Any long-time residents think of all the Austin growth? (Dallas: 2014, how much)

[LookingtoLeave]

Originally Posted by twange

This is the thing I love about Austin. People seem to be engaged and really care. Even though I disagree with almost everything that AustinTexan says, I love his/her spirit!

I agree up until the last part. I respect his/her passion for Austin, but it's not spirit. I think they're too full of hate.

[scongress1234]

Well, hate never solves anything, though I think it's frustration that seems to come out as hate. Trouble with posting, like most internet communication, is that its difficult to convey complex emotions on here, which lends itself to trolling and flaming. This is a great medium to exchange ideas and straight information, but, when someone feels strongly about an issue, it is impossible to contain it in the simple context of posting opinions. Talk radio isn't much better, but at least you have the vocal medium that humanizes the discussion a tad more. Even then you have the classical rants that are parodied on comedy shows and the like. The ONLY way to air such grievances is person to person. If you met Happy Texan, you might be surprised to see him very soft spoken, and possibly a very friendly, decent guy, who happens to feel strongly about this issue of rapid growth in Austin. Can I TRY to put these ideas in context? I'm not the best candidate, as I've probably ranted more than anyone on here, HT included, but I'll try......

Rapid growth in urban metros is never simple, easy, or the same across the board for all. Long-time folks will notice it more. They have been here longer, and remember how it was. They have developed a fondness for what has changed, and have more markers to compare it too. They may also glorify and magnify some of those things as well. I wasn't here way back when, but I understand that much of South Austin was a tad rough up to the early 90's. South Congress and thereabouts were a haven for pimps, drug-dealers, bums, and flop-houses. I also heard that high-paying jobs were very rare back then too, before the tech boom, and state and UT jobs were far more coveted than they are now, as there were few private sector options. Not many shopping options as well, and few shopping malls to speak of. The outskirts were pretty much Palooka-ville as well, and even round rock was a sleepy, quiet little burg until Dell set up shop there. So, actually old Austin is greatly glorified by the long-timers. It was totally off the national radar, and all the growth in Texas was centered in Houston and the MP. When you think of it, its somewhat of a miracle that Austin boomed and bloomed the way it did and has. No one back then would have ever expected it. If you told someone walking out of the Continental Club in '79 that the whole area would be full of botiques, Amy's ice creams, condos, and that it would be the hottest place in Austin, they would have laughed, as they tripped over the wino lying in front of the stoop. Now look at Bubbaville! Again, a miracle, nothing less. If you mentioned to a grad student hustling at a resturant for chump tips in '80 that in 15 years, Austin would be a tech mecca, and a national magnet for the creative class, he would have laughed at you as he picked up his dollar tip. If you would have mentioned to someone in Cedar Park in '85, that in 22 years, Money Magazine would rank it as the top place to live in the USA, he would have laughed as he downed his bottle of bud in the backyard. So, come to think of it, maybe we should look at all this growth as the miracle it is, while trying to shape that growth in a way that is fair to everyone, old and new, and as painless as possible, whether that means building more roads, creating more public spaces and commons, or just trying to get along more. Again, how amazing that this little city in the middle of Texas, so far off the national grid, closer to the Mexican border than most of the cities relocatees are moving from, has attracted so many people in search of something better. Perhaps, and I feel very strongly that its more than a perhaps, this rare and unforseen growth will result in a model of urban living and quality-of-life that will change the rules of the same, and offer a great chance for those who look for more out of life to live it fully, with those of like minds. It's more than a dream. It might be happening right before your eyes......

[twange]

Originally Posted by scongress1234

Perhaps, and I feel very strongly that its more than a perhaps, this rare and unforseen growth will result in a model of urban living and quality-of-life that will change the rules of the same, and offer a great chance for those who look for more out of life to live it fully, with those of like minds.

Boy, I sure hope so...That's the kind of city we want to live in. It's not impossible.

[TexasHorseLady]

You know, being off the national radar, if it means we don't turn into something that all the folks from somewhere else want to make it, isn't all that bad a thing. I LOVE for folks to move here that want to move HERE, not to move to a place that they think isn't good enough so they have no compunction in advocating changing it, and working to change it, into something they'd like better.

Again, I'm not against change, but change in the spirit of the original, not change because you don't (or didn't) LIKE the original. And if what you were focused on back then was the negatives that you mention above, you missed the best of it, and missed the point of Austin entirely.

Austin was never about "urban living". Pretending that making it so is an improvement also misses the entire point. Perhaps the problem - a lot of people moving here who are having the point of Austin go zooming right past them, so that they think it needs to be "fixed" to be more "big city" and that once it's there, all will be good.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

You know, being off the national radar, if it means we don't turn into something that all the folks from somewhere else want to make it, isn't all that bad a thing. I LOVE for folks to move here that want to move HERE, not to move to a place that they think isn't good enough so they have no compunction in advocating changing it, and working to change it, into something they'd like better.

Again, I'm not against change, but change in the spirit of the original, not change because you don't (or didn't) LIKE the original. And if what you were focused on back then was the negatives that you mention above, you missed the best of it, and missed the point of Austin entirely.

Austin was never about "urban living". Pretending that making it so is an improvement also misses the entire point. Perhaps the problem - a lot of people moving here who are having the point of Austin go zooming right past them, so that they think it needs to be "fixed" to be more "big city" and that once it's there, all will be good.

That is WHY I want to move to Austin...because I love it for what it is, not what it can be! Austin is truly a gem of a place...not wanting to change a thing here. I just want to move and live the Texan way of life, but I get so frustrated when I read posts like "you've seen it, now go home".

[TexasHorseLady]

Hey, absolutely, Texanwannabe, you're the kind we want moving here! If you can love Austin for what it is and make it MORE Austin, that's great! (Okay, so just how weird ARE you? )

[TexasGirl@Heart]

How weird am I...lets see...

Not a hippie of the 70's although, I love that attitude.
I love seeing Leslie out and about in South Austin when I'm visiting.
I love hanging out at Barton Springs pool when in town.
I love going to the Continental Club to hear great COUNTRY music.
I love playing Chicken Sh#t Bingo on a Sunday afternoon at Ginny's.
I love the hike/bike trails around Town Lake and yes, I learned it as being Town lake 10 years ago, so I will always refer to it as Town Lake. (No disrespect meant for Lady Bird Johnson)
Just as Congress Ave Bridge will always be that to me, not Ann Richards Bridge or whatever the H#LL they named it.
I love bat viewing
I love BBQ--is there any other food group?!?!

I feel that I can offer Austin my expertise in critical care nursing...been one for over 17 years and am well respected in my hospital here in Pittsburgh. I teach critical care nursing courses as well. I've presented at hospitals nationwide, including TX! (San Antonio to be exact). I don't want to change Austin...I love it the way it is.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Oh, I almost forgot (how shameless!)...

I LOVE the Broken Spoke, especially when James White sings the Broken Spoke anthem on stage and a wheel roller rolls the wheel with the broken spoke around the large wooden dance floor. I want to roll the wheel!!!

[scongress1234]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

You know, being off the national radar, if it means we don't turn into something that all the folks from somewhere else want to make it, isn't all that bad a thing. I LOVE for folks to move here that want to move HERE, not to move to a place that they think isn't good enough so they have no compunction in advocating changing it, and working to change it, into something they'd like better.

Again, I'm not against change, but change in the spirit of the original, not change because you don't (or didn't) LIKE the original. And if what you were focused on back then was the negatives that you mention above, you missed the best of it, and missed the point of Austin entirely.

Austin was never about "urban living". Pretending that making it so is an improvement also misses the entire point. Perhaps the problem - a lot of people moving here who are having the point of Austin go zooming right past them, so that they think it needs to be "fixed" to be more "big city" and that once it's there, all will be good.

RIGHT ON, THL!

Remember when I said what makes a house a home? Same with cities. Austin is far more thaan the total of its infrastructure, prob more than 97% of most cities. Per "Austin weird", which they could have made sound better, but did get to the point, Austin is all about the zeitgeist, and little about the look.
And the more you build, the more the zeitgeist gets crowded out.

[jimmyjack]

Hooooweeee! It is hard to keep up with this one. For the record, I was most likely conceived after a good night at the skyline club out on the Dallas Highway way back when. Things come and go and if they stay the same it gets a bit monotonous. If you don't like change and you want to live in a smaller city, it's not like there are any shortage of them 100 miles in any direction. I think most of the folks wishin things were like the used to be are talking out of both sides of their mouths cause there are a lot of new things here that make this city just as special as the old things that are gone. If you're an old timer and can't have yourself a time in this city today, the problem might be with you and not the city.

I don't have a stake in any of this one way or the other but the reason I keep coming back here to have a little fun is that for the most part I am impressed with how nice the folks are who want to move here are. There's a lot of that same spark that caused my people to hop into a wagon with nothing more than a promise and a chance that with some hard work they could make themselves a good life. Texas has always been home for people like this.

Personally, I think AustinTexan is an aggie just giggin yall to see how high he can make you jump.