This is an amazing time capsule of a video.
Twenty years ago this video was shot by Pete Reid and his buddy, Brian. Pete was a visiting student from Scotland at UT.
The video takes us from UT, down the Drag, along Guadalupe into downtown Austin. The video quality isn’t great, but it is good enough for some good nostalgia to kick in. From Pete’s Youtube description:
“We drove down the Drag passing the Hole in the Wall, Tower Records, some drag rats, and Miami Subs. Then down Guadalupe passed the Dog and Duck, Liberty Lunch, an empty Austin skyline, and hardly any traffic. “
It starts off with shots of the Drag. For me the most interesting part is about five minutes in when you can catch glimpses of how downtown Austin has evolved. Notably:
0:44 – Tower Records on the Drag
5:24 – on the left, Guadalupe @ 5th, that parking lot is where Plaza Lofts is now.
5:52 – on the left, Guadalupe @ 2nd, that white building is now where Austin City Hall is located. The camera pans to the right to show Liberty Lunch.
6:27 – approaching and crossing Cesar Chavez
7:01 – shots of downtown Austin from 1st Street Bridge
Thanks to Pete Reid for sharing this on Youtube, and to Chris James putting it on my radar.
~ Jude
