Actual "Weird Map" of Austin showing the most eclectic/local parts of the city (Georgetown: amphitheatre, moving)

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by McDavis

Exactly! Those "anticeptic" 'burbs have quaint little old downtowns filled will local businesses, farmers markets, and festivals. They have a lot more personality than what you see going 70 mph on 35 or 183. Believe it or not, RR, PF CP, Leander, & GT have histories that pre-date the Walmart and Target.

Also, they have grown quite fast.....extremely fast, in fact....you can't create personality overnight....sure they were small hamlets before, but they were simply overrun with cookie-cutter subdivisions and strip malls..
with time, the newly built up parts will develop personality, but still Big-Box/national chain city now, especially RR and CP.....and most assuredly NONE of them have the personality/eclecticism people are moving to Austin to see/live in....as nondescript as anything in the rest of the sunbelt, if not more so.....

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Also, they have grown quite fast.....extremely fast, in fact....you can't create personality overnight....sure they were small hamlets before, but they were simply overrun with cookie-cutter subdivisions and strip malls..
with time, the newly built up parts will develop personality, but still Big-Box/national chain city now, especially RR and CP.....and most assuredly NONE of them have the personality/eclecticism people are moving to Austin to see/live in....as nondescript as anything in the rest of the sunbelt, if not more so.....

I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass but would you mind saying that again so a hick like me can understand it? I get what you're saying in the first part but I don't know what you're saying in the second part. I've read it over and over and still don't get it.

[TexasHorseLady]

inthecut, what you're not getting, and evidently not actually going and looking to see, is that the quaint parts are still there, just not, as someone said, if you're driving through in a hurry (or with preconceived notions - this reminds me a great deal of the people who come to Texas expecting to see shoot outs in the dirt streets at high noon in front of the Capitol). There is SO much more to those communities than you're perceiving - but what there is doesn't fit your agenda, so that might explain why you're not seeing it.

[inthecut]

I live next to Cedar Park, so I see IT everyday......just a continuation of the nondescript blahness in northwest Austin itself.....impossible to differentiate where it begins and CP begins going north on Mopac......same strip malls, subdivisions, overcrowded main arteries......Per Round Rock, the Dell family should be ashamed at not creating what COULD have been a showplace with endowment money for performing arts venues, small museums, etc.....they endowed zero, just paying for the naming rights to Dell Diamond......Round Rock is another concatenation of Mega-apartment complex sprawl, Big-Box, national restaurant and retail chains, and MORE generic subdivision......the same for the other smaller players as well......what "quaint" parts there are are absolutely dwarfed by the new residential and retail sprawl.....a cursory drive throughout the region would confirm it even more so.........

Is this "BAD"?.....Heck no......just growth on steroids, in every case overwheming little burghs who were not on the radar of Austinites themselves 20 years ago, let alone regionally/nationally....and different than any other metro region in the US? Not at all....sprawl, always nondescript, with the same national chains, builders, and players, is uniformly the same everywhere, and has the same effect everywhere.....you could be in suburban Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, etc.....and not tell the difference between ANY.....

[TexasHorseLady]

You live "next to" Cedar Park? Would that be Leander, or Round Rock, or Austin? How much of Cedar Park do you explore on a regular basis, and what parts? How much of Round Rock, or Georgetown, or the other communities that were there before the sprawl do you explore on a regular (daily or weekly) basis? How much time did you spend in them before the sprawl arrived? If you did spend a lot of time there before the sprawl arrived, do you still shop at the local places you did before?

[oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots]

Dell isn't that old yet is it? Give it time. I'm sure there will be more center for the Arts and whatever it is they "endow" given time.

We haven't been exploring that much yet but what we've seen so far is there certainly are areas that have character and appear to serve the area and people they're in.

Businesses are varied. Yes, there are the big names but look around at the area you're comparing to, (which I'm not sure what you're holding the standard as) and see right down the street from your museum or center for the Arts there is a PAWN shop. It all goes hand in hand.

We did get lost in Round Rock and wandered in upon DELL. All I can tell you is what a beautiful campus. I thought it was amazing.

From what I see much of the area is NEW. It's going to take time to develop what people are calling character. With DELL as the center I'm sure things will only get better. Let's just hope they don't go bankrupt or leave.

Yes, I've seen the sprawl and if I focus on all the negatives that is all I'm going to see. If you ask me, (and you didn't) I'd use the cliche I hear so often these days, "IT'S ALL GOOD."

Texas is very fortunate and I've reached the conclusion that whatever it is they've been doing is/has been working. And to use another cliche: "if it works don't fix it."

That's my two cents.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

I'm sure there will be more center for the Arts and whatever it is they "endow" given time.

Austin does not have a patron for the arts, such as the Hunts, the Crows, or the Nashers. Dell is the closest thing this town has, and he could care less. As much as we'd like his patronage, It's not his responsibility (sadly enough).

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

DELL. All I can tell you is what a beautiful campus. I thought it was amazing

Good.... for him.

Don't fall into the trap of throwing taxpayers' money at rich people so they can own things that we think are pretty to look at. (Cowboys Stadium, Victory Park)

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

From what I see much of the area is NEW. It's going to take time to develop what people are calling character.

Character denotes something unique. Strip malls are not unique. They will age the exact same way as their replicas across the U.S.
50 years fom now, they will still be big-box chains, and will still be homogenous.

Originally Posted by oldtoiletsmkgdflrpots

Texas is very fortunate

Yes, she is - warts and all.

[inthecut]

I like how we seem to really be getting into the topic.....true, Austin has no "endowment family".....Mike D would be the only one, though the Mackey family of Whole Foods could be seen as one as well......can't see how either family has provided much money or guidance per the arts, museums, etc.....Austin's main prob per funding/building cultural venues is the lack of corporate/endowment support....I recall going to a weekly free Zilker Park music thingie(not the on the green one), and coming the third week and seeing a sign that it was cancelled due to lack of funding.....I called the musicians' union and the city, and neither called me back...guess they don't give a hoot either.....

Old Pots. good question per what benchmark are we comparing the north and west Austin burbs to......just realized at work that we didn't consider that.....let me do this quick, while on my break at work here.......

My comparison would be the suburbs I grew up with in Chicago and Indianapolis.....Lets start with Indy.....I spent 6 years in Hamilton County just north of Indianapolis, fastest growing co in Indiana, and very similar to Williamson and Travis, during 2001-2006......they had the same growth spurt as Wilco/Travis at that time...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_County,_Indiana

Direct comparison is bad already just from the Indy burbs comparison....I love and practically live on bike trails...great way to chill, exercise, enjoy the beautiful days and meet/people watch.....The north Austin burbs have none....with no trails planned.....Hamilton County has THIS...

Take a good look at it....

Monon Trail, Indy Greenways

Now why can't OUR burbs have this? Or Austin, for that matter?.......

Now look at a few of the major burbs in hamilton county....
-----------------------------------------------
City of Carmel, Indiana in Hamilton County

BTW, this burb has its own bikeway dept...

http://www.ci.carmel.in.us/services/DOCS/DOCCAB.htm

--------------------------------------------------------
Town of Fishers Official Government Website

--------------------------------------------------------
: : The Official Website of the Town of Zionsville, Indiana : :
---------------------------------------------------------

Now look at the public library....carmel-clay.....

CCPL: Carmel Clay Public Library

They also have THIS for the kids...

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park

Where are the interactive "living history" parks for kids in suburban Austin?

And where are the major outdoor venues in Austin like this? Austin has more people than metro
Indy..surely they could build THIS in RR...(Verizon Wireless Music Center)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special...enter_(Indiana


Now, the Indy northern burbs are almost exactly similar to northern Austin's burbs in population and area.....but they can't even provide the same amenities?

You asked for a benchmark.....so compare our's with just Indy's, and see what you think....

When I have time, I'll post the Chicago burb comparison, though metro INDY is exactly the same size, and the best I can come up with......


and a better comparison

[love roses]

Originally Posted by inthecut

I like how we seem to really be getting into the topic.....true, Austin has no "endowment family".....Mike D would be the only one, though the Mackey family of Whole Foods could be seen as one as well......can't see how either family has provided much money or guidance per the arts, museums, etc.....Austin's main prob per funding/building cultural venues is the lack of corporate/endowment support....I recall going to a weekly free Zilker Park music thingie(not the on the green one), and coming the third week and seeing a sign that it was cancelled due to lack of funding.....I called the musicians' union and the city, and neither called me back...guess they don't give a hoot either.....

Old Pots. good question per what benchmark are we comparing the north and west Austin burbs to......just realized at work that we didn't consider that.....let me do this quick, while on my break at work here.......

My comparison would be the suburbs I grew up with in Chicago and Indianapolis.....Lets start with Indy.....I spent 6 years in Hamilton County just north of Indianapolis, fastest growing co in Indiana, and very similar to Williamson and Travis, during 2001-2006......they had the same growth spurt as Wilco/Travis at that time...

Hamilton County, Indiana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Direct comparison is bad already just from the Indy burbs comparison....I love and practically live on bike trails...great way to chill, exercise, enjoy the beautiful days and meet/people watch.....The north Austin burbs have none....with no trails planned.....Hamilton County has THIS...

Take a good look at it....

Monon Trail, Indy Greenways

Now why can't OUR burbs have this? Or Austin, for that matter?.......

Now look at a few of the major burbs in hamilton county....
-----------------------------------------------
City of Carmel, Indiana in Hamilton County

BTW, this burb has its own bikeway dept...

Carmel Indiana Department of Community Services

--------------------------------------------------------
Town of Fishers Official Government Website

--------------------------------------------------------
: : The Official Website of the Town of Zionsville, Indiana : :
---------------------------------------------------------

Now look at the public library....carmel-clay.....

CCPL: Carmel Clay Public Library

They also have THIS for the kids...

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park

Where are the interactive "living history" parks for kids in suburban Austin?

And where are the major outdoor venues in Austin like this? Austin has more people than metro
Indy..surely they could build THIS in RR...(Verizon Wireless Music Center)

Verizon Wireless Music Center (Indiana - Search results - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Now, the Indy northern burbs are almost exactly similar to northern Austin's burbs in population and area.....but they can't even provide the same amenities?

You asked for a benchmark.....so compare our's with just Indy's, and see what you think....

When I have time, I'll post the Chicago burb comparison, though metro INDY is exactly the same size, and the best I can come up with......


and a better comparison

I agree with the first part. Houston has tons more endowments for the arts and families who donate lots of money. Menil is one that comes to mind.

I disagree a bit about the bike trails North of the City. I know that Hutto already has a smallish trail and is going to be extending it and improving it and eventually wants to have it linked to a larger system connecting Round Rock and Taylor as well. It would be great if Pflugerville would get in on it too and then we could have an extremely large system of trails all the way from say, Georgetown, to N. Austin...I know it may be a pipe dream but one that I brought back from Denver and they do have a trail system that extensive. If they can do it, I don't see why Austin couldn't.

I think Austin has some living history parks/ranches/farms. I don't have much to compare it to besides what there was in Denver.

I've got to read your other links and respond again

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by love roses

I agree with the first part. Houston has tons more endowments for the arts and families who donate lots of money. Menil is one that comes to mind.

I disagree a bit about the bike trails North of the City. I know that Hutto already has a smallish trail and is going to be extending it and improving it and eventually wants to have it linked to a larger system connecting Round Rock and Taylor as well. It would be great if Pflugerville would get in on it too and then we could have an extremely large system of trails all the way from say, Georgetown, to N. Austin...I know it may be a pipe dream but one that I brought back from Denver and they do have a trail system that extensive. If they can do it, I don't see why Austin couldn't.

I think Austin has some living history parks/ranches/farms. I don't have much to compare it to besides what there was in Denver.

I've got to read your other links and respond again

LR, now I remember when you posted the stuff about the Denver/Boulder metro area trails a while back.....Austin metro can do anything it wants..has same eminent domain potential as well....you need enough people who give a d@mn to raise hell is all.....and that can still happen..

BTW, keep in mind INDY is "podunk" in comparison to Austin.....and they can do THAT, and we CAN'T? Please......if a bunch of inbred Hoosiers can do it, why can't the intelligent, erudite folks of the Austin metro do it?.....just takes will, not smarts!