AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 356

KevinFromTexas · #**7101** Posted **Jan 20, 2010, 6:12 AM**

^EDIT: No, The Austonian is most definitely topped out in the images. Check it out.

They're very recent. Maybe only a month old. They didn't start to put the glass on the crown of The Austonian until the beginning of November. I'd say the images are probably from the beginning to middle of December.

I took this photo on November 28. Notice that the two sections in the middle of the crown at the top didn't have glass on yet. Those are also missing in the Google images. By the way, it's easier if you use GoogleEarth. They have the updated images too. LoneStarMike took an aerial photo showing The Austonian on December 26 that showed the glass in those two sections filled in. So the aerial Google images were taken sometime between November 28th and December 26th.

hookem · #**7102** Posted **Jan 20, 2010, 6:30 AM**

But it is not topped out in the street view images; only in the aerials. The street view images (at least the ones I've seen) also have all the leaves on the trees and the grass on the houses in my neighborhood isn't dormant. It looks to me that the street view images are from the mid to late summer of last year... what do you think?

KevinFromTexas · #**7103** Posted **Jan 20, 2010, 6:46 AM**

Ok, yeah, you're talking about the street view images. I didn't check those. I mostly only care about the aerials. The street view images seem to be from the summer or maybe even the spring.

OU812 · #**7104** Posted **Jan 20, 2010, 6:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottolini

Come on, let's try to avoid perpetuating myths. Austin has great weather for most of the year. October-April is usually beautiful. There may be some sporadic cold weather spread about in that stretch, but I can't imagine complaining too much.

That leaves about five months that could be described as hot, but only a couple of months that I would describe as harsh. Besides, between AC, shade, and water, what's the big deal? Even during the epic 09 summer, many evenings I could be found sipping on a cold beverage on a covered patio. With fans and a mister, it's downright comfortable even in August.

Yeah I was just joking bro. But the summer heat does seem to go on forever. One thing is almost always certain around here is that it will be stifling hot in the summer, but you can never be sure about winter. Cold, cool, warm, or hot. Today was like spring, tonight right now it feels warm and humid like summer. The best all time summer was 2007: it rained for like 3 months straight which kept the highs in the 70s.

"downright comfortable even in August" is funny. Yeah it's comfortable in my air conditioned home and air conditioned car. Anyways, like psychedelic drugs, weather effects everyone differently. I seem to not be able to tolerate intense heat. Makes me dizzy and exhausted, but then again I'm getting old too.

I really think parking garages should be mandatory at all big box stores and malls.

WAustinResident · #**7105** Posted **Jan 20, 2010, 3:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OU812

Yeah I was just joking bro. But the summer heat does seem to go on forever. One thing is almost always certain around here is that it will be stifling hot in the summer, but you can never be sure about winter. Cold, cool, warm, or hot. Today was like spring, tonight right now it feels warm and humid like summer. The best all time summer was 2007: it rained for like 3 months straight which kept the highs in the 70s.

"downright comfortable even in August" is funny. Yeah it's comfortable in my air conditioned home and air conditioned car. Anyways, like psychedelic drugs, weather effects everyone differently. I seem to not be able to tolerate intense heat. Makes me dizzy and exhausted, but then again I'm getting old too.

I really think parking garages should be mandatory at all big box stores and malls.

Its all comparative. I am moving to Austin from Houston this year, and our summers are brutal in comparison to yours. Austin summers are like a nice spring day with NO HURRICANES!

KevinFromTexas · #**7106** Posted **Jan 20, 2010, 6:56 PM**

^Definitely. I remember the first time I went to northern Colorado. It was in July, and it was hot here of course. It was even hot there, although there was snow in the mountains and we needed light jackets for that. But down around say 5,000 feet it would get hot during the day. We played volleyball with our cousin in my uncle's backyard and it was probably around 90 to 95F. It felt quite hot, but there was no humidity. At night though it would get pretty cool, say 50F or so, and this was in July. Once we got back to Texas a week later, it was quite apparent how much more humid it is here. It was almost unbearable until I readjusted.

Still though, nothing was as bad as it was in Florida. I helped clean up there after Hurricane Ivan, and the highs were only 85F to 90F, but with the humidity it was awful. It sucked, because you would sweat so much that you couldn't keep enough liquid in you to keep going. The problem of course was that if you drank too much water and slowed down, then you weren't sweating as much, and it needed to come out. And with most of the neighborhoods we were working in being vacated by the owners, it meant going in the yard. And by the way, all the fences had been blown down, so you had to not go where everyone could see you! haha

Houston is definitely humid. I remember meeting up with Boris, CaptAWACS, JMancuso, and Glowrock from the forum in Houston for a forum meet. This was a few years ago in July, and we walked around downtown. We went atop one parking garage for the views, and it was just miserably hot and humid. I was sick at the time too, so that didn't help. You could just feel the heat rising off the pavement and concrete.

ahealy · #**7107** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 2:15 AM**

Has anyone seen the colorful lights/party going on in the Austonian's crown?! Saw it from my balcony..Makes me wish I had a camera handy.

priller · #**7108** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 4:16 AM**

^^^ Yeah, I did see that driving home from work today. Didn't have my camera either. It did look like a party going on, with multi-colored neon looking lights. It looked cool!

shanny · #**7109** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 4:26 AM**

is this what youre talking about?

photo by overprocessed on flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4294707496_2001b8089e_o.jpg

KevinFromTexas · #**7110** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 4:40 AM**

Ah, so that's what that was. Yeah, I noticed it too. I didn't see that many lights when we passed by on Mopac, but I did notice something similar from our neighborhood. While passing on Mopac, it almost looked like they were welding near the base of the crown.

Also, I've noticed the last few days, there's a fast paced red blinking light on the very top of the building in the middle. It looked like the kind of light you see on tower cranes. It must be the tower's aircraft warning light.

ahealy · #**7111** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 5:30 AM**

BINGO! great photo shanny. Yeah, I noticed it on the western side (from 360 building). Also saw the red blinking light. I'm sure they'll eventually have red lights on each corner edge at the top. I'm very curious to see where and how they'll light the entire crown.

KevinFromTexas · #**7112** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 5:35 AM**

Some Youtube finds.

• Video Link

Myomi · #**7113** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 7:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

Wow I was playing on Google Maps and thought to myself that the image looked really new. Its very new like Austonian is topped out and even the Federal Courthouse is started. I have seen some June '09 Aerials but these on Google are newer. They must have done them. Check them out and see if you can narrow down the date any.

Hey, now, I mentioned this back about a month ago. At the time I was saying it looked like it was probably a few weeks back. So I agree with Kevin, the pictures were probably from the beginning of December.

Blakesalot! · #**7114** Posted **Jan 22, 2010, 6:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookem

Thanks for the tip! Sure enough, it looks like both the aerial and streetview images are 2009. I did some major landscaping projects, so I'm pretty sure I can date the aerial pics to Nov '09. Street view looks a little to be a few months earlier... Austonian floor count appears to be in the 40s... HOWEVER, I did see what I think was the street view car on Mopac just a week or so ago. Was a black beetle or prius or something with the spherical camera globe mounted on top. So they may still be updating things.

I saw that same car or one just like it driving on 4th next to the 360 building last week.

austin4life · #**7115** Posted **Jan 23, 2010, 12:57 AM**

man is it me , or is Austonian tooooooo SEXY!!!?

imzache · #**7116** Posted **Jan 23, 2010, 5:58 AM**

Those lights are on again in the Austonian's crown.

Is it just a really long party or do you think they're working on the lighting design? It looks like they have two "floors" lit now, as opposed to last night when only one was.

KevinFromTexas · #**7117** Posted **Jan 23, 2010, 6:04 AM**

I can't imagine working out in a room with purple lights.

imzache · #**7118** Posted **Jan 23, 2010, 7:30 AM**

That would be weird...

I guess we'll go with the really long party then, haha.

Kevinb · #**7119** Posted **Jan 23, 2010, 6:52 PM**

It was a party. I think they set up and tested the lights on Thursday night and then the party was last night.

They spent some bucks! Open bars and food on three levels 54-55-56. Lights and bands going too. They even had "swag bags" set up apon departure filled with dog treats, cat treats, Texas Monthly magazines and miniature Patron tequila bottles.

As you can imagine the views are ridiculous! Here are some snaps, sorry for the cell phone camera quality:

BoiseAirport · #**7120** Posted **Jan 24, 2010, 10:04 AM**

That is a nice skyline! Props to Austin, I am effin blown away!