Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Blog Your Host: Edward Lui

…we’re also not too shabby for kids.

Texas Monthly magazine recently ranked the Creative Playscape in Georgetown’s San Gabriel Park as the best in state.  I asked my wife what she thought about it and, although she likes it, she mentioned that it was actually a little too big for our little kids and she would have a hard time keeping track of them.  Maybe a great place for the older kids…or mom’s who are a little more care-free.  Anyway, the Austin American Statesman wrote an article on it and I’ve included it below for your convenience:

Georgetown playscape ranked best in state
Texas Monthly magazine praises San Gabriel Park playscape.
By Bob Banta
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, July 17, 2008

GEORGETOWN — When Raoul Perez drove into Georgetown on an errand last week from his home in Marble Falls, he ran into an unexpected delay.

“My daughter, Adrianna, looked out of the car window and saw the playscape here and just had to stop and play on it,” Perez said as he pushed his 1-year-old son, Julian, on a swing while Adrianna, 7, explored the playscape’s maze of tunnels and towers.

Adrianna’s attraction to the 15-year-old Creative Playscape in Georgetown’s San Gabriel park is not unusual. Designed by architect Robert Leathers of Ithaca, N.Y., the facility was named favorite playground for children in the April issue of Texas Monthly magazine.

“With all the places to run and hide, no game of tag will ever be the same after your kids have played here,” said the article, compiled by a team of writers.

“I’ve seen buses of school kids from as far away as Salado,” said Kimberly Garrett, director of Georgetown’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We draw people from a 30-mile radius.”

The structure, built by volunteers in 1993 and funded with $140,000 in donations, consists of walkways, tunnels and elevated wooden bridges that are stained dark brown. Pagodas loom over the assembly of swings, firefighter poles and bouncing rope bridges.

The heavy plank walls of the tunnel and corridor system are decorated with carvings of ancient buildings and log cabins, and colored tiles painted by children line square posts at the entrance to the playscape. Shade from an oak tree gives it a shadowy, brooding, Harry Potter-like atmosphere.

It’s spooky enough to satisfy older kids but not scary enough to frighten toddlers.

“They love playing hide-and-seek and running through all the different structures,” said A.J. Green, who drove from Jarrell to let his two grandsons, ages 10 and 5, run off some energy. “We come here almost once a week.”

Longtime Georgetown resident Tom Swift, a staff secretary in the health and counseling services office of Southwestern University, managed the citizens committee that raised money and helped build the playscape. “Our priorities in building it were safety, engagement and beauty. We also wanted it to be accessible to everyone,” he said.

Swift said he knew they had been successful when the mother of a boy with cerebral palsy told him shortly after the playscape opened that the high-backed swings allowed her son to enjoy the playground with other kids for the first time in the boy’s life.

“What had been a field of weeds literally turned into a field of dreams,” Swift said.

The kids and parents who play there agree.

“I like everything about the playscape,” said Joshua Peyton Mohle, 6, who visits it regularly.

His mother, Inger Peyton, said the playscape gives parents a chance “to just chill out and play with your kids.”

Bradley Green, 10, enjoys the open-air feeling.

“I like the tire swing,” he said. “And I like just being able to run and climb and have fun outside.”

The good folks at Independence Title in Georgetown, Texas put together a list of 4th of July Firework Celebrations around the Texas Hill Country. You can make a fun day trip to Lakeway, Dripping Springs, or just hang out with me at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas! Here are the “hotspots” this year:

The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks

Friday, July 4, 2008 - 8:30 pm
Auditorium Shores at The Long Center www.austinsymphony.org/season/july
The Austin Symphony will be under the apt baton of ASO Music Director Peter Bay. The H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert and Fireworks will feature patriotic music and the ever-popular 1812 Overture–the latter punctuated by 75-millimeter Howitzer cannons, courtesy of Texas National Guard Salute Battery, and spectacular fireworks over Lady Bird Lake

Cedar Park Fourth of July Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008 - 4:00 pm
Milburn Park, Cedar Park, TX http://www.cedarparktx.us/cp/pr_events_fourth.aspx
Come celebrate with us and enjoy live music, food concessions, air castles, prizes, video games & lazer tag adventures, a washer tournament, games for all ages, and enjoy free watermelon sponsored by H-E-B. The fabulous day of celebreation will end with a magnificent fireworks display sponsored by H-E-B.

Fire in the Sky Friday, July 4, 2008 - 6:00 pm
The Sports Park an RR12 South, Dripping Springs, TX www.drippingspringstx.org
Includes spectacular fireworks display, food booths and live music. DS Sports and Recreation Park.

Sertoma 4th of July in the Park Friday, July 4, 2008 - 11:00 am
San Gabriel Park, Georgetown, TX www.visitgeorgetown.com
With more than 80 booths, a petting zoo, parade, live entertainment, train rides, fireworks and more (all located on the beautiful San Gabriel River) there’s only one place you should be this 4th of July.

Lago Vista Celebrates the 4th Friday, July 4, 2008 - 6:30 am
Bar K Park, Lago Vista, TX www.lagovistajuly4.org
It is a time to remember those who have served to protect us all, to celebrate our freedom, and to enjoy each other’s company. It starts off with the Firecracker 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run. This is an opportunity to give your children the same type of memories you had of parades, barbecues, music, and paddling around in the local swimming hole.

Lakeway 4th of July Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008 - 8:30 am
City Park, Lakeway, TX www.lakeway.org
Fourth of July all day event starting with a fanciful sponsored parade/floats that make their way down Lakeway Drive. Locals then head to the park for a picnic, games for kids, music and the announcement of the float award winners. The rest of the afternoon is usually filled with games, food, drinks and many more surprises. The day is rounded out with fireworks set to music at night.

Leander LibertyFest Friday, July 4, 2008 - 5:00 pm
Crystal Falls Golf Course, 3400 Crystal Falls Pkwy www.leandertx.org
Join the residents of Leander celebrate our nation’s birthday at Leander LibertyFest.

July 4th Frontier Days Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008 - 10:00 am
Old Settler’s Park, Round Rock, TX www.roundrocktexas.gov
A freedom walk, parade, jalapeno pepper contest, children’s games, Ballet Folklorico dancers, Sam Bass Shootout and fireworks are all part of the City of Round Rock’s July 4 Frontier Days Celebration 2008.

27th annual San Marcos Summerfest Friday, July 4, 2008 - 11:00 am
San Marcos Plaza Park, 202 N. CM Allen Pkwy www.summerfestsanmarcos.com
The City of San Marcos is hosting the most exciting community independence celebration at a new location this year. This FREE event will feature live entertainment, food booths, children’s activities, a patriotic program and a fireworks exhibition.

New Braunfels Annual 4th of July Parade and Patriotic Celebration Friday, July 4, 2008
Landa Park, New Braunfels www.nbtexas.org
A wonderful family tradition for many years in New Braunfels. Bring a picnic and enjoy the park, along with a special free concert and a spectacular fireworks display!

Taylor Jaycee’s 4th of July Firework Display and Fajita Cook Off Friday, July 4, 2008 - 10:00 am
Murphy Park on Lake Drive, Taylor, TX www.taylorjaycees.org
Festival includes Carnival, Fajita Cook Off, Bicycle Parade, tennis tournament, and fireworks at dark.

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Looks like they’re bringing it back by popular demand: Free movies every Tuesday morning!

What parent wouldn’t like another free activity to take their kids to in the summer?  I know we’ll be going to some of these movies and taking the kids.  Doors open at 9AM and movies start at 9:30AM.  Better stand in line, I have a feeling there will be a good showing.  Here is the linup:

June 17 - Ice Age: Licensed to Chill

June 24 - Garfield

July 1 - Alvin and the Chipmunks

July 8 - Happy Feet

July 15 - Open Season

July 22 - Surf’s Up

July 29 - Shrek

August 4 - Horton Hears a Who

I will make sure I’m at Happy Feet and Horton Hears a Who…two thumbs up in my book:)

City Lights Theatres is located at the Rivery Shopping Center right off I35 in NW Georgetown, Texas.  Take the Williams Drive/Sun City/Lake Georgetown exit and then get on the southbound access road…you’ll see signs on the right hand side.

Finally. A restaurant I can brag about. That only takes me 10 minutes to drive to. That I can bring my kids to. That doesn’t break the bank. What more can a father want?

On Friday, Autumn, myself and our good friends, David and Melissa, went on a double date to check this place out. PLAKA GREEK CAFE is the newest restaurant in Georgetown, Texas so we just had to find out how good the food really was. The first thing you’ll notice as you pull in to the restaurant is that there is plenty of parking. If every table in that restaurant was full, I bet that parking lot would still have space. That’s not something you see everyday!

David, Melissa and Autumn ordered the Gyro Wrap Combo, which is sliced lamb and beef in a pita with some veggies and tzatiki sauce. It came with a choice of soup or feta salad and we all chose the salad. I wanted to try something different since I could mooch off of Autumn’s gyro, so I got the Mousaka. The menu describes the mousaka plate as “Layers of eggplant, potato, and ground beef, topped with a béchamel sauce. Served with Avgolemono soup, spanakopita, and tiropita and topped with tzatiki sauce.” Uh, ok. Sounds Greek to me. (pun intended). I substituted the soup for a feta salad and they were cool with that.

Everything tasted very fresh…they were a little skimpy on the tzatiki sauce, but when I asked for a little extra they gave me about half a bowl full. Nice. The only downside is that they had to microwave my mousaka prior to serving it to me since all the food is prepared beforehand and is laid out cafeteria-style. Think Luby’s. What I like about Luby’s though is that they use heat lamps and broilers and all that fancy stuff to keep the food warm and the crispy stuff, “crispy.” I think if my mousaka was already kept hot and they served it like that it would have been a better presentation then “nuking” it in the microwave right in front of me for about a minute.

Besides that, it was all very yummy. We topped the meal off with some good ‘ole fashioned Baklava. We also brought our youngest, Sabrina, with us and she enjoyed the atmosphere too. Afterwards, we all went to City Lights Theatres to see the movie, Iron Man, and liked it very much…it put Sabrina to sleep though, but her ticket was free.

Plaka Greek Cafe is located in Georgetown, Texas at the intersection of I35 and Williams Drive. You can’t miss it. Stay in the far right lane because it comes up quick! Oh yeah, our bill for Autumn and I came to just about $20. Check it out and share your experience with everyone in the comments section below. It’s always beneficial to me when I get recommendations on what to order.

Contrary to popular belief, not all missions trips involve traveling to Africa…

One nice thing about living in Georgetown, Texas is that you can drive just 4 hours away and be in a different culture, outside of your comfort zone, and interact with people who you normally wouldn’t even say “Hi” to. Recently, my church in Georgetown, Texas (Hill Country Bible Church) planned a trip to Piedras Negras, Mexico to lend a hand to an orphanage there called Casa Bethesda.

What is Casa Bethesda?

In the Bible - John 5, there is mention of a Pool of Bethesda which means “house of mercy.” It was here where many people with sicknesses would come in hopes of being healed. Jesus healed a man who was lame for 38 years at this very location! For the past several years, Pastor Paulino and his wife, Betty, have been doing a similar task by accepting orphans into their church and home with the hopes of bringing them healing. Many of these children have physical impairments and are wheelchair bound or have been diagnosed with lifetime disorders like Downs Syndrome and Autism. This man, Pastor Paulino, obeyed God’s call to accept these children and care for them and we have partnered with him to help. (By the way, there are two men in the picture to the right. In case you haven’t guessed it, Pastor Paulino is the man on the left. The one on the right, John Mize, is as American as they come, complete with baseball cap and jean shorts.)

So here’s the latest development: We have recruited two physical therapists to help these children for the next 2 years on a rotational basis. They will reside in an on-site apartment, that has been built by generously donated funds and volunteer work. Our mission for this trip is to paint it and furnish it with donated items.

My purpose in sharing all of this was to tell you what an awesome time I had bringing my family down with me to Mexico. I just realized that two-thirds of what I have written above is only the background behind these trips! Here’s what it comes down to though: My wife and three children (Joshua, Chloe and Sabrina) stayed back at the living quarters and helped prep the meals for everyone while I did some of the physical labor (like painting and moving stuff). As a young daddy, I really want to raise my children in an environment that promotes service and not selfishness, I want to teach them what it means to sacrifice your time, your money and your skills to help others who don’t have nearly as much. I think these trips help drive the point home more than any lecture can…and I trust that God will slowly instill these principles and truths in their lives.

I put together a short video on the trip that shows what we did. Enjoy…and let me know if God moves in your heart to go on the next trip in July!

See Video of the trip:

I finally did it! One mile, or 32 laps, in 45 minutes! Now I can justify eating some extra pie on Thanksgiving!:)

On Tuesday I set out for 24 Hour Fitness determined to swim 25 laps. Last week I was physically ready, but I had that darn headache develop around the 20th lap again….bad breathing technique maybe? I asked my friend Wayne to pray for me and he prayed my body would “oxygenate” correctly. I didn’t know that was a word, but to God’s credit, I didn’t get a headache! After 25 laps, I felt good so I decided to just swim 7 more so I could reach my goal before the new years.

I guess now I need to come up with a new goal for 2008. Any suggestions?

Until then, give me some more of that Monument Cafe pecan pie baby!

You’ve got to check out Chantal’s on the Georgetown Square! I went to this restaurant about a month ago and had this delicious roast beef sandwich au jus. I think that’s a fancy way to say you have permission to dip it in the French Onion Soup without looking like a caveman. Sorry Geico Cavemen, that wasn’t a slam.

All of the meat was so tender and mouth-watering good, especially since you get to dip it in the soup. Did I mention that you can dip it in soup like dipping Oreo cookies in milk? I had lots of fun dipping that sandwich of mine. My goal was to drink the soup by dipping it and not have to use my spoon. My friend didn’t know I was having so much fun…all he got was a salad. Not your typical looking salad, it looked like they forgot to cut off the romaine lettuce and just stuck the whole thing on his plate! He dipped his salad in dressing, but not nearly as cool as “au jus.”
I think the bill was $35 for two. If you want a low-risk way to check out their food without spending a ton on dinner, make it a lunch date.

The atmosphere is great too, set in an old historic home off the square. I’m taking my wife, Autumn, there for lunch tomorrow. I think it’s the best food in Georgetown…great for a date! Tomorrow will be the confirmation. Yum Yum, here I come!

keywords: best restaurant in georgetown, texas, great food in georgetown, texas, city of georgetown, texas

There are a ton of Tex-Mex choices in Georgetown, Texas…ask some professional eaters, and most would agree that Dos Salsas is the Georgetown favorite. However, Mexican food rates a little low for me…just slightly above Indian food. So after about 5 years of living in Georgetown, I decided to try the “local favorite” and took out some clients to eat there this past Sunday.

I couldn’t figure out what was so great about it…I tried the chimichangas and they tasted pretty much the same as any other Mexican Restaurant I’ve been to. The meal was hot, it was real cheesy and everything (lettuce, guacamole) seemed very fresh. Was it good for Mexican food…yes. Did it seem very different than other Mexican restaurants…no.

They also have an outdoor sitting area which was nice and it is very conveniently located in downtown Georgetown…but parking is difficult as that place seems to be always packed. Give this place a try and tell me what you think! Am I missing something here?

keywords: city of georgetown, texas, mexican food in georgetown, texas

20 laps in 30 minutes! I did it!
I went back to 24 hour fitness after a long break. I blame the vacation. I did 13 laps…and then I had this massive headache. The final 7 hurt. Maybe I over-did my workout. Any advice out there besides taking Advil?
Rumor has it that Georgetown, Texas might be the next recipient of a 24 hour fitness. That will cut my commute time in half! Please let it be! In the meanwhile, the Georgetown Rec Center is going through a major overhaul to include an indoor and outdoor pool among other things. Final renovations will be complete by end of next year.

~Edward

Well, after being in the Army for about 5 years, my legs just about had it for running. I ran the Prague International Marathon and can feel good about never running again…unless it’s running after my 1 1/2 year old, Chloe.

So what’s the new sport? Well three actually.

The first thing I did to replace running was to start biking. I got myself a nice Gary Fisher Tassajara and every now and then I go with my friend David. However, lately it’s been very hot and the San Gabriel River is flowing over the usual trail that leads to San Gabriel Park.  Georgetown, Texas has been getting lots of rain lately!
This year, I decided to add two new sports: GOLFING and SWIMMING

I really stink at swimming. I decided to take some lessons at 24 Hour Fitness in Round Rock and after 5 lessons, I see dramatic improvement: From 10 laps in 1 hour to my new record today: 17 laps in 30 minutes

Woohoo! My goal is 20 laps in 30 minutes without touching the floor of the swimming pool. I’ll keep you posted…but I think I found my new sport!

As for golfing, I’ll save that experience for another post.

~ Edward