Why is Guadelupe Street in Austin Dilapidated? (Victoria, Post: salons, college)

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by OpenD

They are made of a special kind of steel that rusts to a certain point then stops, creating a protective coating that saves the expense of regular painting.

It's the same steel used for the famous Picasso sculpture at City Hall in Chicago, and in thousands of bridges and buildings and utility poles worldwide.

That is correct, it is the same kind of steel that the UT Communications Building is clad in. Corten steel, cladding, when done right is much more resitant to corrosion and much more long lasting then galvanized steel that we are more accoustomed to seeing on metal siding and power poles.

[Lije Baley]

Originally Posted by Westerner92

Most of the commercial areas of north-central Austin seem to be in the cheaply made, mid-century architecture style, which isn't very attractive no matter how you slice it.

How DARE you insult that class of architecture!

I know style is a very subjective thing & I'll admit I've never seen the exact buildings you are referring to, but I do know that mid-century modern, if it's not done right especially if it's "diluted" i.e. strict adherence to the original concept is abandoned to make it more acceptable to the general public, it will look crappy. A (sort of) common analogy is those concept cars seen at an auto show: they can look awesome and you want badly to take one of them home and when you hear they're going to actually manufacture it, you're super excited....until it shows up at the dealership and you see that it's been dumbed down to make it more marketable in turn either causing it to look like any other car or plain butt ugly.

If anyone wants to read some background about this type of architecture (though there are definitely other influences I won't get into here), here's a book I own that does a good job with lots of pics: Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture

* definition of "googie"

* Houston's Hobby Center - sort of googie-ish

FYI: there is no exact date agreed upon for the beginning of the decline in interest in this optimistic style of architecture, but some architectural historians point to November 22, 1963 as a probable one.

[sxrckr]

Part of Austin's charm and weirdness is because some of this is there. Do you want to look like N Dallas? Or some huge master-planned community? The same people who say this probably are the ones saying inner Houston is ugly, but I find it quirky just like many parts of central Austin.

[Lije Baley]

Originally Posted by sxrckr

The same people who say this probably are the ones saying inner Houston is ugly, but I find it quirky just like many parts of central Austin.

Yep. For example the area around Westheimer/Montrose Blvd/Richmond is like this: skinny streets, old strip centers but small ones that aren't nearly as off-putting as most modern ones; little mom-n-pop shops everywhere, trees everywhere, two music stores* (remember those?), tattoo parlors, lots of small intimate non-chain restaurants, coffeehouses like Agora (in an old but well-kept 2 story house & includes a bar too) etc etc. Friday and Saturday night this area is full of people on foot, partly because parking is difficult to find, but mostly it's because the scale is much smaller than the rest of Houston so you don't really need a car.

* Soundwaves (http://soundwaves.com/a/ - broken link) (also sell skate and surf gear) and Cactus Music (regularly feature live music on their in-store stage)

[cashtown]

I spoke with the manager while I was in there today. Their current situation is temporary - until they've finished with the interior remodel - and then all business will move inside.

The exterior remodel will see the "backyard" landscaped and changed to parking, the chain link fence will be removed. The building will have old/rotting trim and fascia replaced, new paint and new landscaping in the front of the building. When finished, the only thing that will distinguish this business from any other in the area will be that their sign says "Planet K" instead of something else. I can only surmise, therefore, that you dislike the business itself rather than it's aesthetic value - because there won't be any other exterior blemishes.

[JohninAustin]

I am a native Austinite who grew up in this neighborhood. I am also the biggest supporter of local businesses and am a hardcore libertarian who loves the concept of edgy businesses like Planet K. That being said....I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE ORIGINAL POSTER. Planet K took a great location and a great building with a ton of potential and created a gigantic eyesore. It's like they TRIED to make the building look bad. It's a disgrace and the neighborhood SHOULD be pissed.

On a brighter side this type of thing seems to be the exception and not the rule. The vast majority of redevelopment and infill in Austin these past 20 years have been great. Hopefully this "development" will be a short abberation for 37th and Guadalupe.

Moderator cut: Please, no obscene or implied obscene language.

[mayfair44]

That location is in Heritage. Join their Yahoo neighborhood association group, and you'll probably find current threads on the subject.

[Misty Rose]

Have never visited Planet K...must make time to see what all the fuss is about.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Misty Rose

Have never visited Planet K...must make time to see what all the fuss is about.

It's what used to be called a head shop. It sells drug paraphernalia and sex toys. Their shops have trashy-flashy exteriors with lots of strings of minilights to draw attention.

[Jink]

OP wouldn't like San Francisco with their "GET HIV TESTED HERE TODAY!" signs all over the place.