Are the relos moving to Austin some of the least grounded/established in the areas they are coming from? (driveways, drive)

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by Jennibc

To answer you ITC, we are in Circle C. Our street has a block party just about every week during daylight savings time. One neighbor is our emergency contact for our son's school and we are theirs. Sometimes I pick my neighbor's kids up from school. We babysit for each other. The kids ride bikes together outside. There are a couple of parks where the kids can play. There are sidewalks throughout the entire subdivision.

Up at Escarpment Village, walking distance from some parts of the neighborhood, we have several locally owned eateries and an icecream shop. There is a large HEB but it carries many of the items from Central Market.

On the diversity front, if by that do you mean are there people of color, there are some, but certainly not many, I would say between 15 and 20%.

Sounds like you have a very nice neighborhood, Jen.....block parties sound like a great de facto public commons way of getting people together in the subdivisions.....we used to horse barricade the streets for our block parties in Indy, but I would imagine you would hold it in someone's backyard if you have it that often. We did the potluck thing, and everyone always left with food. Beer, pop for kids, and lots of H Dogs and Burgers for kids....ours were only held 2-3 times a year.

Glad to hear you have sidewalks throughout the sub. So important, if only for the little ones to have a safe place to bike, as streets in most every subdivision short of cul-de-sacs are pretty busy.

Per walking from the sub to shopping and such, many I've seen were way too far to walk. Even one winding block could be the length of several regular blocks. I've seen subs where you had to go a mile or more in the sub from the main access street to get to your house.

Having kids in common is just about the best way to meet people in newer subdivisions. My sister felt really out of the loop in her sub till she had a few kids, and now she's quite a part of hers, with most activities revolving around kids, their birthdays, lessons, school, and such.

I still miss the corner grocery store. I lived right next to one for years in Chicago and was spoiled ever after. So nice to just walk across the way for snacks, beer, the newspaper, cigarettes, and such. The store served as a cracker barrel as well, and older men used to like to hang around and chat when they got their lotto tickets, and kids would make the big deal about getting candy and slurpies and such.

One thing I did not mention is everyone is looking for something different.
Most obviously want SOME modicum of friendly, but prob don't want the TRUMAN SHOW/mayberry thing of overfriendly people crawling up your butt. Some really just want to close the garage door as soon as they pull in from work and stay in the house/backyard, and install high privacy fences in the back. And you always have the area weirdos and loudmouths, though they are usually a small part of most areas....

[love roses]

Originally Posted by inthecut

I'm glad, very glad, if i'm mistaken.......that's exactly how I grew up, and how most city neighborhoods were up till the 70's or so.......My experience with sprawl subdivisions, new construction housing, call it what you will, was formed over many years of seeing and living it in other cities, much of it in the Chicago metro, Indianapolis's Hamilton County(just north of city like our north burbs), and south florida. I live in a condo in the central city, but I do have occasion to drive throughout some of the burbs and newer city subs, and it looks much like what I'm familiar with, at least the upper-middle class and upscale ones.....the older city areas that date to the 70's and 80's most definitely seem to have more of the "sharing sugar/sitting on porches" goings on. I've never seen any of the good old neighborly sharing you mention where I've been. I saw lots of kids riding bikes in the streets and such, and hanging out, and such, but the houses and lots were large enough to make it hard to see any social activity centered on the same, though the backyards could have been buzzing with activity. The new construction I've seen did not have the porches of old, though sometimes had handsome facades and porticos in front, with winding driveways......

I think that the fact that so many people are new in Austin forces people to get out of their shell a bit. So many are unmoored from old friends and family, and MUST get out of their comfort zone if they plan on having any friends. Surely the native texans and southerners bring a measure of down home friendliness as well.

I have a few questions for you guys as well. Sounds like you are relatively new arrivals, and quite excited about moving to Austin, with the extra buzz and energy that goes with any new experience, and that seems to filter down to the connections you are making....How established are these areas? Are they mostly composed of new arrivals like yourself?

How many safe paths/streets are there for kids to bike on? Are you concerned about heavy traffic when they venture forth on their bikes, helmeted or not? Do your kids have access to bike trails, specifically and only for bikes/joggers?

How much public spaces, besides pools, are in your subdivisions? Are there just little "pocket parks", just large enough to take toddlers on swings, or are they substantial, with large fields for baseball/soccer/football, along with rec centers for neighborhood activities?

Do you honestly hang out with your neighbors, or just know them enough to chat once in while?
Do you invite them in for dinner, parties, and such? Would you honestly feel comfortable knocking on many of their doors asking them to join you doing something? Do you have their home/cell numbers in case of emergency, or when you go on vacation to keep an eye on the house?

How are the retail options outside of the big-boxes on the major streets? Are there smaller little local stores independently owned you can walk to? Speaking of walking to, are the amenities close enough to walk to outside the subdivision, or must one fire up the car to do pretty much everything?

Finally, and don't take offense, how diverse are your subdivisions? Are they pretty much Anglo, with a smattering of a few Asians, Asian-Indians and such, or do you have a fair number of blacks and hispanics? Are your childrens schools composed largely of the same demographic as well?

Thanks for your candor..........

1) New arrivals: Big mix. Hutto where I live grew from 2-3,000 people to 17,000 in only 2 or so years. My neighborhood is relatively new and nearly built out now. We are next to "Old Town" which has a few homes dating from the late 1800's to turn of the century, so yes, it's got it's well established parts. We also have a few historic cemeteries. Our little downtown dates from mid to late 1800's and the town was founded by a freed slave.

2) Since Hutto seems to think the only available land to build any of the new things they keep building is located in my neighborhood, yes, I think that traffic is a bit of an issue. However, we have really wide sidewalks along the major road into the subdivision and sidewalks on both sides of the streets on the smaller streets in the neighborhood. I just have my daughter ride her bike or scooter away from the busy areas. We have to cross 1660 to get to the park and get to the bike trail, but it's not hard to do really, and once there we have access to the hike/bike trail.

3) Our neighborhood pretty much just has the "pocket park" with the pool. There is some greenspace that we are wanting to possibly put a soccer field or basketball court on but it's only an idea we are bantering about as of now. With the yes vote on the YMCA that, of course, will be built IN my neighborhood, across the street from me, we will have easy access to a rec center. Hutto has plenty of undeveloped land, so pardon me for venting about it sometimes. I'm glad we are getting some new things, but I just think it stinks that they can't find anywhere but this area to put any of it up in

4)I know my neighbors well. A neighbor across the street and one in a totally different neighborhood are my daughters emergency contacts for school. All the kids are best friends as well. I have my next door neighbors contact numbers and we all pet and house sit for each other when needed and watch each others kids. We borrow things from each other and my next door neighbor loves to show off his latest home improvement projects, so he'll take us on little mini tours of his house whenever he finishes something. Same thing for neighbors further down the street from me and others in various other parts of the neighborhood.

5) As much as I gripe about Hutto thinking there is no place to develop except in my neighborhood, the plus side to that is that I really don't need to take a car to do much. I only live a few blocks from "downtown" so I can walk to eat at 4 local cafes/restaurants there and if I need to buy a gift, there is a locally owned florist shop and a gift store there. There is also a dentist, the local paper, law and cpa offices and our itty bitty museum. If there was a fire at my house the fire station wouldn't even have to bring a truck out and if we had an ems emergency I wouldn't even have to pick up the phone to dial 911, just run across the street. Same with the post office, since it's around the corner. I can ride my bike to the Doctors office, walk to the library, dry cleaners, pet groomer, etc....If I lived in any other neighborhood in Hutto, I'd have to take a car.

6) Our neighborhood is very diverse. More than just a smattering of other races. There are white people here, but probably about an even number of hispanics and blacks as well. We even have some gay/lesbian families with kids. The school is just as equally diverse.

[love roses]

"I still miss the corner grocery store. I lived right next to one for years in Chicago and was spoiled ever after. So nice to just walk across the way for snacks, beer, the newspaper, cigarettes, and such. The store served as a cracker barrel as well, and older men used to like to hang around and chat when they got their lotto tickets, and kids would make the big deal about getting candy and slurpies and such."


We had a corner store like that when I was a kid, and now the Wag A Bag is the corner store here. It's actually been the "corner store" for lots of years and even after they built the new one, they built on the little "cafe" room where people still gather and talk over coffee/snacks or whatever.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by love roses

1) New arrivals: Big mix. Hutto where I live grew from 2-3,000 people to 17,000 in only 2 or so years. My neighborhood is relatively new and nearly built out now. We are next to "Old Town" which has a few homes dating from the late 1800's to turn of the century, so yes, it's got it's well established parts. We also have a few historic cemeteries. Our little downtown dates from mid to late 1800's and the town was founded by a freed slave.

2) Since Hutto seems to think the only available land to build any of the new things they keep building is located in my neighborhood, yes, I think that traffic is a bit of an issue. However, we have really wide sidewalks along the major road into the subdivision and sidewalks on both sides of the streets on the smaller streets in the neighborhood. I just have my daughter ride her bike or scooter away from the busy areas. We have to cross 1660 to get to the park and get to the bike trail, but it's not hard to do really, and once there we have access to the hike/bike trail.

3) Our neighborhood pretty much just has the "pocket park" with the pool. There is some greenspace that we are wanting to possibly put a soccer field or basketball court on but it's only an idea we are bantering about as of now. With the yes vote on the YMCA that, of course, will be built IN my neighborhood, across the street from me, we will have easy access to a rec center. Hutto has plenty of undeveloped land, so pardon me for venting about it sometimes. I'm glad we are getting some new things, but I just think it stinks that they can't find anywhere but this area to put any of it up in

4)I know my neighbors well. A neighbor across the street and one in a totally different neighborhood are my daughters emergency contacts for school. All the kids are best friends as well. I have my next door neighbors contact numbers and we all pet and house sit for each other when needed and watch each others kids. We borrow things from each other and my next door neighbor loves to show off his latest home improvement projects, so he'll take us on little mini tours of his house whenever he finishes something. Same thing for neighbors further down the street from me and others in various other parts of the neighborhood.

5) As much as I gripe about Hutto thinking there is no place to develop except in my neighborhood, the plus side to that is that I really don't need to take a car to do much. I only live a few blocks from "downtown" so I can walk to eat at 4 local cafes/restaurants there and if I need to buy a gift, there is a locally owned florist shop and a gift store there. There is also a dentist, the local paper, law and cpa offices and our itty bitty museum. If there was a fire at my house the fire station wouldn't even have to bring a truck out and if we had an ems emergency I wouldn't even have to pick up the phone to dial 911, just run across the street. Same with the post office, since it's around the corner. I can ride my bike to the Doctors office, walk to the library, dry cleaners, pet groomer, etc....If I lived in any other neighborhood in Hutto, I'd have to take a car.

6) Our neighborhood is very diverse. More than just a smattering of other races. There are white people here, but probably about an even number of hispanics and blacks as well. We even have some gay/lesbian families with kids. The school is just as equally diverse.

Love Roses, I remember when you uploaded the cute pic of your girl being silly. I think she was on a trampoline in the backyard, if I recall.

Funny, but to me biking access to a library is awesome, as I prob go to mine every day in my neighborhood, but a couple really busy streets
(lamar and congress) pretty much preclude a pleasant everyday trip there on bike.

Sounds pretty wonderful to go on a bike to those places on a sunny day.

BTW, is the itty bitty museum a historical one? Sounds like it if Hutto is that old..wonder if there is a pick of that founding father slave you mention....was that his last name?

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by love roses

"I still miss the corner grocery store. I lived right next to one for years in Chicago and was spoiled ever after. So nice to just walk across the way for snacks, beer, the newspaper, cigarettes, and such. The store served as a cracker barrel as well, and older men used to like to hang around and chat when they got their lotto tickets, and kids would make the big deal about getting candy and slurpies and such."


We had a corner store like that when I was a kid, and now the Wag A Bag is the corner store here. It's actually been the "corner store" for lots of years and even after they built the new one, they built on the little "cafe" room where people still gather and talk over coffee/snacks or whatever.

I know it's weird, but I used to go into those local little stores 2-3 times a day. I just enjoyed walking over to get something, even if it was just a coke/paper. And you'd get to know the clerks, and get that little routine. Just fun to see adults and kids from the neighborhood. I worked in one as a teen, and had a really great couple summers doing so. Was a blast knowing so many regulars, many on a first name basis.

Those were the days! I'm pleasantly shocked to hear Austin's new subdivisions are so friendly. Maybe I should get the hell out of my condo,
procure a wife and kids somewhere, and move in!

Anyone know any nice single women in their 30's looking for a guy with a condo in south austin?

I'm only half-kidding here!


Here's my pic folks...I have no facial scars and love canines....

.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by inthecut

I know it's weird, but I used to go into those local little stores 2-3 times a day. I just enjoyed walking over to get something, even if it was just a coke/paper. And you'd get to know the clerks, and get that little routine. Just fun to see adults and kids from the neighborhood. I worked in one as a teen, and had a really great couple summers doing so. Was a blast knowing so many regulars, many on a first name basis.

Those were the days! I'm pleasantly shocked to hear Austin's new subdivisions are so friendly. Maybe I should get the hell out of my condo,
procure a wife and kids somewhere, and move in!

Anyone know any nice single women in their 30's looking for a guy with a condo in south austin?

I'm only half-kidding here!


Here's my pic folks...I have no facial scars and love canines....

.

You'd have to give up some CD posting time....

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

You'd have to give up some CD posting time....

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!

Hilarious! Yes indeed, that would get me off the net for sure!.......

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Sounds like you have a very nice neighborhood, Jen.....block parties sound like a great de facto public commons way of getting people together in the subdivisions.....we used to horse barricade the streets for our block parties in Indy, but I would imagine you would hold it in someone's backyard if you have it that often. We did the potluck thing, and everyone always left with food. Beer, pop for kids, and lots of H Dogs and Burgers for kids....ours were only held 2-3 times a year.

We have 'em in driveways. No need to close the street.

[love roses]

Hutto is named after James Emory Hutto but Adam Orgain (freed slave) was here before he was. You can google both names but this site hutto-heritage-foundation.org/ADAM_ORGAIN has a good history on him and on what the town was like back then. I was surprised to read about the Indians and the variety of wildlife that is now long gone.

[inthecut]

Here is a bunch of stuff about Adam Orgain.....

Adam Orgain the first settler of Hutto Texas