Swanky Little Pad

February 10, 2007

We did it!

This morning over 2500 of my neighbors showed up to protest the bloated Walmart that Lincoln Properties wants to jam in place of the rotting corpse of Northcross Mall (eew!). We made a ring not just around the mall, but around the whole block. By my estimation (using Google maps) the line was about 6000 feet long.

I really didn't think there would be enough people, but when we were about a block away, we started to see people in red walking and biking towards Northcross. There was an unusual Saturday morning traffic jam on Burnet. When we parked, I saw people walking along the sidewalk next to the mall. I thought, "Ok, not enough people to circle the building, but if we all walk and hold lengths of ribbon, we'll get the effect." Then I realized those people were just walking to the line that ringed the whole block. The portion of the line that we walked to was about 5 people deep. Suddenly it was clear, there were more than enough people to ring the block along the street.

An organizer asked us to stretch towards Northcross Drive. We moved a ways down, then the word spread, we did it. The line stretched all the way around.

A counter came by, I was #564. The boys were climbing a dumpster. They didn't get numbers.

The protest was supposed to last 10 minutes, but everyone was having such a great time, we stayed about 30 minutes before the line started to break up. Most everyone wore red, but it was cold and the effect was muted by the coats.

Luckily, a lot of people have red coats. And the sun came out just in time for the rest of us to take our coats off.

Spirits were very high. I think it's important that we had such a good time. This community came together, maybe in the biggest way ever. Excuse me if I get a little waxy here, but it was more than a protest, it was a ceremony. Like a wedding, where people are present to say this is a good thing and we are all here to prove it and hold it.

And that is a difficult thing to work against. There have got to be a few people over at Lincoln Properties wondering if they have the stomach to fight so many nice people. We're going to be here long after Walmart is gone, and we throw better parties.

Posted by David at 04:55 PM | Comments (6)

November 16, 2006

Former House for Sale

Shortly after we moved back into our house, we had a regular visitor. He never knocked or introduced himself, but he did park across the street and point at our house a lot with contractors in tow. We're pretty sure we saw the same pickup truck parked in front of this house:

Seeing this little blue house stripped to the boards, I was reminded of the shock when our house was in demo. But at least I knew our house was coming back. The new piers suggest they were planning on rebuilding.

The City of Austin Permit Database says :

DEMOLISH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR ONLY; NO STRUCTURAL DEMOLITION WILL OCCUR.

1ST & 2ND FL ADDN/CREATE DECK MST-BDRM-STUDY-BDRM-BATH-CLOSET-UTILTIY RM-RMDL-REPLACE FLOOR JOIST- 2 PIERS-REPLACE SHEETROCK, WINDOWS-DOORS-SIDING-INSLUATION-ELECT-PLMB-MECH DUCTS-

Two months later, there is still no progress. And a couple of days ago, a "For Sale" sign went up in the yard.

Ouch.

Update: Listing is now online. My favorite part: "0 bedrooms 0 bathrooms". Least favorite part, "$249,000".

Posted by David at 10:06 AM | Comments (4)

August 24, 2006

Flipping Out

Technically speaking, I am not against flipping.

David and I have posted about it before, about our neighborhood and the fact that the vultures are circling as Austin booms and the houses begin to crumble. We don't live in an historic area, and there is little necessary to save of most of the homes here. Once farmland later turned into a suburb, we are now a gentrified inner-city neighborhood with some of the last semi-affordable homes.

The fact is that the houses around here need work, and in many cases, more than just new roofs or polished floors. Some of them need new plumbing to the curb and all new electrical wiring inside and out. Some of them are infested with mold from years of leaky roofs or windows, and none of the original homes have insulation or low-E window panes. The work needed is expensive, time-consuming, and possibly hazardous to those with allergies or asthma. Young couples or families may not want to spend the time or energy updating their homes when they could sell them for much more than they paid even as little as a year ago.

Flippers often take on risks that homeowners are either unwilling or unable to take. They assume financial responsibility for a home that might need more work than they even realize, and they spend a great deal of time and energy working in a trade notorious for unprofessionalism.

My personal beef is when a rehabber does a poor job renovating a home in the neighborhood and then jacks the price up beyond where it should be. This does not improve the neighborhood, it only sets up the new homeowner with a house that has a short shelf-life and it embarasses the whole neighborhood, not to mention inflating prices over the short term and setting up the neighborhood for a fall when the homes begin to fall apart.

But I think there is a time and place for flipping a home. A friend of mine in Virginia recently purchased a home that was mid-renovation from a pair of brothers who were flipping in her neighborhood. They turned a tiny cottage into a family home, big enough for her and her 5 kids. They sold the home below cost, so she had instant equity, and they were true to their one-year warranty so that she could request repairs after she had moved in and given it a test drive.

So, now I turn this over to you. This weighs on my mind because David and I, even with our occasional troubles, loved renovating this house. And, better yet, so far we love the results. And we enjoyed ourselves so much that we've thought about doing it again--picking a home and buying it and updating it both aesthetically but also functionally and then hopefully selling it to someone who can appreciate the details. But... that's flipping, right?

Is there such a thing as ethically flipping a property? I'm especially curious what people from Austin think about this, given all the heat over the McMansion issue. We want to see our neighborhood get better and better. But will the neighbors flip out over another Erwin House in the 'hood?

Posted by Christiane at 10:42 AM | Comments (19)

August 04, 2006

National Night Out

Did I mention that we have the coolest neighbors evah?

Tuesday evening, we enjoyed a National Night Out party hosted by our neighbors on Pasadena, Jack and Layne (I might not be spelling that correctly, hm...). It was a refreshing reminder of the power of community.

I met some of our older residents, those that have been in the 'hood since its inception in 1951. They talked about the changes they have seen over the years, how they watched the neighborhood grow, have families, move away, and pass away, and how families are finally moving back in.

I met some of our brand new residents, some who have been here only a few months. We talked about the homes, what we loved about them and what we would change.

People asked where we live. Our answer was, "The big purple house around the corner." We are "the big purple house" people. Jack laughed at one point, having heard me give this answer two or three times and hearing people respond, "Oh, the big purple house," and said, "You're going to hear that a lot!" Heh, I guess we will.

I stood in a little circle of moms with my next-door neighbor, Sarah. We had a group of newborns, and we talked about the baby boom happening in the area. We talked about having three kids and needing to remodel for more room. We talked about the schools and the preschools and the churches and the parks. We talked about babies, and I imagined hosting coffee (or maybe playing The Playgroup Drinking Game) around my dining room table with the little bits playing in the background.

It was all very pedestrian and picket fences. And I loved it.

We're not in the house yet. I've really been quite stressed out about it, especially about having to move from hotel to hotel as we try to figure out what the actual move-in date will be (will the real deadline please stand up?). I've been stressed about the mess of unpacking, and the craziness of starting a new school year with all of our belongings in boxes and fewer kitchen cabinets than planned (oh, don't get me started).

The National Night Out party totally recharged my batteries. I freaking love this neighborhood, and I was reminded that we are going to be here for a very long time and this week (or two) in a hotel is just a blip on the radar.

If you recognize your neighbors in the picture above, be sure to leave a little note with their names! Sadly, there was so much socializing that I can only remember a few of them!

Posted by Christiane at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2006

Flip, Flop

Flipping is so common in our neighborhood that people regularly pester our contractor and subs about when our house will go on the market. Our 6yo says we should put a Not For Sale sign in the yard.

The house across the street from our rental is a flip. In the past 6 months they bought it, added 400 sqft, and put it back on the market asking double what they paid.

The house was pretty junky to start with and now it looks great from the curb. But when you are flipping a house, it's all about the square footage. Anything else is just a free gift to strangers.

One thing that stands out to me is the roof. They didn't cut the asphalt shingles in the valleys of the roof, they just lapped the pieces over as they fell. It makes me wonder, how many other jobs have they left for the next owners to finish? These flippers I don't know, but the next owners, they're my neighbors.

When I tried to drop by the open house last week, they had already locked the doors and gone home. I assumed it had sold. Not so, I guess.

Posted by David at 10:38 PM | Comments (7)

May 07, 2006

Lost and Found

Yesterday's Violet Crown Festival was the best ever. It was packed to the brim with cool people, great music, tasty eats, and talented artists showcasing their work. Don't forget the kids' events: plenty to do this year from balloon jousting and bouncy castles to giant chess and rock climbing!

While there, I made sure to pick up a few t-shirts supporting both Brentwood Elementary and the festival itself. After all, our oldest helped to create the artwork for the shirts!

Since the soon-to-be Erwin is too small for a tee, I bought her a little sundress from Bonnie Martin-Hudson, owner of MiayaWear.com. Adorable! Can't wait! Sigh!

On the way back to the car, I found this little lovey on the sidewalk in the mud. Someone out there is missing this lovey! Help! Child and lovey reunited! Mission accomplished! Gotta love the internet.

Posted by Christiane at 06:47 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2006

Realty Reality

I got an email today from Realty Austin. They wanted to show off their new home searching tool. Check it out!

Pretty cool, eh? I don't think those are all the houses for sale in our neighborhood--there is one down the street that isn't on there. Still, gives you a really good idea how many homes are on the market in a general area. Summer hasn't even started yet... realtors, start your engines!

Posted by Christiane at 08:27 PM | Comments (2)

April 20, 2006

Out with the Old and In with the...?

I've been chewing on two comments for the past couple of days, and I just can't get them out of my head. Both are from neighbors. The first, from Paul, who came to our open house and chatted about a possible addition for his growing family:

We did get a bid from one contractor before reaching that decision, which was interesting. I think I'll feel more comfortable deciding whether or not our house is worth dropping an extra $150k on in 2-3 years. We may be the type of people who do better with just moving instead of living through a remodel.

The second from Steve who faces the possibility of having a developer building an inappropriate structure right next door to his house:

we have a fixer upper next door to us on piedmont that's been sitting empty for 5 yrs and is now for sale. if it wasn't for the recent mcmansion ordinance my wife and i fear someone would buy the lot, tear down the house, and build a 'metro-home' like that one - 2 stories tall, towering over the neighbors, right up to the property line... is it possible to love thy neighbor but hate their home ?

I've been trying to reconcile these two very real concerns that face a lot of people in the neighborhood.

On the one hand, we've seen three families on our street alone put their houses up for sale this year. These are super-cute houses, perfect for young couples or retirees who want a good yard for a garden. But I can't say I blame growing families for wanting more space. Who am I to determine how much they need exactly? And can I blame them for not wanting to live through a remodel? We don't always make it sound fun :)

There is an advantage to purchasing a home that someone else remodelled and flipped. All I know is that my childrens' elementary school is underenrolled and at some point may come under scrutiny by the state for using too many tax dollars on not enough kids (see Becker Elementary). I'd really love to see these cool families stay put.

On the other hand, I don't blame current, long-term residents for being nervous about the new development that is taking place all over town. There are very legitimate concerns about shade, drainage, energy conservation, privacy and aesthetic appeal. Personally, I love the Metrohouses. I think they are freaking awesome: original, spacious, and green. We toured one last fall and thought it was an excellent use of space, not an inch wasted, and we walked away with a lot of ideas. But it is a big change from the gingerbread houses that line the streets of our neighborhood.

It reminds me of the time about ten years ago when my parents bought a spec home in a new neighborhood under the impression that there would be a fire station on the other side of the fence in their backyard, and instead a development company bid on the land and erected a 3-story, Section 8 apartment complex. My parents and their neighbors went nuts, fought the development, and lost. The developer at least agreed to reduce the last row of apartments from 3 stories to 2.

I am absolutely positive there is a way to resolve this issue so that both parties get what they need, but I don't feel like I personally have the answers. I do know that there are real people on either side of the issue. Real people live in those houses, sometimes kids (kids that go to school with my kids). Real people designed those houses. Real people spent long, hard hours building them. Real people have real feelings, and feelings get hurt.

My first rule of social order: Live and let live. I'm willing to make sacrifices for the good of the community, like increasing urban infill and rewarding green choices as a trade-off for aesthetic autonomy.

My second: Lead by example. Do unto others, and all that good stuff. I might not like the house, but I am going to give my new neighbors the benefit of the doubt. Come on, you know you want to start a Welcome Wagon with me! I wasn't kidding about that one ;-)

I'm sure I will have to eat my words eventually. We're going to have a huge metroplex across the street from us, and who knows what it will actually be like when they finish developing it. I might hate it. There could be giant flood lights that shine into my bedroom windows. There could be non-stop traffic noise. Who knows? I hope I can take a deep breath and deal with it in a civil way.

Posted by Christiane at 09:18 AM | Comments (4)

April 05, 2006

Welcome, Change

Someone posted an interesting article to our neighborhood listserve recently. It expresses some of the concerns our neighborhood retailers have with Crestview Station, the new mixed-use development that will be created on the northeast edge of our area.

With neighbors who have been there since its beginnings, most of its original homes and an old-fashioned shopping center that is a noticeable fixture in the neighborhood near Lamar Boulevard, Crestview seems to sit in a serene time warp, relatively unaltered for more than half a century.

But the close-knit neighborhood is in danger of change. In about three years, after a commuter rail line is built, 73 acres of mixed-use property will be developed, and a younger generation will move in. Crestview's 1950s atmosphere may make its first transition into the new millennium.

Good golly, let's not be melodramatic. Crestview has seen plenty of change since 1951. It faced the deed alterations of the Equal Rights Amendment (and thank goodness it did), it watched double lots sell half and turn them into 60s and 70s homesteads. It watched homeowners die or move away and their houses turn into low-income rentals. It is now experiencing a resurgency of first-time home buyers and young families.

Personally, I'm not worried. I love the Minimax, we can walk to the Little Deli... the acting studio I personally could do without, but that's just me.

I'm not afraid of change. In fact, I welcome it. I have owned a business (two, actually, and once started a non-profit agency), and I understand their risks and rewards. I am a conscientious consumer and I think before I spend. I think the Crestview Shopping Center is going to be just fine.

Don't get me wrong--somebody wants to raze the shopping center and put in a Wal-Mart, and I am going to sit shiva in the parking lot for seven days and then I'm going to raise some hell. I guess I just don't see that happening. I'm optimistic that our neighborhood is going in a very cool direction. I hope Erwin House can be a part of that.

Posted by Christiane at 01:41 PM | Comments (4)

March 01, 2006

Business Roll Call

On Valentine's Day, I found myself at Amy's on Burnet getting a bowl of Belgian chocolate to-go for my Valentine. As I was walking back to my car, I noticed a half-built bar on the other side of the building with two brand new shining taps. Boy, do I love living here.

So here is a short list of the businesses around here that make Crestview a great place to live, and here's hoping there will be a few more on the old Huntsman land.

Burnet Rd. (Burn-it! Dad burn it!)

Amy's. Yea!

Brentwood Tavern. The very first time we went there, they weren't open yet. But the second time, we decided we were regulars and we told them so. We thought the hay in the playground was brilliant, until six months of trampeling ground it into a fine dust. Both kids had asthma attacks.

The Breakfast Land Quad-fecta:
Austin Diner. We are regulars here. Our excuse? We are restaurant-training the kids.
Elsie's. Fastest breakfast tacos in town, even when they're packed!
The Omelettry. An Austin classic.
Curra's. Say "Wah-hawkin'" Coffee. This is the coffee we keep at home. They sell it by the pound at the bar.

Dog Almighty. We discovered Dog Almighty after the hay-dust incident. Hot dogs in an old City of Austin machine shop. They still have the engine lift in there.

El Mercado. Wednesday is enchilada night.

Lamar
What's up with Lamar? Are we missing something?

Ray's Garage. I took my old Bronco there for years. I like that it's local. And I like that it's owned by a woman.

Great Hall Games. Chess club on Wednesday nights. They just built out new rooms with quiet and not quiet areas.

Habitat Restore.

Anderson Ln.
Genuine Joe's. We finally got a good local coffeehouse. Just a couple of things. 1) Sometimes the music is spectacularly bad. Like Kenny-G-does-the-theme-from-Titanic bad. 2) A full two thirds of that building is not coffee shop and all the windows are painted. What the heck is going on in there...?

Terra Toys. Because birthday parties happen.

Zinger Hardware. God bless them and all their cool stuff. What kind of guts does it take to open an independently-owned hardware store?

The Tile Guy. I got all the tile for the downstairs bathroom here. Kevin taught me how to say "cove base" and "mud cap" with confidence. The two new bathrooms are spec'ed out with Tile Guy tile.

ICI Paints. They have the best color-picking system, hands down. And the biggest paint chips.

Alamo Drafthouse Village. Thank Quentin Tarantino for that scene in Pulp Fiction. Now you can get a real beer in a glass in a movie theater.

Discount Electronics. Buy and sell cheap tech stuff. Every high-tech shopping trip starts here.

Crestview Triangle
Crestview Minimax. They have soy milk!

Little Deli. Turkey Mozzarella on a Kaiser, no tomato. (Christiane adds: Turkey on French, no onion, no cheese. Extra pickle, plz.)

Justin Ln.
La La's Little Nugget. We had to write off La La's for the sheer, choking volume of smoke, but I just realized the new smoking ordinance puts them back on our list. Or, at least, after the baby arrives.

Posted by David at 04:07 PM | Comments (3)

February 22, 2006

Crestview Station Web Site

I just stumbled upon www.crestviewstation.com.

Seems to be a quickie site. They just posted a pdf of a print brochure and translated it to Flash. Still, there are grainy maps and artists depictions. The PDF is 1,143 KB, and has the most detail. I'm sure there is a lot to learn, but for now it all looks like good news. I'm pretty happy that the view from our deck will be roof tops and not chemical plant pipes, or the ass-end of a movie theater.

Posted by David at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)

February 18, 2006

Crestview Station

We got a notice in the mail alerting us to an application for site development at Crestview Station (where the old Huntsman chemical plant rests in peace).

The applicant is proposing to construct four multi-family buildings and four parking garages, with associated streets and utilities.

The applicant in question is Bury + Partners. I'm excited--these are the people that did the GSD&M building across from Whole Foods. When building, they were very careful to reduce impervious cover and the drainage impact on Shoal Creek, preserve existing natural resources on the banks of the creek, and promote water conservation through xeriscaping.

A quick look at the application website doesn't reveal much detail, so I googled it. The basics about the site development were reported in the Austin Biz Journal last July, including an overview:

• 150,000 square feet of retail and office space.
  
• Roughly 500 single-family lots.
  
• Up to 600 multifamily units.
  
• Upgrades to existing ball fields.
  
• Environmental cleanup with a price tag exceeding $3 million.
  

I'm particularly interested in the "cleanup." Every few weeks last fall, we would hear a strange noise coming from Huntsman, a loud hissing sound that permeated our home even with all the windows and doors closed. Usually the noise lasted less than 10 minutes, but one night it droned on for over an hour. We called the fire department, and they went to investigate, but we never found out what the source of the noise was. It sounded eerily like gas escaping from a pipe. It wasn't exactly comforting.

I heard some neighborhood buzz a while back about not wanting a direct thru-road to Crestview from this new neighborhood. I'm not sure I understood why. If I were a parent moving into one of those new homes or condos, my greatest concern would be the walkability of getting to and from the elementary school every day. I'd love to see more families move into the area, but I wouldn't blame anyone for being a little freaked out about their kiddos having to cross the lightrail tracks. The journal article mentions "narrow streets, alleys, ponds and community parks easily reachable from every home;" I hope they are thinking about pedestrian safety as they develop the plans.

Apparently there was also a Statesman article (cached but not up on the Statesman site) that noted:

• 550-600 apartments will be built in three and four story buildings at a density of 60 units per acre.
  
• 500 single family lots will only be 25-30 feet wide.
  
• 150,000 sf of retail and office space will be built into six two-story buildings with retail on ground floor and office above.
  
• 17 acre North Austin Optimists ball fields will be preserved as well as 4 more acres for open space.
  

Wahoo! They're keeping the ballparks.

As for the businesses... I have to admit that Burnet Road just keeps getting cooler. I remember that 12 years ago, when I used to take Cap Metro up to Northcross Mall from the campus area for a summer job, I thought that Burnet Road was a concrete jungle. Nowadays (and I am sure David will expound on this), it seems like it just keeps attracting and sustaining funky mom-and-pops. I rarely leave north-central Austin to do my shopping or go out to eat. I hope North Lamar starts catching up ;-)

Posted by Christiane at 10:36 PM | Comments (3)

February 14, 2006

Come On In

Spring must be around the corner because I've caught the gardening bug.

I was driving around our neighborhood admiring some of the landscaping people have done. I started taking pictures, but when I got home I noticed that it isn't really the right time of year to do justice to their yards.

What I ended up with were some pictures of some really cool front entrances. David has always talked about entrances, how they should be a warm transition between the inside and outside worlds, not just "a door." We talk a lot about what the space should look and feel like just inside the front door, but we haven't talked much about the outside.

Today, I saw some doors that just said, "Come on in..." or don't! The porches, patios, or stoops were just as inviting. I only drove up and down three or four streets, so this cross-section certainly doesn't represent all of the really cool doors in the neighborhood, but it gives one a feel for the diversity of styles and messages.

Some things I noticed:

• There are a lot of red doors in our area.
  
• There is a lot of super-cool and funky ironwork at many of the entrances.
  
• I think it is really impressive when people have glass front doors. To me, it says a lot about feeling like you live in a safe place.
  
• The numbers and mailboxes are often as unique as the houses.
  

Our neighborhood was built using a lot of very generic floorplans and facades. Over the years, people have made amazing modifications. What shocks me is when two houses that started out looking pretty much the same evolve into two totally unique homes, one Spanish courtyard and the next French cottage. Some have had the siding redone in cob or adobe, others in metal siding. Reminds me of the Brentwood/Crestview bumper stickers that say "Close In But Far Out." Where can I get one of those?!

Posted by Christiane at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2006

An Angled Setback

From the Austin Chronicle

"At last Thursday's City Council meeting it was McCracken vs. McMansions. A resolution initiating changes to city code to ensure that development is consistent with existing neighborhoods, sponsored by McCracken, passed unanimously. Council is set to vote on similar interim rules at tonight's meeting to quell a perceived influx of building permits before the so-called McMansion ordinance is finalized in March. Materials accompanying the proposed measure state that 'due to an increase in property values and the desire to live in Austin's central city area, many property owners are demolishing or moving smaller older homes and replacing them with larger homes known as McMansions.' The new ordinance would seek to regulate such constructions by employing any number of the following methods: changing the maximum allowed building height for single-family uses, creating a new floor-to-area ratio (meaning the ratio of building square footage to lot size), applying compatibility standards to new homes or remodeled homes with significant additions, revising building setbacks for homes exceeding a certain size, limiting home size based on the average size of nearby homes, or providing an angled stepback from the front property line of the lot so a new or remodeled home would not tower over the adjacent street. - D.M."

Seriously? They put the word "McMansion" in the official language? Can we replace "smaller older homes" with "Cracker Box Houses"?

I'm not against the City Council addressing this issue. I'm just against them being silly about it.

Posted by David at 08:37 AM | Comments (1)