no scarlet letters here

New 17-story luxury high-rise stands tall in Tanglewood with posh amenities and a rooftop pool

Houston’s newest luxury high-rise has officially opened its doors. The Hawthorne celebrated its debut with a ribbon cutting on Friday, March 1.

Located in Tanglewood at 5656 San Felipe, The Hawthorne is the first new condominium tower to open in the area in 40 years, according to press materials. First announced in 2019, the 17-story building contains 67 units that average approximately 2,700-square-feet of interior space.

With prices starting at $1.4 million, The Hawthorne aims to draw empty nesters from nearby neighborhoods such as Tanglewood, Briargrove, and Memorial who are looking to maintain their proximity to prime shopping and dining destinations without all of the upkeep required for home ownership. Toward that end, the building offers a range of amenities, including 24-hour concierge, valet parking, and pet walking and grooming, all of which should prove tempting for anyone making the decision to downsize from a private home.

Residents also have access to a number of common areas, starting with a fifth floor lounge that includes a catering kitchen, enough seating for entertaining, and gaming tables. An on-site fitness studio helps owners look their best when they’re taking advantage of the 67-foot, rooftop pool — complete with cabanas and expansive views. Two guest suites are available for short term rentals by visitors.

A similar level of detail has been applied to the individual units. For example, each kitchen features an integrated Sub-Zero refrigerator and Thermidor appliances. Units are pre-wired for upgrades such as smart home technology and motorized shades. Owners even have the option of installing a pet potty.

One small piece of trivia — the building’s name nods to Tanglewood’s history. Developer William Giddings Farrington named the area for Tanglewood Tales, a book by American literary titan Nathaniel Hawthorne that was a favorite of his daughter.

So far, 60-percent of the building’s units have been sold before the first occupants move in later this month, generating more than $90 million in total sales. Pelican Builders, the Houston-based firm that developed the property in partnership with real estate investment firm EMBER, predicts the remaining 40-percent will soon find owners.

“As construction wraps up on The Hawthorne, we are pleased with sales volume to date,” Pelican president Derek Darnell said in a statement. “With the ability to now see the actual quality and sophisticated product, we anticipate a strong reception by the market. Sales will now move very quickly, and available inventory should not last long.”

Lauren Rottet of Houston-based design firm Rottet Studio applied her expertise in working with hotels to the building’s common areas. Kirksey Architecture designed the building, which was built by Ludlow & Associates.

“This is a project that appeals to people who know Houston,” EMBER director of sales Kyle Mikulenka added. “It’s built by Houstonians for Houstonians.”

Photo by TK Images

The rooftop pool features resort-style cabanas.

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rustic ranch livin'

17-acre Hill Country ranch with stunning views listed for $3.7M

HC Carter Camphouse property for sale in Dripping Springs, Spanish-style main house exterior

Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches

The 17-acre ranch is located at 1601 Creek Rd. in Dripping Springs.

A spacious property for sale in the bustling Austin suburb of Dripping Springs is now offering just over 17 acres of land for $3.7 million.

The HC Carter Camphouse, located at 1601 Creek Road, presents a rare opportunity for its next owners to live less than two miles from downtown Dripping Springs. The 17.03-acre ranch was once part of a much larger, 205-acre ranch that contained "one of the finest Longhorn cattle herds in Texas," according to the listing description.

The property features two renovated homes: a two-bedroom, two-bathroom, Spanish-style main house that was originally built in 1956; and a restored "Pioneer Cabin" that was built in the mid-to-late 1800's and currently serves as the guest house.

The primary home has a gated stone courtyard with a water fountain, and a tiled wraparound porch overlooking the front yard and in-ground fire pits. Terracotta tile runs throughout the interior of the home, and rustic wood details cohesively tie the rooms together. The spacious primary bedroom features wide French doors that open to the front porch, a high angled wood panel ceiling, and a Santa Fe-style fireplace.

HC Carter Camphouse property for sale in Dripping Springs, main house primary bedroom The fire place in the primary bedroom will be very handy during the winter.Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches

The restored cabin maintains its vintage charm with stone flooring, all-wood ceilings, log beams, and antique furnishings. The home contains two bedrooms with window AC units, two fireplaces, "working bathrooms," and a kitchen.

Onion Creek runs through the property to provide stunning Hill Country views and a barrier of separation from Creek Rd. However, it also means a majority of the land south of the creek — including the areas where both homes sit — is in a FEMA 100-year floodplain and a Dripping Springs localized floodplain. The property's survey map fills in the details.

"The property has approximately 1,600 feet of frontage on Onion Creek, providing year-round water, and stunning views of the creek," the listing says. "The creek has never gone dry on this part of the creek since the owners have owned the property."

The ranch first entered the market in late July as a 9.999-acre parcel of land, but the listing has since been updated to add 7.031 more acres in an adjoining lot. The land addition improves the property's privacy, nearly doubles the Onion Creek frontage, and increases the size of the "most probable new home site location," according to the listing. The expansion also effectively reduces the price-per-acre by a third.

Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches

The 17-acre ranch is located at 1601 Creek Rd. in Dripping Springs.

Whoever purchases the ranch will also become the owners of an additional one-acre lot located "outside of, but contiguous to" the 9.999-acre lot. This portion of land is leased to the property's caretaker, who previously managed the original 205-acre ranch for 25 years. The listing specifies that the caretaker "does not have the right to sell this 1 acre, which will revert to the owner in case of his death."

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