Pflugerville, Texas, Becoming Cosmopolitan

Pflugerville, Texas - Ready or not, the 11.3 miles of land known as Pflugerville, Texas (that's pronounced "FLU-ger-ville"if you aren't local) is rapidly changing from the bedroom community northeast of Austin into a full blown city. Pflugerville's growth is projected to triple by 2025 from the 2000 population of about 16,500, according to AustinTexasHomes.com.

What had held Pflugerville's growth in check - lack of IH-35 frontage or any other transportation routes has been addressed with SH 45 and SH 130.

Stone Hill Town Center is located at the intersection of these two toll roads and brings over 1,000,000 square feet of cosmopolitan shopping and entertainment bliss to Pflugerville with a Best Buy, Home Depot, Chili's, Dick's Sporting Goods, a movie theater, two banks, a fitness center, and several clothing stores.

Not everyone is aware of the influx of commercial business; however. On August 17, 2008, I spoke with Joshua Hadden, the Specialty Sales Assistant Store Manager as he helped my husband and me out with our purchases. Hadden asked if we had been to the store before and we had not. He smiled and indicated that he "isn't sure if many people realize they are now open. It looks as if the area is still under construction so people aren't stopping in yet. "

Pflugerville has already celebrated the opening of a Super Wal-Mart, and the creation of Lake Pflugerville, and the establishment of a Farmer's Market open Tuesdays - May - Oct. Even the library is set to expand to three times its current size. Pflugerville is also home to over 10 miles of hike and bike trails to rival Austin's Lady Bird Lake trails, but without the crowds (yet).

With popular fast food additions such as Thundercloud Subs, Baskin-Robbins, Schlotzsky's, and Starbucks, those moving to Pflugerville will have familiar choices when they want to grab a quick bite.

Of course, Pflugerville's unique places survive and thrive. You can still get an amazing home cooked lunch or dinner at Dot's Place, experience a one-of-a-kind tea ceremony at Riva Chung's Formosa Art Tea House, and indulge your inner cookie monster at Cookie Haus where Susan Tyson's cookies are made using her mother's and grandmother's recipes.

Pflugerville has even gone Hollywood. - many people are not aware that part of the popular television show Friday Night Lights pilot episode was filmed at Pflugerville High School. The fictional town of Dillon even kept the Pflugerville Panthers mascot name.

Source: First hand observation of Shannon du Plessis.