AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by clubtokyo

What could Austin have as a unique skyline symbol?

A revolving bar/restaurant/observation deck called The Violet Crown.

[clubtokyo]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

A revolving bar/restaurant/observation deck called The Violet Crown.

Seems legit.

[drummer]

So, if you could combine that with "Hi How are you?" and a bat, it'd be perfect.

[Flatiron]

I love the revolving tower/restaurant idea!

[drummer]

Not directly related to Austin so I'm placing it in the off-topic section. Given the transportation issues in the greater Austin area, folks have pointed to the Chinese "solution" to similar problems with an elevated bus. If I recall, most folks on this forum didn't think it was the best idea. It seems that folks in China might agree:

China's famous elevated bus is now just a giant roadblock

After seizing the world's attention over the summer, China's futuristic elevated bus appears to have reached the end of the line.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/19/tech...page_tech_pool

[smith_atx]

With all the talk of museums and sports stadiums on the forum, I was just looking around at the map for open spaces. Does anyone know if this land has ever been considered for redevelopment?

[SkyPie]

Yes, here's an old Statesman article on it: http://www.mystatesman.com/business/...s8FUqMZcpQmVP/.

I know there's a conceptual layout of the site somewhere in one of the threads on here but I don't recall where. Haven't heard anything about this project in a long time.

[LoneStarMike]

Originally Posted by SkyPie

I know there's a conceptual layout of the site somewhere

I think this is the master plan

http://rbjcenter.org/includes/pdf/RB...port_Final.pdf

[smith_atx]

Originally Posted by SkyPie

Yes, here's an old Statesman article on it: http://www.mystatesman.com/business/...s8FUqMZcpQmVP/.

I know there's a conceptual layout of the site somewhere in one of the threads on here but I don't recall where. Haven't heard anything about this project in a long time.

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

I think this is the master plan

http://rbjcenter.org/includes/pdf/RB...port_Final.pdf

Thanks for the links.

[drummer]

You know, the RBJ site truly isn't a horrible location for a stadium. Right along I-35, relative proximity to downtown and the existing metro station, near the hike & bike trail, and could be tied into the city parkland and trails around Lady Bird Lake.

I still like the Statesman site first and the AHS or Amtrak station area second. RBJ's certainly not horrible, but it wouldn't at all fit into their current plan for developing that land, assuming they're still sticking to that. I don't know how the surrounding neighborhood would take a pro stadium there, however.

[The ATX]

This is a proposed homeless shelter in San Jose. Pretty damn nice.


http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/0...first-meeting/

[We vs us]

Thought you all should know that this week, the city's been hosting the annual meeting of PCMA -- the Professional Convention Managers Association. PCMA is really the premier meeting planner organization in North America, and we've had several days of high value convention planners traipsing through the streets. Folks arrived on Friday, stayed through the weekend and today is their departure day. Generally, you should know that 1) Visit Austin killed it. Like, absolutely slayed it. And 2) for the closing party last night, they hosted a Willie Nelson concert at the Austin American Statesman site.

It worked like a charm. The stage + beer/liquor stations were setup outside in the loading dock area with an amazing views of downtown, and inside the warehouse proper was another stage and food kiosks manned by Emmer and Rye, Second + Bar and Kitchen, Uchiko, and other local staples. Buses -- and pedicabs! -- staged outside in the turnaround area to ferry people to and from hotels. The feedback has been universally positive. Not just about the Statesman site, or the concert, or the hotels, etc, but the city of course sells itself effortlessly. Sometimes you forget how excellent we have it here, and people from all over the country and world spoke to me personally about what a surprise Austin is.

Living up to the hype is tough, y'all, but we do it pretty much every day.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by jbssfelix

Which is something I find confusing. It has sailed through mostly untouched by staff, by commission (aka people personally appointed by councilmembers), and now council (aka, the non-experts) want to pick it apart even after it's been deemed "just fine as-is" up to this point.

Exactly. It's the same political pandering that left us with Trump. Council will sit up there and say what they know their likely voters want to hear. I bar-tended at the Four Seasons through out my UT days in the 90's....and I was there on election night a couple times with big time politicos in bar (Clayton Williams was there with a bunch of people to watch Bush beat Ann Richards). I can say without a doubt, for example, that Texas Republican candidates (W-specifically) couldn't care less about LGBT issues. They care about money, industry, and saying whatever it takes to their potential voters to get elected.

It's easy to scare voters and act like you are the knight riding up to help them. Voters eat that up.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Thought you all should know that this week, the city's been hosting the annual meeting of PCMA -- the Professional Convention Managers Association. PCMA is really the premier meeting planner organization in North America, and we've had several days of high value convention planners traipsing through the streets. Folks arrived on Friday, stayed through the weekend and today is their departure day. Generally, you should know that 1) Visit Austin killed it. Like, absolutely slayed it. And 2) for the closing party last night, they hosted a Willie Nelson concert at the Austin American Statesman site.

It worked like a charm. The stage + beer/liquor stations were setup outside in the loading dock area with an amazing views of downtown, and inside the warehouse proper was another stage and food kiosks manned by Emmer and Rye, Second + Bar and Kitchen, Uchiko, and other local staples. Buses -- and pedicabs! -- staged outside in the turnaround area to ferry people to and from hotels. The feedback has been universally positive. Not just about the Statesman site, or the concert, or the hotels, etc, but the city of course sells itself effortlessly. Sometimes you forget how excellent we have it here, and people from all over the country and world spoke to me personally about what a surprise Austin is.

Living up to the hype is tough, y'all, but we do it pretty much every day.

That is always great to hear. Thanks for the info.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Dcbrickley

Exactly. It's the same political pandering that left us with Trump. Council will sit up there and say what they know their likely voters want to hear. I bar-tended at the Four Seasons through out my UT days in the 90's....and I was there on election night a couple times with big time politicos in bar (Clayton Williams was there with a bunch of people to watch Bush beat Ann Richards). I can say without a doubt, for example, that Texas Republican candidates (W-specifically) couldn't care less about LGBT issues. They care about money, industry, and saying whatever it takes to their potential voters to get elected.

It's easy to scare voters and act like you are the knight riding up to help them. Voters eat that up.

Funny how an issue of the (almost entirely Democratic and Left) Austin city council suddenly became bashing of Trump/Bush/Republicans.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Funny how an issue of the (almost entirely Democratic and Left) Austin city council suddenly became bashing of Trump/Bush/Republicans.

Austin City Council is often Democrat in name only.

[lzppjb]

Dems pander just as much. Don't try to demonize one side without looking in the mirror. It's a politician thing, not a right or left thing.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Thought you all should know that this week, the city's been hosting the annual meeting of PCMA -- the Professional Convention Managers Association. PCMA is really the premier meeting planner organization in North America, and we've had several days of high value convention planners traipsing through the streets. Folks arrived on Friday, stayed through the weekend and today is their departure day. Generally, you should know that 1) Visit Austin killed it. Like, absolutely slayed it. And 2) for the closing party last night, they hosted a Willie Nelson concert at the Austin American Statesman site.

It worked like a charm. The stage + beer/liquor stations were setup outside in the loading dock area with an amazing views of downtown, and inside the warehouse proper was another stage and food kiosks manned by Emmer and Rye, Second + Bar and Kitchen, Uchiko, and other local staples. Buses -- and pedicabs! -- staged outside in the turnaround area to ferry people to and from hotels. The feedback has been universally positive. Not just about the Statesman site, or the concert, or the hotels, etc, but the city of course sells itself effortlessly. Sometimes you forget how excellent we have it here, and people from all over the country and world spoke to me personally about what a surprise Austin is.

Living up to the hype is tough, y'all, but we do it pretty much every day.

That's cool to hear. I heard that Willie Nelson played the Statesman site, and I was wondering what that was about.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Funny how an issue of the (almost entirely Democratic and Left) Austin city council suddenly became bashing of Trump/Bush/Republicans.

I'm an equal opportunity basher. Just making the point that both sides pander. I have voted for both sides many times.

Hillary panders too.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

Dems pander just as much. Don't try to demonize one side without looking in the mirror. It's a politician thing, not a right or left thing.

yep