The developers of Spring Condominium -- one of the most affordable downtown properties, with 1-bedrooms starting in the low $200's -- announced today that they're on board to help lighten the load of back-taxes owed by East Austin residents. If East Austin Conservancy raises $25,000 for its new Preserve Eastside Affordability campaign, Spring Austin Partners will match the funds. more ›

This should come as no surprise to those living in Central Austin. With low rent (well, it used to be low) and the area's close proximity to downtown, it’s actually shocking that it took this long for East Austin to become part of the gentrification process. In addition, the recent development of high-capacity condo and apartment buildings catering to the young and hip made it even more appealing. more ›

A group hoping to capitalize on the anti-gentrification push in East Austin is now peddling a line of clothes emblazoned with the slogan "Defend East Austin." more ›

King of the Hill showed its Austin ties on Sunday's recent episode, titled "Lady and Gentrification." Certainly gentrification is not an Austin-centric issue, but it is a current hot topic in our city, and it is hard to watch this episode and not see the parallels to what is happening in East Austin. True, the issue is a bit oversimplified in the 30-minute episode. more ›

Tales of the Really White Vigilante first splashed across the Austinist back in October, just before it hit the presses. Yours Truly sullied himself in a petty back-and-forth in the comments section... more ›

The Planning Commission approved a proposal by the Organization of Central East Austin Neighborhoods to tighten the McMansion restrictions applicable to the smallest lots in Central East Austin. The proposal would remove the current McMansion rule allowing a house up to 2,300 square feet on any size lot. Instead, these lots would only be allowed to build floor area equal to 40% of lot size (e.g. a 1,500 square foot house on a 3,750 square foot lot). City Council may take up the issue tomorrow, but will probably wait until next month. more ›

The APD could adopt a more compatible attitude, one that sees violent crime on the East Side as another inevitable casualty of gentrification, one that will eventually succumb to the gradual transition. Essential to all parties accepting responsibility for these mixed-race, mixed-income neighborhoods is that transition from negative stigma includes a reduction of all forms of violence. more ›

Photo from official website Tales of the Really White Vigilante Issue Release PartyWednesday, November 14Rio Rita Cafe y Cantina (1308 E 6th St)(7pm-2am)[info]Last month, we previewed the new graphic novel project by Austin artist Michael Schliefke, of Bolm Studios and one of the folks behind this weekend's E.A.S.T. Focusing on the development shenanigans happening on the eastside, Tales of the Really White Vigilante is narrated by a young man who, disguised behind a Mexican wrestling... more ›

Austin artist Michael Schliefke—of Bolm Studios and one of the driving forces behind the annual East Austin Studio Tour (E.A.S.T.)—recently unveiled a new comic book side project that takes aim at all of the development shenanigans happening on the eastside. "Towards the beginning of this year, I got the idea to do some drawings of East Austin before it was entirely cleaned up and was completely overrun by condos and lofts," said Schliefke. "My idea... more ›

Banner week for SFist as the site's new editor introduced himself -- hooray for Brock! While the NY Times weighed in on SF's mayoral race, only SFist had the (insert tongue firmly into cheek) hard-hitting latest on candidate/activist Josh Wolf. Coverage of a protest vs. gentrification spawned a fantastic debate amongst SFist's readers. Finally, from the sublime to the ridiculous: video of a man that confused a Board of Supes meeting with "open mic... more ›

In a lot of ways, Trinidad, Colorado isn't so different from other small towns. They've got a population of 9,000, the local economy is transitioning away from once-prosperous mining and ranching, and Christ is Lord. But Trinidad, like many of its visitors, has a little something extra: Over the past forty years, six thousand people have traveled there to undergo sex-change operations. Dr. Stanley Biber secretly began performing genital-reassignment surgery, or GRS, in 1969, hiding... more ›

Austin, Texas: It's not exactly New England here. We don't have the Liberty Bell or historical plaques on every block explaining how the Pilgrims invented the Internet in some old tavern. But we do have history! You just have to look a little harder to find it. For instance, did you know that in Austin's oldest standing structure, the French Legation, some dude's pigs broke into the bedroom in 1841 and ate the papers and... more ›

Several East Austin groups are asking the city to wait to implement the VMU ordinance until October 1. Their primary concern is that "East Austin is experiencing rampant gentrification ... and that the application of vertical mixed-use zoning will further speed the loss of affordable housing and locally-owned businesses." East Austin is certainly experiencing rampant gentrification. Property values (particularly in 78702) have risen faster than almost anywhere else in the city. However, VMU zoning... more ›

Aside from being an accomplished documentary filmmaker (and Guggenheim, Rockefeller, NEA and AFI Fellowship award recipient), Third Ward TX director Andrew Garrison is also an associate professor at the University of Texas, and the founder of East Austin Stories, an ongoing student documentary program that focuses on East Austin neighborhoods. We recently had a chance to talk to Andrew about Third Ward, East Austin Stories and South by Southwest. Tell us a little bit about... more ›

SXSW Film Festival recently released their lineup of feature films to be screened this year. Check out the full roster after the jump. LONE STAR STATES Forfeit Directed by Andrew Shea, written by John Rafter Lee. Featuring: Billy Burke, Sherry Stringfield, Gregory Itzin, Wayne Knight. An ex-con tries to manage his way back into society, reunite with his high school sweetheart, and commit one more crime. (World Premiere) Inside the Circle Directed by Marcy... more ›

We tried to branch out, but we can't help it - we love the '04. That's where all the cool shit is. Sure, it has plenty of overpriced, weird, crazy-ass listings (nice giant chess set, DORKS!), but there are still some nice houses at reasonable prices. Plus, with the '02 resisting "gentrification," '01 and '03 super-expensive, and '05 full of spies and longhorns fighting with hundred-year-old statues, '04 is the only place for us... more ›

On Thursday, City Council will hear a presentation from city staff regarding land banks, land trusts and funding options under the Homestead Preservation Act (HB 525), which was passed in the State Legislature after being filed by East Side state rep Eddie Rodriguez. The details are "complicated," but from what we understand, homeowners in the designated district (Town Lake to Manor Road, and I-35 to Airport Boulevard) would be able to donate or sell... more ›

Okay then. I’m not going to launch into some worthless tirade about Texas weather, but I will say that it is seriously fucking with my sleep. Well, it’s joining forces with other less-pleasant elements to turn my private slumberland into a deranged dreamscape that would likely force Snake Pliskin to gouge out his last functioning eye. more ›

At his last meeting as a member of City Council, Raul Alvarez is taking one more shot at getting approval for his proposal to "save" East Austin from gentrification. With his plan, essentially, families of four earning under $21,350 a year and who have lived in the same East Austin for home the last 15 years would get $5,000 to fix it up and a 10-year freeze on city property taxes. Although "gentrification" is... more ›

*The views expressed in Truesday are those of the author and do not represent Austinist as a whole.* -The Editors I really wanted to write a diatribe on how gentrification is a used-up, clichéd and pointless term in the discussion of Austin development. I really did. But these goddamn allergies have my head floating like so much lofty complaints based on poorly drawn cultural and economic lines from those who aren’t even the subject... more ›

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... more ›

Yesterday morning, Austin Area Interreligious Ministries hosted a roundtable discussion for local clergy about the IH-35 divide: the ever-present "social and economic divide between the neighborhoods east and west of Interstate 35" [News8Austin]. We had heard mention of this continuing discussion when we attended AAIM’s annual Thanksgiving service a few weeks back. The goal of these discussions is to have clergy on both sides of the highway get their congregations more pro-active and involved... more ›

New development has sprouted up around East Austin and does not look to abate soon. Austin is not the first city, and will not be the last, to deal with this phenomenon. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of other cities who have fought this problem in recent years. Development is transforming East Austin, and residents are given little to no control over how this transformation will affect their communities.... more ›