Alamo Drafthouse - Circle C!! (Austin, Allen: credit, daycare, income)

[texastrigirl]

And what's wrong with Republicans in Circle C? Lots of good folks live in CCR regardless of political affiliation. It's very un-Obama like to make a comment like that...he wants everyone to get along!!

And does anyone remember when said area where all the development has occurred/will occur was a huge field of bluebonnets and oak trees. It was a glorious place and I have many family photos and baby pics in bluebonnets to prove it. Well times are a changin' and as much as I missed the open space I LOVED that blasted HEB when it opened. Hard choices are being made but it's better to have Alamo than yet another tanning/nail salon. Those CCR people are pretty vocal and choosy about what graces the entrance of their neighborhood. One of the reasons I loved living there. People care and took action when they wanted change.

Alamo will do fine in CCR and at the end of the day, the residents in CCR would rather have an Alamo than a Walmart on that corner.

[llkltk]

So true, texastrigirl. A lot of people complain of Austin sprawl but SW Austin gets it right. I love that HEB too!

[texastrigirl]

The joke when that great store opened was HEB and Central Market had a baby...

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

And we're getting a P-Terry's in SW Austin too.

I think all of us funky, cool central Austinites from the 1980s had our funkiness temporarily interrupted by offspring. I like Central Austin, but with two teenage girls, it's suburban living and a minivan all the way. And the HEB at Circle C is the best in town for grocery shopping, especially compared to the HEB at Oltorf/SoCo.

It was the birth of our second, who was born at home in the corner bedroom of our house on Newning Street in Travis Heights, that prompted our migration toward the dark side, and evil suburban living in uncool, uninspired South and SW Austin homes.

We do have a mental red X on the calendar for 6 years from now when we'll be semi-retired empty nesters in our mid 50s. And we'd love to be back in the '04 in a charming old house with hardwoods, and once again walk to places we enjoy. But right now, being a Mom and Dad is priority, and we'll be happy partons of the new Draft House, P-Terry's, and we've already eaten at Chuey's several times.

Steve

I respect your decisions, Steve, but I resent that you find that being in the suburbs with a minivan equals 'giving your kids priority'....does that mean that not doing so means being a bad parent or not giving your kids priority? We don't have the latest floorplan, or a game room, but we don't think that means we aren't putting our kids first.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

I think Austin was a different town then, and the central areas of Austin were more family friendly. To be honest, the biggest deterrent for having a family in a central Austin neighborhood is the hipster factor, and the amount of 20-30 year old renters who have taken over the neighborhoods. That, and the upwardly mobile people in their 30s who haven't had any kids-- and either never will (too much of a nuisance and gets in the way of career) or have just had one kid and that's it. To me, this crowd is so anal about making sure they have perfect lives (Yoga, swimming, massages, visits to spas, holistic lifestyle, organic grocery shopping, riding a bike everywhere, driving a hybrid, having the most stylish clothes and furniture from the expensive urban elitist furniture places) and a child would really shatter all the perfect order and harmony in their lives. And having neighbors with loud messy unruly kids would really crimp their style. But seriously, when I think about places like Clarksville... in the 1940s, they were probably full of kids. Now, driving through there reminds me of the book 'Children of Men'... a world made for sophistication and adults who like to drink wine on the porch while remodeling their bungalow for the 3rd time. The investment they have made is too expensive and time consuming to allow kids to mess it all up. (I know someone will mention Mathews Elementary but that school has few kids from right around there.)

Wow. Broad brush. I do most of the things you seem to find 'anal', live Central and have 3 pretty wonderful kids. We have our own version of perfect order and harmony. Yes, I do consider our world to be sophisticated, we drink our share of Pinot on the porch and have remodeled a time or two. Do the kids mess it up? Yes, they do. Do I love it? Yes, I do. Would I live in the suburbs and get a 'bonus room' and an extra garage space? No, I wouldn't.

[Raskolnikov]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

Wow. Broad brush. I do most of the things you seem to find 'anal', live Central and have 3 pretty wonderful kids. We have our own version of perfect order and harmony. Yes, I do consider our world to be sophisticated, we drink our share of Pinot on the porch and have remodeled a time or two. Do the kids mess it up? Yes, they do. Do I love it? Yes, I do. Would I live in the suburbs and get a 'bonus room' and an extra garage space? No, I wouldn't.

It depends upon the central neighborhood. But tell me I'm not right about Clarksville. Drive through Hyde Park sometime too. Now Allendale I think actually does have some people who chose on purpose to have multiple children. But in general the world of certain 'cute' and hip central Austin bungalow hoods is a world that is subtly, unconsciously anti-family. (Especialy more than one child). Go to the park in Clarksville sometime, and sit there, and watch how the playground equipment is never ever used. But watch how all the cool people who live in the neighborhood bring their expensive dogs to the dog park, and drink wine while they watch the dogs run around and play. Drive through those awesome historic streets and notice how perfect the houses look.

Not that there are policies in place. But there are enough people who need to have their lives perfect living there, that I didn't feel comfortable spending half a million dollars to live in a tiny bungalow in a neighborhood where people like me aren't particularly welcome. Where I won't really have the sense of community I am looking for. IT's so ironic because people in central Austin decry the death of community and think suburban folks just go inside and ignore their neighbors, but in the burbs where I live I get to stand outside and hang out with neighbors and watch kids play together.

In most of the places in Central Austin where kids used to be during the 1940s... in fact, there are not kids there anymore. If they do have kids, its one and the baby is going to be living in the burbs by the time they are 6 or 7. Because the parents will realize they live in a place where no trick or treaters is the norm.... and where people might even give you ugly looks when your kids are running around... and I am talking about little kids here.

As I said I do think it was different about 10 years+ ago.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

I respect your decisions, Steve, but I resent that you find that being in the suburbs with a minivan equals 'giving your kids priority'....does that mean that not doing so means being a bad parent or not giving your kids priority? We don't have the latest floorplan, or a game room, but we don't think that means we aren't putting our kids first.

I don't understand why you are taking offense at his position. For him suburbs and a minivan is how he gives HIS kids priority, those are HIS values. He is allowed to have different values than you have. People can value different things in life.

We moved to the suburbs here (from in city Seattle) so that we could have a less stressful life. A less stressful life is better for our son. It is less stressful because cost of living is less, we could pull all of the equity out of our Seattle house for a large downpayment and have a lower monthly mortgage payment. Lower mortgage = less stress. Those are OUR values. But there are plenty of people that don't feel stressed about a high house payment. More power to them, that doesn't mean I am any superior nor are they. We just have different values and priorities.

[readymade]

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

That, and the upwardly mobile people in their 30s who haven't had any kids-- and either never will (too much of a nuisance and gets in the way of career) or have just had one kid and that's it. To me, this crowd is so anal about making sure they have perfect lives (Yoga, swimming, massages, visits to spas, holistic lifestyle, organic grocery shopping, riding a bike everywhere, driving a hybrid, having the most stylish clothes and furniture from the expensive urban elitist furniture places) and a child would really shatter all the perfect order and harmony in their lives.

Wow, what an incredibly incredibly insulting and ignorant statement! And, quite frankly, the most idiotic one I've yet to see on these boards (and that's saying a LOT!). People decide not to have kids for many many reasons. i.e. they know they won't make good parents (too many horrible parents have too many kids), they don't want to contribute to over-population, lack of money, they're unable to have children, or yes, they have other priorities.

You have NO IDEA of most people's situation and why they do or don't have kids. Personally I think if people thought a little more about why they're having kids and whether or not they'd make good parents... this world would be a better place.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by readymade

Wow, what an incredibly incredibly insulting and ignorant statement! And, quite frankly, the most idiotic one I've yet to see on these boards (and that's saying a LOT!). People decide not to have kids for many many reasons. i.e. they know they won't make good parents (too many horrible parents have too many kids), they don't want to contribute to over-population, lack of money, they're unable to have children, or yes, they have other priorities.

You have NO IDEA of most people's situation and why they do or don't have kids. Personally I think if people thought a little more about why they're having kids and whether or not they'd make good parents... this world would be a better place.

I read his "childless elites" monologue to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but as with all good sarcasm, to contain some elements of truth. If I read it wrong, I'd agree with you that it's not accurate to paint with such broad strokes and that there are many reasons that people choose certain locations and lifestyles, and whether or not to produce offspring.

As for whether suburbs are better suited or "better" for children, I think that's totally debatable, but demographics show that the majority of families nowadays do think suburban living best suits their personal circumstances. Often accepting longer commutes, but in return gaining better rated schools, newer homes, cheaper homes, more kids for their kids to play with, etc.

The financial and social reality is that if I chose to live in Travis Heights, I'd be in a $250-$300 per square foot home versus a Circle C family paying $100-$120 per sqft. And there are not a lot of teenagers living central whereas in my neighborhood, my youngest daughter has 5 of her best friends from her 6th grade class who live walking distance from our house.

The social interaction that provides her is something I value, not to mention the carpooling logistics to track, after school and other events that allow us parents to share the transportation load.

But in no way did I mean to imply that parents who raise kids in a central neighborhood are not making their kids a priority. They just don't have some of the aforementioned advantages that are important to me personally and which I value.

Steve

[readymade]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I read his "childless elites" monologue to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but as with all good sarcasm, to contain some elements of truth.

I sincerely hope so, and if that's true, then I apologize. I could be wrong but I didn't think the poster was trying to be funny or irreverent or tongue-in-cheek. But, then, it's the end of the week and I'm tired & ready for the weekend of living my selfish childless lifestyle