Austin city life since 2007.
As the 10-acre site of Austin’s first rail yard settles into its new identity as the Saltillo mixed-use development, other than the tracks themselves there are few reminders left of this area’s century-long history as an industrial and shipping hub enabling much of the city’s economic growth in the 20th century. The Texaco Depot buildings found…
Even as Austin grows with countless residential and commercial developments moving forward on the East Riverside corridor, a 1957 midcentury dwelling now listed at 5606 Penick Drive is a reminder of Southeast Austin’s prestigious past. From 1950 to 1984, what’s now known as the Riverside Golf Course was home to the famed Austin Country Club, the stomping grounds of legendary professional…
Though the concept of office buildings in general is taking a light beating in recent months, a 41-floor office and retail project by developer Ryan Companies is moving forward after securing a Density Bonus recommendation earlier this week from the City of Austin’s Design Commission. That’s good news for people who like interesting buildings, because…
Rattlesnake sacking, particularly in its competition form, is easy to understand but difficult to accept. You and your buddy dump a sack of 10 presumably unhappy rattlesnakes on the floor of a small arena, then one contestant holds that sack open while their teammate uses a metal hook creatively known as a “snake pinner” to…
The Rainey Street neighborhood, currently downtown Austin’s fastest-growing corner, was once a predominantly Mexican-American district of single-family homes. Effectively annexed into the downtown area and cut off from adjacent neighborhoods by the construction of I-35 in the early 1960s, Rainey Street’s proximity to downtown and Lady Bird Lake made the district extremely attractive for dense development — which many…
Though it’s not the only mysterious tiny tower in Austin, the historic downtown structure known as Buford Tower is certainly our most visible, standing six floors at the intersection of West Cesar Chavez and Colorado Streets on the shores of Lady Bird Lake. Originally built in 1930 and used as a drill facility for the city’s fire department until its…
