Awesome. I gotta see this.

Simplist answer I can generate...

Because of lax rules (open container, nudity, no real pressure on pot) in conjunction with the University of Texas... a lot of young people came here in the 60s and formed a big happy commune sort of feel. From that, a world class music (enterainment scene) developed including bar districts that compete with New Orleans, etc. All of this was happening in the Barbeque capital of the world... believe it or not there are tons of tourists that do BBQ tours - and its WORTH IT.

The city wooed Semetech here in the late 70's/80s and the tech based population boom began, fueled by the university (empoyee pool) and really cheap cost of living (transplants). Good corporate jobs (IBM, 3M) and venture capital firms followed (which make austin an entrepreneur/start up haven).

As growth occured, the large environmentalist population here (also attracted by the university and culture) really drove to protect some sensitvie areas (endangered species / drinking water source) which limited sprawl unlike Houston or Dallas.

Around 2000, a few progressive people organized massive events that draw 100's of thousands, like ACL, SXSW, Fun fun fun and now F1 and Xgames. Additionally, a solid convention center was built downtown. Those events, along with larger conventions started to expose the Austin culture to those visiting from other states/countries... that is when the highrise boom started.

The highrise boom is partly enabled by 2 progressive mayors' vision to put 25K downtown and 100s of thousands more into the urban core to appease the environmental voice/curb sprawl. They realized that culture attracts jobs - that's the secret sauce. More importantly, the demand side was/is driven by young peole seeking a fun culture in warm weather with lots of job opps that were exposed to Austin through the big events. Most of the people drawn to these types of events are from NYC, Chicago, California, and thus where most transplants come from. The type of events (type of people they draw) is a critical point - because of where they come/came from, they tend to seek an urban living experience.

The result - Austin has a 99% rental occupancy downtown, almost no supply of new condos, and the highest downtown hotel occupancy rate in Texas. So you see a ton of residential and hotel going up... an office building every few years. Interestingly, the 24 hour nature of downtown is starting to create more demand for downtown office vs suburban... it becomes a recruiting tool for companies located in the heart of the culture.

It's been a flywheel growth engine... amazing growth that seems to accelerate. Fantastic chefs moving to town, companies relocating... so the culture and job opps only get better and continue to increase demand.

The negative is that Austin is constantly trying to catch up to the growth... highways are choked and cost of living is now the highest in Texas.

This place will look like Seattle by 2025.

The question should really be why Austin has sustained popularity over the past 175+ years? It was popular before the 1960's/1970's when businesses began to recognize the city.

Austin (the metro area) has doubled its population every 20-25 years since the City of Austin was incorporated back in 1839. Currently, over 190 people a day are moving into the Austin metro area.

Very simply put, it's a combination of: location (including climate and topography); the seat of government for one of the economic powers of the world (The State of Texas); no state income tax; highly educated population and workforce; a seat for entrepreneurship; its citizens are young, vibrant, physically active; etc., etc., etc.

As the door continues open for more international visitors and investors, the ceiling has risen for how much more this metro region can grow and prosper.

Great summarization ATXboom. What's thrilling to me is that the land-rush around Seaholm and Shoal Creek really isn't even the last boom for the foreseeable future. Consider the following:

-Once most of the major development in that immediate area wraps up (what's been announced or we know of so far anyway), the Waller Creek tunnel project will be wrapped and operational, and developers will already have begun snatching up undeveloped or underdeveloped parcels left and right.

-Shortly thereafter, the additional parkland construction and refinement will come to pass. I expect that from later this year into 2015, several proposals around Waller crop up. This may also supplement and intensify development already in progress around Rainey and the creek mouth.

-When those projects are in full swing around 2016-2017, it is likely that the innovation district intended to be developed by UT east of the capitol will be physically in progress and may begin to merge with the Waller district and envelop the new Waterloo Park and the poppy (I love that poppy :P).

By the end of the decade, we could have witnessed three to four entirely new or remade districts (and high-rise clusters) come into being. And of course I imagine that by 2020 there will be at least one urban rail corridor with shovels in the ground (if not already operational).

The main fear of many watching Austin's evolution is that at some point the population growth will plateau and supply of apartments and commercial space will outstrip demand, thereby scuttling any more general growth. But I feel that this is no longer something that anyone needs to worry about. There are enough fast-growth industries laying down new roots in the city (tech, eds and meds, innovation, art and music, food) that one can expect it will become a self-sustaining urban region for a long time to come.

The big new thing in the downtown area is likely to be the growth of the UT Austin Medical School and the adjacent hospital complex. This will likely be a source of many new and well paying jobs downtown and should increase demand for more housing in the area.

Amoa
 

As I was driving up Congress today I noticed a sign where AMOA used to be....y'know, that giant prime retail spot. Well, it's now a 7-11. Great job, DANA:cheers:

That's cool, another 7-11 for Congress Avenue.

Yes. I was really worried when we just had the one next to royal blue grocery...I am so relieved we now have 2 within 2 blocks (on the same side of the street)! Austin is really fostering a diverse selection of retail for our main street. Again, great job DANA! :cheers::cheers:

Sorry for stupid question. What is DANA?

Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association.

Isn't that the fifth 7-11 in downtown? I know there's another one along Lamar near 9th Street or thereabouts and one near 15th & Guadalupe, and and another one at 18th & Guadalupe. There's even another one at 26th & Guadalupe, (technically outside of downtown), but still in the UT/West Campus area.

How do I get involved? How does anybody get involved to have a say on what gets shot down or not? Just the citizens living there?

On those meetings you guys have taking photos, do you guys also talk about getting more involved in city development plans? Because its not just the 7-11 that I find irksome, its also the Starbucks. Downtown should be preserved as it is the best neighborhood in town.

Re: 7-11. I was so pissed when I saw that. We were walking past it this weekend and I was truly embarassed that what used to be a space for Art was not a space for "LCD" retail. ( Lowest common denominator). Unfortunatley, bitch as I may, 7-11 would not put a store there if their experiece proved it would not be fruitful. So, the real issue is that downtown obviously needs more "grocery" outlets…. and 7-11 jumped on it.
7-11 was smart…. and Congress Ave gets a little more generic.
I do agree that more could be done to avocate FOR better brands and more local retail, but you can't legislate who can rent…..or taste for that matter. It's the double edge sword of a town growing up. sigh.

how is san francisco able to keep starbucks, or any chain stores, from opening up in neighborhoods like the mission, castro, etc? does downtown work a bit different from other neighborhoods?

Hmmmm... Not sure how that works, but I was in San Francisco a few months ago and there was for sure a Starbucks in the Castro. Right on Castro St, I believe. I didn't see any in the Mission, however.

Looks like there are at leasrt 60 Starbucks within the city of San Francisco, most of them are east of Twin Peaks. The map is interactive. Scroll to the west and more stores pop up.

http://www.starbucks.com/store-locat...san%20fracisco

The bottom line here is how much of a massive failure Congress Ave is right now retail-wise. We've heard reports from DANA that they plan to make Congress a "shopping destination"....for what? tall boys and marlboro lights?? I remember we were all talking about the possibility of a Target in the AMOA space. BUT 7-11?????! Somebody needs to be fired. I know I sound a bit dramatic, but seriously....theres brooks brothers and some tacky gift shops along with a few shitty restaurants north of 7th on Congress.

We are turing into a big city...and very quickly. I understand that it can't all come together at once, but the foundation that is being laid worries me.

ps. Not to crap all over DANA, but isn't it their job to select the proper tenants to form a habitable urban neighborhood?

They are counting on summer Slurpee sales.

If it is not convenient for local residents to come downtown to shop, there is not going to be a real downtown shopping district. Michigan Avenue or Union Square are not tourist developments, although they attract lots of tourist shoppers. Core retail areas (the FEW that remain in US cities) are there first and foremost because they historically served the local population and somehow managed to continue to serve a local population. I suspect that Austin long ago became used to shopping in suburban and car oriented settings. Find a way for locals to drive (yes, drive, so go ahead and stone me!) and park conveniently downtown, and you might have some kind of revival of shopping in downtown Austin, especially if shopping downtown was perceived as cool and happening. Austin was still a very small city the last time Congress Ave. had any shopping energy, which was probably in the 1950s. As far as the DANA goes, I don't think they have any real or legal right to determine what tenants locate where in the downtown area. They may have some aspirations and opinions, but they are just an organization interested in the development of downtown Austin.

http://www.downtownaustin.com/sites/...owUp042910.pdf "Retail Uses/Storefronts
• More, variety, better mix
•More daytime uses More daytime uses
• More restaurant choices
• Continuous, engaging
storefronts
• Better merchandising
• Meld the storefronts with
public/private spaces"

^^So this isn't happening and it's my biggest concern. I guess that empty yarings space will probably become a gas station soon.