AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[BevoLJ]

Does anyone have any idea on what is going on with the Dobie?

I was told it was closed now. Having done my undergrad @ UCLA and post at UT, the one thing Austin lacks that Westwood had a lot of is good easy to reach and easier on a students wallet arty places like these. I mean for students taking young ladies to arty flicks like these in hopes of getting lucky later is just a part of the college experience. Hopefully for the sake of the young men @ UT this Violet Crown isn't to expensive or the Dobie gets something figured out.

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by migol24

... I don't like the fact that the Ritz is located on 6th street.... either that or I just don't like the scene that 6th street attracts...

this speaks volumes about the deplorable condition of E 6th Street.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Austin actually has a pretty big art house in the Arboretum.

Or Great Hills.. or whatever they are calling it since it got the boot from the Arboretum and moved across the street.

I guess it is owned by a national chain so it loses the "hip" vibe a normal arthouse would get.

yeah but it's too far.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Does anyone have any idea on what is going on with the Dobie?

I was told it was closed now. Having done my undergrad @ UCLA and post at UT, the one thing Austin lacks that Westwood had a lot of is good easy to reach and easier on a students wallet arty places like these. I mean for students taking young ladies to arty flicks like these in hopes of getting lucky later is just a part of the college experience. Hopefully for the sake of the young men @ UT this Violet Crown isn't to expensive or the Dobie gets something figured out.

Amen^ I really hope it's inexpensive too so I can take a dude out to the movies, and not be broke by the time we get out
Apparently ticket prices will be competitive, and cost no more than $12.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

Does anyone have any idea on what is going on with the Dobie?

I was told it was closed now. Having done my undergrad @ UCLA and post at UT, the one thing Austin lacks that Westwood had a lot of is good easy to reach and easier on a students wallet arty places like these. I mean for students taking young ladies to arty flicks like these in hopes of getting lucky later is just a part of the college experience. Hopefully for the sake of the young men @ UT this Violet Crown isn't to expensive or the Dobie gets something figured out.

Dobie is gone gone and not coming back with the current ownership.

The entire Mall is a ghostland actually. Taco Bell and Subway both left since I graduated which leaves no big chains in the place anymore and most of the large stores are gone.

At this point I think Great Hall games, that candy shop, Ticket City, Florist and a Barber are all that is left in the actual stores.

It's pretty sad.

and FWIW, Dobie had ceased to be an arthouse the last 3-4 years. They might have had 1 or 2 art movies at a time sharing a screen, the rest were all first run big-budget releases.

Dobie had become better known for giant after-hours dance parties that weren't supposed to be happening than it was for movies over the last few years.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

this speaks volumes about the deplorable condition of E 6th Street.

Yeah, 6th street has become a giant sh*thole. It's to the point that I try and encourage visitors to Ausitn to not go there.

The cool bars all moved over East of 35 and the Yuppie bars all moved to West 6th with a few decent places in the warehouse district.

6th street has become complete crap. I don't know what the city could actually do about it at this point.. it's not like they can deny liquor licenses because your stupid club belongs in South Beach or the Meatpacking district instead of Austin.

[nixcity]

Like most of you I am hoping that 2011 brings news of some groundbreakings in projects of good size downtown. I think in the long run it will help out in not oversaturating the market. However, I do not understand whey these past few slow years have not seen more infill projects around the central core. There have been a few but not nearly as many as I would have expected. I'm not sure exactly where all the new Austin residents are moving to. It seems like the main issue with the larger projects has been financing, especially in hotels as there is an obvious need for at least one other one downtown, but financing on the smaller 3-6 story projects should not have been so difficult. Any ideas on to why there has been a slowdown in these types of projects. There are still so many areas that could do real well with some VMU's. For example places like Riverside, S. Lamar, S. Congress, various streets just east of 35, Burnet, etc...

[ahealy]

Courtesy of Downtown Austin Blog.org:
B-cycle demo at City Hall today from 11am-2pm.
http://downtownaustinblog.org/2010/10/26/wednesday-bike-sharing-showcase-at-austin-city-hall/ check it out!

[WAustinResident]

I think downtown or second street needs a nice smoke shop.

[AusHou]

Originally Posted by Downtown_Austin

this speaks volumes about the deplorable condition of E 6th Street.

An associate of mine visited Austin's 6th street recently and was so turned off that he said he had no desire to do business in Austin any more. I think that was an over reaction, since there's more to Austin than 6th street, but that district is indeed a hell hole. The tourist information should be honest about what it really is.

[Downtown_Austin]

snapped a couple of photos of construction at AMLI on 2nd, where Violet Crown is planned.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by WAustinResident

I think downtown or second street needs a nice smoke shop.

I agree. We have The Gas Pipe which I like a lot...but there should be something closer to our area. I wish 2nd street would bring in businesses with more texture. Maybe a custom tattoo shop, or dare I say....a GOOD mens clothing store... Perhaps high end vintage.

Nice photos DAB! They recently put up scaffolds along the side walk for the extension piece for Violet Crown. I feel like VCC should have it's own page now

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by ahealy

I agree. We have The Gas Pipe which I like a lot...but there should be something closer to our area. I wish 2nd street would bring in businesses with more texture. Maybe a custom tattoo shop, or dare I say....a GOOD mens clothing store... Perhaps high end vintage.

Nice photos DAB! They recently put up scaffolds along the side walk for the extension piece for Violet Crown. I feel like VCC should have it's own page now

Two notes:

1)Scaffolding going up around "Violet Crown Cinema's"

2) 2nd street had more texture when it first opened a few years back. Unfortunately those businesses did not have the business plans to make sure they lasted until the housing in the area came on line: Where the trains sit in the window at the corner of 2nd and Guadalupe (across from DWI) was a great clothing store called Octane. Good lines , great shoes. They were from Dallas and had financial trouble within the whole company. Next to DWI on the Guadalupe side was a fun local shoe and clothing store call "Lucky Soles".They packed it in an went to Columbus, Ohio! On the south side of 2nd somewhere around where the yogurt store is was "Gomi" which was vintage clothes mixed with modern. The owner was a wack job, which didn't help. Several people tried...but did not have the right business plans AND AMLI did not help in the matter. You can dig in the archives to find those discussions.

SO, I agree, I wish more folks with an interesting vision and a good business plan would move into the area. Unfortunately those two qualities often do not come in the same person! LOL!

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Two notes:

1)Scaffolding going up around "Violet Crown Cinema's"

2) 2nd street had more texture when it first opened a few years back. Unfortunately those businesses did not have the business plans to make sure they lasted until the housing in the area came on line: Where the trains sit in the window at the corner of 2nd and Guadalupe (across from DWI) was a great clothing store called Octane. Good lines , great shoes. They were from Dallas and had financial trouble within the whole company. Next to DWI on the Guadalupe side was a fun local shoe and clothing store call "Lucky Soles".They packed it in an went to Columbus, Ohio! On the south side of 2nd somewhere around where the yogurt store is was "Gomi" which was vintage clothes mixed with modern. The owner was a wack job, which didn't help. Several people tried...but did not have the right business plans AND AMLI did not help in the matter. You can dig in the archives to find those discussions.

SO, I agree, I wish more folks with an interesting vision and a good business plan would move into the area. Unfortunately those two qualities often do not come in the same person! LOL!

Notes...? lol.
Thanks, but I've lived downtown for about 5 years (3 of which were on 2nd), and have seen the changes that have happened in the area
I've gotta say, responses like yours are unnecessary and pretty rude.

[mars-man]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

Where the trains sit in the window at the corner of 2nd and Guadalupe (across from DWI) was a great clothing store called Octane.

MichaelB, you jogged my memory about the high-end home furnishings store on 2nd Street that closed earlier this year. I had erroneously said it was BoConcept when of course it was the Ligne Roset boutique! It was in the space that was previously Octane. I blame Malverde and their intoxicating fruity concoctions for my addle-headedness!

[WAustinResident]

Ligne roset closed because of issues with the franchiesee and the parent company, they also owned the linge roset in Houston which also closed.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Yeah, 6th street has become a giant sh*thole. It's to the point that I try and encourage visitors to Ausitn to not go there.

The cool bars all moved over East of 35 and the Yuppie bars all moved to West 6th with a few decent places in the warehouse district.

6th street has become complete crap. I don't know what the city could actually do about it at this point.. it's not like they can deny liquor licenses because your stupid club belongs in South Beach or the Meatpacking district instead of Austin.

STFU. Seriously. People who come to Austin who think that 6th is still what it was 30 years ago are naive. 6th St. (though not my idea of fun) is still a big deal for Austin and a great moneymaker. There are other places - for instance, those that you mentioned - that are more appropriate for tourists than 6th St. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but Austin had become a much younger city in the past 30 years, and businesses on 6th St. made an intelligent collective decision to market themselves to a demographic off of which they can suck larger profits.

That being said, your histrionics are really annoying.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

STFU. Seriously. People who come to Austin who think that 6th is still what it was 30 years ago are naive. 6th St. (though not my idea of fun) is still a big deal for Austin and a great moneymaker. There are other places - for instance, those that you mentioned - that are more appropriate for tourists than 6th St. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but Austin had become a much younger city in the past 30 years, and businesses on 6th St. made an intelligent collective decision to market themselves to a demographic off of which they can suck larger profits.

That being said, your histrionics are really annoying.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you. yeah, sure 6th brings in money, but simply by marketing to a certain group of annoying kids is not much to be proud of. Plain and simple, 6th street is not the place to be, to put it in nicer terms. And everyone that has come from other cities around the US say the same thing about 6th street.... overrated.

What I wish they would do in the development plans is fix the street and sidewalks and bring in more diversity. Sorry, but a bunch of UT and TSU students and people coming in from the rest of the state for a weekend fun is not the definition of diversity. It's just a bunch of drunk annoying people who make Austin look like Tijuana.

I can see 6th st. becoming Austin's miniature version of Times Square, or the answer to San Francisco's Union Square, or Financial District. I don't care if anyone's making money off of the way it is now.... the vibe sucks period. And there is clearly other ways to make money while at the same time bringing in a more diverse and larger crowd. That is why Austin still gets its reputation of small college town because it caters to really loud obnoxious stupid rich college student kids trying to mingle with super ghetto thug wannabe bloods and crips. It's annoying, stupid, obnoxious, god I wanna kill myself every time I'm there, this isn't what Austin should be known for, etc. etc. etc. etc. and etc.

[BevoLJ]

I rarely go to 6th street. But as a kid we did have some good times down there. For me there are lots of other places around Austin that are more my style so they are where I frequent. To me I really have no problem with 6th street being what it is and what it has been for quite a long time now. It is what it is. It isn't my thing so I don't bother with it. If you don't like 6th and there is nothing there for you, why do you care? Because you feel it takes away from what you feel people should see as Austin?

Having a street in Austin that draws idiot college kids from across the country to come get drunk and party doesn't mean Antone's, Broken Spoke, Saxon Pub, and so on can't coexist in the same city. And it doesn't mean the warehouse district isn't successful in its own right.

Another thing, it has been a lot longer than I'd publicly admit since I was in college but one thing I do remember was how unbelievably stupid we all were back then. I highly doubt college kids have become any smarter when it comes to drinking and sex. They are going to find outlets no matter what, and given the current state of Mexico I'd rather my daughter make her mistakes here in the US and Austin rather than down there. (wow, I really wish I could click a pause button so she never gets any older. lol)

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by migol24

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you. yeah, sure 6th brings in money, but simply by marketing to a certain group of annoying kids is not much to be proud of. Plain and simple, 6th street is not the place to be, to put it in nicer terms. And everyone that has come from other cities around the US say the same thing about 6th street.... overrated.

What I wish they would do in the development plans is fix the street and sidewalks and bring in more diversity. Sorry, but a bunch of UT and TSU students and people coming in from the rest of the state for a weekend fun is not the definition of diversity. It's just a bunch of drunk annoying people who make Austin look like Tijuana.

I can see 6th st. becoming Austin's miniature version of Times Square, or the answer to San Francisco's Union Square, or Financial District. I don't care if anyone's making money off of the way it is now.... the vibe sucks period. And there is clearly other ways to make money while at the same time bringing in a more diverse and larger crowd. That is why Austin still gets its reputation of small college town because it caters to really loud obnoxious stupid rich college student kids trying to mingle with super ghetto thug wannabe bloods and crips. It's annoying, stupid, obnoxious, god I wanna kill myself every time I'm there, this isn't what Austin should be known for, etc. etc. etc. etc. and etc.

If you don't like it don't go there.