"Austin Weird" (Dallas, Kerrville: housing, condo, rent)

[twange]

Originally Posted by TheHarvester

It will eventually get overrun with corporate money and uptight Californians who want to control everyone else's behavior, so it's only a matter of time before Leslie and the indy coffeehouses are gone and there will be trendy high-priced restaurants and chic department stores and Starbucks on every corner.

*sigh*

Well let's hope that doesn't happen as I'm moving to Central Austin(probably south) because of it's unique qualities. Hopefully others are as well. I'd like to think that as Austin grows(which it will keep doing), it will be able to accomodate a variety of lifestyles. Maybe that's wishful thinking but hell, I've spent most of my adult life being cynical and negative...and man that's tiring

[love roses]

What Harvester said previously happened to the montrose area in Houston and it sucked a lot of the character out. That's one of the reasons we left. And even though now I live in Suburbia, I'm glad out HOA isn't so uptight that we have to constantly keep our cars in the garage with the door shut. And already there's a Club Pure (spelling?) on 6th street, speaking of high priced things.

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by twange

...I'm moving to Central Austin(probably south) because of it's unique qualities. Hopefully others are as well. I'd like to think that as Austin grows(which it will keep doing), it will be able to accomodate a variety of lifestyles.

It does and always will accommodate a variety of lifestyles because it's a sprawling city with many different communities. My biggest fear is the money that is pouring into South Austin. That desire for its uniqueness has priced it out of range for most artists and musicians, so it's gradually getting yuppified. As it continues to attract more home-improvement projects, nice restaurants and other such amenities, it will attract an even more well-heeled populace who will come not so much for the funky stuff like yard art and porch sofas, they'll be coming for the trendiness. That's when Austin Weird will be dead. And it will be driven largely by Californians like me, I'm ashamed to say.

I suspect that some of the uniqueness will crop up in unexpected places, in some of the suburban communities and ghettos and such. But a lot of the original character of the city is already gone. Many old-timers refuse to even come to Austin any more, they've moved out of state or they're in small towns in other parts of Texas, trying to preserve what's left of the live-and-let-live down-home Texas-friendly lifestyle, drinkin' cheap beer and playing guitars and tellin' stories on their broken down old porches. I sympathize with them, but I still love Austin in spite of all the changes.

[TheHarvester]

Originally Posted by love roses

What Harvester said previously happened to the montrose area in Houston and it sucked a lot of the character out

That breaks my heart... I loved the Montrose area when I visited there in the early 90s. I hate to think it's lost its character. It was the one place in Houston that felt REAL to me.

Alas... we're all destined to become corporate drones. I might as well submit to the Stepford Culture and start buying my coffee at Starbucks like a good obedient robot.

[love roses]

NO!!never do that...

[Thorga]

Originally Posted by Phisch

It's dumpster diving. Not too uncommon of an occurrence in Southern California if you know where to look.

Yeah I wish. Nope it was a head...just a head...the SMPD searched our alley but never found the rest of him....sadly they said this wasn't the first time....now you know why all those Californians are moving....

[twange]

This is an interesting discussion.

Since I'm in the Great Lakes I don't have this perception of Californians, but I think New Yorkers have a similar vibe. I've said this before on this forum, that for me, coming from a sick, dying, old steeltown, that is poor, losing jobs and citizens while at the same time sprawling every which way except the center, it seems strange to hear people worrying about too many folks(or certain folk) relocating there. While there are many, serious considerations for fast growing cities, to me it sounds like a good problem to have.

Let me start off by saying that I'm a musician(academically trained, but well versed in the vernacular) and have always had to scrounge around for a living. Teaching, freelance, gig-whoring...I've done it all and I've never made much money, so I completely understand the mistrust towards the highly-paid,corporate, upwardly mobile, professional types and the over-gentrification of interesting neighborhoods...no disrespect to any one who fits in that category, it's just not my world. And of course the whitewashing of regional culture(warts and all) in favour of new, trendy, expensive, edgy-in-a-trendy-safe-way exclusivity is totally infuriating and disgusting.

However, I think that what Austin may have going for it, are it's many colleges and universities that keep the city young. Young people are adventurous by nature and seem to keep things interesting even when they are annoying

Perspective is everything. Last month I saw a singer-songwriter from Texas here in Cleveland(Tom Russell) and he was ranting about how places such as Austin were too "over-discovered" and places like Cleveland were much more authentic and cool, a "place where you could still get a cup of coffee and go to a decent record store"...This struck me as hilarious. Now, I love my hometown. If I don't, who the hell will? But at this time, there is waaaaaaaaaaaay more happening in Austin. It is a place where a lot of people want to be. There's work. There's money. There's opportunity. For me living in a city with that kind of reputation would be "WEIRD" indeed

Let's hope Austin keeps evolving and that new folks feel a sense of place there and want to add to it instead of changing it and taking it over completely.

So, how does a city accomplish this?

[twange]

I'm slow tonight. My reply was meant as a volley for the Harvester...not the poor cat in California that found a head in his dumpster.

Man, I can't seem to shake that grisly image

[Thorga]

Originally Posted by twange

I'm slow tonight. My reply was meant as a volley for the Harvester...not the poor cat in California that found a head in his dumpster.

Man, I can't seem to shake that grisly image

Don't feel bad it was 10 years ago and I'm well over it

Also I'm a girl.

heh.

[twange]

Originally Posted by Thorga

Don't feel bad it was 10 years ago and I'm well over it

Also I'm a girl.

heh.

Oops sorry Guess I see a bit of myself in everyone