Austin | Paseo (80 Rainey) | 567 Feet | 48 Floors | T/O

[IluvATX]

Originally Posted by 78701

If you hit "play" triangle button on the Modern cam it zooms out and the Paseo site becomes visible, albeit in crappy resolution.
It looks buzzing with activity.

Thanks. Why am I just now learning about this? It’s better than the Vesper webcam IMO.

[bobbywest87]

Originally Posted by 78701

If you hit "play" triangle button on the Modern cam it zooms out and the Paseo site becomes visible, albeit in crappy resolution.
It looks buzzing with activity.

Amazing! I had no idea it had that view option either!

[Urbannizer]

It’s not easy to get shots of this one from street level at the moment, that’ll change once it’s above ground.

[clubtokyo]

A lot of construction in one picture

[resansom]

That's a great view - it shows just how dense Rainey has become and is becoming. I do worry about traffic, getting in/out of there as more and more people start living there and taking up all of those parking spaces.

It's a shame city planners didn't have a little more foresight before all of the skyscrapers started going up - encouraging alternative modes of transportation for potential Rainey residents. Moving to Rainey? Sell your car and use [fill in the blank] for neighborhood travel and [fill in another blank] for travel to other parts of town...

[papertowelroll]

Originally Posted by resansom

That's a great view - it shows just how dense Rainey has become and is becoming. I do worry about traffic, getting in/out of there as more and more people start living there and taking up all of those parking spaces.

It's a shame city planners didn't have a little more foresight before all of the skyscrapers started going up - encouraging alternative modes of transportation for potential Rainey residents. Moving to Rainey? Sell your car and use [fill in the blank] for neighborhood travel and [fill in another blank] for travel to other parts of town...

I get what you are saying but I think people ubering to bars creates way more traffic than does people who live there. If you are living on Rainey street you probably aren't going to be getting in your car for errands all that often. The entire point of living there is to have a walkable environment.

[Vexal]

Originally Posted by papertowelroll

you probably aren't going to be getting in your car for errands all that often. The entire point of living there is to have a walkable environment.

Downtown is the hardest place to run errands from. Anything large (such as HEB, or a climbing gym) requires driving to an area where land is cheap enough to accommodate larger stores. There's not even a lego store downtown. The only late night coffee shop is Halcyon and even it isn't open 24 hours (and becomes really loud and crowded at night, difficult to get work done). Most downtown restaurants are the type of place you'd go on a date, not have a normal meal. There's nothing like 99 Ranch or H Mart -- you have a more walkable / bikable / scootable life from a neighborhood like Crestview or northloop.

Austin downtown has next to no amenities for the average person.

[valhalla]

Originally Posted by Vexal

downtown has next to no amenities for the average person.

If by amenities, you exclude restaurants, bars, grocery stores (a whole foods, trader joes, and target right across the highway), museums, convention center, river, miles of hike and bike trails, and movie theaters, and include as your only criteria a lego store of all things, then yes downtown has no amenities.

This might be breaking news but space is limited in downtown areas. There's no topgolf in lower manhattan so i guess NYC doesn't have any "amenities" either.

[Vexal]

Originally Posted by valhalla

If by amenities, you exclude restaurants, bars, grocery stores (a whole foods, trader joes, and target right across the highway), museums, convention center, river, miles of hike and bike trails, and movie theaters, and include as your only criteria a lego store of all things, then yes downtown has no amenities.

This might be breaking news but space is limited in downtown areas. There's no topgolf in lower manhattan so i guess NYC doesn't have any "amenities" either.

I did not exclude any of those things except for bars. I admit I forgot about movie theaters, but alamo drafthouse mueller is nowhere near downtown. A river is not an amenity, it's literally in the way of getting to the other side of the city. And good luck walking across a highway to go buy groceries. And whole foods doesn't count as anything, they don't even sell real soda or cereal. It's weird organic offbrands (not to mention none of them are in walking distance of Rainy condos -- you're not going to carry a 24 pack of dr pepper that far).

How often does the average person go to the convention center or museum? Like maybe once a year at most. Unless there's an HEB inside the convention center it's not very useful.

I also agree that manhattan is a terrible place to live as well. But at least it has a reasonable selection of restaurants.

[Lobotomizer]

Originally Posted by Vexal

I did not exclude any of those things except for bars. I admit I forgot about movie theaters, but alamo drafthouse mueller is nowhere near downtown. A river is not an amenity, it's literally in the way of getting to the other side of the city. And good luck walking across a highway to go buy groceries. And whole foods doesn't count as anything, they don't even sell real soda or cereal. It's weird organic offbrands (not to mention none of them are in walking distance of Rainy condos -- you're not going to carry a 24 pack of dr pepper that far).

How often does the average person go to the convention center or museum? Like maybe once a year at most. Unless there's an HEB inside the convention center it's not very useful.

I also agree that manhattan is a terrible place to live as well. But at least it has a reasonable selection of restaurants.

You're trolling, right?

I could reply in depth, but I am not motivated enough.

I will add a couple of comments, though. Violet Crown is a movie theater within downtown. The river is a huge amenity. Trader Joes and a Whole Foods are both in downtown Austin. A second Whole Foods, and two Targets literally border downtown.

Book People, REI, Waterloo Records, Toy Joy, Patagonia, to name just some of the retailers off the top of my head.

Comedy clubs, museums, live music venues, restaurants from P. Terry's or Jimmy John's to upscale fine dining, and everything between.

Parks, trails, events.....No amenities?!? Again, I have to ask. Are you trolling?

[IluvATX]

Downtown must be a terrible place to live for all the people chugging Dr. Pepper and requiring a brick and mortar Lego store.

[Lobotomizer]

Originally Posted by IluvATX

Downtown must be a terrible place to live for all the people chugging Dr. Pepper and requiring a brick and mortar Lego store.

Pro-tip: Hit up one of downtown Austin's 7-11s to fulfill your Dr. Pepper chugging needs.

[Vexal]

dr pepper is more expensive at convenience stores than HEB.

i don't have any interest in the amenities or places listed in these comments, but feel free to attempt to convince me i like things that i don't.

there is next to no asian food or asian grocers downtown (my primary diet), i don't like museums or rivers, coffee shops close early so there's nowhere to get work done. it's not a useful place to live.

i don't want to go to violet crown, i have an alamo season pass, which only works at alamo. i don't like the food sold at organic new age grocers. and again, there are zero 24 hour coffee shops downtown that i am aware of, which is absurd and make remote work difficult.

i only have to go to REI once a year at most. the toys at toy joy are uninteresting to me. these are all "austiny" tourist places, but have no practical place in daily life.

target is on the other side of the highway, which is not safe or pleasant to cross. the comment i am responding to was suggesting Rainy is 'walkable' to live in, which it is not. and even if i did like whole foods, it's on the other side of downtown, and you can't carry more than one or two bags of groceries that far, especially if you have a 12 or 24 pack of soda.

[Lobotomizer]

Originally Posted by Vexal

dr pepper is more expensive at convenience stores than HEB.

i don't have any interest in the amenities or places listed in these comments, but feel free to attempt to convince me i like things that i don't.

there is next to no asian food or asian grocers downtown (my primary diet), i don't like museums or rivers, coffee shops close early so there's nowhere to get work done. it's not a useful place to live.

i don't want to go to violet crown, i have an alamo season pass, which only works at alamo. i don't like the food sold at organic new age grocers. and again, there are zero 24 hour coffee shops downtown that i am aware of, which is absurd and make remote work difficult.

i only have to go to REI once a year at most. the toys at toy joy are uninteresting to me. these are all "austiny" tourist places, but have no practical place in daily life.

target is on the other side of the highway, which is not safe or pleasant to cross. the comment i am responding to was suggesting Rainy is 'walkable' to live in, which it is not. and even if i did like whole foods, it's on the other side of downtown, and you can't carry more than one or two bags of groceries that far, especially if you have a 12 or 24 pack of soda.

Brb. Headed to CVS on Congress to pick up a stick of Degree deodorant, a sixer of Michelob Ultra, some pepperoni Hot Pockets, and a Snickers bar. We'll chat later!

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Vexal

dr pepper is more expensive at convenience stores than HEB.

i don't have any interest in the amenities or places listed in these comments, but feel free to attempt to convince me i like things that i don't.

there is next to no asian food or asian grocers downtown (my primary diet), i don't like museums or rivers, coffee shops close early so there's nowhere to get work done. it's not a useful place to live.

i don't want to go to violet crown, i have an alamo season pass, which only works at alamo. i don't like the food sold at organic new age grocers. and again, there are zero 24 hour coffee shops downtown that i am aware of, which is absurd and make remote work difficult.

i only have to go to REI once a year at most. the toys at toy joy are uninteresting to me. these are all "austiny" tourist places, but have no practical place in daily life.

target is on the other side of the highway, which is not safe or pleasant to cross. the comment i am responding to was suggesting Rainy is 'walkable' to live in, which it is not. and even if i did like whole foods, it's on the other side of downtown, and you can't carry more than one or two bags of groceries that far, especially if you have a 12 or 24 pack of soda.

If your standard is a 24 hour coffee shop, you have substance abuse issues. Caffeine is a drug.

[clubtokyo]

Downtown Austin has no amenities?! Have you been to other downtowns in America? Austin actually has a pretty dense amount of amenities considering it’s still a young city growing. The only cities that I can think of with more is mostly east coast Major cities and SF, Seattle on the west. Austin downtown really stands out if you are looking at middle America and the south.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

Downtown Austin has no amenities?! Have you been to other downtowns in America? Austin actually has a pretty dense amount of amenities considering it’s still a young city growing. The only cities that I can think of with more is mostly east coast Major cities and SF, Seattle on the west. Austin downtown really stands out if you are looking at middle America and the south.

+ Denver, Portland, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

[clubtokyo]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

+ Denver, Portland, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

Chicago for sure, often forget just like a New Yorker. Minneapolis eh. Not impressed with Denver or Portland downtown.

[corvairkeith]

Originally Posted by Vexal

dr pepper is more expensive at convenience stores than HEB.

i don't have any interest in the amenities or places listed in these comments, but feel free to attempt to convince me i like things that i don't.

there is next to no asian food or asian grocers downtown (my primary diet), i don't like museums or rivers, coffee shops close early so there's nowhere to get work done. it's not a useful place to live.

i don't want to go to violet crown, i have an alamo season pass, which only works at alamo. i don't like the food sold at organic new age grocers. and again, there are zero 24 hour coffee shops downtown that i am aware of, which is absurd and make remote work difficult.

i only have to go to REI once a year at most. the toys at toy joy are uninteresting to me. these are all "austiny" tourist places, but have no practical place in daily life.

target is on the other side of the highway, which is not safe or pleasant to cross. the comment i am responding to was suggesting Rainy is 'walkable' to live in, which it is not. and even if i did like whole foods, it's on the other side of downtown, and you can't carry more than one or two bags of groceries that far, especially if you have a 12 or 24 pack of soda.

Maybe you would feel more at home in Cedar Park or Leander.

[Vexal]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

If your standard is a 24 hour coffee shop, you have substance abuse issues. Caffeine is a drug.

Coffee shops serve decaf, and everyone has different working schedules. I have to work with coworkers in Tokyo and Singapore so my workday doesn't start until afternoon and ends after midnight.

Regarding Seattle, it is a much nicer city than Austin (and feels like what Austin aspires to be), but everything there closes even earlier than Austin. Seattle has an unnerving sterility despite being physically dirtier.