Category: Area Attractions

Check Out These Awesome Parks Near Kyle

Post author By bdowdy
Post date May 6, 2021

Beautiful weather has finally arrived and we’re all raring to enjoy the great outdoors. Probably more so this year than any other because of all that’s been going on. Here are Crosswinds in Kyle residents’ favorite parks closest to home.

Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park

In 1880, two acres of City Square Park (101 S. Burleson Rd., Kyle, Texas 78640) made up the town center. Today, it’s a park that includes the grounds around City Hall and the Kyle Train Depot. The City renamed the park Mark Kyle Hartson City Square Park in 2011. The park holds marquee events.

Steeplechase Dog Park

Dog lovers can head to Steeplechase Dog Park (135 Hallie Dr, Kyle, TX 78640) with their fur babies. This park features 31 acres of open space and Plum Creek flowing through it. There, you’ll have access to a covered pavilion, playscapes, trails, baseball and football fields, disc golf, and basketball and sand volleyball courts.

Jacob’s Well Natural Area

For ecological splendor just 30 minutes from Kyle, go to Jacob’s Well Natural Area (1699 Mt. Sharp Rd., Wimberley, Texas 78676). The preserve is filled with more than 81 acres surrounding the spring where you’ll find limestone cliffs and native vegetation thriving. Open year-round for exploring, hikers can explore a variety of trails with things to see at each one.

It’s the home of the second-largest full submerged cave in Texas. The water comes from the Trinity Aquifer that flows its way from the underground cave system. The deepest part of the cave is 140 feet deep. Except for swimming, no reservations are needed to visit JWNA

McKinney Falls State Park

Located fewer than 30 minutes from Kyle, McKinney Falls State Park (5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy., Austin, TX 78744) is an oasis where you’ll find the waters of Onion Creek streaming over limestone ledges. This park contains almost nine miles of trails for a memorable hike or bike ride. It also has a 2.8-mile hard surface trail for those who want to push strollers or go on an easy bike ride.

You can also go fishing and swimming. No license is required to fish from shore in any Texas state park. Fans of camping have a choice of more than 80 campsites with water and electric hookups.

Gregg-Clarke Park

The Gregg and Clarke families ensured the community had a large park for recreation and special events. The result is Gregg-Clarke Park (1231-1301 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640), a multi-use park that includes Kyle Pool, lit softball and baseball fields, tennis courts, a covered pavilion, walking trails, wide-open spaces, and shaded playscapes. It anchors Kyle Pool. Kyle residents can reserve Ash Pavilion for private events.

To stay on top of great resources from Kyle and nearby, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking to move? Contact our Crosswinds team.

Area Attractions Family Fun

Keep It Kyle Pie Series: Ilario’s Italian Cuisine

Post author By bdowdy
Post date April 21, 2021

Welcome to another edition of the Keep It Kyle Pie Series to show you why Kyle is the Pie Capital of Texas. Restaurants and food establishments all around Kyle make incredible pies—both pizzas and desserts.

Next up is Ilario’s Italian Cuisine. You’ll find it in the HEB Plus Center on 5401 FM 1626, Suite 801, Kyle, TX 78640—just 11 minutes from Crosswinds!

About Ilario’s

Ilario is an Italian word that means cheerful, happy, and joyful. The restaurant aims to bring authentic Italian and New York-style pizza to Kyle. They make everything from scratch and use the freshest ingredients because they want your experience to be a joyful one.

Everyone who orders from Ilario’s will be happy. That’s because the Italian restaurant has all the favorites you’d want on the menu.

What’s on the Menu at Ilario’s Italian Cuisine?

Oh, my goodness, y’all! Just look at the photos of the pizzas and pastas. Salad lovers will find a medley of salad options. Popular salads like Caesar, garden, and large wedge are available. A couple catch our eye like Shelby’s Parmigiana Salad named for the owner’s daughter. This contains either Caesar or Garden Salad of your choice topped with golden strips of chicken parmigiana.

The other delicious-sounding salad is Ilario’s Honey Pecan Salad that blends crunchiness and sweetness. It has chopped honey pecans, raisins, and fresh raspberries with balsamic vinaigrette to bring it all together.

A kid’s menu and subs are available with options including meatball, Philly cheesesteak, chicken parmigiana, Italian, and chicken ranch. What’s an Italian restaurant without traditional dishes of lasagna, manicotti, spaghetti, and more? All of them show up on the menu. They also have a “Pasta Your Way” option to build your own or choose from fan favorites.

As for pizza, you can order traditional options or stuffed, like Calzone and Stromboli. Calzones are similar to stuffed pizza in a pocket. Stromboli is a stuffed roll made with hand-tossed pizza dough, Ilario’s proprietary pizza sauce, and a bevy of ingredients.

And dessert? Mama mia! With chocolate molten lava cake, cheesecake, tiramisu, cannoli, and cheesecake, it’ll be challenging to pick. One reviewer recommends the cannoli. Sounds good to us!

More Kyle pies:

To stay on top of great resources from Kyle and nearby, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking to move? Explore the inventory of new homes in Kyle or contact our Crosswinds team.

Area Attractions Events Family Fun

Austin FC to Start Inaugural Season This Month

Post author By bdowdy
Post date April 15, 2021

We enjoyed the exciting March Madness tournament last month. University of Texas women’s basketball had a good run. And Texas’s own Baylor University’s men’s basketball has been crowned National Champions. Congrats to them!

Now that March Madness is over, where can you get your professional sports fix? How about at Austin FC? The team starts its inaugural season and plays its first-ever game this weekend! Unfortunately, it’s an away game.

Their first-ever home game is on Saturday, June 19. The reason for the long way is because the team needs to recruit and train stadium employees.

About Austin FC

You can see Q2 Stadium live online on the Austin FC Stadium cam. Check out the time-lapse videos to view the progress from day one through today. The 20,500-seat stadium is located in North Austin at 10414 McKalla Place off Burnet Road. It’s less than 40 minutes from Crosswinds in Kyle and the closest professional venue.

Visit the team’s website to see the badge that contains the team’s colors of bright verde and black. The signature color represents the vibrancy and creative energy of Austin. The badge features two intertwined live oaks to represent the Club and City working together as one.

The oak’s four roots symbolize north, south, east, and west Austin combing together. Eleven leaves on the branches reflect the 11 players on the field being supported by fans. The city’s name appears atop the oak trees with FC on both sides of the trees to represent the sport.

Inaugural Season

Austin FC has its debut match against Los Angeles FC on April 17. You can catch the match on Fox and Fox Deportes. Any non-nationally televised matches will be regionally broadcast in the Austin area on CW Austin, KXAN, or KBVO.

The MLS team has a 34-game schedule and will compete in the Western Conference that contains 13 clubs. The Eastern Conference has 14 MLS clubs. The season ends on November 7 with the MLS Cup Playoffs start on November 19 and end at the MLS Cup on December 11.

The team will play Texas rivals FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo FC during Heineken Rivalry Week in early August. View the full Austin FC schedule and the Austin FC roster. Looks like 2021 will be a thrilling year for Austin and soccer fans.

Amenities Area Attractions Events Family Fun Lifestyle

Why Is Buying a New Home in Kyle Better Than in Austin?

Post author By bdowdy
Post date March 25, 2021

Austin is one of the coolest and quirkiest cities in the U.S. People love it for its music venues, booming tech scene, diversity of entertainment, some of the best BBQ in the U.S., and Bat City. “Keep Austin weird” is a celebrated moniker and for good reason.

And of course, when you stroll along Sixth Street, you’ll encounter a lot of college students from the University of Texas at Austin and other colleges.

Here are the reasons why buying a new home in Kyle may be a better option than in Austin.

Affordability

In the last decade, Austin has grown massively popular. Along with that comes soaring median housing prices. Many area real estate agents say happy homeowners love the affordable homes and lifestyle in Kyle. You can find a brand new house in the Crosswinds community in Kyle starting in the mid-$200s.

Property taxes are another advantage of living in Kyle. The city has recently reduced the property tax rate by 4 percent as Fox 7 Austin reports.

Quieter Small-Town Lifestyle

With Austin being a quick trek away, Kyle residents relish the small-town lifestyle. They can go to Austin anytime they want to take advantage of its many offerings. Besides, more businesses have moved close to Kyle, some of which are big wigs like Lowe’s Kyle, Amazon’s Kyle facility, Tesla, and ENF Technology U.S. headquarters.

Location

Kyle is located only 20 miles from downtown Austin. Additionally, many of the places you want to visit are located within 30 minutes from Kyle. And you can fly to many places, even international destination, from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA).

Kyle citizens love to visit Austin and find a happy medium by living on the outskirts of Austin. They’re close enough to take advantage of Austin’s incredible resources and entertainment.

These are not the only reasons, but they’re the biggest reasons Kyle residents share. Browse this blog and you’ll see all that Kyle has to offer! Besides, you cannot find a community like Crosswinds in Austin.

The landscape architects of Crosswinds worked to preserve the natural beauty of the Texas prairies that captivated the area’s first explorers. At the same time, the landscape architects wanted to design a community for families that brings everyone and the outdoors together.

To stay on top of great resources from Kyle, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking to move? Explore the inventory of new homes in Kyle or contact our Crosswinds team.

Area Attractions Family Fun

Keep It Kyle Pie Series: Fox’s Pizza Den

Post author By bdowdy
Post date March 18, 2021

As y’all may know, Kyle is the Pie Capital of Texas. OK, if you didn’t know, you do now! Granted, the first kind of pie that comes to mind is the sweet version. Kyle specializes in pie of all kinds including many people’s favorite: pizza.

This town has an incredible medley of pizza. And one of those is Fox’s Pizza Den in Kyle, just 12 short minutes from Crosswinds, on 147 Elmhurst Dr., Kyle, TX 78640.

Welcome to the Den

Fox’s Pizza Den’s story begins with $500, a rented storeroom, and used equipment covered in snow and ice rescued from the scrapyard in Pittsburgh. Founder Jim Fox could finally make his lifelong dream of opening a pizza place come true. The first location appeared in his hometown of Pitcairn, Pennsylvania. From the first pizza sold, it only took six hours to completely sell out.

Fox opened a few more locations around Pennsylvania and incorporated Fox’s Pizza Den in 1974. Now the chain has more than 200 franchises in 25 states. Texas has only two locations and Kyle is the lucky recipient of one of them. Fox’s has been voted best pizza franchise of 1993 by the National Pasta and Pizza Association. It has received PMQ and Pizza Industry Enterprise (PIE) awards.

What’s on the Menu at Fox’s Pizza Den?

Fox’s pizzas come in multiple sizes ranging from the small 9-inch pizza to the Big One that’s 30 inches and contains a whopping 52 slices. Too much? Perhaps, the Big Daddy with 21 slices will do. Too hip for round pizza? Square is available in the Champ, which is 16 inches by 16 inches and contains 16 slices.

Their gourmet pizzas range from buffalo chicken and bacon double cheeseburger to steak rancher and veggie. Want something other than a slice? Stromboli, hoagies, and wedgies are available. Salad fans have a variety of options from tossed to taco salad. Sides include breadsticks, chicken tenders, chicken wings called Fox’s Wing Ditties, and wedge-cut fries.

If you save room for pie, they have round pizza cookies cut like a pie. Flavors include s’mores, brownie with chocolate chips, and the original. And for the non-pie kind of dessert, order cinnamon sticks.

As usual, this is making us hangry. We’re going to make like a fox to head to Fox’s!

More Kyle pies:

Area Attractions Family Fun

Kyle Spring Break Destination: Wimberley Zipline Adventures

Post author By bdowdy
Post date March 10, 2021

You may be one of many who will opt out on traveling for Spring Break. Still, you may like to do something out of the house. Fortunately, Kyle residents have a great option that’s safe and takes you to the great outdoors. This might be the perfect time to venture out to Wimberley Zipline Adventures. They’re open, they’re outdoors, and they’re fun!

What’s Wimberley Zipline Adventures?

First, if you’ve never gone ziplining, prepare to have an amazing time. You do not need experience to enjoy ziplining. Their highly trained guides will set you up with the proper fitting equipment and take you through “flight school.” You will learn how to work with the equipment and practice.

Wimberley Zipline Adventures has one huge advantage over other ziplines. The Texas Hill Country views. This is your chance to soar in the air like a bird while admiring the surrounding hills, meadows, and canyons. The course contains 10 different ziplines ranging from 150 feet to 900 feet long. The ziplines run between two hillsides above the valley with a maximum height of 100 feet.

The adventure runs for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and requires reservations. You’ll find Wimberley between San Antonio and Austin. For Kyle residents, it only takes 30 minutes West to get to Wimberley. All of the action takes place on the Four Winns’ Ranch where the Winn family has lived since 1937. You can access the ranch off County Road 1492, south of the Village of Wimberley.

Are There Any Other Activities at Wimberley Zipline Adventures?

They’ve opened a Biergarten where you can take in the scenery while treating yourself to beers, ciders, spritzers, and sodas. What a perfect way to end the adventure. Before you schedule your adventure, check out the Wimberley Zipline Adventure FAQ. They answer every possible question including what to wear, what to bring, and more.

They’ll be adding ax throwing soon. Stay on top of the latest news on the Wimbelery Zipline Facebook page. We’re so ready to Cowabunga down the line!

Wimberley Zipline Adventures
376 Winn Valley Dr., Wimberley, TX 78676
(512) 847-9990
Office Hours: Everyday 10 am-5 pm
Tours daily. Reservations required.

Area Attractions

Keep It Kyle Pie Series: MOD Pizza

Post author By bdowdy
Post date February 25, 2021

There’s a reason why Kyle is the Pie Capital of Texas. OK, maybe the pie most people think of is more the sweet kind like apple pie and pumpkin pie. Or perhaps, savory pies like chicken pot pie and Frito pie. Kyle’s version of pies refers to all of these and the pizza version.

This town has an amazing selection of pizza pies including MOD Pizza in Kyle Crossing on 151 Evans Dr., Suite 105, Kyle, TX 78640.

It’s a MOD, MOD, MOD World: The Story

The business says it’s the original superfast pizza experience. Fast does not sacrifice taste or quality. They say this fast-casual concept puts you in the driver’s seat with its artisan-style pizzas and salads that are individually-sized and made on-demand. You have a choice of more than 30 toppings. And the price stays the same no matter which you pick.

The company loves to spread MODness, a platform for doing good. What this means is they take care of their employees, their employees take care of you, and the business will thrive. Husband and wife Scott and Ally Svenson founded MOD in 2008 in Seattle. Yes, there were plenty of pizza options. But they explored the possibility of giving customers what they wanted, fresh and on-demand, and for as little as possible.

At the same time, they wanted to pay their employees aka the MOD squad as much as possible and provide them with a real chance for growth. And it’s working. They also aim to use ingredients that are mindful of animal ethics and environmental impact. Simply put, if they wouldn’t serve it to their kids, they’re not going to serve it to you. Now they have locations all over the U.S. and right here in Kyle, Texas.

What’s on the MOD Menu?

MOD’s pizzas are 11-inches and their menu lists their most popular 10 combinations. You can go with those or choose your toppings. Since you don’t have to share it, there’s no arguing over the toppings. They offer all the sauces including BBQ, pesto, red, white, and EVOO.

Even their cheeses aren’t the typical suspects like mozzarella, though they offer that. You can order dairy-free cheese or go with asiago or gorgonzola. Crust options include original, gluten-free, and cauliflower. If you’d like to know where they source their ingredients from, the website goes into detail on that. They have a 6-inch pizza item for those with smaller appetites.

Aside from salads, other options include cheesy garlic bread and no name cake. This is a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream covered with a chocolate glaze.

This series is a dangerous one to cover. It leaves us starving after we finish writing it. Off to Mod Pizza we go!

More Kyle pies and food:

Area Attractions

Vámonos Poco Loco Supermercado in Kyle

Post author By bdowdy
Post date February 18, 2021

Residents in the Crosswinds community in Kyle have an awesome neighborhood market nearby on Windy Hill Rd. called Poco Loco. Local customers love the store and it’s a foodie’s paradise.

It’s a wonderful place to grab a breakfast taco or pick up some lunch. Or perhaps, you want to treat yourself and try their amazing pan dulce.

One reviewer says it’s the closest thing to authentic Mexican food in Texas and their personal favorite is the creamy jalapeño salsa. Another customer recommends trying the caldo when it’s available. They also make fresh hot corn and flour tortillas in-house.

You’ll find plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit from which to choose. Many residents shop there regularly for their meat products including steaks and pork chops. They also have a selection of gourmet products made right in Texas. And yes, you can buy beer, wine, and even frozen wine there.

If you’re lucky, you’ll see a sweet Hispanic woman outside the store selling freshly-made churros. Head on over to Poco Loco in Windy Hill as soon as you can. You’ll be glad you did. Word on the street is that they have competitive prices.

You know what? We’re getting famished writing about Poco Loco. ¡Vámonos! Let’s go now! It’s located at 1095 Windy Hill Rd., Kyle, Texas 78640.

Other Kyle places to explore:

Area Attractions Lifestyle

Kyle, Texas Real Estate Market Heats up in 2021

Post author By bdowdy
Post date February 11, 2021

The Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) has released its Central Texas Housing Market Report. It provides an overview of the housing market data in the region for the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This area includes Austin, and the counties of Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson. Kyle is in Hays county and part of the hot San Marcos-Buda-Kyle market.

The latest edition from December 2020 indicates Austin-Round Rock MSA has closed 2020 with a record-breaking $17 billion housing market. Housing demand has soared to an all-time high in Central Texas. In December, residential home sales rocketed more than 16 percent year-over-year.

Why Central Texas Real Estate Is Heating up

According to Susan Horton, 2021 ABoR president, it’s an unprecedented time for the housing market. It turns out the pandemic increased demand for all housing in the region that inventory is near-zero. “That said, if you are ready to buy a home, now is the time to take advantage of low interest rates that boost your buying power and plant roots in Central Texas,” Horton says.

What could be driving the demand for housing in Austin-Round Rock MSA? Former Chief Economist for the Texas Real Estate Research Center Dr. James Gaines believes the demand is a combination of economic growth and higher consumer buying power. It’s also driven by population growth, employment gains, lifestyle changes, and low-interest rates.

“The pandemic fostered an environment where many families increased personal savings helping some transition from renting to ownership while others needed to ‘move up’ for more space while working from home,” Gaines says.

What Hays County Data Reveals

At close to 24 percent, the San Marcos-Buda-Kyle market is showing a stronger year-over-year growth than the average for all of Austin-Round Rock MSA. Why is it hot? Many new businesses are moving into new commercial developments that have sprung up in Kyle. The city is more affordable than Austin and still within an easy drive. Those that are flocking south of Austin tend to be of a younger demographic seeking affordability without sacrificing lifestyle and activities nearby. Numerous new eateries, local shopping and wineries have popped-up in the Kyle and Buda area—making it the next place to be.

The average day on the market for a home in Hays County is 40 days. The number of active listings has dropped but the number of new listings has gone up a little bit. If you’re shopping for a home in Kyle, Texas, be sure to visit the community’s website often for new listings.

To stay on top of great resources from Kyle, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Looking to move? Explore the inventory of new homes in Kyle or contact our Crosswinds team

Area Attractions

Oracle Moves to Austin

Post author By bdowdy
Post date February 4, 2021

Considering all the corporations that have moved or are moving to the Austin area, it’s a strong indicator that it’s the place to be. The big one is Tesla, which is building a Gigafactory on a 2,100-acre site. ENF Technology is investing $45 million in its U.S. headquarters, which is right here in Kyle. Lowe’s Company Inc., a home improvement retailer, plans to add a distribution center in Kyle Crossing Business Park.

And now California-based Oracle is jumping on the Austin bandwagon. It’s departing Silicon Valley for the Texas Hill Country.

What draws these companies to Austin? It’s quickly becoming a tech hub and housing is far more affordable than it is in California and other places. And best of all, Texas has no state income tax.

Creating a Flexible Workplace

Oracle is a cloud and software services provider that employs 135,000 people all over the world. What’s interesting is the company has a flexible work policy for employees. This means they can choose their office location, continue remote working, or do a hybrid. “By implementing a more modern approach to work, we expect to further improve our employees’ quality of life and quality of output,” the company said.

This isn’t the company’s first foray into Austin. In 2018, it opened a campus with an on-site apartment building for employees. Located at 2300 Oracle Way, the purpose of the campus was to recruit a younger and more affordable workforce. The campus can support up to 10,000 employees. It’s unknown how many jobs the move to Austin will bring.

The company plans to maintain a presence in Redwood City, Santa Monica, Seattle, Denver, Orland, and others.

Oracle’s History

Engineers Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded the company in Santa Clara in 1977. Initially called Software Development Laboratories, their first office was only 900-square-feet. In 1982, the company changed its name to Oracle Corporation. In fewer than 10 years after its founding, the company joined the NASDAQ exchange as the company went public under ORCL.

By 1989, the company outgrew its headquarters and headed to Redwood City, California. In 2010, the company acquired Sun Microsystems, the creators of Java. This move has allowed the company to bridge hardware and software. We look forward to seeing what they achieve in Austin.

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