A Local's Perspective on Boomtowns

-
I'm living in a Modern Day American Boomtown! Are you? Goodness gracious, it is both a blessing and a curse. When I had boomeranged back from NYC to my quaint, sleepy hometown of Austin, TX where I was born in 1981 at Seton Hospital on West 38th street. I had expected the smaller city Austin pace and aura to be attached with it. To a certain extent, that has been true. Not totally.
Before I left for the big city sabbatical and life adventure, Austin Texas was a regular, bohemian, hippie, alternative, liberal town with pedestrian friendly, family oriented, quirky neighborhoods. There were only 2, yes only 2 Condo developer projects in the Downtown Vicinity. There was the Perry Lorenz designed, Nokonah building on 9th and Lamar, and also the Austin City Lofts on West 5th street & Bowie. At the time of the downtown condo's inception, Austinites' thought urban living was a radical idea.
Locals would think, "You mean there are people who actually want to reside, sleep and live in the Downtown, bum infested, urban, concrete mess?"
Well my fellow Sprectrum readers, as I write this, times have changed. DRAMATICALLY. Every single corner you walk past in Modern Downtown Austin, either has a skyscraper, new project, commercial space, rental building, or hi-rise being built and under construction. It's a real-life game of Monopoly, with hotels and everything.
I honestly, wonder what has been the underlying causes for Austin to become America's top tier BOOMTOWN. Is it the attractive females? The sunny skies, natural spring swimming pools or the lack of a true winter weather season? Is it the economic prosperity created by the TECH, REAL ESTATE, & ENTERTAINMENT industries? Do the remainder of American cities, just suck?
Personally as I drive around core Central Austin, eyeballing the neighborhoods and real estate, here is what I notice. There is a plethora of NEW MONEY in Austin, Texas. Even in the most dire and previously undesirable neighborhoods of Rosewood in East Austin, or the Deep Zip Code South of "78704" and onward to the northern residential areas of Crestivew and Anderson Lane. There are now ample high-end $$$ properties, and visual real estate structures displaying NEWNESS, GRANDEUR, MODERN ARCHITECTURE, COOL DESIGN, PRISTINE LANDSCAPING, and perhaps most prominently, NEW MONEY Wealth.
Where is this NEW MONEY coming from?
I work pretty damm diligently, and it's not me, quite yet. Do you know where this NEW MONEY is coming from? Is it moving from America's West Coast, i.e. San Francisco, LA, New York City, and other A-list American city RE-LOCATORS? In my personal opinion, San Francisco, California is the absolute most overpriced and overrated city in America. I guess the ATX still presents an alternative Value compared to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Austin is currently the #1 most populated (2 million area residents and growing daily) city in the U.S.A., WITHOUT a Professional Sports team. Yes, Oklahoma City has the NBA Thunder. Baltimore, Maryland has the MLB Orioles, and the NFL Ravens. Inland Sacramento, California has the NBA Kings, while Austin, Texas has ZERO in the pro sports department.
There were sporting rumors recently the NFL's Oakland Raiders were contemplating relocating to a BRAND NEW STADIUM to be built in the land between San Antonio and Austin, Texas. I say go for it! To directly quote Kevin Costner's Legendary Movie, Field of Dreams, "if you build it, they will come."
As you can tell, my sleepy 1960's college, flower culture, bohemian, hippy, cheap, affordable city is rapidly evolving, gentrifying, growing and changing. Today the city vibe has a turnover feel. Residents of the previous century are either Holding on or cashing out. While the NEW MONEY is constantly scouring the market, ready to pounce if warranted.
How do I personally feel about it? I feel powerless. Conservatives can only Conserve, so long....... Change in life is inevitable, and we as humans must learn to adjust, improve, and adapt daily to our constantly revolving earth.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Real Estate Agent Insights

-
Image
To the outside world, I often wonder what is society's perception of the working realtor lifestyle? Do consumers simply think we sip latte coffees, go shopping, drive fancy cars, and collect hefty commission checks ? Are realtors just well connected "socialites" whom seek rich friends to sell homes? Is the public aware that a real estate agent's work can be very challenging, and carries a zero dollar base salary? I think consumers forget, that working realtors in general are a happy, fun, driven, and helpful collection of professionals. Realtors have an inner desire to be their own boss. Real Estate Agents are folks whom are instigators, and want to make things happen! Successful real estate agents are self promoters, avid workers, and posses conversational, relate-able, human people skills. To become a truly successful realtor, it requires a combination of different skills. A Real Estate Agent has the traits of a salesmen, business development guru, therapist, ...
Read more

A Man's Own Merit.

-
Image
When does a male, truly transform from a child, adolescent, and youth, into a legitimate full grown man? Should "manhood" be considered a physical achievement? Is "manhood" achieved once a state of adulthood, responsibility and grown-up level is conquered? Is "manhood" acquired once a male has become a rainmaker and created his own family? A family, for example with a wife and children? When is a male officially a truthful, gentle, full legitimate grown MAN? I am simply curious? In my humble opinion, a man's own merit is achieved at different time levels for each us. For example, let us a say a young boy, loses his father tragically to death at a youthful age. To such sadness as say war, a traffic accident or medical loss. If a youth under the age of 18, loses his father to death, this would probably force the boy to grow up faster than is necessary. Sometimes a man, must grow out of his father's shadows and legacy. For example, when P...
Read more

The INNER Agenda

-
Image
What are the REAL reasons, why people do things? Are they caring, giving, selfless souls OR are they of the capitalist mindset and always think, "What's in this for me?" For example, the honorable giving soul is one whom volunteers and give backs to their community. Perhaps this person is a manager and their agenda is to help guide and assist the workers below them. A person with no agenda, simply helps others for the sake of their inner soul and good deed morals. An example of a few no inner agenda occupations could be teachers, priests, social workers, volunteers, rehabilitation counselors, etc. These occupations tend to lead to selfless, non-capitalist motivation. These specific types of humans, may possess a genuine caring mindset. Personally for me, and for better or worse, I have been heavily gravitating towards the "How does George Vance" benefit from this mindset. Lately, in my professional work and personal life, I consciously perform actions ...
Read more