AUSTIN | Photos & Videos Thread

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by smithlua

If there's ever an Austin edition of House of Cards, this could be the intro.

That "trailer" for Austin is amazing. The huge amount of creative people in Austin promote this city better than the Chamber of Commerce or any city official could ever hope to do.

[pscajunguy]

Originally Posted by Hill Country

That "trailer" for Austin is amazing. The huge amount of creative people in Austin promote this city better than the Chamber of Commerce or any city official could ever hope to do.

The next thing Austin needs is a successful series like "Dexter". "Dexter" really highlighted Miami more than just about anything I could imagine would! They might as well have called the series "Dexter's Experiences in Miami".

[drummer]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Simply the light retracting two times.


That's a great picture! Did you take that Hill Country?

Haha, sorry - I was referencing an uber-cheesy YouTube video (see 1:15 or so):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI

[KevinFromTexas]

Over Austin - https://www.facebook.com/overaustin/...type=1&theater

[Mopacs]

Found this pic from the 1950s posted to the Facebook group "Austin As It Used To Be". Amazing, considering what is there now.



https://www.facebook.com/groups/1553684481525640/

[the Genral]

Ahhh the 50's...when the fire / bell tower and a humongous milk carton on a pole dominated the skyline down by the lake, or was it still a river at the time? Plus there were car dealerships scattered throughout downtown, up until the 80's.

[jg6544]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Ahhh the 50's...when the fire / bell tower and a humongous milk carton on a pole dominated the skyline down by the lake, or was it still a river at the time? Plus there were car dealerships scattered throughout downtown, up until the 80's.

It was still the Colorado River. Town Lake didn't come along until around 1964. I knew Austin back then. It was a dream of a little city.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by the Genral

Ahhh the 50's...when the fire / bell tower and a humongous milk carton on a pole dominated the skyline down by the lake, or was it still a river at the time? Plus there were car dealerships scattered throughout downtown, up until the 80's.

I wonder if the milk carton revolved. That would have been awesome.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by jg6544

It was still the Colorado River. Town Lake didn't come along until around 1964. I knew Austin back then. It was a dream of a little city.

Since you experienced Austin earlier than most of us, how would you describe it today, and do you think it was better then or now?

[Jdawgboy]

It still is the Colorado River. Just because it is dammed doesn't mean it's no longer a river. In fact I don't even consider the portion through DT a lake at all. It's a river it looks like a river when you cross over it. The only part that I consider it a lake is the basin area where it widens out before the dam at Pleasant Valley Rd.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

It still is the Colorado River. Just because it is dammed doesn't mean it's no longer a river. In fact I don't even consider the portion through DT a lake at all. It's a river it looks like a river when you cross over it. The only part that I consider it a lake is the basin area where it widens out before the dam at Pleasant Valley Rd.

No it doesn't... It very well looks like a lake. When something is a river you can visually tell because of the way the water moves. It's very much different than a lake and Town Lake / Lady Bird Lake is very much visually a lake simply because of the way that the water moves.

[lzppjb]

I think it looks like a river as well.

[_Matt]

It's quite distinctly a reservoir. This article sums up the characteristics which have been noted in prior posts.

I think it has been mentioned, there is only one lake in Texas (despite our naming practices) so perhaps that leads to the confusion.

Source: http://www.lakescientist.com/lake-fa...-lakes-differ/

Lakes vs. Reservoirs

Reservoirs, also called impoundments, are man-made lakes. Often, reservoirs can be thought of as a combination of lakes and rivers because they were created by building a dam and flooding a river valley. This damming and flooding creates an artificial lake, filled by the river inflow, with the same qualities of rivers and lakes.

The upstream section of the reservoir has predominantly river-like qualities, meaning there is often still some current, and the organisms in this section are usually those found in rivers. As the water moves closer to the dam, the current slows, and the reservoir becomes more lake-like.

[lzppjb]

Good points. We know it's a reservoir. Just saying it looks like a river.

My friends have land upstream on the Colorado. It's north of the Highland Lakes. It looks like a miniature version of Town Lake. It's quite calm on the surface.

I've been over the Mississippi a few times. Look up photos on google. It can also appear as very calm.

[drummer]

When I think of rivers, I typically think of the smaller ones that have a swift current with at least some rapids (kayaking is a hobby of mine - not sit-on-top kayaking common to the downtown area, but actual river kayaking). However, I lived for a couple of of years on the east coast of China next to the Yangze River. It's just over a mile wide at that point and gets to be several miles wide as it reaches the Pacific Ocean. It's fascinating to consider just how much water are in those bigger rivers, such as the Mississippi. Even though they look steady and even still in some cases, the current is still quite swift in the middle and below the surface. You just miss it with the massive barges and container ships moving up and down. I think Lady Bird Lake (or Town Lake, as I am still used to calling it) is great in that the calm waters allow for so much activity (paddle board, canoeing, kayaking, etc) because of the dam, yet still resembles a river in that it is more narrow and winds through the hills.

I'm always amazed at seeing pictures of downtown way back when...and there are hardly any trees along the river! I know those came much later, but about when? I can't recall. The trees along the river are one of the best features and truly transformed Austin, in my opinion.

[cvalkan]

That was Lady Bird's doing (impetus at least), right? She was all for planting a tree, or a bush, or a shrub. My mom used to chuckle at the commercial but one can't argue with results. 1970s would be my guess.

[The ATX]

I'm still loving that milk carton. I wish I could find more photos or info about it. It has to be one of the most awesome things ever constructed downtown. Well, except for the Austonian, Frost, etc.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I'm still loving that milk carton. I wish I could find more photos or info about it. It has to be one of the most awesome things ever constructed downtown. Well, except for the Austonian, Frost, etc.

I bet it held some sort of record for the largest milk carton. I think it was an ad gimmick for a grocery store located right next to it.

[owwo]

Originally Posted by the Genral

I bet it held some sort of record for the largest milk carton.

"World's largest milk carton" according to the Bastrop Advertiser (1959), large enough to hold 275780 quarts of milk

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by owwo

"World's largest milk carton" according to the Bastrop Advertiser (1959), large enough to hold 275780 quarts of milk

Awesome find. Here' a blowup of the details about the milk carton. It seems like the best use ever of an "unused smokestack". And wow, the price of pickles and peas was really quite reasonable.