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Zombie Hunters Save Austin so You Can Sleep at Night

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Tomorrow, post-Apocalyptic Austin could be overrun by the shambling corpses of your coworkers, many of whom are still bent over their desks at Dell, while former drug cartels raid the few pockets of survivors in search of food, water, weapons and women. On Z-Day, there’s only one place you want to be - training hard at Sam Coffman’s School of Zombie Hunting.

Run by The Human Path, a Central Texas wilderness skills and survival school, the zombie hunting program wants to help you prepare for the inevitable.

"Well, we all know where the world is headed - just check out what happened in Florida recently. That wasn't ‘bath salts,’ it's been proven. That was a zombie. So we need training on how to deal with these things,” joked Sam Tyler (who is also co-founder of the upcoming Showdown at Unobtanium: Tesla versus Edison). 

“People think it’d be cool if the world ended,” said Coffman. “There’s this romanticized notion that everything we hate about our culture would be wiped away and life would be so much better - if you survived.” 

But wait - what if you don’t hate electricity, running water or fresh food available out of season? The School of Zombie Hunting builds on The Human Path disaster preparedness courses that can also be useful in non-Apocalyptic scenarios.

At the school, survivors of the apocalypse can choose to hone their skills in one of five specialties; combat medic, primitive engineer, hunter-gatherer, scout or leader. While you’re scrambling to learn on a dark, isolated ranch, you’re also under assault from Mad Max-esque gangs and are constantly under threat of having your brains eaten by disturbingly realistic zombies. No pressure. 

“We had a girl that literally broke her airsoft gun in half because she was so tense and shaky from the situation,” said Coffman. “We make it as real as possible. The zombies are professionally made up, and they look amazing, and they’re making these scary sounds and circling the camp all while people are reeling from an attack from the bad guys. We ramp up the adrenaline as much as we can.”



When a normally stodgy agency like The Center for Disease Control creates a 32 page comic on preparing for a zombie apocalypse then has their press liaison inform the Huffington Post that the “CDC does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present zombie-like symptoms)," you know you’ve hit on a cultural nerve. The Human Path uses this as a way to teach survival and disaster preparedness skills to people who wouldn't normally sign up for their classes. 

“I’m glad the School of Zombie Hunting is out there,” said Rebecca Tran, an Austin based video game designer. “In case of a Zombie Apocalypse, I’d want to know more than just survival basics like building a fire and fortifying a space. How to form weapons out of nontraditional items would be my number one priority. Do I just sharpen a stick, or do I have other options like, say, taking a garden shear and breaking it in two so now I’d have a pair of machetes?” 

That sort of practical training is the core of Coffman’s Zombie Hunting experience. “People realize this isn’t really about zombies. It’s about tactics and experience,” said Coffman. “In case of a real disaster, you’re learning teamwork, you’re learning real medical skills, you’re learning how to feed yourself in the wild, and most of all you’re learning how to form a real community. We like to think we’ll all be the lone ranger if a real disaster strikes, but in reality, we need each other to survive.” 

Plus you get to shoot zombies. 

Hope Clark, a member of the Austin Sure Shots women’s pistol league, said she thought dressing survival training up as post-apocalyptic survival was a great idea. “If you’ve stocked up in case of a zombie apocalypse then you’re prepared for just about anything. And if you can defend yourself tactically like that, you can definitely defend yourself against home invaders or people trying to hurt you.” 

People trying to hurt you would be a bigger threat than zombies eating your brains. Coffman predicted that in case of a zombie apocalypse, the state of Texas would turn into a wide swath of no-man’s-lands sparsely interspersed by rancher warlords. The roads would be controlled by well-armed former drug cartels who would move through Texas like locusts. “They’d be best adapted to survive in that situation. They’re already used to doing without comforts and living in extreme circumstances, and they’re already well armed. It wouldn't have anything to do with drugs at that point, but they’d know how to get the best food, water and women.”

Despite being smaller and more spread out than cities like Dallas or Houston, Coffman predicted the city of Austin would be completely destroyed. “There are some really cool computer simulations of how a pandemic would spread. It doesn’t even have to be airborne. Say the zombies have to bite or scratch you. The best case scenarios show an urban center like this going down in 12 hours.”



Coffman’s next experiment in zombie pandemic preparedness takes place on October 27, 2012. Joining one of the human teams requires taking some basic survival preparedness classes at The Human Path, but anyone interested in terrorizing people while dressed as a zombie is welcome to participate as a volunteer. 

“Our Zombie Apocalypse in October is freaking amazing,” said Coffman. “It’s like a book that’s being written as we go. It started a year ago with the pandemic virus being released. A year of real time has gone, there’s been a breakdown of civilization, and people participating will have to figure out what’s going on. We’ll have 50-60 zombies there for the full 24-hour ordeal, so if you’ve always wanted to be made up by professionals and have some fun, you’re welcome to join us for a shift.”
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Naughty Leprechaun’s Hangover Tacos Lives Up To Name

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jun 12, 2012

This is Austin. Eventually, gourmet tacos, leprechaun drag and breakfast had to be combined somehow. Welcome to Naughty Leprechaun’s Hangover Tacos, a catering and delivery service that believes in truth in advertising. 

The Zombies Are Coming! Run For Your Life!

By Eric Pickhartz / Nov 11, 2011

How do you train for the forthcoming zombie apocalypse? We’ll get you set before next year’s zombie-infested 5K.............................


Austin Tech Job Roundup July 16-20

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We’ve trolled Facebook, LinkedIn and odd corners of the Internet looking for the tech jobs you won’t find on Craigslist. Most of these come from people at the company in question hoping a friend of a friend can help them find a good person to hire. Luckily for you, the Austin Post is your friend.
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Seeking Online Production Artist for long term contract in Round Rock, TX. Great opportunity for someone who loves production! For more info contact nmotas [at] aquent [dot] com.
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Looking for a UI Developer for a permanent position with a local Austin company. Please email elena [at] lunadatasolutions [dot] com with a resume to apply.
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Alliance Abroad Group is looking to hire a new IT Manager.
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Seeking a Quality Control Engineer with a minimum 5 years experience in coding in .NET with emphasis on C# as a programming language, ASP.NET, ADO.NET and SQL Server 2000/2005/2008. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com. 
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Interactive Designer needed at Spiceworks. Responsibilities include designing ads in Photoshop (some Flash here and there) and ideal candidate will be able to code tabs like this:  http://community.spiceworks.com/pages/vmware. Send cover letter, resume and link to portfolio to melenah [at] spiceworks [dot] com.
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I am searching for quality candidates for Software Developers, Technical Writers, DBA, and Quality Control Engineer. Please contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com for more information.
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Channel Marketing Manager needed at Austin technology company. 
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Austin Email Marketing Manager – Contractor at LifeSize needed for B2B email marketing & mktg automation, HTML, A/B testing.
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Toppan Photomasks seeks a  Senior Oracle e-Business Suite Developer
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CACI International seeks a Lead Software Engineer with current TS/SCI security clearance. 
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Cigital is looking for a full-time or contract Security Consultant based in the Austin, Texas area - to parachute in wherever software insecurity invades, and to stomp out bugs and flaws wherever they hide.
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Frog seeks a senior design technologist. 
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Luna Data Solutions is looking for an Android Developer to develop robust and user friendly apps. 
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If you didn’t see anything that looked like a good fit, other good tech job resources in Austin include:

Startup Hire
Aquent
Craigslist
Dell

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This Week in Geek July 19-25

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 19, 2012

Life isn’t all about networking events and making business connections. Sometimes you need to find like-minded geeks for some relaxing fun. Once a week, we round up the best geek social events in Austin.

Tech Events Roundup July 17-23

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 16, 2012

Once a week the Austin Post rounds up all the networking, social and just plain nifty technology related events taking place in the greater Austin metro area.

Beware the Monsters of Austin

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Illustration by Tim Carroll

"A pack of hairless critters that has taken to a patch of woods just north of U.S. 183 and RM 1431 in Cedar Park has people in the area wondering if the creatures could be the legendary chupacabra."    

-actual item recently in The Statesman

 

With zombie attacks cropping up in Miami, Maryland and New Jersey, it's natural for all the living to keep an eye out for any odd/undead behavior in their neighborhoods. And for the denizens of Austin, things are no different.  I’m astonished no one was cannibalized during that nude bike ride a few weeks back, because, as many of these recent attacks have illustrated, zombies are attracted to naked people. For we daywalkers, perhaps it's like having the fatty skin pre-removed from chicken. And in a health-conscious town like Austin, you can rest anxious that our zombies are counting calories.

Now, everybody knows that to kill a zombie you have to feed it rat poison, and it's probably safe to say that you've read my brochure on killing chupacabras, so you've hopefully stocked up on beer and cigarettes. But what about Austin's other, more sinister creatures? The ones who have been lying in wait, biding their time, and in some cases—biding even more time.

Have you seen any of the following creatures about town? If you have, you know the dangers. If you haven’t, you will.

The Lady Bird Monster

Nobody but Scottish people know or care what a Loch or a Ness is, and they've got their own problems, like alcoholism. But here, just under the shimmering surface of our own Lady Bird Johnson Lake lurks a beast more terrible, more cold-souled and ruthless than the most authentic Scottish cuisine: Pollution. Let's everybody clean up our trash and remember that we share the lake.

Oh, and the "Lady Bird Monster"? Don't worry. That's actually my old college roommate, Lars. And he's not a monster—he's just a free spirit. If you see Lars, a.k.a.,  The Lady Bird Monster, just keep walking: He's more afraid of you than you are of him. You'd be freaked out, too, if someone just wandered into the middle of the trail while you were trying to do unspeakable things.

Stubb’s Sasquatch

I’m too short, too old and too goddamned lazy to stampede my way to the front of the stage on cramped-assed 6th Street, so some emo band I’ve never heard before can sweat on me. That’s why today, when I go to concerts, I pay $125 to sit at the Erwin Center and stare at the Jumbotron for two hours wishing I’d just stayed home and ordered a pizza and an escort like on most other nights.

But sometimes, I’ll feel that old, magic shock of youth come charge through my guts like a bottle of Zima and there I am at Stubb’s, good old Stubb’s, where the slight incline makes it a reasonable concert venue for the squat and unwieldy. The music is pure, the hot wind blows off the lake, and then there’s this gargantuan specimen, looming in front of me and the escort, cramping our date. Like, all night. It began to feel like he—the Stubb’s Sasquatch—was my escort. And it turned out he was, explained his pimp, a buxom blonde with brass knuckles and a low tolerance for conversation.

The Yeti of Yogurt Planet

Don't be naive. Yetis don't just prowl the mountains of Tibet, snarling. Oh, yes. I'm afraid you can find a yeti in the relatively temperate zone of Austin, Texas, also snarling. There he is, his jumbo cup filled to the brim with ice-cold frozen yogurt. But wait, Yeti! Where are those toppings going to go? That's right. There's no room for any toppings, because you've been overzealous and myopic about the whole process. Pull yourself together, you poor thing. Watch how it's done. Toppings first, then yogurt. You can even layer it.

One of the big misconceptions about fierce creatures is that there exists only one of each extraction of beast. Don't you know the story of Jonah's ark? The animals came in pairs: Two dogs, a couple of horses, Mr. and Ms. Bigfoot, et al. Well, it's the same with yetis. And sure enough, there's Ms. Yeti, stealing Kit Kat crumbles from under the sneeze guard. Move it along, amateurs!

If you see the Yeti of Yogurt Planet, don't approach him. Cut him and/or his wife off at the door and get after that three-armed yogurt bandit while you still have time.

My aim is not to cause alarm, as I did last year after my rather Dan Ratherian boast that our Governor had draft-dodged in the Crimean War. No, my aim is to warn the good citizens of Austin that using common sense, good judgment and a modicum of horse sense, we can all avoid falling prey to a zombie apocalypse, E.T., Chupacabra & Co. and sundry other fiends of Capital City.

 

Illustration by Tim Carroll.

 

My First Triathlon: A Guide for the Tri-Curious

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I’m not an athlete, let alone three athletes. At some point less than a year ago I started running, encouraged by friends and other runners, and found that one can progress from wheezing and sweating a half-block to wheezing and sweating a half-mile, and on from there. I can’t remember who suggested I attempt a triathlon, but it happened to come at the time somewhere between senility and mid-life crisis where it seemed like a good idea.

And now it appears you’ve taken your first important step towards entering a real triathlon: you’ve clicked on this article. I don’t know what brought you here—perhaps too much armchair meditation has inspired you to take up a ridiculous sport, maybe it was a triple dog dare, or simply that you feel good things come in threes.

 

The Basics

Wait—what’s a triathlon again?

A triathlon is a race involving three sports, most typically swimming, biking, and running, in that order.

How far do I have to go?

Assuming your goal is the finish line, the distances vary. A first Tri can be a 400 meter swim (about ¼ mile), a 10k bike ride (about 6 miles), and a 5k run (12 times a 400 meter swim, but on land). “Sprint” distances are usually double the swimming and running portion. Note: “Sprint” does not mean you need to go as fast as you can. I don’t even know why they named it Sprint, other than to scare would-be triathletes.

Beyond that there are Olympic and Pro distances, and of course the formidable Ironman. If you are interested in any of those you are not reading this article but are out training.

Who even does triathlons?

You’d be surprised how many people you may already know who have competed in a triathlon. They probably told you a year ago but you completely forgot as it sounded like they were speaking in Triathlese.

There are also “elite” athletes, who are like regular athletes only with “elite” placed in front of their name. I think they get paid to rile the crowd or something. Actually, these are professionals who compete for money or prizes. Yes, their job is to run, swim and ride bikes really well.

At my first—and as of this writing, only—triathlon, the Capitol of Texas 2012, I was inspired by watching the “paratriathletes,” amazing and tenacious competitors with physical disabilities. Nothing is more humbling than watching someone with no legs kicking ass to the finish line. Kicking! With no legs. I was blown away by the champion blind runner fly by in record time, barely holding on to her assistant (come to think of it, that makes two champions). Need more inspiration? Call Oprah.

Preparation

But I’m terrible at [choose one or more] swimming/biking/running!

There’s an app for that. Well, there might be, but what you really need is called “training.” Here are some recommendations to get your body working for you and not fighting you every stroke, peddle and step of the way.

Swimming: Check out Total Immersion, developed by Terry Laughlin, or learn the Pose method. Apparently you can use your natural buoyancy and core to ease you along. Before reading this, I thought swimming was a brutal race against time, water and oxygen, where I used every ounce of strength to propel me forward.

Running: Read Master the Art of Running by Malcolm Balk and Andrew Shields. If you’re interested in where the mind figures in all of this physical activity mumbo jumbo, read Running With The Mind Of Meditation by Sakyong Mipham. You can also check out Born To Run, the book by Christopher McDougall, or the album by Springsteen. Oddly enough, either is remarkably effective.

Biking: You haven’t forgotten how to ride a bike, have you? Make sure it works and that you bring a functioning helmet. Yes, it’s required.

And here’s my big insider’s tip on how to train: TRAIN KIND

Say what? I thought I’d have to kick ass to the point of exhaustion every morning before the break of dawn.

You can do that, and it’s an effective way to “finish before you start,” which sounds really fast, but whatever. I have found that the old adage of “slow and steady wins the race” does not come the slightest bit close to winning the race, but you will pass the finish line with a smile on your face, and your legs will get you out of bed the following day.

Okay, here are a few more tips: find a partner you like to train with, don’t run/swim/bike past your limit, alternate days of training and, most importantly, take it easy on your non-training days. You’ll find you have much more energy and much less fear come race day.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, I just want to know what do I wear?

First, accept that you can’t do this in skinny jeans and your cute avocado-green Nehru jacket.  Second, be reassured that there are many bicycle and sports shops that offer a wide array of modestly unfashionable sportswear, which will enable you to run past your supporters with a little less shame than if you were dressed as Carmen Miranda. Maybe that’s why these uniforms are touted as being “fast and light” versus “fruity and alarming.”

Where do I change?                  

You may be under the impression that, since this is a professional, corporate-sponsored event you just spent good money to enter, it would include some sort of fancy covered dressing room. Think again! In fact, in a triathlon the only real changing you need to do is to put on bike or running shoes. Unless you get all tingly being an exhibitionist in front of a bunch of soaking wet athletes hopping on their bikes, plan ahead and leave all your civilian clothing at home.

Alternatively, you can purchase “tri-shorts,” which are like bike shorts without the full padded “diaper” in the back—you’re an adult now. You can bike, run, swim—hell, even eat a sandwich in them. A “tri-top” is the shorts’ dapper complement.

The Race

What if I freak out before it even starts?

Nerves. Everyone’s got ‘em. You can combat them by preparing and then subsequently wearing yourself out worrying if you prepared enough. You will never know until you’re in the race. By then you will have no ability to gauge how nervous you are because you will be moving constantly, trying not to get kicked in the face in open water, fly through your handlebars, or twist an ankle. The possibilities are infinite. Don’t think about them. Seriously.

To keep me focused on the task at hand, I alternately asked myself, “how sexy/close to death am I?” Discovering both answers to be “not very,” I was able to pull through. Also, I could plainly see that no matter where I was in the race, geographically or emotionally, somebody was already toweling off at the winners circle with a medal slung around their neck, while somebody else was sitting on the side of the road, massaging their hamstrings.

Other potential goals: not passing out, throwing up or crying like a baby. Let your spirit be your guide.

The Transition Area

This is where you do the actual “changing,” that being from one sport to the next. I was under the impression that there might be several places to start and end the different races and do the aforementioned dressing. There is only one area, where your bike is parked. The bikes are delivered the day before, by the way, and safely guarded by an army of enraged pit bulls, or so I imagined.

Big Hint: Find this transition area. In fact, find out where you start the whole damn race. I arrived early enough (Big Hint #2) to languidly make my way to some station or another where I was directed to another station or other where I was corrected and sent back again.  By the end of my panicked search I had already completed the 5k run before the race even started. I was told it didn’t count.

What if I have to “go” during the race?

I had a friend tell me the best way to relieve oneself during a triathlon is to JUST DO IT™, facilities be damned.

Wha?

According to my pal, you can mask your liquid improprieties with the sweat you will undoubtedly be drenched in. For my tastes I once again refer to “training kind” and finding a port-a-potty. I had my target mapped out a day ahead of the race (Hint #3!). How competitive do you want to be, anyway? Jeez.

That reminds me… hydrate! Duh, right? Your best time to liquefy is during the bike portion (unless you have gills) but you’ll need your own bottle. I highly recommend bringing something non-alcoholic. Drink more than you think you’ll need—even if it leaves you to re-consider where and when to pee.

What if I have to… you know… (quiet voice) poop?

Poop, my friend, poop well and poop often. That is, BEFORE the race begins. This advice was given to me by more than one athlete who has done this kind of thing before. Competed in a triathlon, I mean. Of course they had pooped before too so… wait, where was I?

Short answer: start out relatively empty but not malnourished. A marathon runner I know specifically said to avoid eating eggs at all costs ahead of a race as they may invoke an “ass explosion.” And now you too have that image in your head forever.

The Finish Line

Smile! You’re on not-so-candid camera. There will be event photographers everywhere so look your wet, sweaty, panicked and distressed best. I can’t wait to post a shot of my proud finish, once I justify spending twenty-five bucks for two 5x7 prints. Ah, business. But really, smile.

If all goes well, you’ve trained hard—excuse me, trained kindkept up your spirits and got through the race. You may have a feeling of exhausted elation, or is that elated exhaustion?

I had to be reminded that the race was over and it was okay to stop running. That doesn’t mean that you may not feel the burn the next day, or several days after. And by “the burn” I mean the desire to do it all over again! Believe what they say, this sport is addictive. See you out there in tri, two, one…go!


Image from Dave Haygarth via Flickr.

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My Texas State Sprint Triathlon

By mclott / Apr 12, 2010

When I returned to Austin after six months of living in DC, I decided to sign up for my first triathlon. As an unpaid intern in our nation’s capitol, I had been limited to a small (though well-stocked) apartment complex gym and my running shoes for half of a year.

Tackle a Texas Triathlon

By Eric Pickhartz / May 9, 2011

Take on a local swim, bike, and run with one of these Central Texas choices.................................

Turning Girls Into Gamers: A Game Reviewer's Expert Advice

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At Austin's recent RTX conference, Jorge Guerra, video game reviewer and writer for the gaming site Ganimanga, sat down with the Austin Post to discuss how guys can turn their girlfriends into gamers.

A lot of his advice comes down to patience, respect and reciprocity, but he also has some specific games to recommend as well as techniques for teaching game related hand-eye coordination skills. 

Austin Post: You’ve had a lot of personal success introducing girlfriends and female friends to gaming. What strategies would you recommend to other men?

Jorge Guerra: Honestly, I think the problem is that people forget you’re trying to teach someone a new skill. Just because you’re familiar with it and have been doing it a long time doesn’t mean it’s easy. I always tell guys you’ve got to take into account things your girlfriend already likes and find a video game equivalent. So, if it’s cute little animals, you can introduce them to Little Big Planet. 

Austin Post: Little Big Planet is a great intro game for anyone.

Jorge Guerra: It’s huge. In one of my recent relationships, it’s a game we played together all the time. It was fun. But guys need to remember, gaming time is also relationship building time. Whenever you get her to game with you, make sure you’re dedicating the time to making sure she’s enjoying herself. If she’s taking the time to learn about something you’re passionate about, you want to take the time to respond appropriately to that. After all, if you were doing something you didn’t like and the person you were trying to please was all angry at you the whole time, it would leave a sour taste in your mouth. If she’s going out of her way to do something she knows you find fun, you can’t take that for granted. You need to reward her so she’ll want to do it again. 

Austin Post: Are there any girl-friendly games that are particularly good for developing those hand-eye coordination skills? 

Jorge Guerra: Kart racer games are great for developing those skills. You get a handle for how much it bends when you turn the joystick a certain way. If you want to get your girl into a FPS [first-person shooter], you should start her off with driving games. 

Austin Post: Really? Why?

Jorge Guerra: Driving games are all center-based, which helps build up first person shooter skills. The center of the screen is where all the FPS action happens. At first, when you’re new, you concentrate on the environment rather than on your little guy. It’s overwhelming. But the driving games teach you to focus on the center and only pay attention to the little bit of the world you’re already in. Somebody new is trying to take in everything on the screen. Some gamers don’t realize just how much that really is.

Austin Post: So you have to remind new players that this isn’t Myst or a puzzle game. Ignore the background and narrow your focus. 

Jorge Guerra: So many guys just want their girlfriends to play first person shooters, and if you’re going to go that route, it’s a hard sell. Luckily, there’s a lot more to gaming. Final Fantasy is a great series to start for new gamers.

Austin Post: Final Fantasy is really plot-based, which I think a lot of women find more appealing than the sometimes monotonous gore of first person shooters. 

Jorge Guerra: Guys are totally satisfied just killing things. Women do appreciate more of a story, so you want to do that, you want to create that world for them. I say “women,” but if you’re not a gamer, that applies to anyone. People love complicated TV shows with lots of plot. You have to create that connection for them sometimes.

Austin Post: What do you do about the fact that FPSs like Halo and Call of Duty are full of fourteen year olds spewing profanity, a lot of it really sexist and personally threatening. How do you get women past that hurdle? 

Jorge Guerra: Those games becomes overwhelming. You’re trying to concentrate on two things at the same time and you’re being ridiculed over a headset where people are screaming into your ear and you’re all discombobulated from trying to take in everything on the screen at once, yeah, it is a hurdle.

You need to help them break it down. First off, for learning the hand eye coordination, start with other games. Something where people aren’t screaming, but where you still get to practice those controler skills.

Online is actually a very strange place to go to because everyone who is online right now has already been online for a long time, so for them, it’s like their second home. They may spend six or eight hours a day there, and of course you’re going to get all those little trolls that all they do is talk smack and I don’t know why, but if they hear a girl online, it’s terrible.

Austin Post: What do you think is driving that? A lot of guys complain that girls won’t game with them, but personally, I can vouch that the trolls drove me away. I really enjoyed MMORPG’s like City of Heroes and City of Villains, and my friends tell me World of Warcraft is a great place for female players, but when you go to the console games, they’re all full of fourteen year olds threatening to rape you and twenty-four-year-olds telling the kids to hold off because you need to go  make them a sandwich before the raping begins. It’s a horrible place for women to spend time, but that kind of environment is totally accepted by the male players. 

Jorge Guerra: That’s a good point. A big difference between MMORPGs and FPSs is that the MMORPGs, you have to play as a team, so it becomes an environment where people naturally want to help you.

Austin Post: Do you think it’s better to start women off in MMORPGs if you want them to become lifelong gamers? 

Jorge Guerra: Hmm...that really depends on what you want in the long run. As a guy, if you really want your girl to play a FPS and you introduce her to a MMORPG, she might fall in love with it. You could end up with the tables turned, with her trying to get you to play a game you don’t like. Don’t introduce someone to a game you don’t enjoy, because if they fall in love with it, that’s what they’re going to want to play.

Plus, if you introduce her to MMORPGs then ask her to play a FPS, you’re not teaching well. They’re totally different skill sets. If you don’t teach her the skills to play the games you like, she’ll never have a chance to get good at it. You have no right to get angry with her or call her a bad gamer if you did a bad job teaching her gaming skills.

Austin Post: What about coping skills for dealing with the verbal abuse they’ll face in a FPS? 

Jorge Guerra: One of the most important ways to deal with trolls is to give her the headset, or vice versa. She can play the game without listening to them while you talk smack to everybody, or if she’s into it, you can operate the controller while she talks smack to the kids. Let her focus on one skill at a time. 

Austin Post: Are there any two player games you can recommend where people can play together without worrying about all the screaming trolls? 

Jorge Guerra: Little Big Planet really is amazing to play with someone else. The new Super Mario Brothers, the Wii U is coming out.

I’m a firm believer in stepping back and letting them enjoy the game. Don’t assume they always need your help. Let them experience the game and make their own mistakes. You did when you were a kid, but it’s been so long you don’t remember.

Another thing I like to recommend is going into two-player mode and setting limitations on yourself. You can set most games where one player only uses a few things while the other one has access to everything. Sure, you’re going to lose, but it levels the playing field. You’re doing this together, except she’s at her level and you’re at yours. Part of the point of losing is to teach her how to play the game.

Guys, if you really want to get your girlfriends to game with you, you’ve got to give up on the ego trip. So many guys say hey, I’m a better gamer, I deserve to win every time. No, you don’t. If you want to play with her, you’ve got to come up with scenarios where it’s an even playing field. That’s going to make it interesting. You’ll get to take turns, ha I beat you, ha you beat me, and she’ll start becoming a gamer that way.

Austin Post: How do you talk a girl into trying that very first game? 

Jorge Guerra: I really think that if you’re in a relationship, there should be a lot of cooperation. The same way you might not want to go to an art exhibit or whatever the case may be, she’s not going to want to play your favorite game at first because she doesn't know anything about it and it doesn’t feel like home to her, just the same way you feel about the art exhibit.

You need to educate yourself about things that are important to her, and when you do, you can ask her to educate herself about things that are important to you. It should be 50/50. If you want a girl to play games with you, you have to learn how to give. It can’t just be one-way.

And don’t whine about it! If you take an interest in the things she does, she’ll take an interest in the things you do. Too many guys say “Don’t change me!” but it’s not changing, it’s appreciating who she is.

Austin Post: What would you say to guys who insist they’ll only date gamer girls? They’re only a tiny fraction of existing gamers, and most of them get snapped up off the market fast. 

Jorge Guerra: Guys don’t seem to realize it’s our fault that there aren’t a lot of girl gamers. If guys were a little more patient with the people they try to introduce into gaming, that wouldn’t be the case. I’ve had plenty of girlfriends who weren’t into gaming when we met, but by the end of things, were just as into it as I was. It became their hobby, not just something they did with me.

You also can’t shove it all down their throats at once. If I play a classical music CD for someone for five minutes then turn it off, I can’t say hey, you’ve heard it, I now decree you are a classical music fan for life! Get out there and buy all the best CD’s! You have to let them take their time, appreciate it in their own way, and it’ll grow on them until they love it. It’s the same with gaming. You have to let them take their time, make it a safe environment for them, don’t harass them or expect them to love it right now this minute, and let them ease into it. 

The other thing to keep in mind is she doesn’t have to love all the games you love. If you’ve taken your time and introduced her to games and all she wants to play with you is Super Mario Brothers, then take that. Accept that’s what she likes. A lot of guys don’t have girls willing to play any games with them. Maybe she doesn’t like the smack talk with the FPSs, but she’ll play this. Accept it and be grateful. 

Cosplay didn’t kill people. James Holmes did.

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As we reel in shock from the senseless, tragic murders in Colorado, there’s a lot of blame going around. Sure, police have the killer in custody, but somehow that isn’t enough. Watching cable news, reading the news online, listening to NPR -- there’s an almost palpable disappointment that it was so easy to arrest James Holmes after he opened fire in a crowded movie theater. 


Both reporters and bloggers have attacked parents of the three month old girl who was injured in the shooting. Apparently, parents who aren’t prescient enough to know when a senseless tragedy is about to occur shouldn't dare leave the house. They’ve been just as harsh to a pregnant woman for daring to enter what should have been a safe, public space for a fun night out. When not attacking the victims, the media has turned its focus on what some are calling the “real” culprit behind this massacre: cosplay.

Really?

It seems pretty clear the actual culprit is a deeply disturbed individual. He booby trapped his house to turn it into a death trap before opening fire on a crowded group of people who he knew would have a limited ability to escape, all in a dramatic, media-loving way. Holmes wasn’t dressed up as a character from any of the Batman movies. He looked like exactly what he was - a crazy, heavily armed person dressed in military style protective gear and a face concealing gas mask. When he was arrested, he had to tell police he was The Joker because no one could guess from looking at him. 

That hasn’t stopped AMC from banning costumes at all of its theaters. Nor has it stopped the talking heads on CNN, FOX and MSNBC from working themselves into a frenzy over what those crazy costumers will do next. Some have frothily demanded that anyone who dares to show up to a movie in costume should be publicly stripped. Others have called costumes the source of the problem, since after all, this guy wasn’t dressed like a normal person. More have said that anyone who dresses like a superhero as an adult is clearly disturbed, untrustworthy, and not capable of living in the same reality with the rest of us. 

Really? 

Mika Hills, a student at the University of Texas, San Antonio, said she was dismayed by the media attack on cosplay. “I was picked on throughout high school because I was not a perfect mold of everyone around me, and cosplay made me strong. It helped me fit in and learn that maybe, it's not so bad to be different.” 

In what bizarro-world is the most logical response to a crazy person in tactical gear shooting up a movie theater full of people in costumes prohibiting everyone else from wearing costumes? The media says it’s for their protection. And because they’re obviously crazy. I mean, really. Who leaves the house like that? 

Wait, what? Have any of these reporters been outside since 1992? All of the top grossing movies this year were based on comic books. San Diego’s Comic-Con has become one of the top places to make blockbuster movie announcements. Fan costumes have become big business. Telling people to grow up and dress like an adult won’t make anyone safer, but it will make them more afraid of anyone who looks a little different - and that makes good news. 

Chris Holm, an artist from San Antonio, cynically said the media response felt sadly familiar. “I remember how after 9-11, theaters enacted a ‘large bag and backpack’ ban. For ‘security reasons’ of course, but mostly to keep out outside food and drink.”


Security theater doesn’t work. Taking off your shoes, leaving your knitting needles at home and submitting to a highly invasive personal scan doesn’t keep airports safe. All it does is remind people they need to be afraid. Likewise, telling people to be frightened of anyone they see in a costume doesn’t do a thing to help the victims of the Colorado shooting or prevent copycat killers from grabbing at their own excuse for international fame. If anything, it encourages them. 

Professional musician April Porter sews her own costumes for Rennaissance faires and Society for Creative Anachronisms events as well as science fiction conventions. “I am one of the most peaceful people I know; as a vegan, I don't want any animals killed, much less humans. I cosplay because I love making new clothing, and it's fun to be a different character for a short time.”

Arcy Ward, a student at the University of Texas, Austin, said the media had it the wrong way around. Instead of encouraging dangerous loners like Holmes, the hobby brought people together to do something productive with their time. “We’re not causing any trouble. We’re just showing our love for the series by creating a tribute with our own hands that everyone can see. It's a competitive art style that can bring you together with total strangers to talk about different techniques and make friends for life. Cosplay draws people together and harnesses enthusiasm productively by focusing it into an actual product.” 

The problem is this massacre hits us where we feel the most vulnerable. Large, crowded group activities are supposed to be among our safest places. If this could happen in Colorado, it could happen anywhere. People lash out in a desperate attempt to find a way to make sure they’re not next. Since the killer is in custody, that means creating security theater like AMC or attacking parents for daring to have a little fun or demonizing people who look a little different. It may make you feel better in the short run, but it doesn’t help prevent future crimes. 

We know who to blame for this tragedy. It isn’t a pregnant woman, or the parents of a three-month-old baby, or people who dress up like superheroes for movie premiers. It’s James Holmes. That’s not as satisfying a narrative as a long, drawn out chase or a multi-month investigation, but it is a lot safer for the people of Colorado.

Be Afraid.
 

Related Articles: 

Guns on Campus: The 2011 Revival

By danielchakraborty / Oct 1, 2010

Will the revived debate be the hot topic of the 2011 legislative session?

Austin Tech Job Roundup July 23-27

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We’ve trolled Facebook, LinkedIn, and odd corners of the internet looking for the tech jobs you won’t find on Craigslist. Most of these come from people at the company in question hoping a friend of a friend can help them find a good person to hire. Luckily for you, The Austin Post is your friend.

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Always looking to add good developers, salary $40 to start (based on experience). We always need people strong in HTML, PHP, CSS, Javascript and who also knows Wordpress, Joomla and some Drupal. Please only send me resumes that have a link to portfolio & must have these skills. annie [at] rockcandymedia [dot] com
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Looking for System Test Engineer (contract position). Mid-Sr. Level experience in system level testing & quality assurance. Some experience with video/audio, network appliance, and network management software required. BS in EE or CS or equivalent work experience. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com.
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We are looking for a Social Media intern to join the HMG Creative & eConnect Email Team. This is an great opportunity for you to gain direct hands on experience in marketing and communications while developing an understanding of the functions that support and build business. Our goal is to provide invaluable on-the-job training that will benefit our interns’ future career. We promote creativity and self-starters offering opportunities to give you professional experience.
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Hiring a Customer Support Engineer in Austin TX. Contact christina [at] lunadatasolutions [dot] com.
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Looking for quality candidates for QA Analyst. Knowledge of of SDLC, Agile/SCRUM, Microsoft Office, Experience with Firebug and Google Development tools. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com.
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Looking for quality candidates for Strategy & Analytics Sr. Mgr. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com if interested.
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The Sr. Interactive Project Manager (Sr. IPM) is the keeper of all data related to team projects, including scope, budget, timelines, staffing and resources. The Sr. IPM will minimize risk through expert day-to-day communication with project teams, client contacts and outside contractors. S/he will see this as an opportunity to implement his/her own ideas and creativity, including setting new process and helping evolve the department and agency into an even more well-oiled machine. The Sr. IPM will be responsible for management of all other Project Managers.

Qualified and interested parties should forward a resume and salary requirements to David Baker at The Marketing Underground via e-mail: dbaker [at] themarketingunderground [dot] com.
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Client looking for a QA Analyst. Contact Cindy [at] ppaac [dot] com.
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I am looking for a tester that has QTP and web video (HTML5/Flash) experience. Please send me your resume if interested. wendyjohnson [at] technisource [dot] com.
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We have a user experience position with a Human Factors focus. Please email me at wendyjohnson [at] technisource [dot] com if interested.
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Hiring a Network Engineer in Austin TX. Email Jeff [at] lunadatasolutions [dot] com for more info.
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Siemens is seeking a Software Engineer - Java, Web 2.0 and SQL
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CA Technologies is seeking a UI Designer. 
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HomeAway.com is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer
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If you didn’t see anything that looked like a good fit, other good tech job resources in Austin include:

Startup Hire
Aquent
Craigslist
Dell

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This Week in Geek July 26 - August 1

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 26, 2012

Life isn’t all about networking events and making business connections. Sometimes you need to find like minded geeks for some relaxing fun. Once a week, we round up the best geek social events in Austin.

Hey Bro: Pushing Women Out of Tech is Bad for Business

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 17, 2012

Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and Square CEO, accidentally made news by posting what he certainly saw as a wholesome, upbeat photo of Square’s new interns enjoying crustless sandwiches on a sunny afternoon.

Tech Events Roundup July 24-30

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Once a week the Austin Post rounds up all the networking, social, and just plain nifty technology related events taking place in the greater Austin metro area.

After last week’s big networking events, this week is full of smaller, laid back club meetings and chances to improve your skills. 

Evaluating Your Content Clout
July 24, 6:30 p.m.
Monkey Nest Coffee
5353 Burnet Rd
Theme: Lauren Moler, Web Content Producer at National Instruments, will share her notes on Clout and the ways it has influenced her work. If you haven't read the book, don't worry. Lauren will bring handouts, and we'll use them as a starting point for a bigger discussion on assessing the quality and effectiveness of our content.

Introduction to Responsive Design
July 24, 7:00 p.m.
Cospace
911 W Anderson Lane #203
Theme: This beginners presentation is an introduction to what Responsive Design is and why it is an important consideration when planning a new web site. This session will visually demonstrate the kinds of problems responsive design intends to solve.

DevOps SIG
July 25, Noon
Bazaarvoice
3900 N. Capital of TX Hwy.
Theme: Some of our DevOps SIG participants were fortunate enough to go to the West Coast during the last week of June for the double-whammy of the O'Reilly Velocity conference and DevOps Days Mountain View. They agreed to bring learnings and notes from the events and share with our group at the July meeting.

Epic Summer Happy Hour at Capital Factory
July 25, 5:00 p.m.
Capital Factory
701 Brazos St
Theme: Austin’s Capital Factory welcomes the technology community to their new digs for drinks, appetizers, and networking. 

Girl Hacker Drink Up
July 25, 7:00 p.m
The Ginger Man
301 Lavaca Street
Theme: This is your night to meet other female coders in a laid back environment without hauling your laptop along or swapping business cards. 

PHP Beverage Subgroup
July 25, 7:00 p.m.
Join to learn location
Theme: Lets get all the PHP people together for free drinks and a some laid back networking. 

Startup Grind
July 26, 6:00 p.m.
Cospace
911 W Anderson Ln
Theme: Join us July 26th as we welcome Isaac Barchas, the Director of the Austin Technology Incubator at the University of Texas.  We will be talking about the ATI and how it supports local startups with strategic counsel, operational guidance and infrastructure support.

Drupal Dojo
July 26, 7:00 p.m.
Mangia Pizza
8012 Mesa Drive
Theme: The Drupal Dojo is for anyone interested in hanging out with other Drupalistas in a "hive mind" environment. There is no set topic or presenter so bring your laptop, a pet project and an appetite.

The Robot Group Weekly Meetup
July 26, 7:30 p.m.
Join to learn location
Theme: Wherever we meet, we encourage you to bring along projects for "Show and Tell". A project can be as little as a few sheets of paper that describe what your designing all the way up to and including a finished robotic device.

TechRanch Austin Campfire
July 27, 3:30 p.m.
Tech Ranch Austin
9111 Jollyville Rd, Suite 100
Theme: Campfire is all about connecting you to the larger tech startup community. We bring out lots of interesting, accomplished people from the ecosystem so you can get the introductions, insight, and help you need to move your business forward, while also helping others.

Related Articles: 

Austin Tech Job Roundup July 16-20

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 20, 2012

We’ve trolled Facebook, LinkedIn and odd corners of the Internet looking for the tech jobs you won’t find on Craigslist. Most of these come from people at the company in question hoping a friend of a friend can help them find a good person to hire.

Turning Girls Into Gamers: A Game Reviewer's Expert Advice

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 20, 2012

At Austin's recent RTX conference, Jorge Guerra, video game reviewer and writer for the gaming site Ganimanga, sat down with the Austin Post to discuss how guys can turn their girlfriends into gamers.

The Scary Funny Lives of Women on YouTube

By Jackie Stone / Jul 19, 2012

Women experience geekdom as a minority - and in some places, an unwelcome minority (certain YouTube comments, say, or the heartbreaking case of Laci Green, who had to quit her sex-positive vlog after receiving death th


Getting from Here to There: Where Will Accelerating Development Drive South Lamar? (Part Three)

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This three-part series looks at the reinvention of South Lamar. In part one, Rob Patterson looks at the boulevard's car-culture history and changes that are being felt today; part two examines how businesses may fare through the transformation; and part three below takes a longer view towards what the boulevard may become.

Preservation vs. Demolition on the Boulevard

Q: How many Austinites does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: A baker’s dozen. One to change the bulb. And a dozen to sit around, open a 12-pack, pass a joint and talk about how much cooler the old light bulb was.

We Austinites love our history. We hug it like an old teddy bear. And whenever you moved here, it was so much better before you did, man. Someday in the not-that-distant future, those of you who have recently joined us will be saying the same thing. Trust me.

Preservation versus development is a huge skein in the past, present and future tapestry of Austin. South Lamar has two developments that have preserved iconic music, drink and food landmarks on the boulevard and suggest that coexistence can be possible.

The Walgreen’s built at Bluebonnet and Lamar in 2004 provided Maria’s Taco Xpress -- which it displaced -- with bigger and even better digs that preserved its funk and soul. The Broken Spoke will be serving cold beers, country music and chicken fried steak until 2032 if its 20-year lease from the developers of The 704 complex on either side of the dancehall runs its course.

Which leads us to pull our reportorial vehicle off of the old Lamar into the Horseshoe Lounge, a classic Austin neighborhood beer bar soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Until 2007, it enjoyed such generous rent that its manager’s request to not print the exact number has to be respected, but under-four-figures will give you an idea of how low it was.

Then its location was bought by Barton Hills Properties LLC, which also has acquired three neighboring Lamar plots as well as another fronting Hether Street. The purchases can’t help but suggest a mixed-use development is in the offing. The Horseshoe’s current $6,000/month lease runs out in the middle of this decade not long after it turns 50. "We're going to try to stay here as long as we can," says manager Sherrill Scott.

Could the Horseshoe Lounge follow the path of Maria’s and the Spoke? What better amenity could a multifamily complex boast than a lil ol’ friendly South Lamar landmark? The horseshoe shape provides interesting architectural setback and wraparound design possibilities. Slaid Cleaves has even written (with Karen Poston) a perfect theme song to market, say, the Horseshoe Residences. One can at least dream of saving rather than lamenting the loss of a classic Lamar locale.

Round Round Get Around

Whatever the fate of the Horseshoe Lounge, there's the one element to South Lamar's future that everyone will have to contend with.

“It will be interesting to see how they build the transportation infrastructure,” speculates Joe Ruhoff of Maudie's Tex-Mex.

No kidding.

"I just wish there was better public transportation,” says Leea Mechling of the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture. "We’ve got to figure out a way to get cars off the street."

Winston Churchill noted that “an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty,” and Lamar offers an opportunity for the city to cultivate a mix of transit options that can help make smart growth work on a busy roadway.

One sign that alternatives are sorely needed is what locals do to avoid Lamar traffic. Stuart Sullivan relocated his Wire Studios to the short block of South Eighth Street on the east side of the boulevard between Treadwell and Gibson where it joins such other musical businesses as Fibes Drums and Tommy’s Drum Shop, and lives in Travis Heights.

“When I take the kids to school in the morning [at Zilker Elementary], I then take Kinney to Treadwell and shoot across. It takes forever if you get on Oltorf.” Sullivan explains. “The cars are just backed up, moving inch by inch. So I automatically learned the quick workaround. Getting out of where I am can also be a nightmare.” But as through traffic and parked cars spill off the boulevard, the neighborhood will quite likely feel run over.

Clearly something must be done. In 2014 Capital Metro will start its MetroRapid service along Lamar with express busses every 10 minutes in peak periods and every 15 otherwise. But that will hardly untangle the snarl. Trying to build light rail down the middle of the street would make traffic unbearable and afflict businesses, perhaps to the point of fatality.

A possible solution runs just beside Lamar down to Oltorf and nearby further south: The Union Pacific freight rail corridor. Slated to become a passenger line between Austin and San Antonio, its right of way could also accommodate light rail. The swath of open space surrounding the rails could even become parkland/greenspace, another smart growth element, perhaps with a bike trail. If done correctly, the area might enjoy a new urban transit artery that circulates community lifeblood and supports sustained neighborhood livability and business vitality along Lamar. And open up some nature to balance the street's infill.

Another bugaboo along the avenue is parking and access to its businesses. As that and other effects of Lamar’s gentrification spill over into the surrounding neighborhoods, homeowners will no doubt feel that their quality of life is also being affected.

Can it Walk the Walk?

The final issue to be tackled as the street becomes more residential is making it more pedestrian friendly. Car culture is embedded in its DNA. Lamar has long stretches that work against walkers and bicyclists circulating not just up and down the way but also across it: from Treadwell to Mary/Hether, Oltorf to Bluebonnet, and then Barton Skyway to Panther.

“I can’t even get across there to get to the Black Sheep to get a burger,” says G-Spot's Gigi Greco. When this writer lived just off Lamar to the east between Del Curto and Kinney between 2006 and 2009, I’d frequently dodge traffic to cross the street and patronize businesses on its west side any any time of day or evening. It took some time to get a break in the flow but was possible to do without too much danger.

I did so again in midday a few weeks back along the same stretch. And found myself in the middle left turn lane looking rapidly both ways at a whole lotta steady moving traffic and thinking, uh, hey guy… this does… not… feel… safe…. As well, the city has stepped up enforcement of its jaywalking laws in recent years. But fear of being mowed down trumps the cost of a ticket, which can run from around $100 to as high as $500.

So South Lamar also needs more places and ways to get across it. More lights would likely slow traffic, as would striped crossings with red lights triggered by pedestrians on either side, a tactic the city is using on other streets. The only other logical solutions are to go up over the roadway with pedestrian bridges or below it with tunnels. But with thousands of new residents who will soon live on the boulevard and many new businesses popping up, yet again, something must be done if the new Lamar streetscape is to truly thrive.

The Lamar of Unintended Consequences

As the Boulevard morphs, there will be casualties. One case in point is the Thundercloud Subs drive-through shop in the parking lot of Lamar Plaza.

“It used to be a terrible, horrible store that I would have sold to you for $150, $100 if you pressed me on it,” says Cotton. “But then the manager of the store at South Lamar and Manchaca said, let me do it, I’ll do two stores. And he’s a great manager and turned the place around into a real strong moneymaking store. Our sales went from maybe $10,000 or $15,000 a month to $20,000, $30,000, got up to $50,000 and more. It was all his doing. I thought that was a dead store and it really turned around.”

But if the plaza is sold and redeveloped, its effects will be “close to catastrophic. The manager who is used to getting a double income will lose that completely. We can’t make that up to him. Our managers make money on the [sales of] stores they manage. We can’t say, hey, we’re going to pay you an extra $50,000 a year even though that one’s closed. It doesn’t work that way. We’re local guys and losing that store is going to hurt us.”

It’s only one of a number of similar stories in the plaza and even more along the street. 

But the change speeding up and down the street isn’t always bad even for businesses that are forced out. “For me it was ultimately a good thing,” says Sullivan. “The rent is significantly less, and the utilities are much cheaper.” He even once again moved into a space that was already a studio where in the past a local guitar guru labored on his recordings. And Sullivan is still close to the amenities that his business has enjoyed since he started his studio, now being a short ways off the street.

Living Up to Its Name

In the final analysis, for gentrification to succeed, Lamar must truly become a Boulevard rather than a roadway. Various definitions of the word mention wide streets lined with trees and vegetation, sometimes with meridians running down the center. As Tim Ziegler’s article last week on the road’s traffic outlook pointed out, the street itself cannot be widened. But the sidewalks can. And planting some shade trees would make Lamar a more comfortable place to walk and bike ride as they grow and mature, especially during the warmer and sunnier months.

Wheatsville’s Gillotte observes how “we are on a pretty congested street here on Guadalupe, and we feel like it works pretty well for us and we have a nice mix of people walking, riding their bikes and driving. And we expect that even though it’s not that way today [on Lamar], over the years of us being there it will reach that at our new store.”

Red's Porch is already proving the theory that apartments along Lamar will encourage more foot traffic, says manager Sean Tipps. "All the apartments will be a positive effect for us. We have a lot of regular customers that walk here," he notes.

Still, as hearty as the old low-rent and practical business landscape of Lamar once was, and as vibrant and teeming with opportunities (for some) as it feels now, neighborhoods can still be fragile ecosystems. The moment is now – right now – for all involved to work together and as cooperatively as can be realistically managed. But then again, this is Austin, where "not in my back yard" is a frequent neighborhood association howl, the city government is playing serious catch-up in managing growth, and stacks of cash are being laid down by developers for properties like our town is a red-hot game of Monopoly.

“Unless the wheels come off the whole national economy I think this is a good place to invest in real estate if you’re looking at the next 15 to 20 years,” notes Draker. “Our little town is blossoming into quite a city, isn’t it?” 

The New/Old Streetscape Emerges

South Lamar isn't in no danger of losing its commercial car culture anytime soon. Businesses like the massive Texas gas station, Genie Car Wash and Brake Specialists Plus just south of Treadwell anchor that section for now, even as the number of used car lots has fallen.

The street has seen a big increase in bars and pubs where locals can gather. Not long ago, “There was just me and the Horseshoe and Broken Spoke,” notes Ables. Now there is The Gibson, The Highball, The Corner Bar, The Black Sheep Lodge, and Red’s Porch holding court toward the far south end.

“I always wanted that to happen,” Ables says, and it’s doing so “quicker than I ever dreamed.”

The restaurant scene already cooking along the boulevard has multiplied and broadened in the fare it serves. A Chipotle’s is nearing completion, and it’s rumored that an In-N-Out Burger will occupy the plot vacated by Discount Tires (where, alas, the Lulu B’s trailer will also have to move). The skinny on the street also says that the Gourdough’s donut trailer on South First will go brick-and-mortar in the old Kerbey Lane location.

Country-singing former Chicagoan Scott Angle, a recent Austin arrival, just opened Honky Tonk Hot Dogs, which as a salute to The Broken Spoke just down the street has named its various topping combos for Austin C&W singers and players: Jesse Dayton, Dale Watson, Jeff Hughes, Cindy Cashdollar and Weldon Henson.

Angle serves as an example of why some people want to move to Austin: to enjoy our local culture that we hope development won't erase. As I was enjoying one of his scrumptious half-pound Vienna dogs, another Windy City transplant wandered up from his nearby apartment, and explained how out of all the places he was offered high-tech industry jobs - New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco - Austin was the most appealing option.

And there's the rub that's been plaguing our city for close to two decades: How can a place with an infrastructure that was never intended to support even the people who are here now continue to manage inevitable growth and still maintain the downhome and weird appeal that draws The Many to join us here?

The lessons to possibly be learned on South Lamar can provide guidance as gentrification speeds up on other center city thoroughfares... if they are heeded. The process shows no signs of slowing down - South First is likely to be the next changing strip just due to spillover from Congress and Lamar alone - and other streetscapes throughout the city will undoubtedly follow.

Lamar & Austin Will Always Be There... We Hope

The feelings elicited from longtime South Lamar businessespeople are times wistful and concerned. They’re sometimes hopeful and even bullish. And also accepting and realistic. But whatever their point of view, one senses a genuine affection for the boulevard.

“It was wonderful to be part of Lamar for all those years with the access and convenience to everything,” says Sullivan. “It was still South Austin and you could be kinda funky.”

“It’s changing the face of South Austin, which I think most of us Austinites are sad about,” laments South Austin Music's Bill Welker. “I understand growth and I certainly understand change. But the changes taking place are [funded] by wealthy investors that don’t even reside here. What they’re doing is they’re buying properties like the one Ray Hennig [Heart of Texas Music] has been in for a good 40 years. It’s just unfortunate that people who have done business here now have to move on. I’m basically counting my lucky straws that I’m still here and doing business in the building that I’ve been in for 26 years.”

And for better or worse, as the growth in the Austin area that started in the early 1990s proceeds and accelerates at a sometimes dizzying speed that might qualify it for November’s F1 race – visiting parts of the city where one hasn’t been for a while almost always elicits strings of “what’s that?” and “where’d that go?” – the community might be living more comfortably with the notion of change.

“I used to be a condo hater ­– hate, hate, hate, hate ­– until I decided that, honestly, it’s a great thing to do to cluster people downtown so there’s not more sprawl,” says Mechling, who moved here in 1974, back when Austin was really really cool. “I can’t fault people for liking this place and wanting to move here. And I think that’s part of what keeps this place so vital is the coming and going of folks.

In the end, “It’s all for the good,” concludes Cotton. “The better it is, the more people it attracts. They want to turn it almost into a South Congress thing. But of course, Lamar is always there.”

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What's in Store for the North End of South Lamar?

By Stephanie Myers / Jul 18, 2012

South Lamar between Barton Springs Road and Oltorf is a jumble of strip malls, independent businesses, bars and a few apartment complexes. Parts of the stretch are an eyesore, parts are iconic Austin locations, and parts, like Lamar Plaza, which houses the Alamo Drafthouse, The Highball and Heart of Texas Music, are both. The next few years should change the area quite a bit.

South Lamar – Tomorrow’s Traffic Hell?

By Tim Ziegler / Jul 17, 2012

Close your eyes and conjure up one or two thousand extra people living in new digs on South Lamar Blvd. Add 200,000 square feet of new stores to your vision. Now curse at the car in front of you and lay on the horn.

Broken Spoke Strikes Seeming Win-Win Deal with Neighboring Apartment Developers

By Rob Patterson / Jul 19, 2012

It’s almost become a knee-jerk Austin reaction to assume that change and development will eradicate the old-school Austin landmarks those of us who have long lived here hold dear, especially when it comes to music clubs. Soap Creek Saloon was a drive up a narrow winding two-lane road into the countryside southwest of town; now its site is just above the two giant shopping plazas in the heart of Westlake Hills. The footprint of the famed Armadillo World Headquarters is now underneath an office building and adjacent residential hotel behind where the Threadgill’s World Headquarters keeps its spirit somewhat alive on Riverside at Barton Springs Road.

Wheatsville Coming to South Lamar

By Austin Post Staff / May 25, 2012

Wheatsville may not have seen the category killing rise in the foodie grocery world that cross-town startup Whole Foods had, but the lovely little food co-op that could is ambling out of its past and finally expanding.

A Boon for Business? Where Will Development Drive South Lamar (Part Two)

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This three-part series looks at the reinvention of South Lamar. In part one, Rob Patterson looks at the boulevard's car-culture history and changes that are being felt today; part two below examines how businesses may fare through the transformation; and part three takes a longer view towards what the boulevard may become.

A Street Unstuck in Heavy Traffic

The good news on Lamar is that despite the now-constant flow of cars and bumper-to-bumper gridlock during the a.m. and p.m. rush hours, business seems to be robust along the boulevard. Maudie’s reports a 10 percent-or-so increase in sales over the last few years. Maudie's Tex-Mex owner Joe Draker feels the upturn “does have to do with some of the added traffic.”

His chain’s operations manager Joe Ruhoff echoes his assessment. “I believe that all the new energy and additional businesses have helped our location and other [Lamar businesses]. There’s a different synergy than there was five to 10 years ago. Our South Lamar store definitely has stronger business from 8:30 p.m. until our closing around 10:30 most of the week. We’ve seen more foot traffic and increased business.”

The Saxon Pub had a record first 2012 quarter. Red’s Porch, which opened in late 2009 near the southern end of the stretch, has been doing bang-up business. Both Thundercloud locations are “strong stores,” reports Cotton, even though the one at Lamar and Manchaca now has recently-opened competition from such neighbors as the Juicebox & Soup Peddler (Thundercloud also serves soups and smoothies), Papalote Taco House and Phil's Icehouse.

But for businesses and shoppers, traffic can be daunting. “You would think more traffic, more people, but no,” notes Gigi Greco, who opened The G Spot Thrift Shop just south of Oltorf last October. “When somebody driving by misses it, they miss it, because they see it at the last minute. They just don’t want to turn around because the traffic is so bad. By the time you see my sign it’s too late.”

Making left turns into and out of the many businesses that line the street “has always been a challenge,” notes South Austin Music's Bill Welker. He’s not feeling the benefit others are reaping from a more active road. “2010 and 2011 were pretty lean years. Thank God I’m established and existed through that. This year’s going a little bit better and I have hopes that it’s going to continue to go better.”

But he’s not alone in understanding the issues the traffic presents. “Sometimes it takes me six or seven minutes to turn left into the place,” says Leea Mechling, director of the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture.

Greco encounters the same going in and out of her store. “It can take me eight minutes sitting there just to turn left on Lamar.” She lives nearby just off Barton Skyway. “It takes me forever to get home and it should take three minutes.”

The soon-to-open Post South Lamar complex required underground utility upgrades that left only one southbound lane open in front of South Austin Music during business hours for a number of months earlier this year. “The construction has caused traffic to be congested and that’s made it hard for people to get into my parking lot,” Welker says. Mechling says the same.

Getting in and out calls for some creativity on a busy street with determined drivers. "Do like I do and start inching your way into the street," Welker advises. "Pull on out and they ain’t gonna hit you." One hopes.... "That’s what I had to do the other day with the lane blocked." There has to be a better way, right?

“It’s the price you pay for progress, unfortunately,” adds The Saxon Pub's Joe Ables, whose nighttime business was less affected by the work and closures. Future large projects will likely require more lane-closing utility work, and materials deliveries and construction will also impede traffic flow. Can Lamar maintain its burgeoning new vibrancy as density and traffic continue to grow and not reach a slowdown tangle that starts to stifle business?

Kerbey Lane Cafe’s Unplanned Upgrade for The Future

Prior to the mid 1990s, there were only a few places in town to get a good local restaurant meal after 10 p.m. One was the 24-hour Kerbey Lane Cafe on the west side of Lamar just north of the Manchaca intersection – the second location to open in what is now a chain of five restaurants.

At the end of January, it hopped across the boulevard and southward into a new space nearly twice the size with an outdoor patio. The relocation was “forced on us,” explains director of operations Mason Ayer. “We’d been in the building for over 25 years and had every intention on staying there.”

However, the facility was in dire need of an upgrade and rehab to overcome systemic issues that slowed wait times for tables and food service as well as hurting the ambience. When the lease came up for renewal, “We talked to the landlord and said, hey, we want to stick around but the building is falling apart. Utilities are maxed out, the roof needs to be replaced, the parking lot needs to be resurfaced,” Ayer recounts. In lease renewal negotiations, Kerbey Lane proposed to “cover a large portion of the costs for the improvements to the property.” They asked the owner to fund a lesser share.

The landlord didn’t go for the plan and wanted what Ayer says was an “unreasonable amount of rent. We came to an impasse.” So Kerbey Lane bugged out for new nearby quarters “and in the process accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, which was more parking, better and cleaner facilities, a larger kitchen. And I think our guest experience has gotten a lot better. And our sales are a lot better, up about 65 percent. All of us were worried that sales would either stay flat or barely increase. So the change is very welcome.”

Ironically, switching sides of the street and the northbound morning commute traffic snarl has created a potential opportunity, Ayer thinks. “When they get to our little shopping center and are frustrated because they can’t get to work, they can just make a nice right turn into Kerbey Lane and a right turn out and be on their merry way with coffee and pancakes to go.”

Austin Institution Arrives with Long-Desired Second Store

At some point in April or May of 2013, Wheatsville Food Co-Op will open a new location in the Lamar Oaks Plaza. Its shopping space will be nearly double that of its Guadalupe store and will feature amenities like an artisan bakery and cafe seating for eating in.

The iconic Austin grocery has long planned to add a second store. “I got here in ’98 and I think people had been talking about it for 20 years already,” notes general manager Dan Gillotte. South Austin was the primary target for expansion.

It lands on Lamar at this pivotal juncture. "We definitely have been aware of the changes that are coming to South Lamar. We just figured we’d fit in and anchor that end that isn’t super local friendly and put a little marker down for local independent business,” says Gillotte. “That will actually help connect the little pockets of local up and down South Lamar and be powerful and beneficial for local [businesses] and the things that people like about Austin and keeping Austin weird and whatnot. We like that part of that. We feel like we can anchor that strip in a positive way.”

Can South Lamar Support & Sustain Funky Local Start-Ups?

Greco decided to open The G Spot after many years working in music publicity and promotion and on musical video projects. By past evidence, it seemed a natural fit on Lamar.

The street used to host a number of vintage vendors. A notable one was Flashback, now on South First, that thrived on Lamar from 1982 until 2006, attracting famed customers such as Bob Dylan, Johnny Depp, Kate Moss and Lyle Lovett as well as dressing many local musicians and other Austinites in fashionable duds from the past. The rickety old house where it did business ­– and where one of the city’s first cuisine food trailers, Flip Happy Crepes, started up out back – was torn down to make way for Olivia.

Today The G Spot stands alone as a thrift shop on South Lamar. And trying to make a go of it with a business that used to work on the boulevard is a challenge for Greco.  “I’m worried,” she confesses. “My lease is up next March and I don’t know what I am going to do.” She would like to remain on the street. “There are places where you look that have been vacant for years, but they won’t come down on price.”

Location, Location, Location… & Promotion

When life and survival here was far cheaper some two decades in the past, businesses along South Lamar could afford to be as laid back as the Austin vibe of legend. Now that the money game is being played with major league scratch all along the boulevard, what also pays off is meeting the new realities head on.

And what better way to try to keep pace with the changes and newcomers arriving on street than to foster a neighborhood spirit and say hey, welcome, we’re all here together. “There’s 300 apartments getting ready to open immediately south of us,” says Ables. “I talked with the developer today, and the reason I did is that I also talked with a lot of my fellow neighbors from Maudie’s to Genie [Car Wash] to Abbey [Printing], all these folks. We’re going to give out a welcome package for all the new tenants. I’m thinking of doing a one-month free pass to the Saxon. Come on over, let’s get acquainted and go from there.”

He sees an additional benefit in inviting his new neighbors to stroll on over to wet their whistles and enjoy some songs. "In these times, when people are getting nailed right and left for DWIs, I’m looking forward to having people who can walk over and stumble home."

Greco may be worried whether her new venture will fly. But she’s not giving up without more than a college try. “I’ve started putting furniture out on the lawn facing Lamar and that’s really helped. It’s amazing what furniture will do. They don’t buy furniture but they come into the store. It’s been unbelievable, like night and day. So my business just started picking up because of that,” she says.

Perhaps the furniture gives off a welcoming whiff of hominess. “Or they think it’s a yard sale,” counters Greco. Which would also imply that even though drivers are on a busy and congested roadway, they are still in something of a neighborhood. South Lamar was a neighborhood even in its more proletariat-meets-boho past. As residential development brings more residents onto the boulevard, that fact seems to provide a foundation for the street to become even more of a cohesive community.

But as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed, “Change is the only constant.” Businesses that remain will have to adapt or be left behind, and may even be flattened in the metaphorical traffic.

Kerbey Lane lucked out by moving and improving when it did.

“As South Austin becomes more and more… I don’t know if gentrified is the right word, but as income levels increase in the 78704 zip code, I think what might have appealed to residents of 78704 in the ‘80s in our old building might have changed vis-à-vis what appeals to people living in 78704 today. And I think we’ve done a pretty good job of capturing that demographic,” Ayer says.

Tomorrow (6/26) Rob Patterson takes a final spin up and down South Lamar to ponder the fate of the Horseshoe Lounge, assess transportation options, and speculate on how the boulevard may change yet remain the same.

Related Articles: 

What's in Store for the North End of South Lamar?

By Stephanie Myers / Jul 18, 2012

South Lamar between Barton Springs Road and Oltorf is a jumble of strip malls, independent businesses, bars and a few apartment complexes. Parts of the stretch are an eyesore, parts are iconic Austin locations, and parts, like Lamar Plaza, which houses the Alamo Drafthouse, The Highball and Heart of Texas Music, are both. The next few years should change the area quite a bit.

South Lamar – Tomorrow’s Traffic Hell?

By Tim Ziegler / Jul 17, 2012

Close your eyes and conjure up one or two thousand extra people living in new digs on South Lamar Blvd. Add 200,000 square feet of new stores to your vision. Now curse at the car in front of you and lay on the horn.

Broken Spoke Strikes Seeming Win-Win Deal with Neighboring Apartment Developers

By Rob Patterson / Jul 19, 2012

It’s almost become a knee-jerk Austin reaction to assume that change and development will eradicate the old-school Austin landmarks those of us who have long lived here hold dear, especially when it comes to music clubs. Soap Creek Saloon was a drive up a narrow winding two-lane road into the countryside southwest of town; now its site is just above the two giant shopping plazas in the heart of Westlake Hills. The footprint of the famed Armadillo World Headquarters is now underneath an office building and adjacent residential hotel behind where the Threadgill’s World Headquarters keeps its spirit somewhat alive on Riverside at Barton Springs Road.

Wheatsville Coming to South Lamar

By Austin Post Staff / May 25, 2012

Wheatsville may not have seen the category killing rise in the foodie grocery world that cross-town startup Whole Foods had, but the lovely little food co-op that could is ambling out of its past and finally expanding.

Which Way Will Accelerating Development Drive South Lamar? (Part One)

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This three-part series looks at the reinvention of South Lamar. In part one below, Rob Patterson looks at the boulevard's car-culture history and changes that are being felt today; part two examines how businesses may fare through the transformation; and part three takes a longer view towards what the boulevard may become.

 

SoLa Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround

Malcolm Gladwell made his bones as a cultural avatar talking about “the tipping point” when ideas or products go viral. But there are other tipping points, when change reaches critical mass and a far different future emerges. Today that is the state where we find South Lamar Blvd. between Barton Springs Road and Ben White.

The shorthand way to look at the pace of change along this stretch of roadway is that South Lamar is becoming SoLa much as South Congress became SoCo. There’s some validity to that - though to many Austin ears those trendy coinages sound like four letter words - but it fails to encompass the full story. Lamar and Congress were different beasts to begin with. So what Lamar is becoming, much as there are similarities with Congress, is its own urban entity. And an Austin one at that, even if it feels like the weird city spirit is a scruffy stray puppy dodging cars in the middle of the boulevard.

At this juncture, all it takes is a drive along the three or so miles of Lamar between Barton Springs Rd. and Ben White/Highway 71 to see a thoroughfare clearly in ever-increasing transition, with signs that the rate of change will only increase in the near future. Many new businesses have sprung up in recent years. Others have closed and their buildings and lots remain dormant. "For Lease" signs stand at empty locations. Traffic has grown more congested and downright hellish during rush hours.

Some 2,000 new apartment/condo units with ground floor retail and/or offices are currently in the works or being planned: The Post South Austin nearing completion and set to open in early 2013 (pictured left); Gibson Flats starting to rise from the ground; Hanover South Lamar beside Uchi; The 704 two-building complex on either side of The Broken Spoke; an as-yet unnamed 350-plus unit project at the southeast intersection of Lamar and Manchaca Rd.; and the 448 apartments in the stalled Lamar Plaza redevelopment. And it’s inevitable that more will follow.

At this moment South Lamar is teetering on the fulcrum between what it was and what it will be. A number of factors are in play, but the driving force tipping it is ultimately one thing, the fuel that powers all gentrification.

“It’s become a money game,” says Stuart Sullivan, longtime Austin record producer/engineer whose Wire Studios had to relocate off the boulevard when his landlord got an offer for the space he couldn’t refuse.

The Austin Post took the temperature of South Lamar by speaking with business owners along the boulevard. And found a mixture of positive and negative, but in the final analysis an opportunity for the community to develop a new urban living paradigm that works for the city - not an easy accomplishment given the sometimes fractious competing issues in a burg where the current growth spurt feels like a blast from a firehose.

Because as Lamar goes, so will other streets in Central Austin where gentrification is blooming. And as Joe Draker, owner of the Maudie’s Tex-Mex chain, observes, “It’s the most rapidly changing street, isn’t it?”

A Roadway of Basic Needs & Low Rent Dreams

“South Austin has always been known as the used auto sales and car parts capital of the world. That’s my memory of South Austin growing up,” says Mason Ayer, director of operations for Kerbey Lane Cafes and a Capital City native. “You wanted to buy a used car or get a muffler replaced you went to South Lamar.” And that’s just one way Lamar and the car are inextricably linked and will continue to remain so.

It’s fitting that one of the longer-term new businesses on South Lamar is Austin Speed Shop, a world-class custom hot-rod and auto garage. It occupies the former quarters of that rara avis: an honest neighborhood mechanic (which this reporter can attest to). Some of the car lots and other auto service businesses that were a street staple have begun to disappear.

Before greater Austin nearly doubled in population over the last decade, and did much the same between 1990 and 2000, South Lamar was a utilitarian strip dotted with a variety of shops and stores serving practical shopping and service needs for both consumers and small businesses, alongside restaurants (mainly Mexican aside from Kerbey Lane Cafe and the now-shuttered Artz Rib House) and a few bars. Aside from Lamar Plaza at Treadwell at the northern end, and the Barton Oaks and Lamar Oaks plazas that cap the stretch to the south at Ben White/290, it was a street of small and largely local shopping spots and eateries that area residents and those passing through could rather easily pop in and out of.

It has also served as a major thoroughfare from the center city to what had once been sleepy Oak Hill and the Texas Hill Country, plus the ever-expanding suburbs, and still does. Believe it or not, in the 1970s the homes south of Barton Skyway were actually considered the suburbs. Again, Lamar is defined by automotive transport.

The street has been a place of reliable and dependable old-school businesses like Lamar Plaza Drug Store (slated to move across the street and south from Lamar Plaza to the space previously occupied by Slick Willie’s Family Pool Hall), Martinez Taxidermy (who own their building and intend to stay put) and Austin Machine Shop (reportedly clearing out for a new location on Burleson to make way for 337 apartments and 30 townhomes on its site). Or those now gone like Austin Quality Tires, where you could get a flat fixed or a used replacement tire at budget prices in 20 minutes or so. It did not have that many chain stores and restaurants other than the gaggle of eateries clustered at the southern end in and around the Barton/Lamar Oaks plazas.

Lamar is a way of commerce and transit. “This is even more of a thoroughfare than South Congress,” observes Bill Welker, owner of South Austin Music. “People use it to get downtown to work and back home without having to get on Mopac and 35. It’s more of a neighborhood with shops that people that live in the area like to frequent. And for other people that work downtown and live south of town, this is the way to come and go.”

It has been nuthin’ fancy and anything but chic for decades. What will South Lamar be 10 years from now?

Gentrification Pedal to the Metal

Joe Ables opened The Saxon Pub at 1320 South Lamar 22 years ago, reviving a club name, spirit and to some degree musical aesthetic from the Austin folk/progressive country/singer-songwriter era of the late 1960s and early '70s. Veteran musicians like Michael Martin Murphey, Steven Fromholz and the late Rusty Wier played the original A-frame joint on the I-35 access road near 38 1/2 St. as they began their careers.

 

Fromholz also played the first show at the new Saxon, Weir had a regular residency at the club for many years until his death from cancer in 2009, and Murphey stopped in to visit while in town for a show not too long ago. Ables and booker David Cotton have also built their own legacy as a pivotal music venue with longtime room-packing residencies by Bob Schneider and The Resentments and a reliable schedule of mainly local artists. Hence the Saxon is doubly a music landmark as well as a vital Austin music incubator and supporter.

This week, the club’s landlord is putting the rather compact parcel where the Saxon and Abbey Printing occupy a little over 5,000 square feet on the market for $1.8 million (which is more than three times its tax assessment value). If you know the spot, you don’t even have to do the math to calculate a few things.

First, such a steep ticket probably can’t be paid off by the revenues of a live music club. “That doesn’t work numbers-wise for me,” explains Ables. As a licensed realtor with commercial property holdings, he should know. “I had the option to buy. It makes more sense to continue leasing.” The good news is that his current lease runs to 2020.

Second, the only way such an investment would likely pay off would be as part of a larger parcel cobbled together from the various neighboring plots and then developed. And the Saxon’s next-door neighbor, South Austin Music, also finds itself in the crosshairs of developers and investors. Or as Welker calls them, “all the idiots that call and ask me who owns it because they might want to buy it” (an insult deserved as ownership info can be found online in the Travis County tax assessment rolls). “An investor who would consider buying [the Saxon] property would also want to buy mine.”

Draker says his landlord gets regular calls inquiring about his nearby 1212 South Lamar Maudie’s location – in the past a used car lot ­– from people wanting to turn it into a bar.

Sullivan took over a preexisting recording studio space 11 years ago to open Wire Recording across from the Manchaca/Lamar intersection following a long career as a staff engineer at Arlyn and Pedernales studios. His client list includes Roky Erickson, Robert Earl Keen, Los Lonely Boys, The Meat Puppets and Jimmie Vaughan amongst many other local notables.

He chose to be on a month-to-month lease at $4,500 per month partway through his tenancy in case a more cost-effective suitable space came available elsewhere. Back in December his landlord alerted Sullivan that “he had gotten a really good deal” for the location: $10,000 a month for five years with a five year option from the TitleMax chain.

In all these cases, the current and former tenants have nothing but good words for their locations' property owners. “My landlord’s a good guy and I love him, but he’s shopping it,” says Ables.

Sullivan feels similarly about the owners of the property he vacated. “They were reasonable people to deal with, good folks. They were always straight up with me, giving me a good deal,” he notes. Both Welker and Draker also report good relationships with their landlords.

Who can blame local property owners for wanting to cash in on the long-term investments they made down Lamar when the time is ripe right now? After all, it’s winning a final reward on the American small business dream. They were the ‘49ers panning for chump change compared to the big money now hoping to join the gold rush.

And property purchases on the street are posting newly steep price tags. “I’ve heard some sale numbers that are just sort of astronomically high on South Lamar, upwards of $400 a square foot,” says Ayer. “I don’t know if it’s true or not. But you’re hearing it. And it makes you scratch your head and wonder why it’s occurring.”

As "Breaking Bad" chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-cooker Walter White explained on last Sunday's episode (7/22): “There is gold in the streets just waiting for someone to come and scoop it up.” And developers are not just buzzed but tweaking over the prospects on South Lamar.

New Urbanity on an Old-School Boulevard

The other answer to Ayer’s question why is one of those terms Austinites have become rather familiar with over the last 15 years or so, most notably in the transformation of downtown: "urban infill." Increasing central city density is a tenet of smart growth.

One element of this philosophy is to maximize what are called underutilized spaces. However, Lamar was already a street of great consumer and community utility. It was not so much one where people lived in apartments and condos, as it now becoming and will be even more so in the future.

The common model found throughout Austin for infill is the mixed-use, multi-family development with ground floor retail like those now being planned and built along Lamar. Residential towers with street-level stores seem to be working well downtown. Will it be as effective on the boulevard?

The experience of one Lamar retailer raises questions regarding that approach. “Ground floor retail has been a disaster for us,” says Andy Cotton, who owns and operates 21 Thundercloud Subs shops, two of them on South Lamar. “People are not going to go the trouble of parking in a lot and then coming down to Thundercloud for a submarine sandwich. We’ve had two of them [in other areas] and I wish we’d never gotten into either of them. You can’t just drive up, and we don’t get much business from the apartments.”

And as Cotton notes, echoing others above, “prices on South Lamar are going crazy.” Will businesses like his even be able to afford leases there in the future, much less sustain profitable ventures?

Visit us tomorrow (7/25) as Rob Patterson continues with a look at how some local businesses are finding a silver lining in the reinvention of South Lamar alongside the traffic issues. 

Related Articles: 

What's in Store for the North End of South Lamar?

By Stephanie Myers / Jul 18, 2012

South Lamar between Barton Springs Road and Oltorf is a jumble of strip malls, independent businesses, bars and a few apartment complexes. Parts of the stretch are an eyesore, parts are iconic Austin locations, and parts, like Lamar Plaza, which houses the Alamo Drafthouse, The Highball and Heart of Texas Music, are both. The next few years should change the area quite a bit.

South Lamar – Tomorrow’s Traffic Hell?

By Tim Ziegler / Jul 17, 2012

Close your eyes and conjure up one or two thousand extra people living in new digs on South Lamar Blvd. Add 200,000 square feet of new stores to your vision. Now curse at the car in front of you and lay on the horn.

Broken Spoke Strikes Seeming Win-Win Deal with Neighboring Apartment Developers

By Rob Patterson / Jul 19, 2012

It’s almost become a knee-jerk Austin reaction to assume that change and development will eradicate the old-school Austin landmarks those of us who have long lived here hold dear, especially when it comes to music clubs. Soap Creek Saloon was a drive up a narrow winding two-lane road into the countryside southwest of town; now its site is just above the two giant shopping plazas in the heart of Westlake Hills. The footprint of the famed Armadillo World Headquarters is now underneath an office building and adjacent residential hotel behind where the Threadgill’s World Headquarters keeps its spirit somewhat alive on Riverside at Barton Springs Road.

Wheatsville Coming to South Lamar

By Austin Post Staff / May 25, 2012

Wheatsville may not have seen the category killing rise in the foodie grocery world that cross-town startup Whole Foods had, but the lovely little food co-op that could is ambling out of its past and finally expanding.

Kickstarter of the Week: Help Instrumental Band My Education Get to Europe

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Fans have never heard the voices behind the soulful, melancholy instrumental band My Education. In their Kickstarter, they introduce themselves as they ask you to help them finance their European tour. 

Their latest album, “A Drink For All My Friends,” will be available in the US this September and in Europe this October. They’ve already covered the costs of recording, mixing, and producing the album. Heck, they already have shows booked and gear rentals scheduled for their European tour. All they need is plane fare to get the band there and back.

If you’re a fan of the Austin music scene, supporting this Kickstarter is a great way to help one of our local acts get some well deserved international attention while also building up your MP3 library. A $10 donation gets you a download of their new album. Bump that up to $15 if you want it in CD form, and for $25 you can get it on vinyl (along with some nifty stickers).

Each donation level adds on more music. In fact, for $125 you get a digital download of their entire back catalog, plus vinyl copies, plus a t-shirt and stickers. It’s a bargain. Donation levels go all the way up to $500 for all that plus an original piece of art from Skye, one of the band members. If you’re feeling extra generous, you can spend $1500 to have them perform at your wedding, bar/bat mitzvah, or party.

This is exactly why Kickstarter was created. Fans get all kinds of bonus content they can’t pick up at iTunes while the band gets to spread a little bit of Austin’s awesomeness across another continent. Watch a couple of live recordings and see if you don’t agree that this band deserves to go on tour. 

 

This Week in Geek July 26 - August 1

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Life isn’t all about networking events and making business connections. Sometimes you need to find like minded geeks for some relaxing fun. Once a week, we round up the best geek social events in Austin.

Literary science fiction fans have a chance to meet published authors at ArmadilloCon this weekend. Meanwhile, media fans can enjoy anything from Doctor Who on the big screen at the Alamo to a screening of Spaceballs to the last showing of Doctor Horrible, Live. 

ArmadilloCon
July 27-29
Renaissance Hotel Austin
9721 Arboretum Boulevard
ArmadilloCon is a literary science fiction convention. You won’t find the usual cosplay and gaming from the more media oriented conventions,but if you’ve always wanted a chance to meet a group of science fiction writers this is the place. 

The Return of Doctor Horrible, Live!
The Institution Theater
July 27, 8:00 p.m.
3708 Woodbury Dr
It’s Back! If you missed the live rendition of Doctor Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, you now have one last chance to catch the repeat performance. It’s shiny. 

Austin Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Club
July 28, 1:00 p.m.
Monkey Nest Coffee Shop
5353 Burnet Road
This month they’re discussing “Solaris” by Stanislaw Lem and picking new books for the coming months. 

Death to the Daleks
July 28, 1:00 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse -Slaughter Lane
5701 W. Slaughter Ln
Join the Austin Doctor Who Meetup at the Slaughter Lane Drafthouse as they enjoy a classic Jon Pertwee episode of Doctor Who on the big screen. 

GirlsGuild: Altered Book Workshop
July 28, 2:00 p.m.
Austin Center for Design
1201 Hackberry St
For $54, you can learn how to create your own unique altered book artwork with upcycled vintage books from the 1890's to 1980's, miscellaneous ephemera, lost and found photographs, found objects, and other mixed media including drawing, painting, and printmaking. Class will cover a variety of materials and techniques in both 2D and 3D formats.

Spaceballs at the Alamo Drafthouse
July 30, 10:00 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane
5701 W. Slaughter Ln
Join the Big Screen Classics for the 25th anniversary of Mel Brooks’s classic spoof movie, Spaceballs. 

Geeks Who Drink Meetup
July 28, 9:00 p.m.
Opal Divine’s Marina
12709 Mopac
Trivia lovers can join a team for the chance to show off their smarts and win free drinks.

Hammer Adventure, Suspense and Horror Movie Night
July 29, 2:00 p.m.
Join to learn location
If you enjoy stylish, elaborate period-piece 1960s gothic horror, you will love the Hammer horror film meetup. Hammer is a British film studio which produced a plethora of movies from the 1930s to the 1970s. Many of the classics starred Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. We will primarily focus on the horror movies, but there will be suspense and adventure movies as well. Hammer has started releasing new movies again, so as they appear in theaters we will go see them as a group.

Girl Geeks of Austin Board Games and Brews
July 30, 7:00 p.m.
Black Star Co-Op
7020 Easy Wind Drive
Enjoy some microbrewery beers along with Euro style boardgames in the company of your fellow geek girls.

Girl Geeks of Austin Nerdy Knitting and Fiber Arts
July 30, 7:00 p.m.
Genuine Joe’s Coffee House
2001 W. Anderson Lane
Enjoy a laid back night of knitting, crochet, embroidery, or whatever fibercraft you love in the company of your fellow nerd girls. 

South Austin Game Night
July 31, 6:00 p.m.
Rockin Tomato
3003 S. Lamar
This weekly gathering of gamers regularly hosts over 40 people playing a dozen different games. New people are always welcome.

Related Articles: 

Tech Events Roundup July 24-30

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 24, 2012

Once a week the Austin Post rounds up all the networking, social, and just plain nifty technology related events taking place in the greater Austin metro area.

Turning Girls Into Gamers: A Game Reviewer's Expert Advice

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 20, 2012

At Austin's recent RTX conference, Jorge Guerra, video game reviewer and writer for the gaming site Ganimanga, sat down with the Austin Post to discuss how guys can turn their girlfriends into gamers.

Who Are Austin Bronies?

By Jackie Stone / Jul 19, 2012

In September, Austin will host its first-ever brony convention, Brony Fan Fair 2012.  

Zombie Hunters Save Austin so You Can Sleep at Night

By Chris-Rachael O... / Jul 20, 2012

Tomorrow, post-Apocalyptic Austin could be overrun by the shambling corpses of your coworkers, many of whom are still bent over their desks at Dell, while former drug cartels raid the few pockets of survivors in search of food, water, weapons and women.

SoCo? SoHuh? A Top 13 List of Tags for Austin’s Changing Streets

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/fainspawn/

I’ll be blunt: I hate the cutesy new nicknames that keep getting assigned to Austin thoroughfares as they get beautiqueified and gentrefiddled by steamrolling development and trendiness.

SoCo? SoFi? SoLa? Gimme a freakin’ break. They’re South Congress, South First and South Lamar to me, and always will be, though my three-part cruise for clues about Lamar's future this week suggests it should be elegantly called The Boulevard, a moniker with class that rolls ever so nicely off the tongue.

But let’s face facts. In a complex world, the human mind craves simplicity. And here in the cyber-century where we are inundated with an onslaught of information, byte-sized linguistic nuggets can save us valuable milliseconds during which we can apply our remaining eloquence to important matters, like posting what we had for breakfast on Facebook. Plus, these days branding is everything. 

Terse and pithy street-name nickies with a bit of a ring to ‘em is all the rage as the character of Austin changes from a sleepy lil' two-horse city into the nation’s #1 spot for the yup-and-coming and a slice of hipster heaven. As Darth Vader once advised: it is useless to resist.

So this semi-old-timer who arrived here nearly 23 years ago - back when Austin was still really cool, man - wants to get ahead of the curve for once and plant my flag for naming rights. Hence I offer some new monikers for the next hip’n’happening strips. You folks at home can play along by adding your own suggestions below in the comments.

GuaNo

Guadalupe just north of campus. Credit for this brilliant coinage goes to Wheatsville general manager Dan Gillotte. He means it in jest. But just flip the effluvia around and it doesn’t suggest this stretch is shit but rather that it’s the shiznit.

Worf 

West Oltorf from SoCo to SoLa remains a proletariat beast as compared to the rapidly trending north/south streets in The 04- not even a full zip code much less an old school Austin way of life anymore, but a life-style to be sure. Austin Post contributor David Williams recently gave it grumpy props as a part of "unloved" Austin. But as a longtime South Central resident, I have an affection for its near total lack of trendy hooha. Memo to developers: a pox on whoever causes Harrell’s Supply & Service - a real oldschool hardware store - to close in order to build a butt-ugly apartment complex.

SoSoCo

What else to call the stretch of Congress from Oltorf to Ben White where trendiness is trying to sprout amidst a titty bar, room-by-the-week motels, the last of the city’s budget streetwalkers and a methadone clinic? Not just edgy in hipster terms but the genuine sleazy article… for now.

CenCon

The 10 downtown blocks of Congress between LaBiLa ­– since longtime locals already resist calling Town Lake the slightly longer Lady Bird Lake, concision is called for – and the TexCap. As this tag indicates, it was ground zero of the development con game that started in Central Austin in the 1980s when the original Tamale House was bulldozed on Congress' east side between (what was) First and Second Streets to make way for an office highrise that was the harbinger of many more to follow.

Luck-E7

Long the perimeter between the largely African-American East Side to the north and Mexican-American to the south, East Seventh is so rich with open spaces and plots ripe for purchase, like the one pictured at left: An abundant space with a for lease sign and existing rattletrap structure so ready for razing it'd fall with a huff and puff from the Big Bad Wolf. Spots like this are property porn that give developers a major chubby. Blow on those dice and roll 'em! Luck is ready to be a generous lady tonight, tomorrow and for years to come for wheelers and dealers on this strip. Oh, and that pox thing? Also applies to El Azteca.

The D

Let’s face it, people, as a street nickname for Gwa-da-loop as it passes by the UT campus, The Drag is just so retro. Plus it carries such a downer double meaning ­– what a drag! – that will only further bum out drivers creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Instead they can chill out as they wait for the lights to change on the coolness of The D, baby, and watch UT students on their way to and from class spend their parents’ dough on shit they don’t need.

EC2

Who’s gonna care about the legacy of Cesar Chavez agitating for fair pay for migrant fruit pickers once this East Side street stops serving enchiladas in favor of arugula and truffles lovingly grown at some slow food organic farm on the outskirts of town?

NoLoop

Many decades ago, North Loop was just what its name states: a major east/west artery on the northern edge of town. For all its charms today, despite the recent loss of pizza by the slice with a beer and punky bands at The Parlor, now it’s not.

E-Eleven & The E-One-Two

The Central East Side is about to hit stage two of the gentrification game – ¡Hasta la vista, Chicanos! – hence it’s high time for a downsized nickname upgrade for the East 11th and 12th Street corridors. And... pox... Sam's Bar-B-Que. Have I made myself clear?

NoBurn

While driving up North Burnet in the early 1990s, I marveled at how it could be just another utilitarian road in Anywhere, USA, rather comforting in a city that is often so uniquely Austin. But the new apartments and condos are a-building. So just how long until chicken shit bingo at Ginny’s Little Longhorn gets edged out by roasted pheasant stuffed with fennel-infused goat cheese? Plus this crackling nickie can announce that the stretch is a yuppie enclave where the high rents ensure that grubby lil' burner dudes are unwelcome.

AlPo

It’s just gonna confuse people to keep saying Airport Boulevard now that Mueller is a model urban development and not our once-so-conveniently located city airstrip. And lemme tell ya: talk about ripe for urban renewal! Highland Mall is empty as is the strip mall where AlPo meets NoNoLa. And in the blocks below Koenig/2222 one finds a pack of scruffy small mutt buildings and businesses like (the last) Tamale House (of the three spun off from the original one downtown; pox again), Mrs. Johnson’s Bakery (another pox) and I Luv Video along a stretch prime for yupster grooming. And the City already has a "vision" for it. (Five scariest words for longtime Austinites: the City has a vision.) But what it needs to sell the deal is, of course, a memorable tag for the stretch... as long as I get royalties for using my suggestion.

Wendy

West Anderson Lane looks likely be the last northern outpost of central Austin to get the trendy gentrification makeover, especially as its last major new “improvement” was a gawd-durned small business slaying Walmart. But I’ll bet good money that within the decade (if the economy holds), its character will change enough so the last thing you’ll find there is, well, a Wendy’s.

HiFi

Surprisingly, the section of South First just past Oltorf that rises southward up a hill to Ben White has seen little change compared to the rest of 78704… oops… The 04. So maybe it can be a preservationist enclave for the full zip spirit of the South Austin of yore. As the name says, it would remain a nabe where you can smoke some weed, crank the tunes and rock out.

 

eRide

Don’t blink. Because sooner than you think, East Riverside will no longer be hemmed by strip malls with bingo, a Family Dollar and businesses where speaking un pocito Español may not be required but is way useful, all of that topped with a generous serving of the fast-food drive-thrus that made America famously fat.

Emo’s and Beauty Bar are already pioneering the shift that will likely birth such needed new businesses as a pea coat boutique, beard- and moustache-trimming tools emporium, cheap sunglasses outlet, a bar that serves nothing but PBR and a cybercafe or two to exemplify my digitally tres moderne nickie for this strip. And hey! The City even has a Master Plan for the street. But to make it master bait the for redevelopment bucks, it's branding time!

Have you devised any neighborhood brands to compete with our list above? Weigh in down below in the comments! 

 

Related Articles: 

What's in Store for the North End of South Lamar?

By Stephanie Myers / Jul 18, 2012

South Lamar between Barton Springs Road and Oltorf is a jumble of strip malls, independent businesses, bars and a few apartment complexes. Parts of the stretch are an eyesore, parts are iconic Austin locations, and parts, like Lamar Plaza, which houses the Alamo Drafthouse, The Highball and Heart of Texas Music, are both. The next few years should change the area quite a bit.

South Lamar – Tomorrow’s Traffic Hell?

By Tim Ziegler / Jul 17, 2012

Close your eyes and conjure up one or two thousand extra people living in new digs on South Lamar Blvd. Add 200,000 square feet of new stores to your vision. Now curse at the car in front of you and lay on the horn.

Walks Through Unloved Austin: Part 1

By David Williams / May 16, 2012

Like any city of the modern age, Austin is a portrait in contrasts. There is the Austin of the mind: greenbelts, silver food trailers, the sparkling river, the music scene, and there is the built Austin: barren lots, rusted warehouses, and ugly commercial strips.

Prank Your Boss, Geocitize Your Website. It's Friday!

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The Geocitiesizer can make Austin’s best websites look like they were made by the same folks who made Hamster Dance. It's not a new website, if you haven't checked it out yet it has "waste some time it's Friday!" all over it. Big sites like Tumblr, The New York Times and YouTube all turn geocities with delightful results (gaudy backgrounds galore and fabulous moving, sparkling gifs inserted at random places in the website.) 

Some websites, sadly are unaffected by running the geocities filter on them (such as the Austinist.) But fortunately, our own AustinPost.org transforms to geocities easily, as does The Statesman.

Try it out and send us your favorite geocities versions of local sites.


Austin Co-Ops Thriving as City Grows

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Stephanie Myers

Wheatsville Food Co-op was started in a garage near the University of Texas in 1976. Now, more than three decades later, the member-owned grocer has announced plans for a second location down south, and representatives said they plan to open more stores over the next 15 years to accommodate their quickly growing member base.

As the value of co-ops is being recognized by everyone from The United Nations (which declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives) to Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, who said he belongs to "at least two of them" in a ceremony echoing the UN's proclamation, those in the know say the cooperative community in Austin is growing as more people seek out local, independent and socially conscious business and services.

“Austin has a longstanding history of supporting local small businesses, particularly businesses with a commitment to sustainability,” said Carlos Pérez de Alejo, executive director of Co-operation Texas, a non-profit committed to growing co-ops in Austin. “Cooperatives, which are typically locally rooted and committed to sustainability, are completely in line with this tradition, but they go even further than your typical small business in that co-ops are also collectively owned by their members," who typically include employees and customers.

A co-op is a legal entity, owned and controlled by its owners who share decision-making authority, profits and, in some cases, liability for debts. Co-ops normally fall into three types –- consumer co-ops, producer co-ops and worker-owned companies -– and they operate under seven principles that have evolved from an original set minted in 1844:

  • Voluntary and open membership
  • Democratic member control
  • Economic participation by members
  • Autonomy and independence
  • Education, training and information
  • Co-operation among cooperatives
  • Concern for community

Dozens of cooperative businesses operate in Austin. There’s the recycling co-op downtown, Ecology Action. There’s the brewpub co-op up north, Black Star. There’s the co-op bakery, Red Rabbit, the KOOP 91.7 radio station and the outdoor retailer REI. There’s even a new green cleaning co-op, Dahlia. And numerous cooperative housing establishments, credit unions and labor co-ops populate our city.

Cooperatives uphold the independent and local-minded spirit of mom-and-pop shops but with a kind of added genetic diversity that makes the model a strong one, said Mark Wochner, president of the board of Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery (as well as a board member at Wheatsville, a founding member of the Austin Co-op Think Tank and a member of several others).

“If Mom and Pop retire and no one takes over the business, it closes,” Wochner said. “Co-ops are a much more economically-sustainable business, and have the considerable advantage of being a democratic business that exists to produce benefits beyond simple monetary profits.”

It’s hard to measure the economic impact of cooperatives because there aren’t many groups that break out and study those numbers. However, in 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of Wisconsin and the National Cooperative Business Association published a report that said the nearly 30,000 cooperatives in the United States (mostly consumer-owned cooperatives like Wheatsville) generate an estimated $654 billion in revenue, creating more than 2 million jobs. Americans hold more than 350 million memberships in cooperatives, and officials see that growing.

“The recession, Bank Transfer Day and the Occupy movement have all caused growth in cooperatives,” said Andrea Cumpston, director of communications and marketing for the National Cooperative Business Association. “People are looking at a variety of different ways of doing business, and we’re especially seeing more people looking into worker-owned co-ops.”

In the State of Texas, the report says there are just over 1,000 co-ops worth just under $100 million. They account for more than 33,000 jobs and are supported by more than 8 million memberships. Again, this is for 2009. Anecdotal evidence indicates the co-op industry in Austin has grown since then.

For example, Wheatsville had less than 5,000 members just five years ago. Today membership has more than doubled to around 12,000 – that’s a growth rate faster than people are moving here. In 2009, co-ops like Dahlia and Red Rabbit Bakery didn’t exist and Black Star wasn’t open yet. Since Black Star opened in late 2010, they have increased membership by a third and have expanded seating and hours, now opening for lunch on the weekends.

Will cooperate for donut.

In addition to adding money and jobs to the economy, Pérez de Alejo says co-ops also bring something rarely found in our economic system – democracy.

Since members have an equal stake, "they also have a voice over key decisions that affect their co-op, usually in the form of one member, one vote,” he said. “In other words, co-ops are community-based businesses that keep dollars circulating locally and promote shared ownership and democracy.”

Co-ops also hold themselves to a commitment of bettering their communities, members and workers, “measuring success not simply by the money they earn, but by the well-being of their workers; their sustainability as a business; and their overall contribution to the community and the environment,” Pérez de Alejo added.

Dana Curtis, a member of the business team and board of directors for Black Star Co-op Pub and Brewery, as well as a member of the board of directors for Cooperation Texas, echoes this. Curtis had been working 60-plus hours a week at an Austin labor union while trying to raise her son when she attended a fundraiser party for Black Star years before the brewpub opened. She picked up a clipboard and started signing up members and has been involved ever since.

“Co-ops offer practical solutions to issues that are important to me," she said. "At Black Star, all workers [including bartenders, who make an industry-standard $2.13/hour plus tips at most bars and restaurants] are paid a living wage, so money and jobs stay in our community. We are a democratic workplace, so people who work here have more just, equitable lives.”

Curtis attributes the success of cooperative businesses in Austin not only to the customer base here, but also to the cooperative community itself.

“The co-op model works well for Austin because there is already such a focus on local businesses with initiatives like Keep Austin Weird, Go Local, Austin Independent Business Alliance and more,” she said. “But the co-op community does a lot to grow the cooperative economy in Austin as well. We have a worker co-op development non-profit [Cooperation Texas] and the Austin Co-op Think Tank. One of the seven cooperative principles is co-operation among cooperatives and that is alive and well in Austin!” 

Raquel Dadomo, the brand manager for Wheatsville, echoes that statement. When Red Rabbit Bakery first opened, she said, the first order the bakery fulfilled was for Wheatsville. Now, Wheatsville remains the bakery’s biggest customer.

“All co-ops cooperate with each other. We purposefully help other co-ops thrive by lending investment capital, using co-op services and cross-promoting,” she said. “Because of this network we create a safety net for each other.”

Of course, it’s not all holding hands under rainbows. Because of the democratic nature of the cooperative structure, decision making can be a slow – and passionate – process, Wochner said.

“Being part of a co-op means that decisions are necessarily more complicated than if it was a dictatorship, and for good reason,” he said. “This is a democratic business, so the needs of many need to be taken into consideration when making a decision. Co-ops are full of passionate people, so effective communication and consensus building is important.”

Cooperatives also face difficulties in starting just like any other business. It took Wheatsville more than 30 years to expand to a second store, and Black Star took four years to open their physical location, partly due to funding challenges.

“Banks are uneasy about giving loans to non-traditional business models. Credit unions are capped by federal law on the amount of small business loans they can give their members,” Curtis said. “It took Black Star four years to have enough capital to open our doors, and even then, we didn't open with a sign or a completely finished interior. But, we opened with a built-in customer base of our owners and fans, which helped sustain us while we were getting off our feet.”

Well, maybe there's some holding hands under rainbows.

Austin Post Ask 10: What’s A Hipster?

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Much like former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart and obscenity, most people can’t define a hipster but they know one when they see one. 

Austin has been called ground zero for the hipster explosion. If anyone ought to know what a hipster is, it should be us. Therefore, the Austin Post asked ten people to define “hipster.” Interestingly, 8 of the 10 people who replied were over 30. It makes you wonder if the people being defined as hipsters think of one another as “people my age.” 

Ruth B. Kaplan:  
I'm baffled by the "hipster or homeless" fad--is it about how the definition of "hip" has become so anti-fashion that it's retro grunge?

Wendy Zdrodowski:  
People who wear glasses with dark-colored plastic rims and drink PBR. 

Sue Freas:
Hipsters are ironically cool and wear eco-friendly clothing (second hand, retro and/or sustainable fabrics). Less emphasis in glamour; more on comfort, so less fussy hairdos and accessories. More likely to live in lofts or shotgun homes than in suburbia and tend to avoid malls & chain stores. 

Greg LaRose:
White middle class males in their mid 20s to late 30s that try to be the "alternative" to mainstream but end up being the mainstream due to popularity in current counter culture. They say they are against the "Man" yet they come from well-off families and commonly work in a corporate environment while claiming to be independent of society and not a part of the rat race. Yet one finds these douche middle class trying so hard to be cool yuppies. They’re the same people who wore flannel shirts in the 90s and listened to grunge music, but 10 to 15 years older, and no longer cool because grunge music is not cool.

David Wulatin:
People who wouldn't go to Lolapalooza but must go to Pitchfork.

Jenna Ess: 
I don't know if there's a set definition of a hipster. It's more like, you know them when you see them. Like yesterday I saw a guy at my local coffee shop who was wearing skinny jeans and a giant fashion scarf, in 90 degree weather, outside drinking hot coffee. Hipster Alert. A joke sums them up for me: "What did the hipster say when he walked into the bar?" "Ugh, this bar is full of hipsters!"

Clay Taylor: 
Someone who appreciates thrift store fashions, emerging indie bands, things that aren't quite popular yet and irony. Loads and loads of irony.

Christopher Murphy:
‎1) To borrow and paraphrase the Supreme Court, I don't know how to define "hipster", but I know it when I see it.
2) Much like musical styles (or for that matter any fashion / lifestyle trend), it's tough to define: what's country? OK, then what's western? Bluegrass? Southern rock? Folk rock? Honky tonk? Psychobilly? Christian rock?
3) Since it's become a somewhat negative label, everyone who exhibits hipster traits is hipster - except you.

Hope Clark: 
Neck beard, ironic glasses, PBR, skinny jeans, mesh hat, sitting at a coffee shop with a book but not actually looking at said book.

Heather Nelson: 
One word: Douchebags.

What do you think of their answers? Spot on, tragically off course, too mainstream, or something else entirely? Tell us in the comments. 

Related Articles: 

Austin Myth No. 2: The Hipster Epidemic

By Tyler Stoddard Smith / Mar 16, 2012

Let me first come clean: I think I may be a hipster. And I’m afraid you may be one, too. In fact, I think we may all be infected.

“Nuh-uh!” you’ll squawk, quickly changing the channel from “Shipping Wars” on A&E to the restored and TiVoed version of Le Voyage Dans la Lune...

Garriott's Ultimate Gamer's Mansion On the Block for $4.1 Million

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It’s one thing to plop down a bundle on a multimillion dollar Austin home. It’s yet another to own a true Austin landmark (albeit one of fairly recent vintage) -- an abode featured on “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” plus "MTV Cribs" that even has its own Wikipedia page. So if you find a combo of modernity (read energy efficiency) and Texas-stucco-exterior-with-ye-olde-English-interior to your tastes, then this lordly British-themed dwelling in the hills overlooking the city is just for you… as long as you can pay the $4.1 million freight.

Yes, it’s the custom built former home of computer game pioneer and outer space traveler Richard Garriott. And its listing only reveals part of the appeal, uniqueness and bit of Austin history it represents:

Britannia Manor II, the captivating & magical estate of Richard Garriott, aka, Lord British, is seeking new stewardship. Situated high on a level 3.99 acre hilltop overlooking downtown & a 3,000 acre preserve, this home offers intrigue plus an "off the grid" energy realm. Features behind the iron gate include a 360 degree observatory w/telescope atop the approx 4790 sq. ft. home, pool, grotto, waterfall + detached studio, separate guest quarters, lagoon, lighted track.

Maybe the three-story abode only has three bedooms. But it has seven – count ‘em, seven – living rooms, one for every day of the week! Plus five full bathrooms and three half baths. An indoor and outdoor pool. And a large wine cellar. Porches galore. A grotto with hot and cold rain showers. A scaled-down replica of London’s Globe Theatre where Shakespeare mounted his plays that seats 100 people on the property. And, by the front door, one item no self respecting security-minded homeowner should be without: a working cannon.

Plus gargoyles. With eyes that glow in the dark. Be the first and only house on your block with those gruesome little buggers perched on its ramparts! The day and nighttime views of the city and surrounding area are – no hype – pretty danged spectacular. Plus what better way to tell the world, I have freaking arrived than a house topped with an observatory with a high-power telescope? And that’s hardly all.

It’s the kind of roomy and atmospheric joint where you could invite a couple of hundred of your closest friends over for a viewing of all four seasons of “The Tudors” (or as I like to call it for all its tight bodices and heaving bosoms, “The Hooters”) and a pre-Elizabethan cosplay party. And still have room to spare... for, say, for a jousting tournament.

It is a landmark that Austinites have glimpsed over the last quarter century as they drove along City Park Rd. on their way to Ski Shores or Emma Long Metropolitan Park. But what really put Britannia Manor on the map was its legendary Halloween haunted house – the hottest ticket in town every other year from 1988 to 1994. Except that getting the totally free ducats for the extravaganza was a matter of lining up and camping outside the place for as long as two weeks (Garriott also had a few charity nights at $100 a pop).

Reputed to be the most elaborate, engrossing and sometimes truly scary holiday haunted house on the planet, it was what Wikipedia calls “a full contact Halloween adventure:”

The events were designed like a role-playing game. Participants would go through Garriott's mountain property in adventuring parties, gathering clues to solve mysteries and quests, while facing different perils and pitfalls. The actors would touch, grab and physically as well as verbally interact with the guests, who could not simply wander through like in most haunted houses. They would have to swing, crawl, climb, and row their way out. It was not uncommon for parties to lose members in the course of the quest.

Britannia Manor was also the site of some real life horror, or at least a good scare, in 1997. One night Garriott was hanging out in his observatory watching comets, as we all do when we have an evening free. He spied someone creeping over the fence and heading to the house. He hears glass breaking. So does this dedicated fan of the Middle Ages grab one of the swords, crossbows or battle axes hanging on the walls as decoration? Hell no. Garriott gets an Uzi – "It's the only weapon I know how to load," he told Fast Company – and fires a shot over the intruder's head and then holds him at gunpoint until the cops come.

(So in case you were under the impression that just because someone is a geek also means they’re a candy ass, think again, homie).

The place has been on the market since last October, and frankly, I’m baffled that anyone hasn’t scooped it up yet. If I were to, say ­win the Mega Millions jackpot, I’d totally shell out the $410K down payment and a-little-under-$20-thou monthly mortgage payments for the next 30 years. Or if my ship coming in happens to be an oil tanker, buy the place outright. And I'm the kinda stuffy guy who thinks all that Ren Faire and SCA tomfoolery is some of the silliest shit on the planet. But hey – it’s still just one way cool house.

Plus Garriott is building his new Britannia Manor Mark 3 abode - which, yeah, makes BM II only the second most ultimate gamers manse, but what the hell, the place still rocks - a mere half-mile away. So you can easily drop by and ask him questions about the pool filter or bum a cuppa sugar or borrow a few thousand bucks. Plus you are perfectly situated to get on line when he holds a SCARE for a CURE haunted house there again as he did in 2009 in the still-under-construction far-more-than-McMansion.

So if you happen to be in the right income bracket – think the one percent and not the other 99 – check the place out. Just be sure to ask the realtor on your tour about the secret rooms and passageways….

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Garriott Takes On NCsoft

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On Monday, the notorious lawsuit between Richard Garriott and NCsoft started. What are the stakes?...

Richard Garriott Wins $28M Lawsuit Against NCsoft

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Richard Garriott, computer gaming entrepreneur and space traveler, has been awarded by the Austin Federal Court Jury with the incredible sum of $28 million...

Can Richard Garriott's New Game Teach You About Art?

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Talking Hipsters and Austin with American Hipster Director David Fine

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David Fine is the director of a YouTube series called American Hipster Presents. Over the course of the year, Fine and Co. are traveling to 10 cities, creating five videos from each city that profile the people who are considered hipsters in order to define what a hipster actually is. They post a new video each week and so far have hit Austin, San Francisco, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

Fine talked with the Post from his hipster haven in San Francisco about the series, how hipster became a dirty word and what is so cool about the hipsters he’s helped profile around the country.

So, when did this American Hipster project start and what is the goal?

The idea of making something sociological and anthropological, the idea of studying the term and the culture of the quote-unquote “hipster” we thought of a while ago, and originally conceived of it as a TV pitch. But that was sort of a different time and the word was much less reviled and was better fodder at that point for a hard look. Now, it’s become harder for people to stomach the word and thinking or talking about it.

And then the opportunity to pitch YouTube came up, and we dug that up with some other ideas and they liked it.

The goal (originally) was let’s take sort of a sociological approach to what is this term? Who are these people? Is there anything unifying them? What does this word mean, and put faces and personalities behind it – humanize it. I think that is still part of the goal, but 5 years later, with the term having other things thrown into it, now I think some of the goal is to expose the word as kind of a catchall term.

There are so many things that have become hipster traits, that it’s now everything. In food, it’s where you source your food, it’s being vegan but it’s also eating bacon. In music it’s everything new and current and hip, but also being nostalgic and looking at the past

What we’re finding is what people look at and call hipster is full of, I’m not sure what the word is, duplicity? It’s taking on two opposite characteristics at once. And when I look at that, I think, wow, this word doesn’t mean anything – it means everything.

In a way, we’re just taking a look at interesting people doing interesting things, and all those things have been swallowed by this term. Pop-up diners and indie bands that play with strings and fancy coffee shops. Individually, people are like ‘oh yea, that’s some hipster shit.' But those are people, and who were they before they got swallowed up by the term?

So are you hipster documentarians? Is this hipster on hipsters?

I think I’m firmly in it, for a variety of reasons. I would like to tell you that I’m young and that qualifies me, but being 30+ is a strike against. But certainly the music I listen to, the way I dress, the coffee shop I go to – I think people could look at me and say I’m a hipster. I don’t there are many people walking down the street of San Francisco that I can’t point to a couple things about them that are hipster.

I also think hipster points to our desire to label people, and I think we’ve thrown so many terms into the grab-bag of hipster that you can point to anyone and find something that is hipster

Hipster has kind of become a dirty word – any thoughts on how that happened? Where did the dismissive “hipster shit” attitude come from?

I think the current generation of young people has a very difficult time backing anything for fear that it will shortly become passé, so that’s part of the inherent irony of “hipster.” That the term means staying ahead of the curve and knowing about things other people don’t, and if people know about the term hipster and want to call you one, then it isn’t okay to be one, because people know about it.

I think it became dirty when people started to talk about it, or at least to the people who value that fresh, ahead-of-the-curve attitude.

How do you choose what hipster hangouts or trends to cover in each city? Do you just walk into a coffee shop, or do you have hipster informants?

We’ll plan something for every subject or category ahead of time, one subject per category lined up.

Each episode is along one of five themes, art, food, music, style and social. For social, that’s dodgeball leagues or brewing beer, not just bars and clubs and dance parties.

And we get there and discover things going on, or one subject can tell us about something else. In the case of Austin, from what we were reading, it was let’s focus on places on South Congress and East Austin. But when we got to Austin, just going down East 6th, there was plenty of stuff that looked the part and fit the bill. And then just walking into places, hoping no one punches us in the face when we tell them the name of the show.

Like our feature on Cheer Up Charlies sort of happened organically while we were there taking a look at the Austin live music scene, and wanting to do a piece on East 6th that felt fresh and different, but also East Austin. We discovered them while we were there, and they let us film.

Are you becoming more of a hipster in your daily life by shooting this?

So, on a day to day basis, I’m doing Digital DSLR video. Hipster check.

Yea. I mean, we’ve profiled some really interesting people and from meeting them and hearing about what they do, I’m picking things up. Like, I wasn’t really a coffee drinker until we profiled Four Barrel in San Francisco. Our barber that we profiled in San Francisco, he’s my barber now. So I think it’s happening slowly but surely.

Hearing about (their stories) and, this isn’t in every case, but in most cases this is something they did before it was “cool” and hipster. And seeing that other side of things before they were co-opted as hipster, it’s interesting.

Any worries that you are making cool places uncool by talking about them?

I think I like that question.

The direct answer is no, because I’m not going to choose to worry about that. If people say yes and want to do the show, then great.

I think that we’re presenting people in a very favorable light and we’re going a lot deeper than “are you a hipster?” We’re learning about these people and what makes them tick and what is so cool about what they do.

So outside from just looking at the name of the show, it’s easy to hate. To think, ‘why would Cheer Up Charlies do American hipster?’ But when you watch it, my hope is that it’s not just about the word, it’s about the people.

But I think that a lot of people we approach do have that concern and that’s why they say no. It’s usually not that they are going out of town. It’s that people are like, “no, with that name, we just can’t.”

What happens at the end? Are these just going to be online forever, or is there a plan for a full-length documentary?

10 cities, five episodes a city, 50 episodes total – it would be a huge amount of work no matter what, but given the release schedule (one a week), it’s a huge amount of work on a crazy timeline. So when we’re done doing this, I probably won’t be too quick to do anything. It’s a huge undertaking.

Anything left to add?

God bless Mother Falcon.

Check out the American Hipster YouTube Channel

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Once a week, We Are Austin Tech presents a short video interview with the people who help put Austin on the national map. Their love for Austin and its culture shines through. This week, enjoy their interview with gaming legend, astronaut and entrepreneur Richard Garriott.

“One of the real magics of this city is how everyone who lives here feels like they are a member of this community and that comes with a sense of joy and responsibility to continue to add to this incredible gem of a city we have here.” 



Want to know more about Austin’s own Richard Garriott? You can cyberstalk him on Twitter, visit his website, read his Wikipedia entry and learn more about his visit to space.

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