Why Gentrification is a Nasty Word

There are multiple Austins, but there are two which stand out more than any others: Poor Austin and The Rest Of Austin. In Poor Austin, there are no bank branches nearby, forcing residents to drive/bus elsewhere lest they fall prey to predatory banking practices like payday loans and check cashing fees. Grocery stores are distant, and smaller "local" stores rarely have fresh produce and what families need to stay healthy and without diabetes. Poor Austin residents, who can barely afford to pay rent, must make car payments because the neighborhoods are designed for reliance on cars. It rarely matters in Poor Austin that the residents be educated: there are few opportunities for a skilled workforce in jobs that pay actual wages, and such a stigma on location that educated people can barely keep businesses afloat when located in Poor Austin. Low wages for younger, newer residents make homeownership and home maintenace distant dreams. Political participation? Forget it, not with working multiple jobs (all of which are inflexible about time off), no cars, and no daycare facilities.

This is the Poor Austin story that many residents of The Rest Of Austin fail to understand. Hate those developers? Well, if developers build in East Austin, most of their workers would be closer to homes and families. Mad at the rise in taxes? At least there are more jobs in The Rest Of Austin which can support more of that rise, as opposed to the retail/food service jobs for barely more than minimum wage with no benefits in Poor Austin. Annoyed at the rise in CapMetro rates? A bunch of folks would enjoy having more money instead of throwing it into their cars they can barely afford. Unfortunately, The Rest Of Austin would rather speak for Poor Austin rather than actually listening to it.

We need more diverse income groups in Poor Austin neighborhoods for a number of reasons. First of all, people who make more money can afford to care more about their neighbors and neighborhoods, so crime is more difficult. After all, more wealthy people are working from home, so they probably want to be comfortable in their homes/offices. Secondly, trained and educated citizens - or at least citizens who graduated from high school - help eradicate the notion that being uneducated is some sort of "rebellion against the system" and therefore helpful for social growth. Diverse incomes generally encourage the introduction of handy things like banks, medical clinics, frequent transit routes and smaller, healthier grocery stores within walking distance. Lastly, neighborhoods with more diverse incomes generally have some people who can attend meetings, giving voices to communities which have been shut out simply because they are far from public forum locations or work too much.

Posting inspired by:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/17/AR2009051702053.html

A Dream Realized

If you haven't checked out a copy of Community Impact (http://www.impactnews.com/), do it. On October 1, 2008, I wrote a piece about business collaboration, which basically encouraged businesses to seek out properties simultaneously, and have several fill a new structure instead of having to market independently. Clusters of Austin starting to abound, and I was very pleased to see that Amy's Ice Cream and a few other businesses decided to stake out some land together. We have to become a less selfish city to thrive, and although developers market to and negotiate with businesses before they build, we have to take initiative and build communities while they build buildings.

Thanks to a bit of collaboration, that community will experience three things: 1) Property values will rise. Yes, this will lead to higher taxes, but it will also lead to even more neighborhood amenities and improvements. 2) Other businesses will see how quickly the space was filled, and may contact other businesses to fill the spaces in other buildings. Quite frankly, it's daunting to be the first business in a new development, so it's better to talk to other businesses and fill the space all at once because someone might back out, but the building wouldn't be empty in its first round. 3)Multiple businesses mean that employees have diverse skill sets, and that means that people in the area have opportunities to learn new skills to be employed in their own neighborhoods. Nothing makes employees more valuable than having diverse skills, and structures like these provide more opportunities for young people to have jobs and learn skills.

Story appeared here:

http://www.impactnews.com/northwest-austin/local-news/4881-amys-ice-cream-owners-develop-in-north-austin

Rediscovering Central Texas

In a time when airfare is ridiculous and gas requires a mortgage loan, now seems like the opportunity to discover Central Texas. There are so many bed & breakfasts in this region that someone could get exceedingly tired of them, so drive around on a weekend and check in, and see why these places stay in business. Also, remember that house that was way too big to begin with since the kids moved out? With some cooking classes and some creativity, there's a business opportunity to be had, or a rental opportunity for special events like SXSW, ACL, UT vs. A & M, the Pecan Street Festival, etc.

Also, there are natural wonders that can spur on conservation efforts, like Natural Bridge or Inner Space. Central Texas is built on so much limestone that caves have probably yet to be discovered, and to the brave adventurer, there is plenty to see in the well-known caves. Creeks need visiting, even when they don't have water, and there are plenty of rivers that still have water, such as the Guadalupe River. For all those jobless college graduates, those are foundations waiting to be set up or led, hint, hint. When visiting those out-of-reach places, it becomes apparent why some places need cars while Austin could rely on transit.

Central Texas has a lot to offer, so I would recommend visiting many of the places within this area, just to remind us why we live in Austin, and visit other places.

Open House Tactics

Who doesn't like to go to open houses for fun sometimes? I have enjoyed several in the past, and I hope to enjoy several in the future. One thing, though, is that people need to start cross-promoting in venues like open houses, like the group that's promoting some of the condos on South Congress: http://www.2020congresscondos.com/. A friend and I were going to skip this event, but I was so happy that she told us to go ahead.

First of all, there were several artists who were allowed to both demonstrate their crafts and display their wares. In effect, it was very similar to the East Austin Studio Tour - and if you haven't been to that, you better go. One artist was doing a graffiti demonstration, which was decidedly the largest. Other artists had set up the condos with their wares, so one could literally walk through an art gallery that was an entire apartment complex. A catering service provided lunch for the event, so people could stay for a while, and if one had the capital, condos could be purchased.

So, for all those real estate agents who looking for exposure: stop expecting the properties to sell themselves and make your job easier. Austin loves art, so let some artists tout their wares since there are plenty of artists in this city. Also, give new businesses the opportunities for exposure, especially if there's a mixed use project to sell, because hey, you might sell the bottom floor in addition to the top. Basically, make the buildings into public spaces and indicate how people will be growing their communities by living closer together.

Miracle of Emergency Bus Rides

For those of you who say that the bus is impossible to navigate:

I discovered a pain in my teeth, and had to notify my boss so that I could go immediately to the dentist. Of course, that was the day that I had no car, so I made a tentative appointment with my dentist, informing him that I might be late due to a lack in vehicle. I left work at 1:15, was at my home in northwest Austin near Braker by 2:00pm to get my car, and I made a 2:30 dental appointment. If I had known the bus schedules as I know them now, I wouldn't have even gotten my car.

Many people complain that their lives are too complicated to add public transportation to the mix. Many parents say that their children have too many after school activities for public transportation. I would ask those people to take the buses for a day, and see just how relaxing it is not to deal with traffic or the stress of finding a place to park. More parenting guides are encouraging a more hands off approach, so maybe parents could encourage more public transit instead of forcing themselves to drive all over town. One of my colleagues takes the bus, and she has two children, and I've seen many parents riding the bus with their children.

Why Image is Everything

Before I lived in New York, I loved the movie Miracle on 34th Street. I loved all the clothes that the little girl wore, I loved the magic of the mall Santa, and of course, the classic love story. However, as I grew older I realized that it had one big problem: apartments are seen as a horrible place to live, while houses are seen as havens for families. I know that people like houses because of their obsession with land they rarely farm, but depicting apartments as holes of horror is the reason why there is such a negative emphasis on cities. As Sprite used to say in its commercials, image is everything.

Kids are seen as not living in real homes when they live in apartments, even though they do as much as if not more of the same stuff kids who live in houses do. The nice thing about apartments is that kids can walk to their friends' houses without having to be driven, which means that all they have to do is ask instead of interrupting parental activities, such as paying bills, or work. Houses also cost more than apartments (not all apartments, but most), so parents have to work hard to afford houses that require lawns to be mowed, roofs to be replaced, and plumbing to be fixed on a regular basis. Urban citizens can take the bus to avoid traffic, meaning that many people can be less stressed and more personable as they come to work instead of reeling from the jerks who cut them off, or changed lanes without signalling, etc. People tend to think that cities are full of criminals, but few of those people actually spend time walking around in cities because they commute to and from work, and stay away from people other than coworkers most of the time.

Of course, what could be better than a nice, quiet suburb? There are empty streets, so there is no possibility of child predators or burglaries. There are lawns, so that children can avoid the dirty parks, "dangerous adults," and the other "bad children." No one can walk to any businesses which contributes to a number of health problems even according the University of Texas at Austin, but who cares when driving is king? The point in the image is that suburbs are safer, which means that there are no criminals, and all the people are worthwhile.

To be fair, it is Texas, and I know people who have farms, and who need land because they have horses, cattle, and all the rest. There really are people who have lots of land because they had community resources like observatories, or they have youth camping trips that they sponsor. This post is not for those people. This is for people who have a lot of land because they think it will fulfill them in some way as a person, and for those who think that having a home is a sign of maturity. Homes are big pieces of debt that may not necessarily lead to prosperity or happiness. Families are families wherever they live, and no one's maturity is determined by the ownership of assets.

Small Town Journeys

Recently, I visited Johnson City and stayed in a bed and breakfast called Chantilly Lace. Despite the fact that I normally go to bed and breakfasts that are off the beaten path, I appreciated the fact this one was decidedly urban. There are many businesses that are located downtown, and the houses surround them like an oasis. Several people can walk from their homes, and did for the Art Wine and Wildflower festival, which I attended purely on accident. There are two Zagat-rated restaurants with world-class chefs, which is perfect for a weekend stay. On my first night, I attended the Friendly Bar, which has excellent food, a rotating limited menu, and live music on the weekends, generally a casual environment. My second dinner was at the Silver K, which has a more elegant atmosphere, but still has a world class chef and amazing cuisine.

On the way back from Johnson City, I stopped at Marble Falls and was amazed at the amount of urban art in what is generally considered a small town. The downtown area was extremely walkable and close to a very active park, and while there, live music was held in the town square.
At the public park, a store was marketing its products by allowing customers to try them:Mud Outdoor Center http://www.mockayaks.com/.

I say all this to point out one thing: urbanism is not a new idea. Johnson City and Marble Falls are very small towns in a rural part of central Texas, and although some of them commute to Austin, many of them live and work where they are, and many of them are close to downtown. Being close to one's job and entertainment is the most effective way to live because it increases a sense of community and creates shared responsibility. The real problems in Austin are that too few people live near their jobs - thus increasing traffic - and too many people make opportunities for people have long commutes, and cheap property outside city jurisdiction. To add injury to insult, people create barriers to putting jobs near people in the form of developments, and no one wants people from out of town to "desecrate" the "sanctity" of Austin. Johnson City is an old-fashioned small town with 3 art galleries, world class chefs, and Marble Falls is an old-fashioned small town with urban art and live music on a Sunday, and both love visitors and new residents. I would be embarrassed to find that Austin is incapable of following the examples of small towns.

Businesses I visited:

http://www.chantillylacesoaps.com/
http://www.silverkcafe.com/
http://www.friendlybarbistro.com/