I think one of the coolest tourist attractions in Austin was the HOPE Gallery on Baylor St.
I've always saw it as a very unique and fun place to be. It was a photo op for out of towners just like other iconic murals around town that are sought out as a must do when in town. Baylor St, though not necessarily in the thick of downtown, is close enough for visitors to short ride or hike to from their hotel. It was an alternative to the usual things to do and worth the effort to see it in person. So when I was reminded in the AAS today that it is being relocated to Dalton Ln. near the airport, I just couldn't think of a more stupid place to put it, and I have no intention to ever going there, and I doubt visitors will make the trek out there either. I know that the HOPE Gallery on Baylor St. was on private land and is set to be developed into something else, the transition from terraces built up from stone walls that acted as convases which probably started as a daring act of vandalistic graffiti turned accepted art tourist attraction, to a sterile, purpose built graffiti farm in an area that's far from the coolness of downtown and out of reach to many who visit Austin and mainly stay within walking distance around downtown is just insulting to the original purists. The folks heading up this relocation had a different location in mind but chose against it because there was no parking. I don't recall much parking at the original site. They say many of the artists miss the community that happened there. There being the key word, with the castle in the background. I'm sad that the HOPE Gallery on Baylor St is no more. It pisses me off that for the sake of progress, we lose again. It was raw, ever changing, and a very cool and interesting place to kill a few hours and watch people get a kick out of the whole scene. I can't think of a good analogy for how far from the original this new location will be. At 17.5 acres, a chunk of which will be for parking, there will be more room for more art, but I can't get passed the purpose built part. Maybe newcomers and tourists will find the time and means to travel all the way out there to visit this yet to be fiasco, but I won't be one of them. There's no way it will ever be as iconic as the original, and I'm kind of pissed off they are even trying to copy HOPE Gallery so far from where and what the whole concept was all about. I wonder if there will be a souvenir shop, and a snack shack that sells $8 hotdogs. I'd rather they rename it 'Graffiti Land' add a dog and pony show and call it a day. Everyone has a breaking point, I guess this is sort of mine. Thank you and good night Austin, wherever you were...
fwiw, I realize the people behind relocating HOPE mean well.
Last edited by the Genral; Jan 7, 2020 at 4:51 AM.
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