Debate in the Austin American Statesman

Apartment complexes are springing up in the Burnet Road area of North Central Austin, the neighborhood I have coined "LoBu"-- for Lower Burnet. I envision the LoBu neighborhood as the Burnet Road corridor, bounded on the south by 45th Street and going all the way up to 183.

The heart of LoBu, however, occurs south of Anderson Lane.  And the heart of the heart  of LoBu is the Burnet Road strip south of Koenig Lane. Remember this is "lower" Burnet Road.

LoBu also happens to be one of the happening nodes for Austin development, a place for the rapid building of apartment complexes, condos, pricey duplex residences and the popping up of restaurants in the neighborhood previously know as Brentwood. The city even planted a stone with the word "Brentwood" on it over by the Omelettry. The Omelettry was a LoBu fixture long before there was a LoBu. The Omelettry, a restaurant especially known for its breakfast and brunch menu, only accepts cash. How cool is that in the era of plastic!

So the Austin American Statesman did a feature on LoBu, on February 11, 2013, entitled "Burst of Growth Raises Hackles in Brentwood." The article considered the possible downside of the plethora of building as an assault on "the dynamics of the neighborhood."

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/burst-of-growth-raises-hackles-in-brentwood/nWLQP/

The Statesman fortunately printed a great rebuttal letter from Heath Hignight on Feb. 14. Hignight was critical of the overly simplistic argument posed by the original article. Heath took issue with the paper's knee jerk assumptions, "Neighborhood folks are against growth; developers and 20-something singles are for it." Bravo Heath!  Heath pointed out an advantage of the new business establishments-- they allow for walking to take care of many shopping needs as opposed to using the automobile at all times.

LoBu has to be North Central's burgeoning best answer to SoCo, the notorious hotspot of Austin hipness just south of the river. And certainly South Austin carries a certain bohemian bonhome. Loyalists to the South Austin experience feel the closer proximity to San Antonio and sympatico Tex-Mex culture, make everything down there inherently superior to the north side. Go far enough north and you do achieve dull Dallas suburbanicity and cookie cutter conformity. But, LoBu actually has a blue collar soul, the original home of Threadgill's gas station and beer joint, the place where Janis Joplin learned how to yodel at the side of Kenneth Threadgill. LoBu used to be the outskirts of town, a place for drive-in movies, bowling alleys and honky tonks. So be it SoCo. We're like you were fifteen years ago, the new kid on the happening block.