Community Spotlight: Villa Muse in Austin Crafty Mix of Arts and Housing

By Maria Scinto and DeeinAustin™

Don't know if you guys have heard about the Villa Muse development (Dee had an earlier post about it), but it sounds pretty amazing to me. Villa Muse is a new mixed-use development going up just east of Austin. It may be some standards of new urbanism as well.

What makes this Villa Muse community different? The entire community is centered around The Arts.

Like most mixed-use developments, Villa Muse will include housing (mostly condos) for about 8,500 people  and will have an assortment of retail shops and restaurants with centerpiece being the Villa Muse Studios.

The studios will have state-of-the-art facilities for filmmakers, musicians, and game developers. Other perks include a 50,000-square-foot sound stage (largest one in North America) and an outdoor amphitheater that can seat 70,000 people.

MORE DETAILS ON VILLA MUSE AUSTIN

Not only is this going to put the Austin creative scene on the map in a BIG way, but you could actually live right where it's all going on! Seems like it would be perfect for those who would not miss the 6th Street scene.

Villa Muse is an alternative to the Domain in North Austin or Mueller. Both lifestyle communities featuring housing, recreation, restaurants, and retail, but no recording studio.The downside is that these developments are not fully ready for occupancy. Villa Muse has a target date of 2009 for the first units to be available, with completion in 2012.

The Domain plans to open its first residential buildings next year while Mueller Austin promises that most residences will be available "soon" (early 2008).

Read our previous story announcing Villa Muse.