AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics - Page 10

JoninATX · #**181** Posted **Jan 4, 2015, 8:51 PM**

Ripping off Austin popularity and giving Tex - Mex a bad name. No salt, bland and under cooked? I suggest the owners as well as the employees fly out to Austin to see how real Tex Mex is done if they plan on staying in business.

SkyPie · #**182** Posted **Jan 4, 2015, 9:13 PM**

Any Mexican restaurant that says this on their website would be suspect to me: "And, of course, our authentic charbroiled chicken wings."

KevinFromTexas · #**183** Posted **Jan 5, 2015, 2:14 AM**

Yeah.

Goothrey · #**184** Posted **Jan 13, 2015, 11:48 PM**

Has anybody here watched the Austin episode of the Foo Fighters HBO Sonic Highways show? I did a search and only came up with a post about the cover art.

It's pretty good. Talks a little about Austin's growth toward the end and the concern about it being just another city.

JoninATX · #**185** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 9:09 AM**

I saw the Effiel Tower that used to sit in front of the antique store off Lamar the other day. It was in a back of flatbed trailer separated into 3 sections, and was parked right out front of Hampton Inn off 2nd St. Looks like they refurbished it as well as painted it a darker brown color. But Iwas thrilled to see the tower again.

The ATX · #**186** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 9:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I saw the Effiel Tower that used to sit in front of the antique store off Lamar the other day. It was in a back of flatbed trailer separated into 3 sections, and was parked right out front of Hampton Inn off 2nd St. Looks like they refurbished it as well as painted it a darker brown color. But Iwas thrilled to see the tower again.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Got any pictures?

TXLove · #**187** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoninATX

I saw the Effiel Tower that used to sit in front of the antique store off Lamar the other day. It was in a back of flatbed trailer separated into 3 sections, and was parked right out front of Hampton Inn off 2nd St. Looks like they refurbished it as well as painted it a darker brown color. But Iwas thrilled to see the tower again.

Hey I was just wondering about where the replica Effiel Tower went. I think we are talking about the same one that was located where MLK begins at Lamar Blvd right? Wonder if it is going back to that location

KevinFromTexas · #**188** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 6:16 PM**

^Yeah, I've seen it there a few times, too. I haven't been through there in a long time, though. I didn't know it was gone. I just checked, and there's a bank there now.

JoninATX · #**189** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 6:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXLove

Hey I was just wondering about where the replica Effiel Tower went. I think we are talking about the same one that was located where MLK begins at Lamar Blvd right? Wonder if it is going back to that location

Correct, it was called Dreyfus Antiques.

JoninATX · #**190** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 6:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

I have no idea what you are talking about. Got any pictures?

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/W..._Austin_TX_USA

On the link above tells about the history of Austin's Effiel Tower, I thought it was very interesting that a French artist named Monsieur Valtat created this 21ft. replica for the 100 year anniversary to the original Effiel Tower in Paris.

The ATX · #**191** Posted **Jan 18, 2015, 8:05 PM**

That's interesting. I can't believe I never heard of or saw it before.

Slappy · #**192** Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 5:14 PM**

Funny story, Dreyfus Antiques actually had the Eiffel tower removed during the whole Iraq/Bush/Freedom Fries shitstorm of 2003 because they were getting bomb threats. It went back up several months later but what a chaotic, dark time that was.

Tech House · #**193** Posted **Jan 21, 2015, 7:00 PM**

Random question: What's the average life expectancy for the type of typical highrise currently being built in Austin? Those 400-footers that are popping up like mushrooms after the rain, how long are they reasonably expected to stay in use? Everything that rises eventually falls. I look at all that concrete and steel and it got me wondering... My guess, without googling it, is around 100 years. Not that the buildings would collapse at that point, but that they're expected to be in reasonably good, sound condition for that long, provided they receive adequate maintenance. Am I in the ball park?

AusTxDevelopment · #**194** Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 4:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech House

Random question: What's the average life expectancy for the type of typical highrise currently being built in Austin? Those 400-footers that are popping up like mushrooms after the rain, how long are they reasonably expected to stay in use? Everything that rises eventually falls. I look at all that concrete and steel and it got me wondering... My guess, without googling it, is around 100 years. Not that the buildings would collapse at that point, but that they're expected to be in reasonably good, sound condition for that long, provided they receive adequate maintenance. Am I in the ball park?

Austin's two oldest highrises are The Littllefield Building and The Scarbrough Building, both built in 1910 (105 years old) and they are in great shape. Norwood Tower was built in 1929 (86 years old). Those are pretty young compared to some of the buildings on the east coast. Once a building gets historical designation, it isn't going anywhere regardless of how old it gets unless it becomes structurally unsound. A glass and steel box is not likely to get historical designation but who knows what the world will be like 100 years from now?

KevinFromTexas · #**195** Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 8:12 PM**

^He's asking about concrete framed buildings, though. Those you mentioned have steel frames.

I would guess they'll be fine. The type thing that damages concrete are the elements - rain and freezing temperatures mostly, but since the bulk of the skeleton of the building is internal, they should be fine. I do wonder about ones with large exposed sections of concrete such as The Monarch (the wings) and Four Seasons Residences (the balconies) - and any concrete balconies that hang out there for that matter. The balconies on 360 look insane from the street.

AusTxDevelopment · #**196** Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 9:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

^He's asking about concrete framed buildings, though. Those you mentioned have steel frames.

I would guess they'll be fine. The type thing that damages concrete are the elements - rain and freezing temperatures mostly, but since the bulk of the skeleton of the building is internal, they should be fine. I do wonder about ones with large exposed sections of concrete such as The Monarch (the wings) and Four Seasons Residences (the balconies) - and any concrete balconies that hang out there for that matter. The balconies on 360 look insane from the street.

Good point. It got me thinking. Google tells me, via Auburn University, that the first concrete skyscraper was the Ingalls Building, built in 1904, which is still in use. So 111 years is as far as we've gotten in modern times. The Pantheon in Rome is made of concrete and was built in 200 AD, but that's not relevant to how we build today. If you want to get all science-y, there is a paper called "Concrete Structures For 1,000 Years Of Lifespan - Part 1", link below, but that's just me getting sucked into the Google rabbit hole. I need to step away from the Google and get back to work. Haha.

Timeline of Concrete (Auburn University): http://www.auburn.edu/academic/archi...e/timeline.htm

Concrete Structures For 1,000 Years Of Lifespan: https://www4.uwm.edu/cbu/Papers/2003...ts/REP-506.pdf

KevinFromTexas · #**197** Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 10:39 PM**

http://www.chatterblock.com/articles...ing-to-austin/

Quote:

Slide The City Coming To Austin
By Joelle Blaikie, Published Jan 22, 2015 - Tagged in Summertime Fun, Things To Do

The massive 1,000 foot slip-and-slide is said to be coming to the streets of Austin! While dates and location are still TBD, Austin has been added to the expected locations of Slide the City- a summer event you definitely won't want to miss.

Slide The City has added a number of new cities to their planned locations, and they've officially added Austin to the list. While no date is set, the site says that it will be "Coming Soon".

midtownstarbucky · #**198** Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 11:00 PM**

How will what is happening in Switzerland (DAVOS), this week, change the Austin/Texas environment?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGLJXO08IYo

The ATX · #**199** Posted **Jan 25, 2015, 9:06 PM**

I watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel today, and the entire episode was about the food scene in Dallas-Fort Worth. But they had an extensive segment on Lockhart and even showed the Austin skyline. But they represented it as Dallas-Fort Worth.

Tech House · #**200** Posted **Jan 26, 2015, 12:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country

I watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel today, and the entire episode was about the food scene in Dallas-Fort Worth. But they had an extensive segment on Lockhart and even showed the Austin skyline. But they represented it as Dallas-Fort Worth.

That's messed up. Did you see the episode he did in Austin during SXSW? It was excellent. It used to be available on YouTube, and I commented beneath it that if I didn't already live here, that show would make me want to move here ASAP. Very flattering, and it was done during a particularly warm wet March so everything was verdant.