Dave Grohl weighs in on Austin's gentrification (Houston, Dallas: 2014, condos)

[scm53]

"I worry about cities like Austin," Grohl says, "because it's only a matter of time before that candle burns out."

I think the message in the Austin episode is that we have to be careful that we don't overlook the reasons why people are drawn to these cities. There's something about Austin and its alternative culture that's an oasis in the middle of this country that attracted people to it in the first place. The personality and the fingerprint of this city is unlike anywhere else. The preservation of that needs to be a priority because if you're not careful, that could be wiped away and you're just left with a strip mall.

Meh, strip mall or $2,500/mo high rise condos - what's the diff?

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by scm53

"I worry about cities like Austin," Grohl says, "because it's only a matter of time before that candle burns out."



Meh, strip mall or $2,500/mo high rise condos - what's the diff?

Strip malls are in most cases nondescript, Anywhere, USA places that contain large national brands and make cities boring and ugly.
High rises on the otherhand, can be integrated, promote density and vibrancy, and don't destroy existing culture (as long as it's built on a lifeless parking lot).

[TexasHorseLady]

Except that I've discovered in looking at skylines that in most cases it's really difficult with looking REALLY closely to tell which city's skyline you're looking at, because the highrises are so similar.

You may like them, just like some folks like neighborhoods where every house is one of five different floor plans and everyone is required to paint their houses the same color and plant the same plants. That doesn't mean that they are any less Anytown USA.

[Shredding_Gnar78]

says the guy who went from being in the most cutting edge, newest, trend breaking band in a decade
TO
the guy who makes hundreds of millions from kid safe, mother approved, predicable, sleepy, watered down for the masses commercial poprock

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Strip malls are in most cases nondescript, Anywhere, USA places that contain large national brands and make cities boring and ugly.
High rises on the otherhand, can be integrated, promote density and vibrancy, and don't destroy existing culture (as long as it's built on a lifeless parking lot).

He wasn't talking about the architectural values ...

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by scm53

He wasn't talking about the architectural values ...

Neither was I. I was only hinting that the two things aren't the same.

[Austinite101]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Except that I've discovered in looking at skylines that in most cases it's really difficult with looking REALLY closely to tell which city's skyline you're looking at, because the highrises are so similar.

You may like them, just like some folks like neighborhoods where every house is one of five different floor plans and everyone is required to paint their houses the same color and plant the same plants. That doesn't mean that they are any less Anytown USA.

Oh come on, a skyline is part of a city's identity as well. Most people can look at a skyline as a whole and say if it's Dallas, SF, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, LA, Houston, etc. So no, I don't agree that skylines are Anytown USA. In fact, just the opposite.

What I will give you is that not every high rise is iconic. But together, they are synergistic.

[alwaysmiling]

To expand on that we actually paused the latest apple commercial and guessed the cities based off the skyline artwork on their laptops. Catchy advertisement... Anywhere USA is exactly the opposite of Austin or a city that has skyscrapers. In my mind, its a small town with no identity, such as a Jarrel, or Waco, or Abilene, or anywhere, USA... The fact that our city is represented by the Frost tower and Pennybacker bridge on the cover of the album which is made up of a single skyline combining iconic skyscrapers and landmarks innately proves the point.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

Neither was I. I was only hinting that the two things aren't the same.

By what matters to you - architecture - obviously not. By what matters to Mr. Grohl, and to many of us, the ability to suck the soul out of a unique place is identical.

[riaelise]

What is so uniquely Austin about the crop of McModern skyscrapers that are being erected?