The City of Manor, Texas (selling investment properties)
No commentsBy Ki Gray
Manor is the name of a small city east of Austin, and this small community has many noteworthy attractions. The city was settled in 1872 when it was named after its first postmaster, James Manor. Manor currently has an approximate population of 5,500, a figure which was derived from the number of utility service connections, and the city is twelve miles northeast of downtown Austin.
Manor has an area of 1.1 square miles, and in the 2000 census, there were 405 households reported, including around 289 families. 365 of the households in Manor reported children under the age of 18 living in the home, and 47% of the households included married couples. The median age of the population is 32 years, which is about average for the state of Texas. The racial makeup of Manor is quite diverse: 53% of the inhabitants report being White, while 16% claims African-American ancestry. 25% of the inhabitants report other racial backgrounds, and 48% report some Hispanic or Latino ancestry, and many of the residents are a combination of the above.
The median income for households and families is between $37,000 and $42,000, and the population has a slightly higher percentage of women than men. School students in Manor attend Manor Independent School district schools, including Red Rock Elementary, and since 30% of the population is under 18 years old, there are many students in the Manor area. The average family size in Manor is 3.54 people, with 9% of families reporting a relative over the age of 65 living in the household.
There have been numerous films and other theatrical productions filmed in the area, some as a result of the small Texas town atmosphere, such as the T.V. show “Friday Night Lights”, which was partially filmed in the Manor Mustangs football field, as well as the movie” What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”, which was also filmed in Manor. Due to the reasonably flat terrain and frequent tornado-prone weather conditions, parts of the movie “Twister” were filmed here as well.
Manor is a rapidly growing community, and is located on Highway 290 West fairly close to the intersection with I.H. 35. The recently built Highway 130 interchange with Highway 290 has made the city even more accessible, since State Highway 130 now traverses from I.H. 35 all the way to Highway 71 East, and is part of the new Central Texas Turnpike System, which will soon be expanded and connect even more of central Texas.
The median home value in the Manor real estate market is about $73,000 which is much less than the $200,000+ homes found in the nearby Austin real estate market. Manor is known for quiet living and a rural atmosphere, but since Manor is also strategically located near the U.S. 183 corridor, the community is very convenient for those who work in the high-tech computer industry which is centered north of Austin. In fact, the Chamber of Commerce in Manor proudly presented the Manor Chip Festival in 2007 to celebrate the computer and high tech industry as well as old-fashioned fun. The festival was held at the new High Tech High School in Manor in 2008, and proclaimed its motto to be “Let the chips fly”, and featured family-oriented games and contests, some utilizing chips in the races and games.
Some popular eateries in Manor include Ramos Restaurante, a Mexican food place, and Papa Geno’s Family Pizzeria, a pizza joint. There is a lovely park in the Manor area called East Metropolitan Park, which is located near U.S. 290 and the intersection with F.M. 973, and the park includes various ball fields, an 18-hole disc golf course, playscapes, ponds, concession stands, restrooms, and hiking trails. Admittance to the park is free and it is open on a daily basis, although there are nominal fees for the use of the swimming pool and certain ball fields. The park is in the process of expanding, and will eventually include even more amenities, but it currently provides all kinds of recreational opportunities for the residents of Manor and visitors alike.
Manor is an ideal place to raise a family, and is affordable, with close proximity to all areas of Travis County, especially the northeast portion of the city. Its accessibility to other metropolitan areas such as Houston and other east Texas locations is also a plus, since it is situated on Highway 290 East, yet Manor offers a small town flavor and many advantages of rural life. Manor is a worth considering if one is relocating to central Texas, and a great place to visit as well!
Ki is a realtor that helps people looking for homes and condos in the Austin real estate market. His site has a search for Austin homes along with information on Manor Texas real estate.
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The Historic Moonlight Towers in Austin
By Ki Gray
Most visitors to Austin notice the unusual streetlights strategically located throughout the city known as the moonlight towers, but most are not aware of the history of the towers. Probably the most well known of the moonlight towers is the one in Zilker Park which is used every year to represent a huge Christmas tree, when it is encircled with multi-colored lights and can be seen from miles away.
There are actually 17 moonlight towers in and around Austin, including the Zilker tower, and these lights have been in use since the late 1800s, when Austin purchased the lights from the city of Detroit. In 1894, 31 used mercury vapor lamps were installed throughout Austin, and at the time, these types of lights were used in many cities across the country, but Austin is the only city still using them today.
The lamps, which are perched atop wrought iron posts, give off a distinctive pinkish-yellow light, and the lamps illuminate a 3000 foot circle of ground. Even thought the lights appear to be one large lamp, they are actually made up of 6 carbon arc lamps, and the lamp poles are actually 165 feet triangular posts made of cast and wrought iron.
The 100 year anniversary of the moonlight towers was celebrated in Zilker Park in 1995, and some of those who attended the anniversary event still have the custom made shirts which were available for purchase at the event, with an original artist’s rendition of the lamps on the front and back of the shirts, including the date of the commemoration of the lights. These shirts are considered collector’s items now, and the lamps themselves are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Most of the moonlight towers are situated in or around the older residential neighborhoods which encircle the downtown area, such as Clarksville, Speedway, Bouldin Creek, and the Zilker Park neighborhoods, but some are actually located in the downtown area itself, such as the one that is located at Guadalupe Street and West 9th. During the time of the 100 year anniversary of the lights, all of them were taken down and restored one at a time and then replaced in their original location, and even though there were originally 31 lamps, there are now only 17 in operation.
Each moonlight tower is held up by a fifteen foot pedestal which is encircled with guy wires and a network of cables, and the lights are changed and maintained by the use of a ladder which is affixed to the towers. Each tower has a commemorative plaque as well, with a brief history of the lights engraved on the plaque. The lights have been in continuous operation for over 100 years, and during that time, the lights have only been turned off twice.
The first time they were turned off was in 1905 when the lights were unlit for week during a dispute between the members of the city council and the Water and Light Commission. The second time they were turned off was in 1973, when the national energy crisis required the city to turn them off to conserve energy.
The moonlight towers are another example of the uniqueness of Austin, as well as Austin’s intention of preserving our heritage and honoring its historical significance. Many people travel to Austin to see the annual lighting of the Zilker Tree, which includes a yearly celebration of the Zilker Moonlight Tower, so be sure to visit Zilker during the holidays and check out the beautiful, tall, lighted tower, which is lit to resemble a tree, or drive through the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods and take a look for yourself at these legendary lights!
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Escapeso Realty helps buyers and sellers in Austin Texas. Their site is filled with stats on the Austin Texas real estate market. Additionally their site has a free mortgage calculator and a search for Austin homes.
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 9:00 pm and is filed under realestate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
