Review of Austin (San Antonio, Georgetown, Paris: homes, tech job, buying)

[love roses]

There are places outside of Central Austin that AREN'T chains, as some above mention

[llkltk]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

I've lived in the city. (Still own a house there, five minutes from downtown.) I currently live in the country. There are some suburbs that I would love to live in, but I'd love to more if they were still the unique communities that they used to be.

But the real problem with sprawl is, indeed, one big box development after another because people just can't stand to drive the extra ten minutes (literally) to get to the one that's already there. Or housing developments that bring to mind the old song, "Little Houses (built of ticky tacky, little houses all the same)" that look the same from one city, or state, to the next. Developments that destroy the flavor of the communities and neighborhoods they invade.

If the development were more organic, more in tune with the individual, unique communities that are already there, I don't think it would be objected to so much. If it was easily possible to tell where, say, Round Rock ended and Cedar Park, or Austin, begins, without having to consult a map, that would be even better.

Are you actually a real estate agent? If so, I would not hire you. There are people who look at developments that you called "tacky". That is so rude. I honestly think you are in the wrong business.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by llkltk

Are you actually a real estate agent? If so, I would not hire you. There are people who look at developments that you called "tacky". That is so rude. I honestly think you are in the wrong business.

If Voltaire sold real estate he would say: "I disagree with what house you want to buy, but I will defend your right to buy it"

[AustinGuy]

Originally Posted by love roses

There are places outside of Central Austin that AREN'T chains, as some above mention

There are also plenty of chains in Central Austin.

[TexasHorseLady]

Did you notice that I said that there are suburbs that I would love to live in? Or are you just looking for something to be offended by?

Did you get any of the point of what I said, which is that when development keeps the flavor of the community that it's in in mind, then there's not a problem? Do you take issue with that?

Do you object to driving an extra ten minutes rather than have another Big Box strip center plopped down? Or does that comment not apply to you (you did read it, didn't you?).

As a real estate agent, my responsibility is to my client, whatever they might want to buy. This does not mean that I, as a person (and, for that matter, as a professional) don't have my opinions about what kind of development serves, or doesn't serve, the community as a whole.

In my ideal world, there would be sufficient local shopping in stores owned locally for people to get most of what they need supporting the local community and economy, with the occasional Big Box store there for everything else. You could have a Walmart and a Target and a Lowes and a Home Depot and a few others all available, like there is at 1325 and IH35, to serve people in all directions. So you'd have to drive 30 minutes, maybe, at the very edge, to get to all the Big Box chains, and the rest of the time you'd buy from your friends and neighbors the unique items they had available.

That's the best of all possible worlds, of course.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by texastea

Yum...I love Smokey Mo's. There's also one in far north Leander (well, Liberty Hill I guess). Are they a franchise? I thought the family owned them all and that Morris (Mo) still worked there.

We also like this Leander restaurant: Cafe Blue Texas

Stand corrected per Mo's being a franchise....sorry Morris......though I bet they COULD franchise the place if they chose.....or just sold off the secret sauces to supermarkets........

Cafe Blue is pretty classy....nice lil lakeside location....you know a place is expensive when a pitcher of Mojitos is 40 bucks....there goes my entire
dining budget....I could clean out the entire stock of "Smoky's" for the price of a pitcher of Mojitos at Cafe Blue.....Yipes!

[TexasHorseLady]

There's several restaurants that I'm fond of in several communities around Austin, and in some suburbs. Thing is, they're not chains, they're unique to the communities they're in. In Austin, proper, as well, I prefer the non-chain restaurants of whatever kind.

Sort of like when I went to Scotland, I had haggis, not McDonald's.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Did you notice that I said that there are suburbs that I would love to live in? Or are you just looking for something to be offended by?

Did you get any of the point of what I said, which is that when development keeps the flavor of the community that it's in in mind, then there's not a problem? Do you take issue with that?

Do you object to driving an extra ten minutes rather than have another Big Box strip center plopped down? Or does that comment not apply to you (you did read it, didn't you?).

As a real estate agent, my responsibility is to my client, whatever they might want to buy. This does not mean that I, as a person (and, for that matter, as a professional) don't have my opinions about what kind of development serves, or doesn't serve, the community as a whole.

In my ideal world, there would be sufficient local shopping in stores owned locally for people to get most of what they need supporting the local community and economy, with the occasional Big Box store there for everything else. You could have a Walmart and a Target and a Lowes and a Home Depot and a few others all available, like there is at 1325 and IH35, to serve people in all directions. So you'd have to drive 30 minutes, maybe, at the very edge, to get to all the Big Box chains, and the rest of the time you'd buy from your friends and neighbors the unique items they had available.

That's the best of all possible worlds, of course.

THL is the only real estate agent on here I've ever seen against sprawl.....you have to give here credit for that....the rest of them would pave over the entire metro if given half a chance.....She genuinely loathes sprawl, though I'm not sure how she rationalizes that with selling houses in a metro that is 70-80% pure sprawl, or if she sells in those ticky tacky (and yes, I know the TV show "weeds" had that as its theme song) suburbs like Cedar, RR, and the rest......I think the guy that Paraphrased Voltaire had that one downpact.....

Sort of like John Lennon singing "Imagine there's no posessions" in his Dakota mansion......ironic, but so is much of life..........

[twange]

Up front, at this point in my life, I'm more of a city guy and don't much care for newer-type suburban developments. I live(rent) about 2 miles from downtown and really love the proximity to the things I find interesting. I can bike and walk(sort of) to many places. Unfortunately, I have to reverse commute to my job, but my wife works close so we can still share a car.

But one contradiction I often find in these discussions, is that folks who live in more urban/city environments put down and/or criticize others for living in the suburbs and contributing to sprawl, without considering this basic fact: Most people cannot afford to live in Central Austin, even as renters. There aren't too many buying options (other than teardowns) available for under 225K...and most average incomes cannot afford that. Forget about buying one of those cute, earthy, historical bungalows within walking distance to everything so beloved in Austin. If you can afford one of these fine places, count yourself among the fortunate.

I guess to me, it's just not nice to cast aspersions on folks or put them down for living somewhere different from ourselves. It smacks of juvenile moral superiority and it's not productive at all.

Anyone who has a house is lucky.

[TexasHorseLady]

I agree, anyone who has a house is lucky. Anyone who has a Big Box plopped down in their neighborhood when there's one right down the road, not so much. People who live in suburbs and in small towns deserve to have a nice environment around them, too, you know.