Creative Space

Innovative childcare and coworking space coming to South Austin

The Hive childcare coworking South Austin

This innovative childcare/coworking space will open in fall 2017.

Courtesy rendering

KVUE — A working mom in Austin is creating a business you can’t find anywhere else in the city. It’s called The Hive, a place for coworking and daycare all under one roof. It’s also a place you can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine while your kids are safely playing in the next room.

The idea came to Shelly Weiser while she was working as a graphic designer and taking care of her two young kids at home. She needed the time to work and do conference calls but didn’t want to put her kids in full-time daycare. So she came up with the idea of The Hive.

"Basically a hub for parents to meet all of their needs in one,” Weiser explains.

In the soon-to-be-renovated home on Old Manchaca in South Austin, you will find a large room with couches and desks to work or socialize. A food truck outside will serve snacks, coffee, and wine.

In the 400-square-foot converted garage there will be air-conditioning and a one-way mirror for parents to watch their children play with qualified childcare providers.

The Hive can hold up to 20 children at a time, Weiser says, and you do not have to sign up in advance as long as there is space.

You must stay onsite, and, like a gym, you must take your own child to the restroom. However, you can leave them in the room to play for several hours while you relax with friends in the lounge area or catch up on work.

There will even be a closed conference room to reserve for meetings, events, and conference calls.

Weiser plans on converting another bedroom in the house into a room for new moms to breastfeed while they work or socialize. She’s even got plans for an art class for adults, activities for kids, and craft beer and NCAA bracket parties for dads to enjoy.

The Hive will be open this fall, Monday through Saturday, from 8 am to 6 pm or later, depending on demand. Childcare pricing is not yet firm, however, Weiser estimates it will be between $8 and $10 an hour.

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Read the full story and watch the video on KVUE.

families

merry xmas atx!

Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

City of Austin Government - Facebook

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Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

christmas holidays lists bests