Any long-time residents think of all the Austin growth? (Fort Worth: cul-de-sac, low income)

[Megan1967]

It has crossed my mind that AustinTexas is only posting such ridiculous things to get a reaction out of people. If he truly is such a bigoted, bitter, mean, rude, arrogant person then I can only feel sorry for him.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Megan1967

It has crossed my mind that AustinTexas is only posting such ridiculous things to get a reaction out of people. If he truly is such a bigoted, bitter, mean, rude, arrogant person then I can only feel sorry for him.

how can you say that he is all of those things? austin was indeed a better place 20 years ago. the pace of life was slower and austin had many more landmarks that made it a unique gem. the overcrowding of austin has not been a positive change at all.

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by wehotex

how can you say that he is all of those things? austin was indeed a better place 20 years ago. the pace of life was slower and austin had many more landmarks that made it a unique gem. the overcrowding of austin has not been a positive change at all.

I do note that many people on here are relative newcomers to the area.
Long-timers are the type not to come on here, as the excitement of coming
to a new area predisposes one to post on a relo board. The vast majority of
long-timers will have to be found out in public, but they prob feel the same
as AT, though he does seem to try to get a rise out of people. I'm sorry, but thats the way many locals feel, and they have their reasons for it.

[austin-steve]

Well, I guess I'm a "long-timer" since I've lived in Austin since 1985 when I was 23 years old ... Hey!, I just realized I've now lived in Austin half my life - I'm 46.

Anyway, I don't think it's realistic to hope an economy, or the city to which that economy is attached, won't grow. Non-growth causes social and economic problems that would quickly make a city an undesirable place to live. Go visit Cincinnati or Detroit or other places with stagnate economies and declining populations and see if non-growth has created paradise. It hasn't.

Austin's growth is a good thing. What isn't a good thing may be the manner in which that growth is managed, where the growth happens, the speed of growth, the ability of infrastructure to keep up, and the slow, subtle, less tangible impact growth has on the culture and identity of a city.

For example:
I read in the newspaper the other day that the Showdown Bar on the drag is closing. I was a regular there, along with the Hole in the Wall, when I live on 24th street near UT my first two years in Austin. I loved to drink beer and hear live music, play pool, hang out, etc. So, I am sad to hear the Showdown is closing. A lot of early memories of Austin are there.

Part of me says "here we GROW again". It's another piece of "my old Austin" going away. The property owner is not renewing the lease because growth has created a more profitable use of the property.

On the other hand, I haven't patronized that establishment in 18 years. I have a family and a wife now. I don't hang out on bars playing pool and drinking beer, so my life is not impacted by this loss. Yet I'm sad anyway, because it represents an early Austin memory of mine, and reminds me that I've grow up also, just like Austin. Things keep changing.

25 years from now, people will have fond memories of how great Austin was in 2008 when they moved here, and how crowded it has become since then. Everything is relative.

Steve

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Well, I guess I'm a "long-timer" since I've lived in Austin since 1985 when I was 23 years old ... Hey!, I just realized I've now lived in Austin half my life - I'm 46.

Anyway, I don't think it's realistic to hope an economy, or the city to which that economy is attached, won't grow. Non-growth causes social and economic problems that would quickly make a city an undesirable place to live. Go visit Cincinnati or Detroit or other places with stagnate economies and declining populations and see if non-growth has created paradise. It hasn't.

Austin's growth is a good thing. What isn't a good thing may be the manner in which that growth is managed, where the growth happens, the speed of growth, the ability of infrastructure to keep up, and the slow, subtle, less tangible impact growth has on the culture and identity of a city.

For example:
I read in the newspaper the other day that the Showdown Bar on the drag is closing. I was a regular there, along with the Hole in the Wall, when I live on 24th street near UT my first two years in Austin. I loved to drink beer and hear live music, play pool, hang out, etc. So, I am sad to hear the Showdown is closing. A lot of early memories of Austin are there.

Part of me says "here we GROW again". It's another piece of "my old Austin" going away. The property owner is not renewing the lease because growth has created a more profitable use of the property.

On the other hand, I haven't patronized that establishment in 18 years. I have a family and a wife now. I don't hang out on bars playing pool and drinking beer, so my life is not impacted by this loss. Yet I'm sad anyway, because it represents an early Austin memory of mine, and reminds me that I've grow up also, just like Austin. Things keep changing.

25 years from now, people will have fond memories of how great Austin was in 2008 when they moved here, and how crowded it has become since then. Everything is relative.

Steve

Good phrase Steve...Here we grow again..you know, I just wonder why we always rationalize Austin's fast sprawl with Detroit-Cleveland comparisons, with apologies to our friend Twang. It's always a comparison with the LCD, rather then Portland, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Nashville, Indianapolis, or other bastions of SMART, controlled, regulated growth. Sort of like saying, "hey, we might be 49th in per pupil spending(Texas indeed ranks 49th), but at least we're not Mississippi(the eternaly damned for all time 50th). The bar for comparison should be far higher. Especially with the intelligent, well-off residents of Austin, who are capable of following complex issues, and emotionally involved to make a difference. I don't think rapid growth is ever an enjoyable process for anyone. Let's face it, thats why adolescence is the most angst-ridden period of life. It just moves so fast, too fast, to catch up, and piles folks on top of each other in traffic and other public places. And just keeps on coming and coming. The folks who benefit the most from all this are real estate agents, loan officers, developers, retail, and such. Anyone not directly involved with profiting from that growth suffers as a result. Ever hear of NIMBY(Not in my backyard)? Well, in Austin, its sort of the same, but with a twist. Everyone wants to be the last coming here, and close the door to the future newcomers. Call it LOHCD(Last one here close the door). I guess Tom Petty was right. There truly ain't no easy way out....

[TexasHorseLady]

The folks who benefit the most from all this are real estate agents, loan officers, developers, retail, and such. Anyone not directly involved with profiting from that growth suffers as a result.

Hey, some of us real estate agents suffer as a result, as well, especially if we've been here for 40 years or so. (I gave birth to an Austin native the year before Steve arrived here and had been here for some 15 years before that, and Austin had already changed dramatically - its heart had moved from central to south of the river, for example, by that time)

Stagnation is bad, yes, but just because I'm a real estate agent doesn't mean that I agree that the kind of growth we're seeing is a good thing. Blame the government, the lack of infrastructure, etc., all you want, but the fact remains that we didn't ask for it and now the city is being blamed for not building Austin around the needs and desires of those moving in in droves, but around the needs and desires of those who were already here.

[OAC]

It all happened very fast so it's all hindsight now. However, where I live now, building lot sizes are now limited to 6 acres in order to control sprawl. Austin could have at the very minimum put a .5 acre min lot size in the areas like Lakeway.

[chickenfry]

seems that austin has no jurisdiction over lakeway. I'm sure people in Lakeway would tell austin to take care of their own mess and leave the City of Lakeway alone, as well as RR, Pflugerville, Buda, Westlake, and on and on
Again, "the government" is you. If you don't participate, then not much for you to complain about. Go see the movie others have been suggesting. You will see what can happen when people participate.

[OAC]

The developers have jurisdiction over Lakeway....

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

The folks who benefit the most from all this are real estate agents, loan officers, developers, retail, and such. Anyone not directly involved with profiting from that growth suffers as a result.

Hey, some of us real estate agents suffer as a result, as well, especially if we've been here for 40 years or so. (I gave birth to an Austin native the year before Steve arrived here and had been here for some 15 years before that, and Austin had already changed dramatically - its heart had moved from central to south of the river, for example, by that time)

Stagnation is bad, yes, but just because I'm a real estate agent doesn't mean that I agree that the kind of growth we're seeing is a good thing. Blame the government, the lack of infrastructure, etc., all you want, but the fact remains that we didn't ask for it and now the city is being blamed for not building Austin around the needs and desires of those moving in in droves, but around the needs and desires of those who were already here.

THL, I sold real estate full-time for 8 years, so I know how it is. And I hated much of the ugly malls, strip malls, and boring cookie-cutter houses. I just got really bored of the field after that time. It was numbing to show buyers around, go through the same listing spiel, and all, and I was looking for something more challenging and interesting, not to mention varying. As I said, real estate agents have no control over development. That is decided by developers and contractors, along with city and zoning boards, long before the agent has a chance to find out about it, let alone sell it. Frankly. all you can do is sell what's given to you. In that sense, the agents are not to blame whatsoever. However, I don't believe many agents are on anti-growth committees, or fighting city hall to keep the Barton Springs aquifer intact, for example. I think they know where their bread is buttered, and just go along with the big guys. THL, can you honestly say you belong to any anti-growth organizations, committees, or such? If so, that is to be greatly commended, and you are a rare agent indeed!