AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics

[KevinFromTexas]

My dad's side of the family is from Germany. They lost everything because of the war, including three of their children.

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[ahealy]

Originally Posted by drummer

I was trying to remember, so you could probably help me out. Does the parking garage underneath extend under the surface lot or just under the building itself?

Yeah, unfortunately the surface lot is part of a 3 story subterranean garage. I think they wanted the top lot to feel like a traditional grocery store. So dumb.

[the Genral]

https://vimeo.com/206478026

A vimeo of one of my favorite buildings in Austin...
With all the talk of sleek shiny supertalls and non boxy cookie cutter plateau busters, we still have this gem to be proud of inside and out. I love the outside patio areas, and the mix of rustic and modern on the inside. I wish we had more of these downtown. And talk about toppers, (I consider this a crown), its the best in Austin hands down beats Frost.

[smith_atx]

Originally Posted by the Genral

https://vimeo.com/206478026

A vimeo of one of my favorite buildings in Austin...
With all the talk of sleek shiny supertalls and non boxy cookie cutter plateau busters, we still have this gem to be proud of inside and out. I love the outside patio areas, and the mix of rustic and modern on the inside. I wish we had more of these downtown. And talk about toppers, (I consider this a crown), its the best in Austin hands down beats Frost.

Thanks for sharing. Can you imagine hearing "open office plan" in 1929? The offices look nice though.

[Jdawgboy]

Okay I'm about to go on a major rant here...

So of course yesterday was the 4th of July, hope everyone had a fun day. The tradition with me is I like to go DT with a friend/friends to see the fireworks and we did just that. Parked at my usual garage and walked to the S.1st bridge. Lots of people all over former Auditorium shores and Bulter Park, across the bridge, pedestrian bridge ect... So we watched the fireworks then decided to get something to eat since my best friend had her young daughter and she was getting hungry.

So we head into DT along with thousands of other people, only to find that most restaurants were either closed or about to close. We walked to a pizza place which was closed, then we tried JJs and P.Terrys by 6th and Congress. They were turning people away and closing up. Walked to a place further on 6th Street, found a sit in restaurant glad at that point, only to sit for 20 min with no servers coming up and finally a waitress comes up and said well we ran out of some ingredients and so we are closing, after we are sitting there for freaking 20 min honestly I think it was because they were understaffed and the place was filled...

My point is Austin needs to step it up! How the hell in a city of nearly a million people are you going to have most of the eateries shut down like it's just a typical Tuesday when it's a major holiday with tens of thousands of people walking through the streets of Downtown, many like us looking for a place to eat. Whole families with kids. When we tried to walk into JJs, a lady turned to me and said this is ridiculous all these places are losing major business. Throngs of people walked up to go into both P.Terrys and JJs and where throwing up their hands gestering to the workers inside like what the heck???.

I was truly embarrased of my city at that moment which is a rare thing for me. Why on a major holiday when businesses DT should have known there were going to be thousands of people out and it was if we are in some podunk town where everything shuts down at 10 on the dot. Many people were surprised. I'm sending an email to the city council to bring this issue up. We cannot say we are truly an 18 hour city or whatever when restaurants throughout DT close when there are thousands of people walking through looking for places to go. Tuesday night or not, it was a major holiday and businesses DT should have been prepared for it, added more staff and stay open at least an extra hour seeing as how it's close to 10 pm when the fireworks end. Truely frustrating and embarrassing.


Rant over.

[KevinFromTexas]

I stayed home and ate Mexican food and raked leaves since I'm planning a bigger storage shed for my bikes.

I know what you mean, though. We've been driving down Congress or Lamar sometimes around 10 to 10:30 and most of the businesses look sleepy.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Okay I'm about to go on a major rant here...

So of course yesterday was the 4th of July, hope everyone had a fun day. The tradition with me is I like to go DT with a friend/friends to see the fireworks and we did just that. Parked at my usual garage and walked to the S.1st bridge. Lots of people all over former Auditorium shores and Bulter Park, across the bridge, pedestrian bridge ect... So we watched the fireworks then decided to get something to eat since my best friend had her young daughter and she was getting hungry.

So we head into DT along with thousands of other people, only to find that most restaurants were either closed or about to close. We walked to a pizza place which was closed, then we tried JJs and P.Terrys by 6th and Congress. They were turning people away and closing up. Walked to a place further on 6th Street, found a sit in restaurant glad at that point, only to sit for 20 min with no servers coming up and finally a waitress comes up and said well we ran out of some ingredients and so we are closing, after we are sitting there for freaking 20 min honestly I think it was because they were understaffed and the place was filled...

My point is Austin needs to step it up! How the hell in a city of nearly a million people are you going to have most of the eateries shut down like it's just a typical Tuesday when it's a major holiday with tens of thousands of people walking through the streets of Downtown, many like us looking for a place to eat. Whole families with kids. When we tried to walk into JJs, a lady turned to me and said this is ridiculous all these places are losing major business. Throngs of people walked up to go into both P.Terrys and JJs and where throwing up their hands gestering to the workers inside like what the heck???.

I was truly embarrased of my city at that moment which is a rare thing for me. Why on a major holiday when businesses DT should have known there were going to be thousands of people out and it was if we are in some podunk town where everything shuts down at 10 on the dot. Many people were surprised. I'm sending an email to the city council to bring this issue up. We cannot say we are truly an 18 hour city or whatever when restaurants throughout DT close when there are thousands of people walking through looking for places to go. Tuesday night or not, it was a major holiday and businesses DT should have been prepared for it, added more staff and stay open at least an extra hour seeing as how it's close to 10 pm when the fireworks end. Truely frustrating and embarrassing.


Rant over.

This is a problem in MOST cities under 4 or 5 million MSA, to be honest, except for San Antonio and Portland.

My real question is this: did you not take pictures to share with all of us?

[the Genral]

One POSSIBLE reason for closing early or making excuses to turn away people, and I say this with some experience, when you have throngs of people wandering around after a major event, yes, many are looking for something to eat, but many, many more are looking for a place to relieve themselves. I remember being in one of those long lines with most people using the restroom then walking out without ordering anything. A while back at a store I was managing while most others were closed, after an event in the parking lot ended, a ton of people came in just to use our restroom. I thought it was good free advertising, the owner made me turn them away and eventually made me close up early. I get what you are saying jdawgboy and agree and sympathize with you, just throwing out an unmentionable downside to these large events.

[wwmiv]

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...ettlement.html

Stubb's Bar-B-Q restaurant locations will have to get a new name.

The move, which will forever alter an iconic Central Texas music landmark, is part of a deal reached to settle a contentious trademark lawsuit brought by Baltimore-based condiment maker McCormick & Co. Inc. and its Austin subsidiary One World Foods Inc., which makes Stubb's barbecue sauce, against Stubb's Austin Restaurant Co.

As a result of the settlement, McCormick will gain the exclusive right to use the "Stubb's" trademark, a valuable brand with a heritage that stretches back to Texas barbecue legend C.B. "Stubb" Stubblefield, on its retail and commercial lines of sauce.

"While terms of the agreement are confidential, it is important to note this was a mutual resolution that allows the restaurant and venue to live on and allow the Stubb’s brand of products to expand and grow," reads a statement issued Thursday by One World Foods.

So let me get this straight: McCormick's bought out the sauce company, decided that they wanted to open up a restaurant chain with the name Stubb's but couldn't because there already was a restaurant and music venue named Stubb's entangled with the same history, so they sued over the rights to the name, and now they're going to open up restaurants called Stubb's while the iconic restaurant and music venue is left drifting in the wind without a name because they lost that lawsuit? I see this going over very poorly with Austinites, who will likely boycott any new restaurant they open in solidarity with the music venue. And to add insult to injury, the music venue could potentially end up closing its doors precisely because they're losing their iconic name. What a clusterfuck.

[hookem]

The owners of Stubbs recognized the importance of an iconic name, and acquired the rights to use the name "Liberty Lunch" instead.

[wwmiv]

Personally, I think my point still stands.

[Jdawgboy]

Hey sorry for the late response. That is a valid point you brought up Genral. One thing though is that I've seen these places (namely JJs and before it was PTerrys it was a Pita joint) have been open later on holidays over the past few years. My thinking is because it was a Tuesday as opposed to Thursday-Sunday that they closed earlier, they stay open later on those nights anyways. Still if a holiday falls on Monday-Wednesday which is guaranteed to bring thousands of people DT, I would stay open later if I ran a business there. That's a good amount of money making.


Wwmiv, I finally found a decent uploading app so I'll do my best to post a couple of pics that I took over the weekend.

[427MM]

I deleted my Photobucket app as most of the pics on here that were posted through them started not showing and had messages that likely wanted people to pay.

Any suggestions on a different app to use?

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by 427MM

I deleted my Photobucket app as most of the pics on here that were posted through them started not showing and had messages that likely wanted people to pay.

Any suggestions on a different app to use?

Was wondering about this, too.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by 427MM

I deleted my Photobucket app as most of the pics on here that were posted through them started not showing and had messages that likely wanted people to pay.

Any suggestions on a different app to use?

I use imgur. It will always be free.

[the Genral]

I'm the Doctor.....she said.....hmmmmmmm

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by 427MM

I deleted my Photobucket app as most of the pics on here that were posted through them started not showing and had messages that likely wanted people to pay.

Any suggestions on a different app to use?

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I use imgur. It will always be free.

Yeah, imgur is a good photo host. No complaints here.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

Finally an answer as to why this Apartment complex that I see all the time going to work has been stalled.

http://kxan.com/2017/06/02/io-at-tec...-amid-lawsuit/

Idk why some companies think they can get away from paying employees? As a former construction manager, I have witness people walking off the other job sites because they were not getting paid. I myself was in the same boat back in 2008 when my manager was not paying me my whole time that I put in, which nearly lead to a lawsuit against them. Thankfully it all worked out without having to go to court. Got reimburse and never worked for them again.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by JoninATX

Idk why some companies think they can get away from paying employees? As a former construction manager, I have witness people walking off the other job sites because they were not getting paid. I myself was in the same boat back in 2008 when my manager was not paying me my whole time that I put in, which nearly lead to a lawsuit against them. Thankfully it all worked out without having to go to court. Got reimburse and never worked for them again.

Yeah, fair pay is vital to the health of a good company as well. Folks don't seem to see the cause and effect because they're blinded by greed...paying well equals better work and retention of better workers which is an important part of better profits in the long run.

Though I'll admit that in my first pass at your post I thought you said, "Idk why some companies think they can get away with paying employees?" Made me chuckle.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by drummer

Though I'll admit that in my first pass at your post I thought you said, "Idk why some companies think they can get away with paying employees?" Made me chuckle.

Lol... I bet companies wish they could get away with that.