Govalle, as the geographic final frontier for development in East Austin, always deserved a light touch. This diverse and generally low-income neighborhood hasn’t seen significant projects until recent years, and my concern with the first of these developments is that its design and placement didn’t work hard enough to integrate itself with the area’s culture compared to something like…
Where Are They Now? 5 Austin Projects in Limbo
Austin sees so much new development, it’s easy for projects to fall through the cracks if you don’t spend an unhealthy amount of time following them. Seriously, new buildings are announced every week, so how much space in your brain are you willing to dedicate to keeping up with them all? We’re just as guilty…
Before Uber’s Return, RideAustin Was Already Losing Its West 5th Office
With recent state legislation clearing the path for national ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft to reappear in Austin, the fate of the city’s homegrown alternatives is uncertain, to say the least. Well, it’s really only uncertain for one company — after Fare shut down operations this week, the local nonprofit RideAustin is the only major local option left. Considering that the company also…
Get Lost in This 1976 Vision for a New Congress Avenue
While digging up the history of what’s changed and what hasn’t on our city’s most famous street a few months ago, I stumbled upon a handful of articles from the Austin American-Statesman detailing a 1976 proposal for significant modifications to Congress Avenue. The plan was presented to city leaders by John Andrew Gallery, then the dean of the University of…
Counting Down to Condo Conversion at Zilkr on the Park Apartments
We learned a couple of weeks ago that a new owner for Zilkr on the Park Apartments at 1900 Barton Springs Road plans to convert the complex to condos, with a public opening a week away. All of this is kind of interesting for a few reasons. For one, if your memory stretches back that far, you’ll recall…
You Are Here: North Loop
North Loop, a diminutive neighborhood of postwar craftsman-style homes named for the boulevard that horizontally bisects it, functions as a sort of living history museum for the laid-back Austin vibe that brought the city so much attention in the first place. Its quirky, walkable central commercial district, its unpretentious bars, restaurants, and coffee shops —…