Austin's Future Skyline (Van: rental, taxes, to move)

[migol84]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Actually, if you'll read, regarding downtown I said "that ship has sailed", meaning in any vision of a vibrant, living future for Austin that doesn't replicate Any City, USA, I'm writing off downtown - it's already lost to the "'progress' at any cost" crowd who can't see beyond an old-fashioned definition of progress. (You didn't think this was something new and different did you, like my 9 year old did when he told me, in 1981, that the reason I didn't like a particular rock song on the radio was because 'we have electric guitars now'?)

I'm sorry, I can't understand what you are saying and I've read this paragraph several times already.

No, a truly creative vision of Austin is going to have to, it appears, just write off downtown as a lost cause as much as the suburbs are, maybe more so, because the vision of multiple centers can actually blossom around the city including the suburbs, whereas downtown will be stuck in its "downtown is the center of the universe and bigger is better and that's progress" mentality. So it will be just a "vibrant" in its way (which makes a lot of people NEVER want to go downtown at all because, gack!) as you want it to be and any really innovative progress will have to take place in the rest of the city where the vast majority of the population actually lives.

If you think this is progress... you are wrong, plain and simple. What you want is another Houston. Houston has this... multiple centers out and around the city where it is truly vibrant. Downtown was written off there, but much focus has been steered towards downtown to reverse this.

The only people who don't wanna go to downtown are probably older folks... and there is nothing wrong with that, but even that is a far fetched thing to say as I know of many older folks who enjoy Austin's downtown. Regardless, by far and large downtown's of any city should and must remain the center of the city if you want it to thrive.

I agree with OpenD inasmuch that all the development shouldn't simply be wasted on downtown alone, but as I've already told you try and get the neighborhoods to let the city develop throughout and you'll have people such as yourself making arbitrary arguments to keep the city from making ANY improvements.

[TexasHorseLady]

Komeht, you seem to think that if I don't buy into your all skyscraper all the time view of what's best for Austin, that I want it to be country. Nothing could be further from the truth; I LIKED being crawling distance from the Broken Spoke, walking distance to Half Price Books and Whole Foods (before it was Sun Harvest, and Sun Harvest after it moved), restaurants, etc. It was just less expensive to get a house and 55 acres in the country than living in Barton Hills and boarding my horses; heck, it was less expensive than living in Barton Hills, but we still own the house there. But that's a far cry from what you're offering up as the best of the best of what we, as a city, can do to deal with growth.

Me, I think Austin deserves better and more thought and imagination than just throwing skyscrapers at it to deal with growth (which will no doubt drop off mightily once all of the reasons that made people want to move here are destroyed, mostly by those very same people but with a few Austinites thrown into the mix). Your mileage very clearly varies.

[migol84]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Komeht, I think you'd be very happy in New York City. Have you been stuck in Austin all your life?

As for the nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded, that's actually pretty accurate. The few times I've had to go downtown (I never shop at Whole Foods downtown or make my used-to-be weekly trip to Book People any longer or go to the restaurants and bars down there that I used to frequent), it's been an experience of crowded Any City, USA, and I get out as fast as I can, because there's no appeal. Even going to events on Lady Bird Lake has become a chore rather than a pleasure. Throwing up a lot more housing high rises downtown is only going to make that worse.

Look, I understand your dislike of crowded areas. My parents are the same way. I know because even here in San Francisco I avoid all the areas where I know there will be lots of foot traffic with annoying people shoving you and pushing you everywhere you go.

But let me just say, you're a true southern at best, because Austin is in fact no way as vibrant as these urban mega cities like San francisco, Los Angeles, let alone New York. I can assure you, you can still walk in just about anywhere in downtown Austin and there will be no one sharing the sidewalk with you.

What people want is to have better public transportation, and not be so spread out. Is that so much to ask for? Austin is not as crowded as you think it is. It's just your perceptions are set too in the past where the population was like what Victoria or Waco is now.

And when you mean, "nobody goes there anymore" what you are saying are all your friends and relatives who are your age. That is "everybody" to you. But there are so much more people, in fact more than your "everybody" who'd wanna live in downtown whether you see it that or not. That is a reality.

[TexasHorseLady]

migol84, I just noticed that if you're being truthful on your profile, you're in San Francisco. What's your interest, financial or otherwise, in what becomes of Austin in future?

Also, you apparently don't have a clue about walking in downtown Austin, because the times that I've had to go downtown for business reasons (a title company down there, a continuing ed course offered there, meeting clients who were staying at the Four Seasons, going to Savory Spice before I found out that they have a location in the Arboretum, that kind of thing), there have been plenty of other people on the sidewalks.

By the way, I didn't love crowded downtowns when I was 20, either, much as you'd like to write my opinion off as my being "old". It appears to me that you're the one with a mind set that is "stuck", thinking that (a) all people who are "old" to you have the same opinions and are exactly the same and (b) that anyone who doesn't agree with your particular view must be "old" or "countrified". You need to get a bit more experience under your belt, open up your mind a little, it seems to me.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by migol84

I'm sorry, I can't understand what you are saying and I've read this paragraph several times already.


If you think this is progress... you are wrong, plain and simple. What you want is another Houston. Houston has this... multiple centers out and around the city where it is truly vibrant. Downtown was written off there, but much focus has been steered towards downtown to reverse this.

The only people who don't wanna go to downtown are probably older folks... and there is nothing wrong with that, but even that is a far fetched thing to say as I know of many older folks who enjoy Austin's downtown. Regardless, by far and large downtown's of any city should and must remain the center of the city if you want it to thrive.

I agree with OpenD inasmuch that all the development shouldn't simply be wasted on downtown alone, but as I've already told you try and get the neighborhoods to let the city develop throughout and you'll have people such as yourself making arbitrary arguments to keep the city from making ANY improvements.

What Austin truly needs is both - high intensity use of the CBD that concentrates on infill and building up with a mix of residential, retail and commercial. . .but we also can't have just a dense core and then endless sprawl throughout the rest of the city. Close in neighborhoods (Hyde Park, Clarksville, Terrytown, Travis Heights, etc.) must get more comfortable with allowing for a mix of more intense housing - with townhomes, mid-rise apartments and condos being part of the mix with SF. Otherwise central Austin will become the domain of a few wealthy folks while the rest fight through traffic day after day just to afford a place in the Austin area.

[TexasHorseLady]

I repeat, Komeht - how long have you been stuck in Austin? You seem someone who would be much more suited to someplace like New York City. (Nothing wrong with that, my son lived there for some years and absolutely loved it.)

[MikeyAusmus]

In a related story... Austin's future traffic disaster! Oh wait, that day has already come...

[migol84]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

migol84, I just noticed that if you're being truthful on your profile, you're in San Francisco. What's your interest, financial or otherwise, in what becomes of Austin in future?

Also, you apparently don't have a clue about walking in downtown Austin, because the times that I've had to go downtown for business reasons (a title company down there, a continuing ed course offered there, meeting clients who were staying at the Four Seasons, going to Savory Spice before I found out that they have a location in the Arboretum, that kind of thing), there have been plenty of other people on the sidewalks.

By the way, I didn't love crowded downtowns when I was 20, either, much as you'd like to write my opinion off as my being "old". It appears to me that you're the one with a mind set that is "stuck", thinking that (a) all people who are "old" to you have the same opinions and are exactly the same and (b) that anyone who doesn't agree with your particular view must be "old" or "countrified". You need to get a bit more experience under your belt, open up your mind a little, it seems to me.

No lady, no. Austin isn't busy like San Francisco. It's not even 25% as busy as San Francisco. And no, Im not making any claims on your age. I just made reference of your age to suggest that I respect your views and as you can see I also mentioned that I too hate crowds. I'm 28 years old and I avoid them as much as I can... so I am not stereotyping older people. I'm simply saying that if you hate crowds, I can respect that.

I lived in Austin for 12.5 years and I call it my home. I plan to move back there someday and I would like for it to improve in many respects making it a less car-dependent city and it is making strides in that direction whether people like it or not.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

I repeat, Komeht - how long have you been stuck in Austin? You seem someone who would be much more suited to someplace like New York City. (Nothing wrong with that, my son lived there for some years and absolutely loved it.)

Oh the irony. Pretty much all of the vocal people on this thread don't even live in Austin (myself included)! Many don't even live in the same county.

Anyone who actually lives in Austin want to speak up? I think maybe the OP, twange, and who else? Let's hear from the real Austinites.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

I repeat, Komeht - how long have you been stuck in Austin? You seem someone who would be much more suited to someplace like New York City. (Nothing wrong with that, my son lived there for some years and absolutely loved it.)

I've been "stuck" in Austin my entire life. I'm a lifer. And I've seen it grow from a relatively sleepy college/state capital to be what it is today. And you know what - it's BETTER. Far better place than when I grew up. Not that it wasn't great then - it's just I have everything I used to have and love about Austin - and now all these great experiences and new interesting people to share them with. Sure - I've lost places I loved along the way, Liberty Lunch, Les Amis (hell, I'm just old enough to remember my parents taking us to The Armadillo) - and yes, I was sorry to see each go.

But we have such a much more interesting city now. It had lots of growing problems and has listened far too much to the likes of you who never see a building they like. But the pendulum has swung, at least with regards to down town. I will fight tooth and nail to see that we keep it that way. We also need to realize that we can't only grow in the CBD and accomodate everyone. The much much tougher sell is in the close in neighborhoods that are protected by people much like myself - old Austin - people who grew up here and cherish it. I know these people quite well, I grew up with them, I've lived with them for most of my life.