Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
Battling Challenges Here Is a Testament to Austin
RECEIVED Sun., Dec. 9, 2007
Dear Editor,
As a rather new resident to Austin, or a "carpetbagger" as one writer recently called us [“Postmarks,” Dec. 7], perhaps my least favorite thing about my new home is hearing people constantly bitch about how it "used to be.” Everyone has a right to complain about things, and rose-colored glasses of nostalgia are a universal constant. If you listen hard enough, you can hear people pining for the stupidest things imaginable, such as the Great Depression or the Vietnam War. Tom Brokaw has made millions trying to convince us that his "greatest generation" of Cold War, lynching, McCarthyism, etc., was so wonderful, but I digress. I'm not saying pining for the "olden days" in Austin is a bad thing, especially if it makes you happy, but if it makes you angry and bitter, well, you be the judge.
To the Austin "used-to-bes" I'd like to point out a few things. First, the population of the U.S. has risen by 50% in the last 30 years, so it's only logical that the average population everywhere has risen by around that much, including Austin. And when you take into account that there are some places people just don't want to live, it's probably higher for a sweet place like ATX. When population grows, you've got two choices, out or up, which explains sprawl and taller buildings. Higher population density means more traffic, especially when you don't keep up with mass transit needs.
Louis Black's "Creative Mass" column [“Page Two,” Nov. 30] touched on a lot of these issues a few weeks back, except for this fact: The core problems that Austinites face in rising costs of living, increased population, lack of affordable housing, substandard infrastructure, etc., are the same core problems faced by almost the entire U.S., whether it is Brooklyn, N.Y., or Boise, Idaho. The fact that newcomers such as myself prefer to battle these life challenges in a place such as Austin, instead of Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, L.A., or New Orleans (my hometown), is a testament to all that is wonderful about this city. Enjoy!
As a rather new resident to Austin, or a "carpetbagger" as one writer recently called us [“Postmarks,” Dec. 7], perhaps my least favorite thing about my new home is hearing people constantly bitch about how it "used to be.” Everyone has a right to complain about things, and rose-colored glasses of nostalgia are a universal constant. If you listen hard enough, you can hear people pining for the stupidest things imaginable, such as the Great Depression or the Vietnam War. Tom Brokaw has made millions trying to convince us that his "greatest generation" of Cold War, lynching, McCarthyism, etc., was so wonderful, but I digress. I'm not saying pining for the "olden days" in Austin is a bad thing, especially if it makes you happy, but if it makes you angry and bitter, well, you be the judge.
To the Austin "used-to-bes" I'd like to point out a few things. First, the population of the U.S. has risen by 50% in the last 30 years, so it's only logical that the average population everywhere has risen by around that much, including Austin. And when you take into account that there are some places people just don't want to live, it's probably higher for a sweet place like ATX. When population grows, you've got two choices, out or up, which explains sprawl and taller buildings. Higher population density means more traffic, especially when you don't keep up with mass transit needs.
Louis Black's "Creative Mass" column [“Page Two,” Nov. 30] touched on a lot of these issues a few weeks back, except for this fact: The core problems that Austinites face in rising costs of living, increased population, lack of affordable housing, substandard infrastructure, etc., are the same core problems faced by almost the entire U.S., whether it is Brooklyn, N.Y., or Boise, Idaho. The fact that newcomers such as myself prefer to battle these life challenges in a place such as Austin, instead of Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis, L.A., or New Orleans (my hometown), is a testament to all that is wonderful about this city. Enjoy!
Colby Spath
