Before I start, I want to thank my daughter Rosa for increasing my readership by 50%. She brough in Mica from northwest Arkansas! And thanks also to Joe Russell and Kathryn in Waco! But on to the story...
I decided to google Burnet Road and I quickly came to a cyber-voice, a guy named Josh Hikes, with a less than enthusiastic depiction of the place we call home. I’ll just quote Josh in a minute here. What’s interesting was the 138 photos he devoted to what he descries as desultory pavement. He was in town to run a marathon back in 2006. I’ve included the link so you can enjoy Josh’s interesting photos of the wild world of LoBu. Here’s Josh Hikes' opening comment:
“Burnet Road- & other desultory pavement along the 2006 3m half-marathon course…not a pretty street, in a so-called progressive town, in Tom DeLay's home state, Burnet Road was at the heart of the 2006 3M half-marathon route last February. It actually began at the Gateway shopping center and there were plenty of eyesores even before Burnet Road, which are also included for your viewing pleasure.”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshhikes/sets/
Compare and contrast that viewpoint with Patrick Caldwell and Joseph Devens, reporters for the Daily Texan, the student newspaper for The University of Texas at Austin. They did a Burnet Road cover story for DT Weekend, the February 8, 2007 and their subtitle --“and a giant octopus to boot”—refers to an exotic piece of advertising sculpture above the Atomic Tattoo shop, well-covered photographically by none other than Josh Hikes, the guy with an anti-Burnet chip on his shoulder!
Here are Patrick and Joseph from the Daily Texan.
bright lights, neon street
and a giant octopus to boot
“Far from the crowds and expense of the Drag and even farther from the noise of Sixth Street is a charming Austin road that’s not only keeping our city weird, but fully stocked with light bulbs and tropical fish as well. Burnet Road, pronounced “bur-net” by out-of-towners and “burn-it” by locals, links 45th Street to Highway 183 with a string of some of the most unusual eye-catching and ridiculous shops and eateries in this town.
“In the daytime, buildings on Burnet compete in a hilarious popularity contest, each one trying furiously to attract more attention than its neighbor. One is disguised as a modernist painting, and another features a giant plaster octopus with a human skull for a head. Then at nighttime, motorists are privy to some of the best neon displays the city has to offer. There is literally something for everyone on Burnet, be you a pirate, a spy, an artist, a musician, a pinball wizard or just someone looking for a good omelot. This weekend, feast your brain on the kaleidoscope of the weird and lovely that has become one of Austin’s premier hotspots.
“It may lack a hip name, but Burnet, with its mixture of top-notch eateries and specialty shops, is worth the trip. Now is the perfect time to hit up oneo fthe city’s best kept secrets. Make said excursion today—before the eventual Wal Mart at Northcross brings an element of existential despair to the area—and be able to tell all your friends you were doing it before it was cool.”
I agree with all of the Daily Texan commentary—except that Burnet Road is actually called “burn-net” by everybody, even the Austin natives. It is the town of Burnet, Texas that Texans refer to as “burn-it” and that’s down the road a piece in Burnet County. Burnet, Texas was the original destination of Burnet Road-- despite the varying pronunciations.
And do check out Josh's photos 'cause Burnet Road is a fabulous place!
