Death of "Hip Austin," and Birth of "MAINSTREAM" Austin

[alon504]

I'm in mourning. I recently visited Austin and was terribly sad to see the Austin I once knew and loved is dead. It is gone. I'm referring to the HIP Austin--the one with the deadheads hanging out on the streets with club after club of hip music. Those days are gone. I'm afraid it is forever gone. Austin is now a mainstream city with a booming population infiltrated by a bunch of money hungry outsiders who could careless about the "hip" Austin I once knew and loved. They don't care about cool live music and an underground scene that was once one the best in this country. No more. It is over and gone. I know some think it is wonderful to see explosive growth, but, I am one who mourns the loss of the old Austin and am extremely sad to see Downtown Austin blazen with a bunch of glassy condo towers. It's horrible. Austin of the old is no more. Now, it is just like the rest of the big cities in this country. The character of the streets of Austin are gone and I am sad. I'm horrified by the expansion and growth I saw. But, I'll never forget the Austin I once knew. It's now just a memory.

[sss1234]

Little hyperbolic...

[alon504]

Originally Posted by sss1234

Little hyperbolic...

It may seem like an exaggeration to you, but, it didn't to me while I was there. But, it is what it is.....I just didn't like the new look and all of the "typical," Americans roaming around. It used to be so hip and cool. It's just not anymore. It's now too showy and fake. It's not real anymore. Sorry, it's just what I saw.

[Scottolini]

What is fake about Austin? How is it not real? What was different in Austin in the past that made it more real?

I think seeing typical Americans, if there is such a thing, in an American city should be expected. What is your definition of a typical American?

Why does seeing glassy condo towers in downtown Austin make you sad?

Also, in what way has the Austin music scene become worse?

[tgbAustinite]

the music scene is a burgeoning one, and is as good as it ever has been. the underground scene is as well. the fact that downtown has new highrises means that the city is realizing that an urban core is the smartest way for a city to grow, rather than sprawl in every which way to the four corners of the state. i don't get it...just because there is smart downtown growth and development does not mean that austin has lost its hip scene.

[JACKinBeantown]

Having lived in Austin from 1985 to 1992, I know what alon504 means. The old Austin will never be what it once was... an amazing small city. But now it's a really cool big city.

[alon504]

It's just not the same to me, that's all. Austin had an incredible thing going there and people talked about it all over the South. Sorry, as someone who doesn't live there, I'm probably more able to see it than those that live there, but, it's not the same. It's crossed a threshold and is not the hip city I once knew. It's not Austin's fault...Austin has gotten really big and as can happen when you have so many new people move in, it's lost it's character. The definition of Austin has changed. I'm sure it is extremely exciting for those that live there to see Austin have explosive growth, but, coming from someone who has visited Austin for certain "hip," things, it's just not there anymore. And I've heard others say the same things. Look, to me, it's a bad sad thing. To others what has happened to Austin is incredible. I don't like it. It has just gotten infiltrated by those that don't know the old Austin and they don't care either. They live there and have moved there, but, they aren't from there or a part of what was once so cool. It happens. I know it won't go back. That's all I'm saying. It is no longer eccentric. I was just disappointed. When cities boom, these types of things happen. It's not hip anymore. It's turned into being "just another big, growing city."

[the Genral]

Interesting topic...I've been here since 1982, gone, Armadillo World Headquarters, gone, Fiesta Gardens, gone, Raft Races on Town Lake, gone, City Collisium, gone, Willie Nelson (for the most part),gone, Stevie Ray, (RIP), gone Antone (RIP) gone, Bergstrom AFB and its yearly air show, gone Suicide alley, formally known as old 183, gone Handy Dan's, gone, the Back Room, gone, the drive-in at 71 and I35,soon to be gone, the old home for ACL, gone, Hole in The Wall, gone, the cow pastures that once surrounded my house, gone, the Austin Ice Bats and Wranglers, gone Manor Downs, gone.
What's still here, Katz's (never closes), Peter Pan Mini Golf, free concerts, 4th of July fireworks downtown, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, frisby golf, 6th Street, Pecan Festival, the Drag, UT, ACL in a soon to be newer and better venue, a new and improved SOCO, new and improved warehouse district, Threadgill's, Top Notch, Broken Spoke, SXSW, Film Festival, the Paramont, Town Lake, er lady Bird lake, the bats, Travis County Fair and Rodeo, ROT Bike Rally, The Oasis, hike and bike trails along the lake, numerous marathons, Capitol 10K, UT vs Aggies, IBM and Dell, rednecks and older hippies, politics and liberalism, eastside and westside, north and south, Frank Erwin Ctr, UT football, grackels, hippie hollow, and a cross dressing hobo named Leslie. What's new, people moving to DT into some tall and beautiful condos, a quieting building boom, Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Quaid, and other celebs moving to town including Friday Night Lights cast, Senior Golf Tounament, people from all over the US who bring with them new ideas and culture, ACL Fest, Parmer Events CTR, Long Center for Performing Arts, more museums and better restaurants, Toro's, Round Rock's AAA baseball, Cedar Park's new Hockey and concert venues, toll roads, rail service and anything else I forgot to mention.
What Austin has not lost however, and I beg your pardon, is her heart and soul, culture, amazing variety of people, and her rep as being a great place to live. Austin is still the Austin I fell in love with 27 years ago, she just looks different, and unless you live here, you'll never see she's still the same if not perhaps better than ever. Progress does not change the hipness of a city. The population increase did not come at the expense of all the hip and original Austinites leaving town only to be replaced by out of towners, we are still here albeit outnumbered perhaps but we still enjoy our great city as she continues to grow as it should. Hell, I miss the old Rock n Roll cover bands on Sixth Street, the raft races, the Air Show, $1 gallon gasoline, and when my wife's breasts were a bit higher on her chest, but you get over it and roll with the changes, nothing to be sad about. I'm not sure why you are sad, disappointed or surprised that Austin culture has changed and its such a bad thing. Did you expect to run into Willie Nelson smoking a joint outside of the AWH with a bunch of deadheads in 2009? Its not money hungry outsiders who could care less about Austin's hip scene you loved that ruined Austin for you, its evolution. The culture you saw before still exists, but we are older and WE have changed, not the city. A younger culture is taking over like it or not, and they are Austin's future God Bless 'em! But Austin's legacy will never die!! Sorry forum for the looooooong reply. I'll get off my soapbox now.

[Scottolini]

No need for an apology; I think it's a great post.

[tgbAustinite]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Interesting topic...I've been here since 1982, gone, Armadillo World Headquarters, gone, Fiesta Gardens, gone, Raft Races on Town Lake, gone, City Collisium, gone, Willie Nelson (for the most part),gone, Stevie Ray, (RIP), gone Antone (RIP) gone, Bergstrom AFB and its yearly air show, gone Suicide alley, formally known as old 183, gone Handy Dan's, gone, the Back Room, gone, the drive-in at 71 and I35,soon to be gone, the old home for ACL, gone, Hole in The Wall, gone, the cow pastures that once surrounded my house, gone, the Austin Ice Bats and Wranglers, gone Manor Downs, gone.
What's still here, Katz's (never closes), Peter Pan Mini Golf, free concerts, 4th of July fireworks downtown, Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park, frisby golf, 6th Street, Pecan Festival, the Drag, UT, ACL in a soon to be newer and better venue, a new and improved SOCO, new and improved warehouse district, Threadgill's, Top Notch, Broken Spoke, SXSW, Film Festival, the Paramont, Town Lake, er lady Bird lake, the bats, Travis County Fair and Rodeo, ROT Bike Rally, The Oasis, hike and bike trails along the lake, numerous marathons, Capitol 10K, UT vs Aggies, IBM and Dell, rednecks and older hippies, politics and liberalism, eastside and westside, north and south, Frank Erwin Ctr, UT football, grackels, hippie hollow, and a cross dressing hobo named Leslie. What's new, people moving to DT into some tall and beautiful condos, a quieting building boom, Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Quaid, and other celebs moving to town including Friday Night Lights cast, Senior Golf Tounament, people from all over the US who bring with them new ideas and culture, ACL Fest, Parmer Events CTR, Long Center for Performing Arts, more museums and better restaurants, Toro's, Round Rock's AAA baseball, Cedar Park's new Hockey and concert venues, toll roads, rail service and anything else I forgot to mention.
What Austin has not lost however, and I beg your pardon, is her heart and soul, culture, amazing variety of people, and her rep as being a great place to live. Austin is still the Austin I fell in love with 27 years ago, she just looks different, and unless you live here, you'll never see she's still the same if not perhaps better than ever. Progress does not change the hipness of a city. The population increase did not come at the expense of all the hip and original Austinites leaving town only to be replaced by out of towners, we are still here albeit outnumbered perhaps but we still enjoy our great city as she continues to grow as it should. Hell, I miss the old Rock n Roll cover bands on Sixth Street, the raft races, the Air Show, $1 gallon gasoline, and when my wife's breasts were a bit higher on her chest, but you get over it and roll with the changes, nothing to be sad about. I'm not sure why you are sad, disappointed or surprised that Austin culture has changed and its such a bad thing. Did you expect to run into Willie Nelson smoking a joint outside of the AWH with a bunch of deadheads in 2009? Its not money hungry outsiders who could care less about Austin's hip scene you loved that ruined Austin for you, its evolution. The culture you saw before still exists, but we are older and WE have changed, not the city. A younger culture is taking over like it or not, and they are Austin's future God Bless 'em! But Austin's legacy will never die!! Sorry forum for the looooooong reply. I'll get off my soapbox now.

well said.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by tgbAustinite

well said.

Agreed Genral. Though I certainly can sympathize with Alon's disappointment...having lived here my entire life...it is what it is. It is indeed just as much a generational thing, even for those born and raised in Austin. I would put myself in that category, as I am a bit too young to have truly experienced the Austin described (and I'm in my early 30s).

[KevinFromTexas]

What hip places and things are you talking about alon504? A lot of stuff is still here, just moved to some other location in town.

the Austin Ice Bats and Wranglers, gone

Originally Posted by Genral

Did you expect to run into Willie Nelson smoking a joint outside of the AWH with a bunch of deadheads in 2009? Its not money hungry outsiders who could care less about Austin's hip scene you loved that ruined Austin for you, its evolution. The culture you saw before still exists, but we are older and WE have changed, not the city.

Good post. And agreed, you just have to know where to look for it. Believe me, South Austin is FULL of old hippies. LOL My oldest cousin (an old hippie himself) just showed up a little while ago smoking out of a pipe. As a matter of fact, he invited me over to smoke with him (I took him up on it!) The old Austin is still here. And the greatness of old Austin isn't lost on the next generation either. I listen to stories my oldest cousin and his friend tells me about what Austin was like back in the late 60s and 70s with extreme interest. Hearing his story of seeing AC/DC play their first North American gig at the Armadillo World Headquarters in 1977. That's freaking awesome!

[KevinFromTexas]

By the way, something I've always wondered, how many native Austinites are on the forum?

Were you born here, raised here? Or what year did you move here?

I was born in San Antonio in 1979, but was raised in Austin. My mom was born here and she's at least 3rd generation Austinite. She grew up in a big 3-story house on Park Lane in the Travis Heights neighborhood. My dad was born in Germany and they came to the United States and picked Texas. It was either the US or Australia that they had to choose from. His family were refugees from the war in Germany.

[austintilIdie]

Born here in '83...and raised. Never've lived elsewhere.

[Spaceman]

I grew up in Louisiana...I would visit NO and it's was the best place....It was fun, CLASSY, and safe...Then look what happened...it's a crime ridden ghetto...my relatives that still live there won't leave their homes after dark...I've been to most big cities in this country and I've never seen a city collapse so totally as NO...As a Louisiana native I have very strong feelings about a once great city going to hell.....NO today makes me sick..Bring back Katrina #2...

[MichaelB]

Re: Mopacs:

moved here 87 for grad school, never left. Thought the town, as cool as it was, needed to grow up a bit. Every time we thought about leaving, something grew and got better.

And I think....well I know, there are even more musicians here trying to make it. The scene has shifted ..... look east young man! you just gotta know where to look.

Re : general: well put.

It would be fun to put together a list of old fav haunts and see what they have become, vs new fav haunts!

[hookem]

Not a native. Came in 1989 for college and never left. If I had a dime for every person I've met over the years who lamented over "the way Austin used to be", I'd be able to afford a condo in the Austonian! Seriously, even when I first came here 20 years ago, people were complaining how it had lost it's charm.

I'm always amazed by the new things that pop up, as the old ones fade away... like the Ladybird Lake trail (soooo many improvements done over the years! hopefully the boardwalk soon), the Pfluger Bridge and all the impromptu hanging-out stuff that goes on there... the newer festivals like ACL, the growth of SXSW as a film and multimedia festival... the airport, the warehouse district, west 6th street, the 2nd street district, South Congress, the art studios and funky office spaces on the near-east-side... the under construction new ACL studio/concert hall will be an incredible new music venue smack dab in downtown. All good stuff.

Genral: Great post.

[Mopacs]

Born in the midwest (on an AFB), but moved here at 20 months. Certainly I don't remember living there, so Austin is all i know. Now granted, I grew up in what was considered the boonies back then (Cedar Park).

[Austinite]

As any other 5th generation Austinite would tell you, the hipness isn't dying; it's just changing form. Austin was cool before it was hip; and it was mellow before it was cool; and it was sleepy before it was mellow; and it was wild, wild Apacheria before that. Whatever it'll have become in a few years' time, it'll be fun. Don't worry about it.

[TXLove]

Houston born in 1979 but raised in Austin from 1984 on..... Im the only one on my mom side of the family that wasn't Austin born. My dad and his family are all Houstonians