Quote:
Originally Posted by austlar1
I guess my point is or was that Austin is no Omaha. It never was and never will be, thank goodness.. Also, some folks found the old downtown Austin to be rather charming and easy to use. Parking was a snap, and going out at night was not a huge or particularly expensive project. I guess I prefer the new downtown, but it really isn't a place where I spend much time. I gaze upon it while passing through for the most part, but my life takes me to neighborhoods on the edge of downtown rather than to this new highrise downtown. That is probably true for most Austin residents.
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I disagree about Downtown not being used by most Austin residents. Downtown is the heart of this city. It is the gathering place for residents to do everything from going to music shows to parades, to street festivals. It accounts for 80% of all the city's revenue and that's saying something. All of my friends go DT regularly, not only are they local Austin residents, (many born and raised like me), but there are quite a few that come in from the suburbs. On any given weekend night there are at least 60,000 people in DT and frequently over 100,000. Parking is not an issue unless you expect to have free parking which fact is for a city the size of Austin is just not practicle but that doesn't mean it costs an arm and a leg. You can park at a meter for a couple of dollars. Park a couple of hours before the meters stop, then you can park for the night. There are still several parking garages that only cost 5 dollars to park, you just need to know where they are. One is the Ashton garage.
You know what I just don't get. Many Austinites take pride in their progressive values but how is not accepting or denying change in a rapidly growing city progressive? To be progressive means to be open and embracing of change, not to shun it. I've said this before and I'll say it again. This does trail alittle off topic so forgive me but its people like Laura Morrison, Kathie Tovo, the Austin Neighborhood Council and neighborhood activists that have actually been much of the cause of the mess we are in with affordability issues yet they continue to support agendas that limit housing options, which in turn makes living here less affordable which then adds to the problem of property values rising. That is not Progressive at all.