Downtown Austin Blog

downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog

Downtown Austin Blog's official map of condos and apartments

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udpated map of Downtown Austin buildings
Official map of Downtown Austin Blog

I spend most of my time downtown and take for granted that not everyone knows where everything is.   It’s helpful to have a bird’s-eye-view of Downtown Austin’s condos, apartments, and small businesses.   I’ve mashed up the data I collected when counting the number of dwellings in Downtown Austin with the street address of every condo and apartment counted.   You’ll find many of the less well known apartments included.  A handful of local businesses that I regularly visit are included, too.

This map will be perpetually evolving.  Let me know if I’ve missed something, or if you have something you’d like me to add.

-Jude

The Tragedy of Suburbia

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In this video, James Howard Kunstler tells you why suburbia hasn’t been delivering on what it’s been promising: a respite from the industrial city.

The automobile created the opportunity to own a “country” house. As more people purchased cars, more people also wanted to purchase homes outside the city. What happened is the modern suburban experience became a cartoon of the original desire to have a “country” house outside of the city.

Kunstler advocates sustainability through living locally. Love this guy’s passionate delivery.

NSFW for language

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1ZeXnmDZMQ]

According to his TED conference bio:
“James Howard Kunstler may be the world’s most outspoken critic of suburban sprawl. He believes the end of the fossil fuels era will soon force a return to smaller-scale, agrarian communities — and an overhaul of the most destructive features of postwar society.”

Fire rips through Vice and other Sixth Street venues

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Fire at Vice

We heard the alarms over night, and just woke up to the news of two 3-alarm fires on the 300 block of Sixth Street.  Apparently, the fire was centered at VICE on the North side and Blind Pig on the South side.  Investigators are uncertain if they are related, (though it would seem unlikely to me that they weren’t).  Sixth Street is blocked off from Red River to San Jacinto.  The extent of the damage is still uncertain.  Photos and details to come.

Link

Bike Messenger Culture

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**Downtown Austin Blog has been given special access to the amazing PBS Downtown TV series.  Thanks, DAA!**

One of my favorite clips from the Downtown TV program is the story about Downtown Austin bike messengers.  Though I never got into the whole narrow handle-barred-10-speed-sans-brakes thing, I did grow up riding Haros and trying to do tailwhips.

These guys know Downtown Austin like most people never will.  They know where everything is and understand the hidden paths to get there.  Oh, according to the video, don’t ride your bike past Little City cafe and not expect to be judged by the messengers waiting on their next call.

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