What Makes You Proud To Live in Austin and Would Show Off to Visitors? (Burnet: apartment complexes, school)

[CptnRn]

Things/places that we have taken visitors to in the past included Esther's Follies, lunch at the Oasis, sailing on Lake Travis, drive through the hill country to lunch at Gruene Grist Mill, via back roads to Wimberley, near Canyon Lake, to Old River Road (very scenic) to Gruene.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Austin97

i like the not mowing too. especially the tall native grasses that are about a foot tall.

Really???? We had this discussion last year and examples of WEEDS cascading into the travel lanes under their own weight were offered. Take the ramp from SB MoPac to 5th St heading into town and tell us how lovely those "wildflowers" are!!! Nothing but weeds encroaching from the median into the travel lanes as a fine 'welcome to Austin downtown' !!! Trashy, nothing but trashy

Nobody said the roads had to be manicured; but not cutting the weeds more than once a year because the "wildflowers" need to seed is a miserable excuse for laziness.

I'm headed that way in the morning. If I can figure out a way to legally take a pic, I'll be glad to show you just how lovely our native 'grasses' are.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Honestly, it is the mowed within an inch of its life, master-planned community look that I dislike!

Weeds overgrowing medians, sidewalks & curbs, with the usual trash littering said spaces & gutters are you thing?


Now that's weird!

[impulsivetravelerguy]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Nobody said the roads had to be manicured; but not cutting the weeds more than once a year because the "wildflowers" need to seed is a miserable excuse for laziness.

To be honest, it's probably not laziness than saving money. Budgets are tight and every year it seems they want to make them tighter. I'm sure mowing is expensive.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by impulsivetravelerguy

To be honest, it's probably not laziness than saving money. Budgets are tight and every year it seems they want to make them tighter. I'm sure mowing is expensive.

They run sweeper trucks 6+ times a year through pristine neighborhoods like Avery Ranch...they could mow the trashy medians.

By the bye, I passed the particular spot on 5th St immediately after leaving MoPac southbound this morning. There was no way to legally get a photo in the time I had; but I can assure you all, this is not "native grasses about a foot tall". The weeds are falling into the travel lanes and encroaching along the surface, stopped only by getting run over by traffic!!! There is trash embedded in the weeds and nary a wildflower to be seen...just blight. And this would be the FIRST thing a visitor sees upon leaving MoPac to go downtown in our 'attractive' city. I noticed at least a half-dozen other examples before I even left "downtown". Lovely, indeed.

[JohnKneedep]

Having lived in bigger cities before, Austin doesn't really have a lot that stands out, because many other cities have more of anything, do it better than Austin does, etc.

But one thing I did notice that I think many cities don't have but Austin does very well is a combination of a larger city life with a relaxed community feel of a smaller city. This is usually clearly seen in huge gatherings for music festivals or just going out to live music bars, etc. It's not really credit to the city itself but more to its people living here.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by JohnKneedep

Having lived in bigger cities before, Austin doesn't really have a lot that stands out, because many other cities have more of anything, do it better than Austin does, etc.

But one thing I did notice that I think many cities don't have but Austin does very well is a combination of a larger city life with a relaxed community feel of a smaller city. This is usually clearly seen in huge gatherings for music festivals or just going out to live music bars, etc. It's not really credit to the city itself but more to its people living here.

Just what the heck do you think a city IS, JohnKneedep, if not the people who live there? And, of course, the things that draw them to want to live in that particular place.

[JohnKneedep]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Just what the heck do you think a city IS, JohnKneedep, if not the people who live there? And, of course, the things that draw them to want to live in that particular place.

City is more than just the people. It usually has buildings, roads, libraries, parks... I wanted to emphasize the community over the amenities of the city. It's not credit to Austin; it's a credit to Austinites.

[impulsivetravelerguy]

Originally Posted by JohnKneedep

Having lived in bigger cities before, Austin doesn't really have a lot that stands out, because many other cities have more of anything, do it better than Austin does, etc.

But one thing I did notice that I think many cities don't have but Austin does very well is a combination of a larger city life with a relaxed community feel of a smaller city. This is usually clearly seen in huge gatherings for music festivals or just going out to live music bars, etc. It's not really credit to the city itself but more to its people living here.

Another thing I do find is there is a ton of trees and it feels a lot less of a concrete jungle than other cities.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

They run sweeper trucks 6+ times a year through pristine neighborhoods like Avery Ranch...they could mow the trashy medians.

By the bye, I passed the particular spot on 5th St immediately after leaving MoPac southbound this morning. There was no way to legally get a photo in the time I had; but I can assure you all, this is not "native grasses about a foot tall". The weeds are falling into the travel lanes and encroaching along the surface, stopped only by getting run over by traffic!!! There is trash embedded in the weeds and nary a wildflower to be seen...just blight. And this would be the FIRST thing a visitor sees upon leaving MoPac to go downtown in our 'attractive' city. I noticed at least a half-dozen other examples before I even left "downtown". Lovely, indeed.

Well call 311 and report it! I drive into downtown from MoPac on Cesar Chavez not 5th and I have never seen what you are talking about.

And sweeper trucks come through my central Austin neighborhood twice a month!

My first guess would be is that it isn't even the CoA row -- ownership of land right there underneath the tangle of lanes is "interesting" to say the least. AISD might own it! But we will never know if you don't call 311!