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Ooh. Nice comparison. Very helpful! I'm actually Westbank-born and the story goes that my mother did cartwheels on the lawn when we got transferred to Texas. I still hear alot of "Westbank, Best bank" pride but also don't understand it.
Alot of my hippie art friends abandoned the Garden District in favor of Mid-city, though I don't have too much experience with the area personally. So what can you tell me about East Austin? It doesn't seem to have the same well-defined neighborhood names and boundaries when compared to Central Austin or South Austin. I see alot of "south east Austin" and "north east Austin" on Craigslist. What boundaries and streets should I keep an eye out for?
That's funny. I had a girlfriend from the West Bank (her name was not Suzie so I'm sure it wasn't you) and she was the only good reason I would drive over there. Well, that, and the Vietnamese restaurants north of the Westbank Expressway. For some odd reason, she liked to party in Fat City because she was tourist averse and I guess there's no nightlife on the Westbank? That meant a treacherous drive over the narrow, ricketey and curvy Huey Long bridge (who designed that bridge) at insane times of the night coming back.
I'll let others chime in on the specifics of East Austin as I'm not the expert there. The Riverside/Oltorf area is a bit of a working class area (more like Midcity), the area on E. 6th St. is the hipster mecca they are talking about, lots of piercings, colored hair, tattoos, just like Marigny/Bywater. Pflugerville is also east of I-35 but it's just a Round Rock/Georgetown look alike.
One comment on Houston: I started going to Houston almost every month on business in around 1999. At the time, I found it a pretty terrible place. Downtown had nothing going for it and the areas immediately around downtown were a bit dodgy to say the least. In 2004, we had to move there and were not exactly pleased. However, what I observed over the 5 years between 1999-2004 was that the city itself had started to become a pretty pleasant place to live. A lot of the lousy areas just west of downtown started to have town homes and apartments and what not and started to clean up.
As I said in another thread, I am a city kid. Always lived in the center areas. With Houston, I was pleasantly surprised. The package may not look the same as other cities, but it offers everything a city could possibly have. As others have said here, from how you describe yourself, the Montrose area might be a very good fit for you.
Moral of story is maybe you found Houston boring 10 years ago. I personally view central Houston to be extremely different today from what it was 10 years ago, though.
One comment on Houston: I started going to Houston almost every month on business in around 1999. At the time, I found it a pretty terrible place. Downtown had nothing going for it and the areas immediately around downtown were a bit dodgy to say the least. In 2004, we had to move there and were not exactly pleased. However, what I observed over the 5 years between 1999-2004 was that the city itself had started to become a pretty pleasant place to live. A lot of the lousy areas just west of downtown started to have town homes and apartments and what not and started to clean up.
As I said in another thread, I am a city kid. Always lived in the center areas. With Houston, I was pleasantly surprised. The package may not look the same as other cities, but it offers everything a city could possibly have. As others have said here, from how you describe yourself, the Montrose area might be a very good fit for you.
Moral of story is maybe you found Houston boring 10 years ago. I personally view central Houston to be extremely different today from what it was 10 years ago, though.
The OP expressed a distaste for Houston, let's just leave it at that. Houston is nowhere near New Orleans. Austin isn't either, for that matter. New Orleans is like a Northeast city (Philly/Baltimore) in layout and in historical architectural, walkability, and grit. However, of the two (Houston/Austin), Austin is more similar to New Orleans.
In Houston, growth is always favored, there is no zoning. In New Orleans, EVERYTHING must be approved by the preservation committee. You cannot move a shutter in a historic home or building without the preservation committee deciding whether or not the change fits in with the architecture of the city. Austin is similar when it comes to zoning for businesses in protected areas. You cannot dig a fence post if it will endanger a protected species. Although there are very few historic buildings in Austin, Austin is trying to preserve what it has, which is natural beauty, as New Orleans preserves what it has, a rich and diverse history. Houston doesn't care for either, that's why it's very different - it's all about business in Houston.
Ooh. Nice comparison. Very helpful! I'm actually Westbank-born and the story goes that my mother did cartwheels on the lawn when we got transferred to Texas. I still hear alot of "Westbank, Best bank" pride but also don't understand it.
Alot of my hippie art friends abandoned the Garden District in favor of Mid-city, though I don't have too much experience with the area personally. So what can you tell me about East Austin? It doesn't seem to have the same well-defined neighborhood names and boundaries when compared to Central Austin or South Austin. I see alot of "south east Austin" and "north east Austin" on Craigslist. What boundaries and streets should I keep an eye out for?
To the OP,
My boundaries for Central East Austin would be north of the river/lake, south of Manor, east of 35, and west of Airport. Realtors tend to add the neighborhoods west of Airport and North of Manor - French Place, which has a small quirky Boho element and Wilshire Woods - which is very leafy and more suburban in feel. Within Central East Austin, there are many loosely defined pocket neighborhoods - Swede Hill would be the most historic and almost totally gentrified - east of 35, north of 11th, west of the state cemetery, the strip south of Cesar Chavez has also recently become a fancier place to live due to its proximity to the river hike and bike trail and downtown, and ditto for the blocks around the French Legation. The rest is block by block. There was a concerted effort during the Jim Crow area to move or contain African Americans and Mexican Americans east of 35, so the influx of predominantly white hipsters has justifiably produced concerns for the families who have been there for generations, but mostly everyone gets along. The main entertainment thoroughfares (Bars, restaurants, coffee-houses, music venues - there is not a huge amount of retail, until you get to the strip malls, tire shops etc around 7th and Airport) would be Cesar Chavez, east 5th, east 6th (not to be confused with east 6th downtown), east 7th, east 11th and Manor Road. There is an HEB (Texas mega-supermarket chain) on 7th and another one just west of the highway at 41st Street ), but I would just hop on my bicycle, buy my produce at the Boggy Creek Farm, my meat at the nearest thing Austin has to an old fashioned local butchery, Longhorn Meats on MLK. There are also plenty excellent Mexican bakeries around, and tons of restaurants, so no need to starve. But if you don't want to live east, you can drive to hipster mecca from any of the other central neighborhoods mentioned in this thread in 15 minutes or less.
My boundaries for Central East Austin would be north of the river/lake, south of Manor, east of 35, and west of Airport. Realtors tend to add the neighborhoods west of Airport and North of Manor - French Place, which has a small quirky Boho element and Wilshire Woods - which is very leafy and more suburban in feel. Within Central East Austin, there are many loosely defined pocket neighborhoods - Swede Hill would be the most historic and almost totally gentrified - east of 35, north of 11th, west of the state cemetery, the strip south of Cesar Chavez has also recently become a fancier place to live due to its proximity to the river hike and bike trail and downtown, and ditto for the blocks around the French Legation. The rest is block by block. There was a concerted effort during the Jim Crow area to move or contain African Americans and Mexican Americans east of 35, so the influx of predominantly white hipsters has justifiably produced concerns for the families who have been there for generations, but mostly everyone gets along. The main entertainment thoroughfares (Bars, restaurants, coffee-houses, music venues - there is not a huge amount of retail, until you get to the strip malls, tire shops etc around 7th and Airport) would be Cesar Chavez, east 5th, east 6th (not to be confused with east 6th downtown), east 7th, east 11th and Manor Road. There is an HEB (Texas mega-supermarket chain) on 7th and another one just west of the highway at 41st Street ), but I would just hop on my bicycle, buy my produce at the Boggy Creek Farm, my meat at the nearest thing Austin has to an old fashioned local butchery, Longhorn Meats on MLK. There are also plenty excellent Mexican bakeries around, and tons of restaurants, so no need to starve. But if you don't want to live east, you can drive to hipster mecca from any of the other central neighborhoods mentioned in this thread in 15 minutes or less.
Thanks, I learned a lot and I live here I wish someone would go to the trouble of mapping this out...
I do have one question. With E. Austin historically being African American, are there any "soul food" places around there or have they all been gentrified out? I sure miss some good soul food cooking, specifically fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, etc.. It was always easy to find restaurants that served soul food in Louisiana, not so easy here.
Thanks, I learned a lot and I live here I wish someone would go to the trouble of mapping this out...
I do have one question. With E. Austin historically being African American, are there any "soul food" places around there or have they all been gentrified out? I sure miss some good soul food cooking, specifically fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, etc.. It was always easy to find restaurants that served soul food in Louisiana, not so easy here.
Lola's Nubian Cafe, Galloway's and to a lesser extent, but still good, Hoover's on Manor. Dot's in Pflugerville used to be the best, but Dot passed on. The first two have erratic hours and service but very good soul food indeed. Neither really have menus - you eat what is cooked that day!
Location: The land of sugar... previously Houston and Austin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MIBS98
One comment on Houston: I started going to Houston almost every month on business in around 1999. At the time, I found it a pretty terrible place. Downtown had nothing going for it and the areas immediately around downtown were a bit dodgy to say the least. In 2004, we had to move there and were not exactly pleased. However, what I observed over the 5 years between 1999-2004 was that the city itself had started to become a pretty pleasant place to live. A lot of the lousy areas just west of downtown started to have town homes and apartments and what not and started to clean up.
As I said in another thread, I am a city kid. Always lived in the center areas. With Houston, I was pleasantly surprised. The package may not look the same as other cities, but it offers everything a city could possibly have. As others have said here, from how you describe yourself, the Montrose area might be a very good fit for you.
Moral of story is maybe you found Houston boring 10 years ago. I personally view central Houston to be extremely different today from what it was 10 years ago, though.
Exactly.
Houston had a renaissance of sorts downtown around 2000-ish or just before. Now it is spreading west... the once abandoned and torn-down Town & Country Mall is now the very successful CityCentre. Then there's similar popping up in a few places around the Galleria area... just a few examples.
As far as the other worry of it being "country", good 'ol boys etc... I'm sure some of that still exists, but a it's very ridiculous notion even a decade ago. It's without a doubt the most international city in the state and maybe even all of the south... tons of stats back that up.
Using everythingaustinapartments.com I found this 1 bedroom in SW fringe of South Austin near Westgate Blvd, in your price range. It is a decent part of town. It would be easy drive to get to work at either location from there. It is within walking distance of the Westgate Mall which has a Central Market (great food store), Whole Earth Provision Company, movie theater and numerous other shops. Close enough to bicycle to work at the Sunset Valley location.
Houston had a renaissance of sorts downtown around 2000-ish or just before. Now it is spreading west... the once abandoned and torn-down Town & Country Mall is now the very successful CityCentre. Then there's similar popping up in a few places around the Galleria area... just a few examples.
As far as the other worry of it being "country", good 'ol boys etc... I'm sure some of that still exists, but a it's very ridiculous notion even a decade ago. It's without a doubt the most international city in the state and maybe even all of the south... tons of stats back that up.
I grew up in Katy (just west of Houston) and recently visited so I've seen just how far out the city has spread west. Lots of new development. Strip malls as far as the eye can see. Even when talking about downtown, "Galleria" and words like "mall" are really not the things I'm looking for at all.
I'm willing to spend a day driving around but I'm not expecting the vibe I want. I'd rather stay in New Orleans and spend more than move to Houston. Austin may not have the history that I love, but its sure to have more green spaces than Houston.
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I wish someone would go to the trouble of mapping this out...
