The Astonishing Transformation of Austin(newyorker.com)
newyorker.com
The Astonishing Transformation of Austin
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/the-astonishing-transformation-of-austin
76 comments
https://archive.is/eiMzk
So, I have lived in Austin since the mid-90's, having come here from the midwest via Silicon Valley (back when it was based on actual silicon, i.e. semiconductor companies).
You know you have become a true Austinite when you first say "it's not as cool as it was back when I first moved here". I was hearing it in the mid-90's when I moved here, I have heard it continually in the 25+ years since. Sometime in 2050, Austinites will be talking about how it is no longer as cool as it was in 2022, back when they moved here.
The thing is, Austin's vibe comes in part from the large number of newcomers. Newcomers to a city add energy, because they are still out and about looking for things to do and new friendships to make. A town of the same size, with the same industries, etc. which had been that size for a while, would not have the same vibe. Cities are vectors, not scalars; what gives Austin it's cool vibe is in part that there is a lot happening, and a big part of that is that new people are constantly showing up.
Sure, Austin has problems from this, because building enough housing to keep the prices down is hard, and keeping the infrastructure up is also hard, and Austin needs to do better on both. But, if you could somehow freeze Austin's size where it is, or where it was in a few decades back, you would not get the same feel. Rather, it would feel stultifying, full of people who already have their close circle of friends and don't feel a need to go out much, or if they do go only to the same things they went to last year. You can't freeze a candleflame, and a growing city is more like a candleflame (reacting and changing) than it is like an ice sculpture.
You know you have become a true Austinite when you first say "it's not as cool as it was back when I first moved here". I was hearing it in the mid-90's when I moved here, I have heard it continually in the 25+ years since. Sometime in 2050, Austinites will be talking about how it is no longer as cool as it was in 2022, back when they moved here.
The thing is, Austin's vibe comes in part from the large number of newcomers. Newcomers to a city add energy, because they are still out and about looking for things to do and new friendships to make. A town of the same size, with the same industries, etc. which had been that size for a while, would not have the same vibe. Cities are vectors, not scalars; what gives Austin it's cool vibe is in part that there is a lot happening, and a big part of that is that new people are constantly showing up.
Sure, Austin has problems from this, because building enough housing to keep the prices down is hard, and keeping the infrastructure up is also hard, and Austin needs to do better on both. But, if you could somehow freeze Austin's size where it is, or where it was in a few decades back, you would not get the same feel. Rather, it would feel stultifying, full of people who already have their close circle of friends and don't feel a need to go out much, or if they do go only to the same things they went to last year. You can't freeze a candleflame, and a growing city is more like a candleflame (reacting and changing) than it is like an ice sculpture.
Look at Boulder for an example
of what happens when you institute strict limits on growth.
And what is Boulder like?
Aside from the areas around CU Boulder which have the normal amount of college things, it is very quiet, bucolic and great for cyclists.
And also hell to find housing!
"Anyone who takes 6 months of paternity leave is a loser"
"I had to flee SF, the city literally built in my VC image, because someone said some mean words to me"
These people are a parody of themselves. Talent-less rich kids, spending other people's money all day, and so incredibly insecure they have to constantly find ways to belittle anyone who doesn't treat them like a genius. Narcissism run rampant, and spreading everywhere they decide to touch down on their endless journey away from the consequences of their own behavior.
"I had to flee SF, the city literally built in my VC image, because someone said some mean words to me"
These people are a parody of themselves. Talent-less rich kids, spending other people's money all day, and so incredibly insecure they have to constantly find ways to belittle anyone who doesn't treat them like a genius. Narcissism run rampant, and spreading everywhere they decide to touch down on their endless journey away from the consequences of their own behavior.
I think it is individualism more than straight-up narcissism, but the two go closely hand-in-hand. But I do think there is a difference between people who have been enculturated to not need (or think they need) community and people who would only participate in community if they could be the leader.
Especially since Pete's child was in the ICU - it is not like he was on vacation in Hawaii or something.
I understand the nostalgia for a youth and place that is gone, but it’s interesting to point out in one sentence — “Austin was beset by racial divisions” and in the next paragraph discuss the hope that the city would institute strict zoning to keep out newcomers or as the writing says “if we won’t build it, they won’t come”. So much of this piece is dedicated to the problem of housing, but ignored is the problem in its infancy. If you want artists, creatives and musicians you need to build them cheap places to live.
The vibe from Austin has always been weird to me. "Thanks for visiting, don't move here" or whatever their saying is to that effect. Yet, so few people are from Austin. To me, Austin has always been that poser city trying so hard to be cool and noticed by the other cool cities, but when you try to get to know the city it's just a facade of cool and the rest is just empty and hollow
That vibe is very 2000's.
Austin used to be cool. Austin used to have a bunch of places open until 3AM. Austin used to be a raging live music scene. Austin used to have latin clubs with 12 piece bands and a dance floor the size of a postage stamp that served amazing homemade tamales. Austin used to have cool food places. SXSW used to have a whole bunch of artists you never heard of--and some of them sucked terribly--but that's how cool works. Austin used to have a biker bar that had the best milkshakes in town.
All these things disappeared about the mid 90s (it's no coincidence that Office Space was shot in Austin in 1998-1999). Nothing "cool" has risen to replace any of it.
But people also do forget that unless they were UT students they really didn't like the "cool" people very much back then. For example, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Marcia Ball, and their ilk whom everybody now lionize were considered part of the undesirables. The "hippies" were looked at with a mixture of arms length tolerance and active disgust. And as has been pointed out in the article, race relations have been fraught for a very long time.
Austin used to be cool. Austin used to have a bunch of places open until 3AM. Austin used to be a raging live music scene. Austin used to have latin clubs with 12 piece bands and a dance floor the size of a postage stamp that served amazing homemade tamales. Austin used to have cool food places. SXSW used to have a whole bunch of artists you never heard of--and some of them sucked terribly--but that's how cool works. Austin used to have a biker bar that had the best milkshakes in town.
All these things disappeared about the mid 90s (it's no coincidence that Office Space was shot in Austin in 1998-1999). Nothing "cool" has risen to replace any of it.
But people also do forget that unless they were UT students they really didn't like the "cool" people very much back then. For example, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Marcia Ball, and their ilk whom everybody now lionize were considered part of the undesirables. The "hippies" were looked at with a mixture of arms length tolerance and active disgust. And as has been pointed out in the article, race relations have been fraught for a very long time.
> The vibe from Austin has always been weird to me. "Thanks for visiting, don't move here" or whatever their saying is to that effect
I guess that's the saying Oregon traded to Austin in exchange for "Keep _____ Weird": https://archive.ph/tqKyV
I guess that's the saying Oregon traded to Austin in exchange for "Keep _____ Weird": https://archive.ph/tqKyV
How does a city try to be cool? And is there a threshold? Is NYC like 89.8% cool and Asheville 67.7% cool? Austin has all kinds of cool sh*t. 17.3% of stuff in Austin is cool. But the rest is a facade.
>How does a city try to be cool?
there is no try. only posers try. that's the point
there is no try. only posers try. that's the point
Couldn't agree more!
I'm a person of color living in Austin and I always notice that groups of friends hanging out in Austin are often diverse. I didn't see this in the bay or in NYC. I did see it in DC.
I spent 8 months on a death march of a project that colored Austin for me but that aside, infrastructurally, Austin sucked getting around and didn't have a ton to offer that didn't revolve around UT (6th primarily) or Rainey. The public transit (what is that streetcar thing even?) is horribly underdeveloped and heavily car dependent. Downtown is "bridge and tunnel"-y. Maybe if I had ventured out to the burbs more, I would have found more? But it was pretty underwhelming.
I mean honestly infrasructurally the bay area sucks too, unless you happen to live in certain parts of the city or on the Caltrain (in which case transit is good but eye wateringly expensive). Try living in Alameda, Burlingame, San Leandro, etc.
Even so. Like nobody goes from the marina to the mission, or sunset to the mission. People never go to east bay.
As for meaningful entertainment I actually think Austin has about as much to offer as sf, but that could just be due to the circles I frequent.
Legit the thing I miss is altitude hiking (go climb a huge hill like mt. Tam, or string together four parks around my house and do a six km loop, mostly in parks). Barton creek is amazing though, and it's fantastic that you can forget you're inside a city for about 20km
Even so. Like nobody goes from the marina to the mission, or sunset to the mission. People never go to east bay.
As for meaningful entertainment I actually think Austin has about as much to offer as sf, but that could just be due to the circles I frequent.
Legit the thing I miss is altitude hiking (go climb a huge hill like mt. Tam, or string together four parks around my house and do a six km loop, mostly in parks). Barton creek is amazing though, and it's fantastic that you can forget you're inside a city for about 20km
Oh absolutely. I recently had to consider moving to the Bay as well and it was so incredibly underwhelming compared to the cost of living. This was looking at East Bay too. Impossible to get around, less-than-ideal access to entertainment. It is nice being close to nature but that's about it. Tech and nature. Not worth the CoL imo.
I say this as someone who is from Chicago and lived in NYC for a long time, so I'm completely biased.
I say this as someone who is from Chicago and lived in NYC for a long time, so I'm completely biased.
This was my take (multiple trips there for business). Fake music quarter. Too many cars. Felt like a giant cowtown. Flat. Expensive! The fact that they are considering a 20 lane highway through town definitely doesn't give you hope that they get it.
https://slate.com/business/2021/10/austin-texas-interstate-3...
https://slate.com/business/2021/10/austin-texas-interstate-3...
Flat? You realize the west side of Austin is where the Hill Country starts right?
Right, you can be a few miles (5-15) west of Austin and be 500-1000ft above sea level. Sure it’s not Denver dramatic, but flat just goes to show the GP didn’t experience much of Austin at all
I lived there for a while twice, not much in the burbs either, but there was a lot to like as far as music, bars and interesting food. But yeah, getting around wasn't convenient, all of texas is like that, first time I visited I was like "why are there so many toll roads?" plus the frontage roads feel like a carryover from when the population was 1/5 what it is now, the whole city feels like a failure of city planning, but especially the roads.
Uber’s really cheap there.
I'll take a possibly contrarian position that the growth has been mostly awesome!
I've been here since 2013 and as much as people complain, there has been traffic on the 2 main arteries through Austin since I've been here. Austin is getting a lot more attention and interest from the large coastal cities which is bringing in more investment, interesting DTC/Tech companies that wouldn't have considered it otherwise, etc. Plus, if you are a relatively social person there is more fun stuff to do now than 10 years ago imo
Of course it is getting more expensive and crowded. How anyone would expect otherwise is baffling to me - more people entering any city is going to increase prices and congestion.
I've been here since 2013 and as much as people complain, there has been traffic on the 2 main arteries through Austin since I've been here. Austin is getting a lot more attention and interest from the large coastal cities which is bringing in more investment, interesting DTC/Tech companies that wouldn't have considered it otherwise, etc. Plus, if you are a relatively social person there is more fun stuff to do now than 10 years ago imo
Of course it is getting more expensive and crowded. How anyone would expect otherwise is baffling to me - more people entering any city is going to increase prices and congestion.
> Of course it is getting more expensive and crowded. How anyone would expect otherwise is baffling to me - more people entering any city is going to increase prices and congestion.
Zone everything multi-family, remove set-back restrictions, remove parking requirements, staff up city permitting departments so they can approve within weeks, and house prices don't go up.
People flocked to the coastal cities like NYC and SF because of cheap plentiful housing and lots of job opportunities. Sure the housing sucked, but it got better as people worked those jobs and demanded better.
Housing in cities being a zero sum game (or more like negative sum...) is a new problem that we have invented for ourselves.
Zone everything multi-family, remove set-back restrictions, remove parking requirements, staff up city permitting departments so they can approve within weeks, and house prices don't go up.
People flocked to the coastal cities like NYC and SF because of cheap plentiful housing and lots of job opportunities. Sure the housing sucked, but it got better as people worked those jobs and demanded better.
Housing in cities being a zero sum game (or more like negative sum...) is a new problem that we have invented for ourselves.
1967: arrived in Austin as a UT freshman. It was Nirvana. 1971: graduated and left for 8 years. 1979: returned to Austin where I have been ever since. Yep, more than half a century - I'm older than dirt, and older than Lawrence Wright. His article depressed me, but weird here died a slow and painful death some time ago. I am grateful to have experienced Austin as it was, and sad that all who are young will never have had that opportunity. That Austin will not return, and we can only hope that the massive city Austin is becoming will redefine itself as a very different but still vibrant and desirable place to be.
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Austin is like any other place in America. There is a dominant cultural and economic class in America: Coastal Californians. And they will transform and take your things with money. So either you can figure out how to comfortably rise with the tide or you can build a sea wall and they will breach it. You will then be left with complaints of prices and this and that.
Everyone has been warned for ages. They all kick up the usual fuss "No Californians", "stop gentrifying", "X is full". But it doesn't matter. You may not want to give in, but your neighbour will. And then the Californians will take everything around you and mould it in the image they desire.
And you will be left, in your intransigence, to rage against the imperialism of money, but you will be unhappy.
Everyone has been warned for ages. They all kick up the usual fuss "No Californians", "stop gentrifying", "X is full". But it doesn't matter. You may not want to give in, but your neighbour will. And then the Californians will take everything around you and mould it in the image they desire.
And you will be left, in your intransigence, to rage against the imperialism of money, but you will be unhappy.
Maybe just an untimely experience, but I visited Austin once a little over a year ago during the summer, and downtown was basically a ghost town. I assumed it was because UT was on break, but still I couldn't help thinking "where is everybody?" given the Austin hype.
That being said, as a remote worker becoming increasingly disillusioned about Bay Area cost of living and politics, Austin is on my radar. Any Austin transplants here who can shed some light on moving there? How easy is it to establish a social network/sense of community as a newcomer?
That being said, as a remote worker becoming increasingly disillusioned about Bay Area cost of living and politics, Austin is on my radar. Any Austin transplants here who can shed some light on moving there? How easy is it to establish a social network/sense of community as a newcomer?
Would not recommend. It's a great city if you like paying almost as much as SF for housing and getting:
- High heat and humidity for 8 months out of the year
- Mosquitos that make the few nice days out much less nice
- Surprising ice/snow storms in the middle of the few months of nice weather
- Having to drive everywhere in heavy and hostile traffic
- Risking your life if you want to walk or bike somewhere
- Being surrounded by an expanse of suburban sprawl that's very ugly
- Having surprisingly few cultural institutions / resources close by
- Property taxes are eye-poppingly high so if you plan to buy a place be warned that you can afford less than you think
That said if you love strip malls and want to live in a place where people equate quality of life to quantity of stuff, then you'll love it!
- High heat and humidity for 8 months out of the year
- Mosquitos that make the few nice days out much less nice
- Surprising ice/snow storms in the middle of the few months of nice weather
- Having to drive everywhere in heavy and hostile traffic
- Risking your life if you want to walk or bike somewhere
- Being surrounded by an expanse of suburban sprawl that's very ugly
- Having surprisingly few cultural institutions / resources close by
- Property taxes are eye-poppingly high so if you plan to buy a place be warned that you can afford less than you think
That said if you love strip malls and want to live in a place where people equate quality of life to quantity of stuff, then you'll love it!
Not bad points but you didn't mention how incredibly friendly and safe the city of Austin is. Austin bashers always fail to mention the intangibles that make Austin Austin.
> incredibly friendly
This has NOT been my experience as a relatively recent resident. Literally the first questions anyone you meet asks is (A) when you moved here, (B) from where, and (C) why. One of the first people I met practically spat in my face when I told her I moved for work in tech, possibly saved only by the fact that I didn't move from CA.
I don't blame them for the hostility, they're being priced out of their homes thanks to the property tax situation, but you can't call them "friendly" when everyone sees you as an invading barbarian to be discouraged at all costs.
I've lived all over, and Austinites are by far the most actively hostile people I have ever encountered. (Followed by the Maastrichtenaar, who also didn't much care for foreigners.)
This has NOT been my experience as a relatively recent resident. Literally the first questions anyone you meet asks is (A) when you moved here, (B) from where, and (C) why. One of the first people I met practically spat in my face when I told her I moved for work in tech, possibly saved only by the fact that I didn't move from CA.
I don't blame them for the hostility, they're being priced out of their homes thanks to the property tax situation, but you can't call them "friendly" when everyone sees you as an invading barbarian to be discouraged at all costs.
I've lived all over, and Austinites are by far the most actively hostile people I have ever encountered. (Followed by the Maastrichtenaar, who also didn't much care for foreigners.)
I have fond memories of an evening at a Mexican restaurant in Denver years ago, with a couple of women who were both Colorado natives, though one had only recently returned from Virginia. The one with continuous residence thought that all non-natives should be deported on short notice (if memory serves, by armed force if necessary), the other thought this was ridiculous. Having been born elsewhere, I kept my mouth shut.
The governor of Colorado at the time was a native of Wisconsin, and had a generally anti-growth platform.
The governor of Colorado at the time was a native of Wisconsin, and had a generally anti-growth platform.
Austin is a generally friendly place. I lived there for a bit during the COVID times for fun. It's a cheerful vibe where people will greet you on the street and there's a few fun places to go to. I thought it was quite pleasant for the bit I was there.
I should warn you, though. It is not a city by any measure. More like a small town with a couple of streets of action. And the politics are not dissimilar in Austin proper from the Bay Area (perhaps because of the large number of people who've moved there from here).
However, because of the low cost of land in the associated area you can have things like Wonderspaces, etc. Also, there's things that are hard to do in the Bay like shooting.
Ultimately, I chose not to live there because I wanted a more urban life. And I wanted less extreme weather than the place has.
I should warn you, though. It is not a city by any measure. More like a small town with a couple of streets of action. And the politics are not dissimilar in Austin proper from the Bay Area (perhaps because of the large number of people who've moved there from here).
However, because of the low cost of land in the associated area you can have things like Wonderspaces, etc. Also, there's things that are hard to do in the Bay like shooting.
Ultimately, I chose not to live there because I wanted a more urban life. And I wanted less extreme weather than the place has.
Spend a week or two in ATX and see how you like it! Downtown did lose quite a bit of daytime vibrancy during the pandemic (the night life is still active as ever, however). But I think it's coming back.
Interesting take on tech and Austin over a long period. I was one signature away from moving there in 2019. I had visited Austin on behalf of clients for fours years prior. It has it charms and a Texas-like version of Denver in a way. I passed on Austin because of its subtropical humid climate. My allergies coupled with high humidity made it an unbearable place to be for long periods of time. I put Miami in the same bucket. After years of traveling and experiencing multiple major US cities, I am sticking with Mediterranean climates.
I've never lived out of subtropical climates... basically New Orleans and Dallas. The changes in seasons is always miserable for me. I've got seasonal allergies and also seasonal asthma. Back home in New Orleans, I was always fine from May until early October. And for the next half of the year, it's been a constant struggle with shortness of breath and sinus infections ever since I can remember.
I empathize as I had the same issues for decades. I grew up in the midwest and spent considerable time in NY too. I had three sinus surgeries before turning 30. I've been in SoCal for almost four years and my sinus issues rarely flare up.
where did you end up going? I love Austin but its a little too hot during the summer.
Southern California. You can't escape compromising on certain factors like costs, but I find it a pleasant place to wake up everyday. As I've gotten older, I've prioritized my daily wellbeing more and more.
I just can't with these humidity comments. Austin is not humid. It is hot as f*ck but not humid. Houston on the other hand is the most miserable place on earth when it comes to humidity.
Speaking as an Oklahoman, Texas is too Texas for its own good.
Would you recommend Bartlesville/Tulsa?
Honestly, Tulsa and Oklahoma City are pretty darn good these days and represent good options for a lot of people. Oklahoma also sneakily has a lot of great outdoor recreation and some of the best bouldering in the U.S.
Oklahoma is interesting, it's got some unique issues but I feel like most people born there never really leave.
Oklahoma is interesting, it's got some unique issues but I feel like most people born there never really leave.
Anyone who lives Austin able to provide anecdotes?
I live in Austin and know the author to boot. I haven't had the time to sit down and read this one yet, but knowing him I can pretty well guess his take. He is my pick for the best writer in the state.
My read of Austin:
- I was born here in 1995. Except for a few years, I've seen double-digit growth in most measurables every year of my life. Growth is the only thing I have ever known so I am comfortable with it, and I can also see why previous generations (I.e. my parents) are not.
- Change is painful. Especially at this clip and for this long. But man, it is beautiful.
- The City Council here is undoubtedly the worst part of the problem. They consistently buckle to NIMBYs, and allocate money in just unreasonably idiotic ways. ("No one riding the train that cost $1.1 billion? Easy fix! Spend $7 billion more!") They are making the change much more painful.
- Natives were largely fine with the first wave of California refugees in 2008. This COVID wave is different though. The new movers kept their jobs and are working remote from Austin – meaning that they still have their Cali / NY inflated paychecks. It feels like a money fight, and we keep losing.
My read of Austin:
- I was born here in 1995. Except for a few years, I've seen double-digit growth in most measurables every year of my life. Growth is the only thing I have ever known so I am comfortable with it, and I can also see why previous generations (I.e. my parents) are not.
- Change is painful. Especially at this clip and for this long. But man, it is beautiful.
- The City Council here is undoubtedly the worst part of the problem. They consistently buckle to NIMBYs, and allocate money in just unreasonably idiotic ways. ("No one riding the train that cost $1.1 billion? Easy fix! Spend $7 billion more!") They are making the change much more painful.
- Natives were largely fine with the first wave of California refugees in 2008. This COVID wave is different though. The new movers kept their jobs and are working remote from Austin – meaning that they still have their Cali / NY inflated paychecks. It feels like a money fight, and we keep losing.
> - The City Council here is undoubtedly the worst part of the problem. They consistently buckle to NIMBYs, and allocate money in just unreasonably idiotic ways. ("No one riding the train that cost $1.1 billion? Easy fix! Spend $7 billion more!") They are making the change much more painful.
Are you referring to Project Connect here? Right now nobody rides the train, but the answer to that problem _is_ to spend more money. Currently the train stops basically nowhere useful unless you are commuting from Leander to downtown, or going to the soccer stadium. The answer to that is to put _more_ stops in, in more useful places. The Domain stop is a ~30 minute walk from all the large businesses in the Domain. The train stops running into town at 6pm, meaning if you stay a little late you miss the train at your Domain office, and its not useful at all if you're trying to go out drinking or something in the city.
Additionally, there are network effects associated with public transit usage, the same as road or bike lane usage. The more places you can get to by public transit, the more likely you are to take public transit to get there. The new rail corridors will make the city far more connected by transit, and thus potentially increase usage of transit.
Are you referring to Project Connect here? Right now nobody rides the train, but the answer to that problem _is_ to spend more money. Currently the train stops basically nowhere useful unless you are commuting from Leander to downtown, or going to the soccer stadium. The answer to that is to put _more_ stops in, in more useful places. The Domain stop is a ~30 minute walk from all the large businesses in the Domain. The train stops running into town at 6pm, meaning if you stay a little late you miss the train at your Domain office, and its not useful at all if you're trying to go out drinking or something in the city.
Additionally, there are network effects associated with public transit usage, the same as road or bike lane usage. The more places you can get to by public transit, the more likely you are to take public transit to get there. The new rail corridors will make the city far more connected by transit, and thus potentially increase usage of transit.
They spent $1.1 billion on the first round of the train, and in FY2021 it brought in $55,000 in gross fares.
We won’t be able to spend our way to adoption at that rate. And people aren’t going to adopt public transit in a city built around cars (93.4% of Austin families own a vehicle).
Sounds like we both wish mass public transit was the reality, but sadly it’s just not realistic.
We won’t be able to spend our way to adoption at that rate. And people aren’t going to adopt public transit in a city built around cars (93.4% of Austin families own a vehicle).
Sounds like we both wish mass public transit was the reality, but sadly it’s just not realistic.
You write as though highways aren’t tremendously subsidized by federal and state budgets
This is basically my exact position as a native austinite - personally the transformation was complete for me when Magnolia's on Lake Austin blvd closed.
Now it's all just Tesla's with CA plates
Now it's all just Tesla's with CA plates
Nothing like Magnolia’s after midnight when you’re a high schooler and have nowhere else to go
And they shut down the wrong Magnolia’s!
And they shut down the wrong Magnolia’s!
They also used to hire a hippy to do groundskeeping who would come around with a 5gal bucket (painted with dinosaur stencils) and carrying his pet Bearded dragon named Greg.
I ran into him one time meeting a business associate at Mags on Saturday. I initially just saw Greg, and exclaimed "wow who's lizard got loose" and this guy just came out of nowhere and said "oh, that's greg we do landscaping around here - he just likes to take in the sun while I pickup leaves" and proceeded to talk my ear off about how we needed to go "solar as a society" and how he disliked Donald Trump. It's by far the most "austin" thing to happen to me in recent memory, incredibly wholesome and positive and it all happened on the side of Mags with the big Limestone pavers in 2019.
Good times.
I ran into him one time meeting a business associate at Mags on Saturday. I initially just saw Greg, and exclaimed "wow who's lizard got loose" and this guy just came out of nowhere and said "oh, that's greg we do landscaping around here - he just likes to take in the sun while I pickup leaves" and proceeded to talk my ear off about how we needed to go "solar as a society" and how he disliked Donald Trump. It's by far the most "austin" thing to happen to me in recent memory, incredibly wholesome and positive and it all happened on the side of Mags with the big Limestone pavers in 2019.
Good times.
Lived there until around 2021 and visited often before the hype. It is the same as the rest of Texas, but offers employability in the technology sector. People have this notion that there's a "different vibe", but really it feels like political posturing and wanting to feel hip.
There's nothing really wrong with Austin, and it has a cool lake. But that's really it.
There's nothing really wrong with Austin, and it has a cool lake. But that's really it.
I can't read the article because it's paywalled but I've lived in NYC and SF for several years each, and have now been in Austin for 2. I'll just say one thing which I like about it a lot.
Being a blue city in a red state, the public's approach to policy seems more reasonable than in a lot of other places where it only goes one way.
For example, a few years ago they had a ballot measure to allow homeless camping on the streets more easy to do and less punishable. In short order, the city became swamped with it. At one point city hall downtown was even entirely surrounded with tents. I mean straight lines down all four sides of the block. It looked like somebody had gone to Walmart and bought 100 of the same 3 tents. The situation wasn't very good.
So 2 years later it was put back up for vote and people voted to undo it, and now the city is much cleaner than it was before. Yes, there are still homeless, and I bet lots of people are gonna have opinions about whether undoing it actually helped homeless people as that's a hot topic today, but having lived in NYC and SF, that was something I'd almost never seen before.
Vote to try something, and then actually vote to undo it when the results are not good? It was incredible to me. In the other cities things only ever go one way, which seemed to be doubling down. I admire Austin for its ability to experiment and undo when things don't work out, it seems rational.
Other than that, well, it's a medium-sized city in Texas. That means it's very hot in the summers and it is not as connected as the continuous coastal sprawls of the east and west coasts. If you don't like heat or simpler cities, come say hi and have fun for a week, but it might not be for you for living. You don't have to throw shade on it though to decide it's not a fit for you for the long term. It's a great place to be.
Being a blue city in a red state, the public's approach to policy seems more reasonable than in a lot of other places where it only goes one way.
For example, a few years ago they had a ballot measure to allow homeless camping on the streets more easy to do and less punishable. In short order, the city became swamped with it. At one point city hall downtown was even entirely surrounded with tents. I mean straight lines down all four sides of the block. It looked like somebody had gone to Walmart and bought 100 of the same 3 tents. The situation wasn't very good.
So 2 years later it was put back up for vote and people voted to undo it, and now the city is much cleaner than it was before. Yes, there are still homeless, and I bet lots of people are gonna have opinions about whether undoing it actually helped homeless people as that's a hot topic today, but having lived in NYC and SF, that was something I'd almost never seen before.
Vote to try something, and then actually vote to undo it when the results are not good? It was incredible to me. In the other cities things only ever go one way, which seemed to be doubling down. I admire Austin for its ability to experiment and undo when things don't work out, it seems rational.
Other than that, well, it's a medium-sized city in Texas. That means it's very hot in the summers and it is not as connected as the continuous coastal sprawls of the east and west coasts. If you don't like heat or simpler cities, come say hi and have fun for a week, but it might not be for you for living. You don't have to throw shade on it though to decide it's not a fit for you for the long term. It's a great place to be.
I grew up in Austin in the 90s and currently live in SF. My family still lives in Austin, so I visit fairly frequently.
I think this was well-written. The Austin that exists today is unrecognizable from the Austin of my childhood—particularly the downtown areas like South Congress. In one way, it's sad, because the changes are certainly evident of a new professional class in Austin that did not exist before. There's a wealth gap that is much more apparent. Many of my friends I grew up with live farther out than they expected—Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock.
But on the other hand, compared to San Francisco, I'm glad that Austin is encouraging growth in _some_ direction. SF seems to have tried its hardest to repel tech growth, and its downtown is now deservedly emptied out. It's actually exciting to come back to Austin and see a city that is building and changing—it makes SF feel stagnant.
> “There’s this spirit of the Texas frontier—strong people confronting challenges and doing so boldly.”
There is certainly an attitude I miss about the people I knew in Texas. There's a sense of optimism and capability I remember that doesn't seem as pervasive elsewhere.
That said, I don't think I'll return to Austin. I had enough of the hot climate, and all of the changes make me feel like it's no longer my hometown.
I think this was well-written. The Austin that exists today is unrecognizable from the Austin of my childhood—particularly the downtown areas like South Congress. In one way, it's sad, because the changes are certainly evident of a new professional class in Austin that did not exist before. There's a wealth gap that is much more apparent. Many of my friends I grew up with live farther out than they expected—Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock.
But on the other hand, compared to San Francisco, I'm glad that Austin is encouraging growth in _some_ direction. SF seems to have tried its hardest to repel tech growth, and its downtown is now deservedly emptied out. It's actually exciting to come back to Austin and see a city that is building and changing—it makes SF feel stagnant.
> “There’s this spirit of the Texas frontier—strong people confronting challenges and doing so boldly.”
There is certainly an attitude I miss about the people I knew in Texas. There's a sense of optimism and capability I remember that doesn't seem as pervasive elsewhere.
That said, I don't think I'll return to Austin. I had enough of the hot climate, and all of the changes make me feel like it's no longer my hometown.
I lived there for 10 years, around 2007-2017 or so. It was fantastic during this time, and if you rode a bike, just genuinely the best town in Texas. The food was great, there was always something to do, the weather was better than Houston (less humid, less rain), and there's actual hills and lakes.
The traffic has always been terrible, which is why I mention riding a bike. The infrastructure was never intended to handle this many people, so sitting in dead stop traffic is just an everyday occurrence multiple times a day, pretty much anywhere in the city.
All that said, the majority of my favorite bars and restaurants on the East Side are now giant apartment complexes. I also no longer drink, so that's removed a large part of Austin life for me.
The charm of Austin was it's small town nature, offering really unique things and a chill pace of life. Now its a giant town in the foot print of a small town, offering mostly corporate owned things.
It's still probably more fun than any other city in Texas, but at this point in my life I'd never move back.
The traffic has always been terrible, which is why I mention riding a bike. The infrastructure was never intended to handle this many people, so sitting in dead stop traffic is just an everyday occurrence multiple times a day, pretty much anywhere in the city.
All that said, the majority of my favorite bars and restaurants on the East Side are now giant apartment complexes. I also no longer drink, so that's removed a large part of Austin life for me.
The charm of Austin was it's small town nature, offering really unique things and a chill pace of life. Now its a giant town in the foot print of a small town, offering mostly corporate owned things.
It's still probably more fun than any other city in Texas, but at this point in my life I'd never move back.
Grew up in Austin and family has been here for several generations. Mr. Wright puts it best:
If you live long enough in a place, it becomes haunted by ghosts: memories of events and friends long gone still inhabit spaces that have been levelled and covered over by the unstoppable newness.
I've moved from Austin as have most of the people I know, or they've passed away. To me it is a city of ghosts, not just those that have left, but the entire groups of people who have been priced out and excluded. Gentrification destroys neighborhoods and destroys cities. Whether this process is beneficial or harmful is a matter of perspective.
Austin as a place, and the American continent as a whole, has been over thousands of years and especially the past few hundred, a land of displacement. Numerous American Indian tribes displaced each other, and the Spanish, the Mexican, French, Anglos, and so forth. To be truly American, in the continental sense, is to be not only a displacer but to eventually be displaced yourself.
To have experienced the displacement in only one to two decades is a concentrated experience, perhaps shared in a fortunately peaceful way, but economically violent, by other groups over time: the Greeks in Anatolia after Turkish independence, the population transfer in Israel and Palestine, or between India and Pakistan at partition. Having a city stolen from you by the monied is preferable to getting forced out by a mob, but if you can't pay rent or property taxes, the sheriff is coming to pay a visit and he's armed.
The old Austin was fun while it lasted, simultaneously boring and exhilarating. But it's dead, and we natives should have a funeral for it, and either in town or out, move on. Meet me down by one of the few remaining moontowers and we'll crack open a Lone Star for one final tribute to Leslie and, with SRV playing in the background, toast to our dearly departed. Ausitn, you had a good run, here's to your memory.
If you live long enough in a place, it becomes haunted by ghosts: memories of events and friends long gone still inhabit spaces that have been levelled and covered over by the unstoppable newness.
I've moved from Austin as have most of the people I know, or they've passed away. To me it is a city of ghosts, not just those that have left, but the entire groups of people who have been priced out and excluded. Gentrification destroys neighborhoods and destroys cities. Whether this process is beneficial or harmful is a matter of perspective.
Austin as a place, and the American continent as a whole, has been over thousands of years and especially the past few hundred, a land of displacement. Numerous American Indian tribes displaced each other, and the Spanish, the Mexican, French, Anglos, and so forth. To be truly American, in the continental sense, is to be not only a displacer but to eventually be displaced yourself.
To have experienced the displacement in only one to two decades is a concentrated experience, perhaps shared in a fortunately peaceful way, but economically violent, by other groups over time: the Greeks in Anatolia after Turkish independence, the population transfer in Israel and Palestine, or between India and Pakistan at partition. Having a city stolen from you by the monied is preferable to getting forced out by a mob, but if you can't pay rent or property taxes, the sheriff is coming to pay a visit and he's armed.
The old Austin was fun while it lasted, simultaneously boring and exhilarating. But it's dead, and we natives should have a funeral for it, and either in town or out, move on. Meet me down by one of the few remaining moontowers and we'll crack open a Lone Star for one final tribute to Leslie and, with SRV playing in the background, toast to our dearly departed. Ausitn, you had a good run, here's to your memory.
I grew up in a small town just north of Austin, and lived in town after college for a few years. If you aren't a big foodie or into live music, there's really not much reason to live there. Horrible traffic, surface-of-the-sun hot, wildly overpriced, geographically uninteresting, etc.
People are generally very friendly and it's a blue city in a deeply red state, which I personally appreciate, but I'd live in inner-loop Houston before moving back to Austin, and in turn I'd live in just about any other coastal state before moving back to Texas.
People are generally very friendly and it's a blue city in a deeply red state, which I personally appreciate, but I'd live in inner-loop Houston before moving back to Austin, and in turn I'd live in just about any other coastal state before moving back to Texas.
I don't live in Austin but for me the town died a little when the Armadillo World Headquarters closed. [0] I hitchhiked from Michigan on college spring break to visit. The Police were playing that night. It fully lived up to the legend.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo_World_Headquarters
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo_World_Headquarters
Moved there in 2017 from Florida. It's grown tremendously even in that amount of time. So many more high rises than there were 5 years ago even. Austin's been able to attract flagships like the Google Wave building downtown, which is a beautiful building on Lady Bird Lake. Far more of the "east side" has also developed in that time. A lot of old ranch houses and old bars and restaurants that I briefly got to see have been razed for the 4-6 story mixed use buildings that now run almost the entire length of east 6th. It's gone from an eclectic, artsy, hipster vibe on that side of town to trendy and modern. Although, there's still plenty of great bars to enjoy over there.
One thing I feel about Austin, is that people are super friendly. A lot of people are transplants, and they're usually more than willing to make new friends. Sometimes you'll meet some Austin veterans or natives there. They'll tell you that the east side used to be very crime-ridden (I'm guessing in the 90s and early 00s). They'll bemoan all the growth, but a lot of them will also say that they haven't grown tired of the city because of the constant change.
I do think the author's anecdote about the people being more "libertarian"-ish is kinda true. A lot of my Democrat friends in ATX tend to be very pro-gun rights, for example. I do think you get a lot of more moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans in Austin and that is a political culture you won't really find in most tech hubs.
I would say my only major complaint about ATX is that it's right smack in the middle of Texas. Nothing wrong with Texas, but it's a very large state and if you want to take a road trip to the mountains or the beach or somewhere different, it's a long haul.
One thing I feel about Austin, is that people are super friendly. A lot of people are transplants, and they're usually more than willing to make new friends. Sometimes you'll meet some Austin veterans or natives there. They'll tell you that the east side used to be very crime-ridden (I'm guessing in the 90s and early 00s). They'll bemoan all the growth, but a lot of them will also say that they haven't grown tired of the city because of the constant change.
I do think the author's anecdote about the people being more "libertarian"-ish is kinda true. A lot of my Democrat friends in ATX tend to be very pro-gun rights, for example. I do think you get a lot of more moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans in Austin and that is a political culture you won't really find in most tech hubs.
I would say my only major complaint about ATX is that it's right smack in the middle of Texas. Nothing wrong with Texas, but it's a very large state and if you want to take a road trip to the mountains or the beach or somewhere different, it's a long haul.
Glad you've enjoyed it! I lived in NYC for the past eight years and returned during covid / when all my work went remote.
It's sad, but I don't really plan on staying. If anything, I'll take irate left wing politics over low IQ pickup truck road rage any day. Austin used to be something special (maybe it's just the way I remember it) and now most of the charm I remember is gone or has been fully commercialized.
Having lived in NYC, I appreciate different attributes of Austin than I did before, but above all as a native I have no understanding why people think austin is cool - IMO it's pretty mid and the weather and allergies are horrible. Also, if you own a home, property taxes quickly erase any illusion of the state being cheaper than other significantly better cities.
Unfortunately, as soon as remote employment wanes a bit I'm probably leaving - but living here for the past few years has been an interesting lesson in how quickly a place can change.
It's sad, but I don't really plan on staying. If anything, I'll take irate left wing politics over low IQ pickup truck road rage any day. Austin used to be something special (maybe it's just the way I remember it) and now most of the charm I remember is gone or has been fully commercialized.
Having lived in NYC, I appreciate different attributes of Austin than I did before, but above all as a native I have no understanding why people think austin is cool - IMO it's pretty mid and the weather and allergies are horrible. Also, if you own a home, property taxes quickly erase any illusion of the state being cheaper than other significantly better cities.
Unfortunately, as soon as remote employment wanes a bit I'm probably leaving - but living here for the past few years has been an interesting lesson in how quickly a place can change.
So will you be going back to NYC? I love to visit NYC whenever I can, but it does seem to "churn" a lot of people out, with folks staying for a few years then leaving.
For me, the weather is mainly bad in the peak of summer. 9-10 months of the year or so, it's great. The cedar pollen is pretty bad though, so if you have allergies I can understand.
For me, the weather is mainly bad in the peak of summer. 9-10 months of the year or so, it's great. The cedar pollen is pretty bad though, so if you have allergies I can understand.
NYC is currently too expensive to raise a family. That's why people tend to leave.
NYC has less housing stock now than it did 2 decades ago, despite the population having grown by several Austins in that time.
The pandemic seems to have spurred a lot of political will to increase housing fairly significantly. We will need to see if this will translate into actual changes.
NYC has less housing stock now than it did 2 decades ago, despite the population having grown by several Austins in that time.
The pandemic seems to have spurred a lot of political will to increase housing fairly significantly. We will need to see if this will translate into actual changes.
Living with roommates past 27 is also kind of a deal breaker, along with paying $5k for a dilapidated 1br apt, enforced by the asinine dating market as well. By asinine I mean most women expecting male suitors to make over $400k, have their own apt and have a social life by age 26 even when they themselves go broke just paying rent.
Also, the lack of housing is largely a result of landlords just not listing about 40% of their properties. Corporate landlords are just as guilty of this. It is genuinely more corrupt and rigged than the jewelry / diamond industry.
Also, the lack of housing is largely a result of landlords just not listing about 40% of their properties. Corporate landlords are just as guilty of this. It is genuinely more corrupt and rigged than the jewelry / diamond industry.
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