As tireless advocates for the joys of urban life, we believe everyone in Austin has the right to live downtown. That's why we support dense development and the growth of diverse housing types beyond single-family homes -- it makes that life far more accessible to a wider population. That's also why we're so excited to see Preservation Austin's upcoming 2020 Homes Tour embrace ...
history
Seeking Love and Liberty at Austin’s 1970s Clothing-Optional Apartments
It’s said that some early Christian baptisms were performed in the nude, signifying the restoration of the subject’s soul to its state of innocence at birth. To be naked without shame is to live free from original sin, at least in the biblical sense — and in the Austin of the 1970s, a legendary decade of hippie and outlaw amalgamation now considered responsible for much of the ...
On 17th Street, Historic Austin Architecture Hides in Plain Sight
You don't need to spend the better part of a decade in architecture school to notice something's strange about the Rio House Apartments, a 45-unit multifamily building rising four floors at the northeast corner of West 17th and Rio Grande Streets. It's not often you'll see a structure with a four-story perforated metal screen surrounding its southern wall -- a screen through ...
Here’s What a Decade of Growth Looks Like on Rainey Street
The boom of downtown Austin condo and apartment development in the Rainey Street District had already started by 2010, but the neighborhood really started rising in the last decade -- meaning that in 2020, the district is a full-fledged part of the city's skyline, with multiple buildings on the way that will push its heights even further. Flickr user Floyd Wilde was nice ...
In 1973, Zilker’s Holiday Tree Went Dark
The lighting of the 155-foot tree at Zilker Park fashioned from one of the city's iconic moonlight towers is the most visible sign of the holiday season's arrival in Austin. The tree itself dates back to 1967, with the Zilker celebration now known as the Trail of Lights dating back even further to a "Yule Fest" event first held in 1965. But in 1973, the nationwide ...
