How walkable is my neighborhood?

I live in LoBu (Lower Burnet Rd.) in Austin, Texas. Burnet Rd. is an important north-south artery. Our area of Burnet Rd., between 45th Street and Anderson Lane, traverses several neighborhoods: Rosedale, Brentwood, Allandale and Crestview.  We used to be in the flight path but no longer.

Have enjoyed this area for a long time. My street has always been a mix, a mishmash of apartment complexes, homes, and duplexes. Back in 1996 when I moved in, we had a fair number of shacks, sub-standard housing with cheap rent. This traditionally had been a blue collar area, with honky tonk bars and drive-in movies, must have had a real edge of town feel back in the 1960s. That included Threadgill's, the bar and gas station where Kenneth Threadgill taught Janis Joplin how to sing.

This area  evolved into a twenty-something neighborhood, with young people living the Austin low budget lifestyle. Some attended the University of Texas. There has always been a high turnover rate with the young folks moving in and out.  The same youth have noisy parties on summer evenings. You definitely hear bands belting out numbers at house parties during South By Southwest (SXSW).

Lately the neighborhood has been gentrifying. You see more people walking their dogs and pushing baby strollers than you did back in 1996. An explosion of coffee shops and restaurants has happened along this portion of Burnet Rd.. Cappuccinos are  more readily available here than on the Via Veneto in Rome. With great coffee comes great laptops, and diligent yuppies lurk everywhere being creative. I'm using one as we speak. People want to live close to the center of town and this neighborhood has been booming for the last decade.

Is the neighborhood better or worse as a result? LoBu has been thriving. The demographic shift towards the center of the city, with more people wanting to walk more and drive less, bodes well for the future. However, our neighborhood is not ideal for walking. My street lacks sidewalks, a carry-over from the era when you got in the car for every errand. Most of the walking around here is for exercise or relaxation, but let's celebrate the change-- it is walking! Change is in the air.