College Station offers a variety of galleries, centers, and museums to promote this universal sharing of beauty. Local artists share their work with others and offer it up to be enjoyed by the public on a regular basis.

Benjamin Knox is a well-known, local artist who sets himself apart by capturing the spirit of College Station and the spirit of Aggieland in his paintings, drawings, and photographs. The Benjamin Knox Gallery is a beautiful venue, wine bar, art gallery, and offers custom picture framing. Their elegant selection of mats and frames ensure that your precious keepsakes will be safely preserved and complimented. The gallery was opened by Knox as a replica of the 1900 College Station Train Depot, the original depot for the university. Art from Knox as well as from students and other artists in the community are housed at this unique location.

The permanent collection at the J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries centers on American paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings and photographs of the 19th and 20th centuries. The President’s Advisory Committee on Art Policy is responsible for making sure each piece of art passes through a rigorous process of evaluation before it is allowed into the gallery. J. Wayne Stark is a Texas A&M University graduate, class of ’39 and opened the gallery to help offer students a more well-rounded academic education. After serving in WWII he had a desire to raise civic awareness and bring a high-quality level of artwork to the Texas A&M campus.

MSC Forsyth Center Galleries is one of the university’s art galleries. It is home to a world-class selection of English Cameo glass, Tiffany and Steuben glass, and other important 19th and 20th century art glass. It also houses many American paintings and rotates 6 to 8 temporary exhibits throughout the year. The temporary exhibitions are presented to offer a variety of artwork spanning a large assortment of time, place and culture.

The Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center is a museum that is dedicated to the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets. It offers the public over 60 exhibits and the state’s biggest firearms display as well as a library with over 3,000 military research volumes. There is no other way to more fully experience the true Aggie tradition and history without visiting this museum, which presents both tradition and history throughout the years at Texas A&M.

The Texas A&M Sports Museum brings to life the spirit of Aggieland. It is located in the Zone of Kyle Field and functions as a storehouse for precious, historic sports relics. Different exhibits in the Museum include the Time Wall, Legends Gallery, sport-by-sport perimeter displays and interactive computers. It is the nation’s only all-sports museum funded primarily by former athletes.

The Texas Gallery offers permanent exhibits of works from regional and Texas artists, sculpture, paintings and artifacts from around the world  that date back to the 11th century. It offers a range of artwork from hand-blown glass, jewelry, paintings, to much more.

The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History hosts tours, classes, and lectures. Many different opportunities are available to children such as nature camps, birthday parties and school field trips. Discovery kits are for teachers, home schoolers or scouts to use on their own. The museum emphasizes the relationship between people and their natural environment and seeks to raise awareness of nature and a responsible relationship with it. Exhibits include fossil exhibits, sculptures, antique farming and survey equipment, a discovery room with more than fifteen varieties of live animals, dozens of taxidermy mounts, educational resources and several rotating exhibits.

The Carnegie Center of Brazos Valley contains many historical collections from the Brazos county and surrounding areas. Historical pieces of information and artifacts are continually being added to this Center. Featured collections are the Ana Ludmilla Gee Ballet Collection, Harvey Mitchell’s verneir compass and sketch for the original site of the City of Bryan, and a miniature replica of the “Blue” or “Steamboat House,” which was an early Calvert home that was burned down. The museum also contains city directories and old historical telephone books in addition to antique adult and children’s books. Genealogical research takes place in the center due to a collection of materials on ethnicity and areas contributing to discoveries of what immigrants first came to the area.

The Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley is another creative outlet opportunity. Young children are impressionable and learn at a young age how to express themselves. The gallery encourages artistic and imaginative work from children of all ages and is a world where they are free to go wherever their imagination takes them. The Barbara Bush Library that the museum offers has a wide selection of books and the construction zone allows children to slap on a hardhat and get to work pounding out a playhouse. Mrs. Giggly’s Garden is a safe place for toddlers to explore and fidget with small toys, the music corner offers a place for kids to jam out and be a superstar for the afternoon, and the HEB Kids’ Market gives kids a small dose of the creativity behind putting together a meal. The health station lets children play doctor by testing their eyes and checking their heart rate, and the Spaceship and Control Center is a multilevel rocket.

ENJOY!

Kathy Massey

PS – I am Kathy Massey and I can make your “Dreams” a “Realty” when buying or selling real estate in the Brazos Valley Bryan College Station area.

If you’re anything like me, you probably like the results of working out and staying fit but you don’t have the motivation to work out consistently on your own at the gym, nor the pocket book to afford a personal trainer. A few months back, my wife took me to a Dynamic Fitness boot camp that I was afraid would be all women and wouldn’t push me as hard as I wanted. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Not only was it an equal mix of guys and girls, there are campers of all ages and everyone is able to push themselves as hard as they need. I have been attending the 6:30PM camp for several months now and have seen some awesome results and the motivation of the team environment has me there nearly every day. The best part is that if you pay for two camps in advance it only cost $4 a day ($130/5 weeks or $200/10 weeks)! Keith Cameron, the trainer, is extremely knowledgeable on exercise physiology, nutrition, and workout techniques and is one of the best trainers in Bryan-College Station. Whether you are a student at A&M trying to compensate for the weekends, a young professional in Aggieland who needs some activity, or a more mature adult trying to keep in shape you should definitely give Dynamic Fitness a try! For more info check out Keith’s webpage at www.dynamicfitbv.com.

As always, if you want clear and straightforward advice on anything real estate related, give me a call at 979.217.1162 or check me out on the web at www.LukeMarvel.com.

Chef Tai has expressed his great appreciation for the outpouring of support from the Bryan/College Station area as well as the great Aggie Network.  Let’s show the rest of the country how proud we are of our community and the great entrepreneurs in it.

If you haven’t had any of Chef Tai’s food before, you are seriously missing out.  You can check his website at cheftai.com, to find out when the truck will be near you!  Try the Kobe burger, it’s paradise on a bun.

Remember to vote everyday at http://foodtrucks.teamdigital.com/, let’s bring home a victory!

Now that you know where to eat lunch tomorrow, let me help you find your new home or sell your current one.  Feel free to give me a call @ 979.255.1839!

Clay Lee – Realtor

Century 21 Beal, Inc.

So, if you saw this group of ladies headed your way, as a restaurant manager, you might just close the doors and warn the employees, right!? I know I would! But not Skylar Bell, the manager of the newly opening Chuy’s in Post Oak Mall’s Parking lot. As a matter of fact, he invited us in early to help train the new wait staff! And, I must say, we did a great job breaking them in for all you B/CS residents!

That being said, I cannot tell you how impressed we were with the quality of the people and the food at Chuy’s. For those of you who haven’t been to one before, you will love the eclectic atmosphere featuring everything from palm trees to an Elvis display. As a matter of fact…EVERY Chuy’s has an Elvis display! And, every Chuy’s is a little bit different. Which is where the slogan, IF YOU’VE SEEN ONE CHUY’S, YOU’VE SEEN ONE CHUY’S, comes from. Be sure to ask your wait person why. It is a very interesting story!

The menu offers you tex mex, with a twist! Be sure to ask for my favorite sauce, the Creamy Jalapeno! This stuff is legendary! A friend of mine was more excited about this dipping sauce than anything else on the menu. I asked our waitress if I could have a little ‘to go’ and dropped it off at her house on the way home. It was devoured by her family before I could get from her house in Indian Lakes, to my house in Castlegate. It’s just that good!

They have Signature Dishes, Signature Drinks and Signatures sauces that will make you say ‘sign me up for another round!’ With hand rolled tortillas, salsa made fresh EVERY HOUR, even the margaritas are made with fresh squeezed lime juice, it is obvious they take food seriously!

And, if it’s a happy hour you are looking for, you have found the right place. The Nacho Car is stuffed with chile con queso, salsa’s, chips and more during happy hours!

This Chuy’s location is really living up to the concept of providing a fun and friendly spot to eat. I am thrilled to add it to my MUST EAT places in Bryan/College Station!

Now, it’s your turn! What is your favorite Chuy’s menu item or story?

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas especially in Downtown Bryan! My family and I went to the annual “Lights on in Downtown Bryan” where all the lights in the entire downtown area were lit simultaneously!

There were many different musical groups and choir performances, a visit by Kaboom, and a countdown to the big flip of the switch! Many businesses were serving hot chocolate and the businesses in downtown were decorated for the season! It is so nice to live in and sell homes in a community that still holds old fashion celebrations like “Lights on”! There will be a wonderful First Friday’s this Friday complete with carriage rides, musical entertainment, and other special events!

For more information on real estate and other activities in the Bryan/College Station give Farrah a call at 979-229-0919!

Farrah B Spears

979-229-0919

farrahs@century21bcs.com

Cenare’s Italian Cuisine is located at 404 University Dr E College Station TX. Cenare’s offers “Flavors from Old Italy” and is now under the new ownership of Kent Lyons.

Cenare Italian Cuisine is family owned and operated. Since it’s inception in 1981 it has become a favorite. Whether you are looking for an intimate place to take that special someone, a nice place for the entire family or a place to host your next event, Cenare must be your first and best choice. The regulars hold it as a standard to measure all other restaurants. You are treated special and with a carring that is second to none.

Cenare is not just about great food, it is also the presentation of the dishes. Only the best ingredients are used. Seafood is fresh, never frozen and flown in weekly.

For more information, visit www.gotocenare.com

For more videos like this, visit www.kristifox.com or kristifox.wordpress.com.

Watch an exclusive interview with Manager, Matthew Walker, at Bodega Coast – College Station’s best place for Happy Hour Shakers & Fresh Fish. Bodega Coast was originally known as Eccel Steakhouse but has since changed to Bodega Coast to appeal to a more expanded demographic.

For more information about this wonderful restaurant, visit www.bodegacoastfreshfish.com.

For more videos like this, visit www.kristifox.com or follow us on kristifox.wordpress.com.

The Mission Statement is “Be America’s Best Quick Service Restaurant”. I think they go much further than this.

I have always been a fan of Chick-fil-a. Sometimes I don’t like it when they are closed on Sunday but I have always been impressed by their commitment to their families and employees. Could they make more money if they were open on Sundays too? Sure! But, in the long run they believe it is better for their empoyees to take one day off every week.  With today’s business environment where we all feel we need to do more, be open more, charge less and be everything to everyone, this is a strong moral choice and high ground.

Did you know there is a special website for their COWS? Did you know there is a Cow Appreciation Day the 2nd Friday in July? Fully dress like a cow and you may even eat free!

Kids checkout the games and puzzles online too!

 Let me know when you are planning a trip to Chick-fil-a in Bryan or College Station. Who knows – maybe your favorite Realtor (ME!) will meet you there!

Susan Hilton

Century 21 Beal, Inc.

979-764-2100

VintagePins

Rose held its grand opening July 24th.  Proprietress Rosemary Rodriguez can boast the most pollos (that’s chickens for you gringos) under one roof in the Brazos Valley.  She’s collected great Mid-Century furniture, retro clothing, and other fun decor.

Down the street there are the BV Decorative Center at 401 S Main, Earth Art at 209 S Main, Southern Grace Antiques at 102 S Main, and waaaay too many more great stops to mention.  Really you need to go get in your car and shop it!  We’re talking about a 15 minute trip downtown as opposed to 2 hours to Austin or 9 hours to New Orleans.

Get the full SoCo experience when you attend a First Friday (one coming up this Friday August 6th).  Sometimes I even pick up a New Orleans vibe, as I walk down the street with others, smelling the great food, hearing the music pouring out from Stafford Main or Revolution Cafe.  Who would have thought the City of Bryan would draw this funky urban artsy crowd?!?

Back to Rosemary at the Vintage Rose, her store hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10a-5p.  Start your shopping excursion at her bright yellow store and make your way down Main Street.  Finish off your evening at the new Lemon Wedge Restaurant.

What recommendations do you have for First Friday?  Restaurant reviews?  Leave a comment below…

Only a few more days of triple digits,

Cindy Seaton, REALTOR

(979) 422-9763

Even though she was raised in Pensacola, Florida, my wife was taught by her father from a very young age to always cheer for the Dallas Cowboys. Being a Daddy’s girl, Sunday afternoons in the fall were always spent with her father watching the great Cowboys teams of the late ’70′s, ’80′s and ’90′s.

Now, even though she is grown and has children of her own, everyone knows to leave Mommy alone when the Cowboys are playing. In fact, she is passing her love of sports, especially football, onto our kids!

While not a winning effort, tonight’s preseason game started the last season of Cowboys football to be played in venerable Texas Stadium. After this season, the Cowboys will make their home in a new stadium, currently under construction in Arlington, Texas.

The new stadium will have some design features that carry over from the old stadium, including the famous hole in the roof and the Ring of Honor. It will also be a stadium of many firsts and world records.

The new stadium will cover 2.3 million square feet and contain 104 million cubic feet. It will be the largest column-free room in the world. The American Airlines Center in Dallas or the Statue of Liberty, including its base, could fit inside the new stadium with the roof closed. Seating capacity will be 80,000, expandable to up to 100,000 through standing room or additional seating in the end zones, along with ticketed areas in the end zone plazas.

The stadium’s designers are able to create the world’s largest column-free room by using two 35-feet deep and 15-feet wide boxed arch trusses spanning 1,290 feet – nearly a quarter mile. The domed roof will be the longest clear-span structure in the world. It will also be the largest domed structure in the world at 660,800 square feet. The arches are more than twice the length of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

The open-roof design will feature two retractable panels measuring 63,000 square feet each. These bi-parting panels have an open/close time of 12 minutes. When open, they will reveal a roof opening measuring 256 feet wide by 410 feet long. The entire field will be visible from the air when the roof is open. The two panels will be driven by a first-of-its-kind rack-and-pinion drive system powered by 64 7.5 hp electric motors.

The new stadium will boast not only the world’s largest retractable roof but also the world’s largest retractable glass doors. Located at each end of the stadium, these five-leaf, clear retractable openings will measure 120 feet high and 180 feet wide. The 38-foot panels take only 18 minutes to open or close. With these glass doors, the stadium can be completely open from one end zone plaza to the other.

Eight different suite locations on five different levels offer great flexibility and choice for the fans. The most innovative suites will be the field-level sideline and field-level end zone suites. That’s right! Suites at field-level! These suites are designed to give fans the same experience that coaches, players and officials experience on game day. And should the view be blocked by players or officials, TV monitors meant to capture what those standing on the sidelines see during the game mean those who choose the field-level suites won’t miss a single down!

The new stadium will have eight video boards, including two massive video boards on the outside of the stadium that will be visible from the parking lots and roadways. Four of these video boards will give fans inside the stadium an experience unlike any other stadium in the world!

Four video boards will be suspended from the arches 110 feet over the center of the playing surface. Two 48-foot wide video boards will face the end zones. The other two boards will face the sidelines. They will run from the 20-yard line to the 20-yard line. That’s right! Spanning sixty yards, the sideline boards will measure 180 feet in length and 50 feet in height – the largest video board installation in the world!

Dallas Cowboys fans have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season and in years ahead, including a possible Super Bowl host site as early as February 2011. This brand new facility will be a great addition to the Arlington entertainment district. For more information about the Dallas Cowboys and their new stadium, go to http://www.DallasCowboys.com.

For all of your real estate needs anywhere in Texas, but especially in Bryan and College Station, Texas, call Jason Johnston at 979-571-3553 or email JasonJ@Century21BCS.com.