On this day… in 2015

For many years now, Austin’s runaway growth has – for me – been symbolized by the many overhead cranes that can be seen all around town but particularly downtown. I work in a building right next to the Cap building and, during early 2015, there were 8 of these cranes visible to me on my walk to and from the State employee’s parking garage. This where the Dell Medical School – Health Discovery Building and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas were then being built. The photo was taken from the top of the parking garage at 14th and Trinity looking north east towards Waller Creek that runs more or less north-south through the eastern part of downtown. Also visible in the background of the photo above, is the – soon to be demolished – drum-like Frank Erwin Center where I saw so many concerts and basketball games in my youth.

Below, is a recent selfie taken on December 8th of 2022 while I was walking along the sky-rim elevated backend of the Moody Ampitheater overlooking Waller Creek there in the recently re-designed park. See map screenshot below that indicates whereabouts I was in the selfie.

ADDENDUM: This excerpt from a recent article by Lawrence Wright captures some of the alienation we Austinites feel in our own hometown…

“After the induction ceremony, Roberta and I spent a night in the W hotel, adjacent to the Moody Theatre, where “Austin City Limits” is taped. When Roberta opened the blinds, we had a sensation known to every longtime resident: we had no idea where we were. It was difficult even to discern what direction we were facing, because skyscrapers blocked the horizon. Ten building cranes were visible from that one window. Today, two projects are competing to claim the title of tallest building in Texas, one at seventy-four stories and the other at eighty.”

– The New Yorker