[barbe]

As a longtime non-tech Austinite, I would say the things that made Austin weird and affordable—and wonderful—are fading fast despite the hype. City leaders hyped a $7.1b transit tax package (my taxes for the year went up $800 for it) but it seems to only (literally) pave the way for developers to tout promised rail lines without the infrastructure (bus circulators) to even get to the grocery store, there’s a plan to build a tunnel through downtown and under Ladybird Lake for a rail line while plans are being made to widen the highway running through town to many as 20 lanes in places. Central neighborhoods with tree-lined streets are being targeted for massive development even as city ordinances prohibit a homeowner to rent space as a garage apartment. Many longtime favorites, restaurants, music venues, have closed. The best barbecue joint left for a small town a couple of towns away from here. The city is looking to loosen the protection of trees so developers can chop everything down. The Almighty Dollar is more important than local color or the urban canopy. Affordability is becoming a crisis for anyone not working tech. So, please stay away—unless you’re willing to work to make Austin do the innovative things it only says it does. And y’all, it IS really hot here…!