Austin view
 

This is the west Austin photo I mentioned in my reply to the aerial photos in the other thread. I know this isn't a "skyscraper" photo, so maybe it fits in with the suburban sprawl threads? At least the sprawl on the west side is composed of beautiful scenery (although many Austinites are horrified at the denuding of the hills). The sprawl on the north, east, and south sides looks just like the sprawl http://www.flickr.com/photos/40411972@N00/320155039/in most any other U.S. city.

Well, at least for now my pic hasn't shown up. I tried to post it from flickr.com. I haven't tried that before so if anyone can help me with this, please email me at dharper6@austin.rr.com.

Thanks!
Dave

I think there's some kind of block on the person's photo album to keep people from posting their pictures on forums. However, here is the link, just click on the picture to see it.

I think this is from Mount Shepherd off of Loop 360/Capital of Texas Highway.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40411972@N00/320155039/

The photo was taken at the corner of Valburn and a street of which I'm not sure of the name (east of 360). That's Loop 360 down below, and at the lowest point is the Colorado River and bridge. This part of Austin is popular with Californians who sell their homes in CA for huge amounts and buy 4-5K square foot McMansions in the hills for much less here, at least for the time being.

Mount Shepherd is on the other side of 360. I'll get some photos from there at some point. If I remember correctly, from Mount Shepherd the downtown area and university are visible.

I see. I thought it was Mt. Shepherd at first, just farther up the hill. It's been a while since I've been up there, the view is incredible, though.

Yeah, this photo is taken from Cat Mountain, which is just northeast of the Loop 360/2222 interchange (Catty-corner to Shep Mt, which is just SW of the interchange). The Lake Austin bridge is obscured by the large hill (cut-through by Loop 360), and re-emerges on the other side, making its very gradual ascent out of the valley, through the Davenport Ranch area.

Cat Mt is one of the older subdivisions in NW Austin, and absolutely has a California 'look' to it... more so than other Hill Country subdivisions, IMO. I have old pic of myself at a model home, when I was about 4 or 5. Always loved the area.

http://static.flickr.com/143/320155039_fee41885d8_b.jpg

Here are a few shots I took years ago from this same neighborhood, though a little to the south of the shot above.

http://images19.fotki.com/v32/photos...pview06-vi.jpg

http://images19.fotki.com/v32/photos...pview07-vi.jpg

http://images6.fotki.com/v78/photos/...SCN0075-vi.jpg

http://images6.fotki.com/v79/photos/...SCN0105-vi.jpg

http://images19.fotki.com/v33/photos...pview09-vi.jpg

http://images19.fotki.com/v33/photos...pview12-vi.jpg

http://images19.fotki.com/v32/photos...pview19-vi.jpg

Here's a shot looking toward Cat Mountain (from the Champions Grandview apartment development):

http://images5.fotki.com/v72/photos/...SCN7343-vi.jpg

Looks lush out there.

i grew up kinda close to cat mountain (but that's where the richer kids lived.) i lived in the smallest house in northwest hills probably, i lived near steck and mesa.

The Steck/Mesa neighborhood is pretty nice. Mesa is a good name for that arterial, since the area is way up high, and you don't know you're coming to the edge until you go about a mile west of Mesa Dr.

I've been having a lot of fun with Google Earth looking at the elevation changes in west Austin. If you move the cursor right or left on Google Earth, the view becomes almost 3-D. You all probably knew that, but for those who haven't browsed around with Google Earth, maybe it's a helpful hint. I'm addicted to it.

By the way, fellow Austinites, I live in the Shoal Creek area. It's not the hills, but I'm happy with the neighborhood. Would love to live downtown someday, though.