Jump to content

When did old Austin die?


DCA_HORN

Recommended Posts

  • 4 months later...
On 8/31/2023 at 7:09 PM, Jiggy-Z said:

Austin resident since 1967 here.

Austin has always been about finding those hidden gems that are unique to this city., but the same could be said of any city.

In old Austin, they were not that hard to find and despite their popularity, we're not that well attended. In true Austin form, by the time something got popular, the trend setters had already moved on, leaving the rest of to enjoy there work before business failure or what we would have considered overpopulation and saturation.

These types of places and events began to drastically drop off 2 or three years before the pandemic, which is when I would consider the time old Austin died.

Not coincidentally, that is when Austin real estate started to become truly unaffordable.

All the signs were there even in the early 90's when I noticed that the core of the city no longer catered to the student and governmental emoyee populations from a leisure standpoint, as prices had become more in line with Houston or Dallas.

These days, if you want and old Austin feel, I would recommend San Antonio, but their time is limited as well.

Austin still has pockets and activities with that old Austin feel, but they are soon discovered and turned into phantasmagoric events soon ruined by lack of intimacy and bad parking options. It's almost not even worth looking anymore.

Haven't read this whole thread, but for me it's when real estate changed and also, as you said, the hidden gems went away.  I enjoyed it when food and alcohol were cheap, housing was super affordable, and tuition and really everything for the academic year could be paid just by working full-time all summer, and a part time job on campus during school.  Once MTV had Real World Austin, it was over.  Went back around 2012 and swore I'd never return.  Haven't missed it.  I don't want to contaminate my memories with what's there now. Kind of like remembering your old dog when you hung together, rather than right before he passed and he can barely move, is missing teeth, and blind.    

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/30/2023 at 11:40 AM, Ollie Slatt said:

Actually, no.  The Domain is great because (1) I dont ever have to go there; and (2) it keeps all of the northern suburbanites from coming into Austin proper. 

If you want to talk dancing on Austin's grave . . . there is a Hermes boutique on South Congress.  


 

when the areas around the school went corporate 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

What year did South Park Meadows become an Academy?  What year did the Backyard become a Target?  What year did they tear down the TexMex restaurant at 2nd and Congress (I forgot the name but shrimp enchiladas slammed)?  

Average those and you'll be in the ballpark.

Also, going off memory but wasn't there a Texadelphia at 5th and Congress somewhere?  And wasn't there an old Schlotzsky's somewhere around 5th and 35?

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

The meadows closed in 2000 and the backyard around 2008, although the strip center was already there by then. That’s later than most people on here would say. 

You left out the restaurant on Congress. It was not a luxury destination, but on Fridays they had shrimp enchiladas. I'm generally not a fan of the shrimp enchilada but I liked that place.  I think the back dining room may have been an alley.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

The meadows closed in 2000 and the backyard around 2008, although the strip center was already there by then. That’s later than most people on here would say. 

Backyard used to be The Branding Iron before the Backyard.  Although I did like the Backyard.  Saw the Neville Brothers and a few other great bands there...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...