What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?

[Orange&White 5522]

3 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

The housing first/only people are some of the most delusional people in this town. I’m being charitable calling them that, because I want to believe they actually care, or at least some of them do. But the fact is that what they were going was just another version of stashing the problem in the woods.

Both approaches are by far more expensive than actually giving the homeless what they need, because of the cost of healthcare, EMT, etc. 

It is actually possible to virtually eliminate permanent homelessness in Austin. Not just possible, but cost effective.
But we will never do it, because the know-nothings would rather throw good money after bad by pretending it’s a law enforcement problem to vent their anger at the world, and the know-everythings would rather pretend it’s a real estate problem so they can demonstrate moral superiority. 
 

“Let them have hotels!”

 

You've been preaching about this for at least a decade that I can remember and the city has collected and distributed billions of dollars in that time period and the issue has done nothing but get progressively worse. Are you saying we should just keep falling for the same banana in the tailpipe?

[Samson's Wig 3191]

15 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

They designed that garage to favor tiny cars on purpose (or people walking or biking up).  Parents with multiple kids in a minivan or even a small/medium SUV need not try.

Even when we do something right, we have to fuck it up at least a little with politically based choices that make nitwits who wish they lived in Denmark happy, even if it's at the expense of reason.  All in all, I'd still call this one a win.

In my case, the try-hards actually won.  I gave up and sold my full-sized truck a long time ago.  Navigating this city in one isn't worth it. It makes our frequent camping and fishing trips a much bigger pain in the ass, but c'est la vie. 

[DaysOff 7947]

YGIFS reminds me of Max Fischer in Rushmore with all the committees and boards he's on.

[MAUFRAIS 6619]

Sic mass transit gloria

[utee94 15805]

28 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

YGIFS reminds me of Max Fischer in Rushmore with all the committees and boards he's on.

Ha!  @YGIFS's dream gig:

 

[Bozo_Casanova 26437]

2 hours ago, Orange&White said:

You've been preaching about this for at least a decade that I can remember and the city has collected and distributed billions of dollars in that time period and the issue has done nothing but get progressively worse. Are you saying we should just keep falling for the same banana in the tailpipe?

No. I’m saying that as far I can tell, the city is getting exactly just exactly the expensive, cruel disaster the voters want. If we didn’t, we would demand something more cost effective and wouldn’t (for example) have made it impossible to operate something like Community First anywhere in the city limits. 
Think about all the sturm und drang about the homeless over the last three decades. Have we changed our approach to anything in that time? The only conclusion I can reach is that we like how things are.

Edited February 7 by Bozo_Casanova

[Brisketexan 105066]

33 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Ha!  @YGIFS's dream gig:

 

Staring at Natalie Portman's tush?  Yep, that sounds like him.

[royiv 9254]

2 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

Even when we do something right, we have to fuck it up at least a little with politically based choices that make nitwits who wish they lived in Denmark happy, even if it's at the expense of reason. 

Spent a week in Copenhagen this past November. Even in dreary winter weather, I could think of worse places to live. Pretty cool place and the Danes were super friendly people.

[Bozo_Casanova 26437]

2 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

In my case, the try-hards actually won.  I gave up and sold my full-sized truck a long time ago.  Navigating this city in one isn't worth it. It makes our frequent camping and fishing trips a much bigger pain in the ass, but c'est la vie. 

Side note- My Maverick does everything I liked about my F150 in a city-friendly form factor and still handles everything from hauling mulch and plywood to ruts and icy mountain roads. I could not be happier with this little truck. 

Edited February 7 by Bozo_Casanova

[Samson's Wig 3191]

3 minutes ago, royiv said:

Spent a week in Copenhagen this past November. Even in dreary winter weather, I could think of worse places to live. Pretty cool place and the Danes were super friendly people.

It's lovely, and I would live there in a heartbeat if circumstances allowed for it.  But what's good for the Copenhagen ain't necessarily good for the Austin.

1 minute ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Side note- My Maverick does everything I liked about my F150 in a city-friendly form factor and still handles everything from hauling mulch and plywood to ruts and icy mountain roads. 

I'm in a midsize truck as well, and don't regret the change a bit (except when on long drives at times).

Edited February 7 by Samson's Wig

[Brisketexan 105066]

22 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

It's lovely, and I would live there in a heartbeat if circumstances allowed for it.  But what's good for the Copenhagen ain't necessarily good for the Austin.

So much this.  Copenhagen is an amazing city.  I'd be happy living there.  It's amazingly bike-able.  That is owing, in large part, to 1) its climate (it's temperate - its summers are lovely, and its winters are actually pretty mild), and 2) it's as flat as a pancake.  So, yeah...things that work great in Place X often don't translate to Place Y.

Expecting Austin transportation to work just like Copenhagen transportation would be as dumb as saying "hey, I built houses in San Diego, none of them needed A/C, don't know why you'd put A/C in a house in Austin!"

[Bozo_Casanova 26437]

31 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

I'm in a midsize truck as well, and don't regret the change a bit (except when on long drives at times).

The crazy thing about the Maverick is that because of the shape of the cab it’s significantly roomier than the current Ranger, so driving 2000 miles over the course of 6 days with wife and two teen girls (no pics, you pervs) was honestly pretty comfortable. 

Edited February 8 by Bozo_Casanova

[YGIFS 19449]

2 hours ago, DaysOff said:

YGIFS reminds me of Max Fischer in Rushmore with all the committees and boards he's on.

You shut your whore mouth, I am Vice President of the Stamp & Coin Club and we are affecting real change.  

Pos rep for a great callback.  I completely forgot that Max represents Russia in the Model UN, wonder if Wes Anderson would walk that back?  What a great fucking movie, Brian Cox is the unsung hero of that film.

Yeah, sorry for boarding on here.  It's a UT site, so sometimes I bring up UT shit.  Plus service is a part of my recovery so sometimes you fellas gotta wade through my shit, every minute I spend giving back is a minute I don't have to deal with my own shit.  And yes, I will be co-founder of the Surly Asstronomy Club here soon.  Because her ass is outta this world...

[Bevo 13566]

Copenhagen is half the population of Austin and 1/4th the size/acreage.

[YGIFS 19449]

11 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Copenhagen is half the population of Austin and 1/4th the size/acreage.

But sir, this is a Denmark's.  We don't have acreage here...

Edited February 8 by YGIFS

[safe sex 11697]

[royiv 9254]

2 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

It's lovely, and I would live there in a heartbeat if circumstances allowed for it.  But what's good for the Copenhagen ain't necessarily good for the Austin.

I'm in a midsize truck as well, and don't regret the change a bit (except when on long drives at times).

 

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

So much this.  Copenhagen is an amazing city.  I'd be happy living there.  It's amazingly bike-able.  That is owing, in large part, to 1) its climate (it's temperate - its summers are lovely, and its winters are actually pretty mild), and 2) it's as flat as a pancake.  So, yeah...things that work great in Place X often don't translate to Place Y.

Expecting Austin transportation to work just like Copenhagen transportation would be as dumb as saying "hey, I built houses in San Diego, none of them needed A/C, don't know why you'd put A/C in a house in Austin!"

 

39 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Copenhagen is half the population of Austin and 1/4th the size/acreage.

Jesus Christ guys, was just making an off hand comment about @Samson's Wig Denmark joke. No shit Copenhagen and Austin are different. No one thinks they are comparable.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

1 hour ago, royiv said:

 

 

Jesus Christ guys, was just making an off hand comment about @Samson's Wig Denmark joke. No shit Copenhagen and Austin are different. No one thinks they are comparable.

You’ll never get hired for the deodorant lobby.  Bikes in Denmark are cool.  Bikes in Austin smell like week old cut onions.

[YGIFS 19449]

6 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

You’ll never get hired for the deodorant lobby.  Bikes in Denmark are cool.  Bikes in Austin smell like week old cut onions.

Not judging, but what are you life choices that you're comparing the smells of other people's bike seats against old onions?  Just sniff glue or cocaine like an adult, man.  

[South Austin 52453]

10 hours ago, royiv said:

Jesus Christ guys, was just making an off hand comment about @Samson's Wig Denmark joke. No shit Copenhagen and Austin are different. No one thinks they are comparable.

My dad’s dip back in the day was Copenhagen.

[Bevo 13566]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

My dad’s dip back in the day was Copenhagen.

I didn't dip.

[Eskimohorn 5630]

Chiming in very late to say I love the downtown library.  One of the few things this city has done right in the last twenty years or so.

Agree. Dont understand the issue. That there’s not a 1/2 empty commercial tower there?

[texasdago 7567]

So, I think what will continue to make Austin's downtown stronger and more vibrant is more residential housing and density.  I know I know... opinions vary... I'd rather have a livable downtown than a scraped hill country for master planned communities, golf courses and excess irrigation.

Anyway, I can appreciate that if you look at this list and scroll to the list of projects in construction, the vast majority are residential or mixed use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Austin,_Texas

One question, on the ones at the very bottom, what is the difference between "Approved" and "Site Plan Under Review" ?

 

[South Austin 52453]

1 minute ago, texasdago said:

I'd rather have a livable downtown than a scraped hill country for master planned communities, golf courses and excess irrigation.

I get it, but there's just not an either/or with the population growth Central Texas has been experiencing over the last decade or so.

Case in point:  I haven't been in or past Driftwood in years (shit, it may have been 10+ years since I've been to Salt Lick), but I went to Wimberley just before New Year's for my daughter's basketball tournament.  Holy shit, I couldn't believe all of the residential subdivisions that have popped up in rural north and central Hays County, with several other sites being cleared for similar developments.  We can build up residential units in central Austin all we want, and the growth west of us through the Hill Country still isn't slowing down.

[Brisketexan 105066]

12 hours ago, royiv said:

Jesus Christ guys, was just making an off hand comment about @Samson's Wig Denmark joke. No shit Copenhagen and Austin are different. No one thinks they are comparable.

Actually, the Austin cult of "we need more bike lanes, bike lanes are the cure for EVERYTHING!" crowd actually DOES think they are comparable. v See, e.g.: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2009-10-07/891074/ and https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Transportation/Final_-_Ch._1_-_Introduction.pdf

Quote

Moving Forward with Protected Lanes in Austin

 

In line with national and international advancements in best practices, the City of Austin has taken significant steps to implementing buffered and protected bicycle lanes.

Green Lane Project

As one of six U.S. cities selected for the Green Lane Project in 2012, the Austin bicycling community ramped up efforts to implement protected lanes within the city. The Green Lane Project provided study trips to Denmark and Copenhagen, extensive training, peer support, research and other resources. Project participants included the City Manager, the City Traffic Engineer, a City Council Member, the Public Works Director and other City leadership. Since the launch of the Green Lane Project, implementation of protected bicycle lanes is rapidly spreading throughout the U.S.

Yes, the Austin bike nut crowd absolutely thinks Austin can be like Copenhagen.  Idiots.

[texasdago 7567]

23 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Case in point:  I haven't been in or past Driftwood in years (shit, it may have been 10+ years since I've been to Salt Lick), but I went to Wimberley just before New Year's for my daughter's basketball tournament.  Holy shit, I couldn't believe all of the residential subdivisions that have popped up in rural north and central Hays County, with several other sites being cleared for similar developments.  We can build up residential units in central Austin all we want, and the growth west of us through the Hill Country still isn't slowing down.

At some point these communities have to figure out that there isn't any water.  I thought Dripping had a small moment of clarity but that didn't last long.

All y'all just need to stop watering lawn so the 14th fairway can look pretty

 

[HenryJames 66038]

23 hours ago, texasdago said:

Shoot... I would have absolutely taken a train from west campus to downtown... that would have been amazing!

[texasdago 7567]

18 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

[YGIFS 19449]

For once I'm not crazy, I think an ideal arrangement would be to have a decent spread out in the Hill Country and a condo downtown once the kids graduate HS.  Novel idea, I know.  

But the downtown multi-family product continues to get booked up, be it rental or purchase.  Yeah, lots of second homes or intentional VRBO purchases but the numbers bear it out-the production justifies itself.  Obviously we've all noticed the brakes being put on office delivery.  Hospitality is bouncing back nicely, though not sure what the convention center bullshit is gonna do.  I really wish we would have bought "The Library" on Sixth when we had a the chance a few years ago to flip to office, but we didn't quite know what Stream was up to at that point (we knew some, but they had way deeper EB-5 and ii money than we realized).  Anyway, interesting that our most iconic road in downtown (Sixth Street/Pecan Street) is going to be the last one to be revitalized. 

We are at roughly 15,000+ people primarily residing in the CBD.  With STR's and hotel guests with rental cars, you're probably dealing with close to 20,000-25 on peak weeks.  That number will likely approach 40,000 by the end of this decade.  Certainly ride-share and walkability will play significant roles, but we really gotta start thinking about downtown navigation especially with more and more construction closures for new builds, bike lanes going unused, and a significant chunk of Project Connect in the CBD all but scrapped.  

Sometimes on an a Saturday or Sunday morning when we're coming back from church or campus events, I'll zig-zag the kids through downtown and it feels like Austin when I moved here almost 30 years ago.  I mean, the buildings are all different but it still has this quiet, quaint vibe somehow.  And then other times, it's like driving through the despotic shitshow of a 3rd world country with no planning, just corruption.  

[texasdago 7567]

We were downtown a couple of times this week... relatively chill in the morning and then by lunch there's an nice buzz along Congress, 2nd street and various areas with people walking around and always a ton of pedestrian / bike traffic on the Town Lake trails.  Evenings are busy and I love it... was at a show at ACL Live last week and going to a show at 3Ten next week.  Love the activity downtown... yeah, it gets busy.  I'll take it over Houston's downtown drudgery any day.

On Dirty's...

https://www.kxan.com/video/dirty-martin’s-to-remain-following-tweaks-to-project-connect’s-light-rail-alignment/9410837/

[Orange&White 5522]

So the Council tried to call a meeting to ask Garza (Jesus, not Jose) about the hiring of Acevedo and Garza threatened to quit. 

Being the council that they are, the missed the opportunity to get him the fuck out, but instead decided to capitulate out of fear that it would make hiring a permanent City Manager harder. Apparently the guy from Bozeman was on to something.

This is the highest leadership of what bozo calls a "successful city".

[MAUFRAIS 6619]

Now that it’ll stick around, I hope Dirty’s can clean up that parking lot and get rid of that decrepit awning, half ass tent and those dumb blue barrels.

I don’t want them to McGuire moorman it, just straighten the place up a little bit.

[Samson's Wig 3191]

14 hours ago, royiv said:

 

 

Jesus Christ guys, was just making an off hand comment about @Samson's Wig Denmark joke. No shit Copenhagen and Austin are different. No one thinks they are comparable.

I think the comments were driven by the notion that I brought up rather than your response, which was perfectly reasonable.  Sorry you were caught in the crossfire.

[landman 559]

2 hours ago, texasdago said:

So, I think what will continue to make Austin's downtown stronger and more vibrant is more residential housing and density.  I know I know... opinions vary... I'd rather have a livable downtown than a scraped hill country for master planned communities, golf courses and excess irrigation.

Anyway, I can appreciate that if you look at this list and scroll to the list of projects in construction, the vast majority are residential or mixed use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Austin,_Texas

One question, on the ones at the very bottom, what is the difference between "Approved" and "Site Plan Under Review" ?

 

Approved means it has plans and can be built.  Under review means the plans are with the city going through the process to get approval.

[safe sex 11697]

24 minutes ago, MAUFRAIS said:

Now that it’ll stick around, I hope Dirty’s can clean up that parking lot and get rid of that decrepit awning, half ass tent and those dumb blue barrels.

I don’t want them to McGuire moorman it, just straighten the place up a little bit.

And bring back the old fried pickles.

[texasdago 7567]

51 minutes ago, landman said:

Approved means it has plans and can be built.  Under review means the plans are with the city going through the process to get approval.

That's what I thought but wanted to confirm.  And approved doesn't mean jack until they start building... 

[demos 3002]

Agreed except for the parking garage. Pain in the ass. I usually park at the Trader Joe's garage.

You’re not supposed to drive. You’re supposed to ride your bike or walk.

[PvilleStang 2875]

1 hour ago, safe sex said:

And bring back the old fried pickles.

And the good french fries, not the new crap ones.

[texasdago 7567]

25 minutes ago, demos said:

You’re not supposed to drive. You’re supposed to ride your bike or walk.

...and you walk in Austin to work off the OT Special with a side of tots.

[Armybrat 40822]

6 hours ago, Bevo said:

I didn't dip.

I was a dip.

[KaiserSoze 998]

The downtown library is awesome- I love it. For a few years (up until the Pandemic sent us remote) I worked in one of the buildings right across the creek from it. I live right across the river so would pick up books/DVDs on my walk to and from work. On nice weather days I'd walk over and work on the rooftop (still do occasionally just for a change of scenery and to hit bars/restaurants I like) and every so often I'd get lunch or a beer at the cafe. It's fantastic- beautiful design and great working space. 

One Saturday during the 2020 election I was doing a Saturday barhopping walkabout through downtown and on the walk home stopped into the library to take a leak before crossing the river. I hadn't voted yet so was able to take care of that at the same time and lit a celebratory joint as I exited the library- easily my favorite voting experience ever. 

I'd vote for it again, especially just to read all of the mouthbreather/illerati complaints on Surly.

[Deej 76755]

It's just another thing to benefit the wealthy in this town. Those who can afford to pay the parking or live downtown, or close to downtown. 

Again, god forbid they have taken just half that money and funneled it into the decrepit libraries in the lower income parts of town.

[Samson's Wig 3191]

Does anyone have evidence that a significant number of people live in those downtown condos?  I'm talking about human beings, not trust fund babies partying on daddy's dime, but actual functional working adults who contribute to our local economy and community and have a primary residence downtown?   We've got some friends who work downtown and have a condo for when they work late and don't want to drive home to the hill country, but I'm not counting that either.  I've lived in the downtown area of a number of major cities, within America and outside of it.  The downtown area is a genuine center of the city in these places, with jobs and the necessities of daily life (laundromats, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc.)   Like KaiserSoze, I used to live just across the river off Congress, but it was at a time when no one lived downtown at all (in the olden times before the birth of the highrises).    As far as residents go, it was a dead zone then, and it still feels like one now.  My wife worked downtown at the time and we liked that she could bike to work, but she seemed like the only one doing it.  We had to drive to actually run any basic errands at all.  Nothing about downtown Austin today seems attractive for a permanent residence unless you're a young person with disposable income, no responsibilities, and enjoy partying at nightclubs. South of the river is a slightly different story, of course. 

Are these condos being built for anything more than vehicles for money laundering?   I appreciate the notion of a livable downtown and think it's a great thing. I just don't see any evidence that we have one in this city.   We have built many residences but have done little else to make downtown an attractive place to live.  The jobs aren't even there in significant numbers.  Building more condos doesn't seem like a solution to anything other than satisfying more developers, short-term rental investors, and foreign money launderers.  More investment in things like the library appeals to me much more.  Make downtown a place people actually want to live, then build the condos.  We've put the cart way before the horse, and I don't see a single benefit to Austin residents and taxpayers.

[Armybrat 40822]

How are the conditions at the Howson Branch Library on Exposition nowadays? 
I worked there 1962-1966, but haven’t been inside since.

[Deej 76755]

Quote

When Randy Glenn went to the Domain with his family last year, he returned to the parking lot to find his truck missing.

He said he ultimately got a call from the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office saying his truck was in impound there. Kinney County is a border county west of San Antonio.

Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe confirmed with KXAN over the phone that law enforcement arrested the individuals who stole the truck in connection to a human trafficking case.

https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/law-enforcement-car-stolen-from-domain-used-in-human-trafficking-incident/

[ChickenSandwich 9827]

6 minutes ago, Deej said:

https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/law-enforcement-car-stolen-from-domain-used-in-human-trafficking-incident/

“

In about 75% of cases, police recovered stolen vehicles. But that doesn’t mean the cases ended with an arrest. APD cleared 809 of the 10,234 cases with an arrest, averaging just under 8%. 

In a statement, APD said the state consistently has some of the most auto theft cases in the country.

In Austin, many suspects are teens who receive little-to-no sentence, allowing them to continually re-offend, APD said.”

[Deej 76755]

1 minute ago, ChickenSandwich said:

“

In about 75% of cases, police recovered stolen vehicles. But that doesn’t mean the cases ended with an arrest. APD cleared 809 of the 10,234 cases with an arrest, averaging just under 8%. 

In a statement, APD said the state consistently has some of the most auto theft cases in the country.

In Austin, many suspects are teens who receive little-to-no sentence, allowing them to continually re-offend, APD said.”

Not just teens who get little-to-no sentence in Travis County. 

[MAUFRAIS 6619]

How are the conditions at the Howson Branch Library on Exposition nowadays? 
I worked there 1962-1966, but haven’t been inside since.

It’s no smoking now

[We’reTexas 1473]

24 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

Does anyone have evidence that a significant number of people live in those downtown condos?  I'm talking about human beings, not trust fund babies partying on daddy's dime, but actual functional working adults who contribute to our local economy and community and have a primary residence downtown?   We've got some friends who work downtown and have a condo for when they work late and don't want to drive home to the hill country, but I'm not counting that either.  I've lived in the downtown area of a number of major cities, within America and outside of it.  The downtown area is a genuine center of the city in these places, with jobs and the necessities of daily life (laundromats, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc.)   Like KaiserSoze, I used to live just across the river off Congress, but it was at a time when no one lived downtown at all (in the olden times before the birth of the highrises).    As far as residents go, it was a dead zone then, and it still feels like one now.  My wife worked downtown at the time and we liked that she could bike to work, but she seemed like the only one doing it.  We had to drive to actually run any basic errands at all.  Nothing about downtown Austin today seems attractive for a permanent residence unless you're a young person with disposable income, no responsibilities, and enjoy partying at nightclubs. South of the river is a slightly different story, of course. 

Are these condos being built for anything more than vehicles for money laundering?   I appreciate the notion of a livable downtown and think it's a great thing. I just don't see any evidence that we have one in this city.   We have built many residences but have done little else to make downtown an attractive place to live.  The jobs aren't even there in significant numbers.  Building more condos doesn't seem like a solution to anything other than satisfying more developers, short-term rental investors, and foreign money launderers.  More investment in things like the library appeals to me much more.  Make downtown a place people actually want to live, then build the condos.  We've put the cart way before the horse, and I don't see a single benefit to Austin residents and taxpayers.

What US downtown meets your vision of “livable”, out of curiosity?

[BurntEyes 5958]

20 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Staring at Natalie Portman's tush?  Yep, that sounds like him.

Sir... if that's in anyway an issue... then the world has truly gone to shit and I don't want to be a part of it anymore.

Spoiler