusivity and posh settings. Central Market, one of the centerpieces of Triangle shopping, is a marvel to behold, and worth the trip for any Austinite who’s searching for a particular obscure food, organic offerings, or, well, the world’s most expensive groceries.

There’s plenty to do, and getting from Triangle State to the rest of the city is fairly simple, but even if it weren’t so excessively costly, the lack of Austin charm and color makes it an unlikely destination for all but the most status-conscious and wealthy among us.

Triangle State can really only loosely be characterized as a “neighborhood.” Comprised largely of massive apartment complexes situated around some urban shopping centers, this is a popular place for students and young professionals. Because of its extremely convenient location and high concentration of retail shops, restaurants and other businesses, housing is quite expensive here.

The boundaries for Triangle State are 38th Street to the south, 45th and 51st Streets to the north, N. Lamar Boulevard to the west and Guadalupe to the east. Triangle State gets its name from the mixed-use development located in the triangular-shaped area formed by 45th Street and the merging of Guadalupe and N. Lamar Streets. This area was a state-owned empty lot for many years, and the nearby neighborhoods, particularly Hyde Park, worked diligently to influence the kind of development that grew up in the space when the state sold the land. The result was a mix of retail and residential buildings situated around large areas of green space that has proved to be quite popular, particularly with the younger set.

The area can’t be beat for amenities, as located within its borders is Central Market, the upscale grocery featuring organic and specialized foods that also includes a café and playscape. Within the Triangle (the name of the mixed-use development) one finds restaurants, retail shops, an Office Max, coffee shops and bars. Centered within the complex is a large open area of green space where a mid-weekly farmers market is held, as well as an interactive fountain popular with kids and lots of room for dogs to run amuck in. All these benefits come at a steep price, however. A one-bedroom apartment starts at $1,200 a month. The Gables Central Park, located next to Central Market on 38th Street, is the other large apartment complex in the area, and also offers plenty of modern amenities. In addition, residents can walk out into the adjacent Central Park area, which has a pond surrounded by a walking/jogging trail. Rental rates are comparable to those found at the Triangle apartments.

This place has always boggled my mind. Sure, it’s all so brand new and extremely nice and safe and wonderful, and there’s no way I’m even going to get the chance to consider living here anyway, given my current and future financial situation. But something about it seems so Stepford to me. It’s so darned perfect—way too perfect for Austin, in my opinion. The whole idea behind this community is that it’s an upscale urban place with loft-like condos surrounded by upscale restaurants and entertainment, but come on. I’ve stayed in some pretty fancy resorts, and they’re fun for a while, but I imagine living like that every single day of my life would drive me bonkers. Why move to somewhere like Austin if you’re not going to immerse yourself in all the quirky strange uniqueness Austin has to offer? Now I imagine I’m either preaching to the choir here, or else just pushing anyone seriously considering this area even further into deciding it’s for them. So maybe this place is a good thing for everyone. You get to keep your Chedd’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese, polished bamboo flooring and vaulted ceilings, and I’ll keep my Kirby Lane Cafe and worn out carpet with the questionable stain that my landlord refuses to admit was there when I moved in. Look—everyone’s happy! We can all peacefully coexist in this wonderful city!