Living Under A Bridge

Near our highrise, there is a pedestrian bridge over Shoal Creek. There are apparently homeless people living underneath it. Among the mess is a rental bike. If a hard rain comes, this camp would be in some danger, I think. It's a shame people have to live this way.

Where Once the Trains Ran

It's easy to forget standing amidst the downtown skyscrapers that trains used to run along the south side of Third Street. But next to the pedestrian bridge across Shoal Creek where Third deadends there is an old railway bridge. Vines and weeds are trying to take it over. (There is still a train track that crossed Lady Bird Lake and circles around to the west to travel up the middle of Mopac eventually.)

Abandoned with the Bird

Jackie found this one day on the 3rd Street Pedestrian Bridge. As with all our abandoned stuff photos, she didn't move or tamper with it 'in situ.' That's the new 2nd Street (auto and pedestrian) bridge in the background. And the new trail leading to and under it. Neither has opened as we await completion of the new library and other buildings.

Maybe it will be done in our lifetime--

I know that street construction takes time, but I wish we could have a respite from it sometime soon.

I shot this photo a few weeks ago from the end of our hall.

Blind Corner

There is a pedestrian bike bridge near our house with a bike path coming up that used to connect with a really blind corner. That part of the path has been closed for a while but the sign and the flowers make a nice composition I think.

Delish F1

Everyone got into the act for F1 including this cupcake shop on Third (Delish Bakery).

Dance on the Street

Shot this from the street the other day as ballet dancers worked in the Armstrong Connelly studio at Ballet Austin.

Architectural Bit

FFP took this shot of the logo of an organization on Third Street with the Chase Building as a background. Here's a shot from over two years ago of the same sign taken while walking west on Third. That shot, if repeated today, would look different.

Mural Saved, Detail

When the building occupied by Las Manitas and Tesoros Trading was torn down to make way for a hotel (which has yet to start because of the economy), I thought this mural was lost. I recorded it here. However, the mural was saved and placed along Third Street on that block. I've shown a detail here. Many times these murals are lost and only preserved through photos. This one was constructed and painted on wood so it was salvageable but it is also weathering as time goes by.

Downtown Living: Another Version

Steps from downtown there are all sorts of living arrangements. These houses, which appear to be one property, are a block from the Austin Convention Center on Third Street. They are for sale or lease if you are ready to move a little closer to the action. It wouldn't surprise me if they had commercial zoning.

Address

These numbers are above our condo's main door on Third Street. The official address is on the cross street however. Since the building takes up that block, I think the developers were allowed to select a street number that equaled the name of the building. Our building is currently the tallest residential building in downtown Austin and, in fact, the tallest building be a few feet. But people still look blank when we say where we live.

Red and Blue

In our building there is a new Italian coffee and spirits bar. They had an Italian scooter outside with their name on it, Blu, the other day. Apparently color is kind of a theme for places in the building. A wine bar, Mulberry, is decked in red. And a Royal Blue Grocery will move in soon.

Dancin' On The Street

As we walked home from La Traviata (not the opera, a restaurant on Congress Ave.) last night along Third Street we saw a class at Ballet Austin. When we were in capital campaign meetings dreaming about this facility there was talk of bringing the downtown community into dance with a glass-walled studio on a street that was on what would become a vibrant street in a vibrant neighborhood. I think it's happening. Not all dreams come true. But, sometimes....