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SoCo Starting to Look More and More Like SoHo
SoCo is getting another face-lift. Hipper, trendier, more expensive. And as happy as we are to see Austin continue to grow, we wonder with more and more trendy businesses and shoppers flooding our neighborhood, where the hell are we going to move when our rent becomes too astronomical?
The urbane gentrification of South Congress district will be getting another boost in the coming year, as what was once Capitol Car Credit will be transformed into a mixed-use area for eating, retail and condo living. The trendy and expensive By George will be opening a third location on the lot, as will the delicious Mars Restaurant and Bar and some new faces such as specialty grocer Cissi's Market.
Now, sit down for this next part, and hold tight. The new project will be called "04," a reference (duh) to the last two digits of the zip code of that once bohemian, and in some places downright broke, part of South Austin. The "South Austin: Were All Here Cause We're Not All There" bumper stickers have been around since we were born in South Austin in the mid-70's, but we are thinking they may need to change to "South Austin: We're All Here Cause We're Not All in SoHo or Aspen."
Rob Lippincott, the co-owner of the very popular Guerro's, will be developing the retail and office space with two business partners. The same partners will also be the ones behind the 28-unit, five-story condos being built on the property. The retail should be up-and-running by August, just in time for visitors from California in for ACL Fest to come and spend their dollars, while the condos should be ready by this time next year.
We'd love to criticize this project all day, but that would just be sour grapes...we guess. At least the merchants will all be local businesses, and we were somewhat heartened to read that the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association apparently was ok with the development, after taking serious issue with the initial plans, which called for a second residential building that would have been much more intrusive and disruptive to the neighborhood.
So, all of you haters of the yuppification of SoCo get ready. Cause it's about to get a lot thicker down South. Of course, it beats hookers and gun stores and drug addicts....doesn't it?
Maybe we're just jealous because we will never be able to afford to shop there. We will miss our neighborhood when the rent prices or development finally force us out. In the meantime, we will swing by the new Mars at happy hour for one decently-priced drink and gaze longingly at the yuppie women in hopes they will feel sorry for us and buy us a second drink. Or at least offer us a job so we can buy our own drink.
