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Uh, 20 years ago? A LOT has changed since then. Just ask Bill Clinton, Bill Cosby, Hollywood Producers, Michael Richard, among others.
OK, I'm going to discard 20 year old anecdotal examples and hold out hope that this is not representative of today in Memphis. Maybe I'm clueless or something.
The description of Memphis in 1998 sounds like New Orleans in 1998. There were literally 500 murders a year. Now there are less than half of what it was even when adjusted for post Katrina population.
Memphis is "rough and tumble" full of "up and coming" neighborhoods, kind of like Brooklyn in 1985.
What Memphis has is desirable though. Very good food (Memphis BBQ joints among the best and Soul Food is pretty darn good). In addition it has a soul and music history comparable to none. It's a shame one of the posters was scared of touring Graceland. I toured it circa 2001 perhaps. It was very crowded, like hundreds if not thousands of people in a mall area where you board a bus to go to Graceland. Apparently they are redesigning the whole campus as it was overcrowded even when I was there. There's like some gift shops, a few movie rooms showing his life history, and then the bus depot that goes across the street to his house.
Yes the neighborhood wasn't great but I wasn't scared at all. It also has a lot of historical buildings, a rich urban stock. The kinds of houses that hipster millenials just love.
It has all the ingredients to have a revival. When that will occur I don't know. I suspect it will occur within the next 20 or so years.
Well back to the main topic. No I do not agree that Austin has sold itself for 30 years. It has accelerated in the past 3 years.
Don't be naive. We can't solve anything if we refuse to see the issue. So far most of the people who responded, actually have not. You can start a "Is Memphis racist thread". I don't go to your original posts and sideline-why do me that way? Please don't tell me your a Christian-you don't comment ethically, maybe u can ask your Preacher for forgiveness . And real estate agents always say nothing is wrong-it's how you make your living by ignoring reality.
So yes, over developing is an issue and I will continue to point it out till WE do something and make Austin better rather than allow greed to outline our plans rather than sense and societal responsibility.
Well back to the main topic. No I do not agree that Austin has sold itself for 30 years. It has accelerated in the past 3 years.
Don't be naive. We can't solve anything if we refuse to see the issue. So far most of the people who responded, actually have not. You can start a "Is Memphis racist thread". I don't go to your original posts and sideline-why do me that way? Please don't tell me your a Christian-you don't comment ethically, maybe u can ask your Preacher for forgiveness . And real estate agents always say nothing is wrong-it's how you make your living by ignoring reality.
So yes, over developing is an issue and I will continue to point it out till WE do something and make Austin better rather than allow greed to outline our plans rather than sense and societal responsibility.
Well, you posted a link to a departing Austin music nateable who is leaving Austin in favor of Memphis. That invites people to comment on whether Memphis really is "better" than Austin.
Remind me, what is the "main topic"? If it's your last sentence, let's break it down:
1) Over Developing - That actual problem is under-development. Reduced inventory creates rising costs as supply fails to meet demand. Blame City of Austin, the philosophies followed by those elected to City Council, and the byzantine code rules and regulations that disincentivize the building of affordable housing stock.
2) Greed - greed is good, when properly regulated. In this case, the greed is owned by those who greedily want to tell others what they can and can't do with property. NIMBYs, old school neighborhood blue hairs, etc.
3) Societal Responsibility - please elaborate. What specific societal responsibility steps need to be taken. By whom and with whose land and money?
And no, real estate agents don't always say "nothing is wrong". A lot is "wrong", a lot is "right", but as someone who has lived in and watched the city grow since 1985, the main cause of almost everything most say is "wrong" can be directly traced back to poor city government.
Well back to the main topic. No I do not agree that Austin has sold itself for 30 years. It has accelerated in the past 3 years.
Don't be naive. We can't solve anything if we refuse to see the issue. So far most of the people who responded, actually have not. You can start a "Is Memphis racist thread". I don't go to your original posts and sideline-why do me that way? Please don't tell me your a Christian-you don't comment ethically, maybe u can ask your Preacher for forgiveness . And real estate agents always say nothing is wrong-it's how you make your living by ignoring reality.
So yes, over developing is an issue and I will continue to point it out till WE do something and make Austin better rather than allow greed to outline our plans rather than sense and societal responsibility.
Austin has absolutely sold itself for 20-30 years. It’s the last three that impacted you, found your pruritic threshold so to speak.
The city is dramatically UNDER developed, which is a significant issue in affordability.
And. Please, please, explain WTF religion has to do with anything?
So austin-steve, seems to often reply to my posts so may have a lot of time on his hands, possibly semi-retired.
"That actual problem is under-development." Said like a true real estate agent. Think of all the money still to be made. Greed is good? Really def not a church goer.
You are on this forum and I assume other social media, within 3 years the tide of public opinion has done a complete turnabout. Maybe you did not notice? I was seeing what was happening and started posting about it then about 3 years back on various forums, the other commenters would apologize for my unfriendliness and say "we want more good people here". As they saw the incredible irresponsible over developing that has changed. I now see the majority responding like me to posts of those excited to move here.
I am not sure what part of town you live in or get to but drive down Lamar Street south from Manchaca and see the "improvements". It has changed from a comfortable laid-back street to a mega condo street.
I do not have time to cull info for you right now. You can look it up on your own, search for "what is ethical infrastructure for a growing city" to find out. You will not find Austin listed as one-I know that for sure.
Thank you for inspiring me to work even harder to clearly define the issues at hand and work twice as hard at defeating apathy and lazy opinion.
please, explain WTF religion has to do with anything?
And. Please, please, explain WTF religion has to do with anything?[/quote]
Ethics, religion and sustainable growth are all related, or should be, but in America and in Texas we somehow think we can "have our cake and eat it too".
Unlimited growth, eminent domain, paybacks to city government for expansions and building, nah nothing to do with ethics, faith or action and belief...
I for one want my gov't to reflect what is fair and just, not what they can get away with.
I am not sure what part of town you live in or get to but drive down Lamar Street south from Manchaca and see the "improvements". It has changed from a comfortable laid-back street to a mega condo street.
Man, of all examples - that place was butt-ugly not so many years ago. Yes, it has changed to a style that apparently does not suit you but does suit others. Those that like the condos (actual residents, not developers) would call it improvement. You, obviously, do not. I am sure you are more important than them, right?
Anyway, Austin has been doubling in size every 20 years or so since its inception. This is nothing new. South Lamar was first 'destroyed' even before the Broken Spoke further 'degraded' the area. While I do sometimes mourn the passing of a place or a 'style' in an area, I have out-grown (for the most part) the apparently innate desire to 'freeze' everything at a certain time in history. Austin's history never has been about what the city was at any time, but more a reflection of the constant change that spark the dynamic nature of the city.
Man, of all examples - that place was butt-ugly not so many years ago. Yes, it has changed to a style that apparently does not suit you but does suit others. Those that like the condos (actual residents, not developers) would call it improvement. You, obviously, do not. I am sure you are more important than them, right?
Anyway, Austin has been doubling in size every 20 years or so since its inception. This is nothing new. South Lamar was first 'destroyed' even before the Broken Spoke further 'degraded' the area. While I do sometimes mourn the passing of a place or a 'style' in an area, I have out-grown (for the most part) the apparently innate desire to 'freeze' everything at a certain time in history. Austin's history never has been about what the city was at any time, but more a reflection of the constant change that spark the dynamic nature of the city.
I know. Right?
Ethics? Morality? Those have nothing to do with providing sustainable growth and affordable housing. Those “mega condos” meet a market need for younger folks to live close to a happening spot.
When was the last time you were on S Lamar? Mine was yesterday at the Austin Art Garage, the complex it is in is a quintessential Austin experience - right next to a design firm and a marketing company.
So. Creepy. Harden your edge and rail away. Just realize that your ilk actually create much of the problem wherein the artists and entrepreneurs that built the ethos of this city are unable to try and get their start - there’s nowhere for them to live.
If there’s anything that speaks Austin more than S Lamar at 11AM. I’d be surprised. A busy Maudie’s a block from a closed Chipotle.
And. Please, please, explain WTF religion has to do with anything?
Ethics, religion and sustainable growth are all related, or should be, but in America and in Texas we somehow think we can "have our cake and eat it too".
Unlimited growth, eminent domain, paybacks to city government for expansions and building, nah nothing to do with ethics, faith or action and belief...
I for one want my gov't to reflect what is fair and just, not what they can get away with.
Okay the unlimited growth has to do with people deciding to move here, mostly for jobs. You want to have an annual cap on the number of people coming here? Not sure if that would be constitutional. Maybe the world simply has too many people, but not much we can do about that.
What recent examples of eminent domain do you dislike?
The paybacks, aka incentives, were all done in the public view. Elect officials who pledge not to take them, but realize you will be forgoing a huge source of new tax revenues that fund all of the necessary and decorative/symbolic programs that get Austin city council members all hot and bothered, e.g. legal aid for undocumented foreign nationals.
Well, you posted a link to a departing Austin music nateable who is leaving Austin in favor of Memphis. That invites people to comment on whether Memphis really is "better" than Austin.
Remind me, what is the "main topic"? If it's your last sentence, let's break it down:
1) Over Developing - That actual problem is under-development. Reduced inventory creates rising costs as supply fails to meet demand. Blame City of Austin, the philosophies followed by those elected to City Council, and the byzantine code rules and regulations that disincentivize the building of affordable housing stock.
2) Greed - greed is good, when properly regulated. In this case, the greed is owned by those who greedily want to tell others what they can and can't do with property. NIMBYs, old school neighborhood blue hairs, etc.
3) Societal Responsibility - please elaborate. What specific societal responsibility steps need to be taken. By whom and with whose land and money?
And no, real estate agents don't always say "nothing is wrong". A lot is "wrong", a lot is "right", but as someone who has lived in and watched the city grow since 1985, the main cause of almost everything most say is "wrong" can be directly traced back to poor city government.
Steve
As a real estate agent, I agree - a lot IS wrong. Austin has steadfastly of late (NOT for the last 30 years, thank you very much - I've lived here for a year short of half a century and have watched) been killing the goose that lays the golden eggs - the very things that made Austin a place where people want to live, as fast as it can, in worship of the almighty mammon (and people moving here and then trying to turn it into wherever they moved here from because stacking as many people on top of each other as possible is SO desirable in a city that was never, ever about that that it's worth tearing down and burying everything that made this city unique and not Any City, USA). Yeah I know, BAD real estate agent. It used to be that people moved here because the loved Austin and what it stood for and they acclimated. Now people move here and want it to acclimate to them and wherever they came from (or see an opportunity to profit off of what it was before, like those people that trademarked "Keep Austin Weird" against Red's objections and then used it to commercialize Austin when the entire original point was to protest the commercialization of Austin). Therein lies the problem, and therein will lie the disaster that will happen when they realize what happened (but not that they caused it) and move on to the next city to do the same.
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please, explain WTF religion has to do with anything?
