Austin development Archives

Austin, Writing

Curbed Austin is now live!

Awww hells yeah.

I’ve been a fan of the Curbed series for years, most notably Curbed Detroit under the helm of Sarah Cox. The Detroit edition of Curbed continues to perfectly capture the unprecedented rise and fall and rise of one of America’s most iconic cities.

I’m confident that Curbed Austin will be as equally intriguing as we continue to watch this city balloon into one of the leading metropolises in our country.

The site, which officially went live this morning, is (wo)manned by acclaimed Austin writer Cindy Widner (former managing editor of the Austin Chronicle and Austin-area freelancer writer for 20 years).

I asked Cindy what readers can expect from Curbed Austin:

“Austinites can expect stories about design, development, and real estate that are informative, timely, and, most of all, fun and interesting to read. Curbed is really good about covering the details about how cities develop for people who are genuinely interested in the (more…)

February 22, 2016 by hipstercrite

Austin

Austin Changing: Why My Love for Austin is Being Challenged

When I first drove into this city five years ago, I fell head over heels in love.

Lately, my undying love for Austin has been challenged.

I’ve learned the hard way that writing about Austin as though I’ve lived here a long time will provoke scorn, but to hell with it. Even within the five years I’ve lived here, I’ve seen rapid growth that makes one’s head spin.

Austin has been in influx for decades, but it’s hard for anyone to argue that the “big city” changes have been most prevalent these past 5-10 years.
Unlike LA and NYC- who came into their own decades ago- we’re watching a city grow and mold right before our eyes.

Readers make fun of writers who talk about Austin as though they’ve lived here a long time because they write articles titled this: “Austin is ch-ch-ch-changing: Give up the hate and embrace the non-natives who make our city great.”

This article, which I wrote in January of 2012, was from the perspective of someone who was confused as to why Austinites were (more…)

April 1, 2013 by hipstercrite