REAL ESTATE BOOM
60
How to Find Your Dream Home (Even in the Worst Market Ever)
Discover Austin’s most iconic home designs, the hottest ZIP codes for real estate, and expert tips for buying right now.
70
Lost in the Supermarket
Nearly five years since its merger with Amazon, Whole Foods is struggling to maintain the magic that once made it a homegrown icon.
76
20 Days of Hell
In 2018, a serial bomber put Austin on lockdown. Today, questions and painful repercussions still linger for those closest to the tragedy.
From midcentury modern to Queen Anne Victorian, learn about eight classic home styles in the city.
Scout 27
Kate the Chemist blows up 28
Let’s do mushrooms (legally) 30
Hire a musician to be your handyman 32
Outdoor concerts, soccer matches, and other can’t-miss events this month 34
Feast 37
Must-have summertime canned concoctions 38
The service industry’s laborfueled reckoning 40
Let local restaurants elevate your picnic spread 42
JewBoy Sub Shop, Love Supreme, and other red-hot new restaurants 44
Beat 49
Sixth Street’s identity crisis 50
KXAN’s David Yeomans on storm chasing and disaster movies 54
Ranking the hottest capital city headlines 56
DA José Garza’s fight to transform criminal justice 58
Robert Gomez
Editor in Chief
Chris Hughes
Creative Director
Sara Marie D’Eugenio
EDITORIAL
Executive Editor
Madeline Hollern
Senior Editor
David Leffler
City Columnists
Joah and Kahron Spearman
Contributing Writers
Trey Gutierrez, Tracey Minkin
ART
Contributing Illustrator
Pete Ryan
Contributing Photographers
Jessica Attie, Dennis Burnett, Robert Gomez, Sarah Karlan, Bryan C. Parker, Bill Sallans
DIGITAL
Digital Manager
Abigail Stewart
Digital Media Coordinator
Rosie Ninesling
INTERNS
Sarah Davis, Claudia Giunta, Jessica Lenamond, Anneke Paterson, Julie Tran
ADVERTISING
Publisher
Stewart Ramser
Associate Publisher
Julie A. Kunkle
Digital Sales Manager
Josh Macklin
Senior Account Executive
Tina Mullins
Account Directors
Dana Horner, Misty Pennock
Ad Sales and Sponsorship Coordinator
Jillian Clifton
INTERNS
Castille Cantu, Kelly Clifton
CEO
Todd P. Paul
President
Stewart Ramser
Vice President of Sales
Julie A. Kunkle
Editorial Director
Rebecca Fontenot Cord
Director of Operations
Hollis Boice
Audience Development Director
Kerri Nolan
EVENTS
Events Director
Macaulay Hammond
ACCOUNTING
Accounting Manager
Sabina Jukovic
CONTACT US
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1712 Rio Grande St., Ste. 100 Austin, TX 78701 (512) 263-9133
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Editor’s Letter
House on Fire
THESE DAYS, THE topic of real estate is enough to incite a collective groan, or at least a snarky aside. Considering the exceedingly exorbitant cost of living in our town, the promise of rising property taxes and the swelling beltline of Austin’s city limits is about as palatable as sitting in I-35 traffic on a Friday.
As someone currently in the housing market, I know firsthand the frustration of today’s buyer: the shallow pool of inventory to explore, the nagging necessity of checking for new listings, the vulnerability when dealing with lenders, and the singular heartbreak of losing out on a bid—an inevitability even if money is no object (e.g., Elon Musk tweeting “Urgent need to build more housing in greater Austin area!” in April). At this point, we’ve all heard the nightmare stories of the competition offering boatloads of cash above asking prices and the feelings of futility after months of striking out. So, along with advice from the experts at the Austin Board of Realtors on how to weather the current volatility, our executive editor Madeline Hollern explored the architectural legacy of the city in her feature story, “How to Find Your Dream Home (Even in the Worst Market Ever)” (p. 60), as a reminder of its inherent allure. And maybe an aspirational salve to alleviate any lingering real estate woes.
Speaking of upheaval in the Austin landscape, writer Tracey Minkin checks in on Whole Foods Market four years after its headline-grabbing Amazon acquisition in “Lost in the Supermarket” (p. 70). How is the homegrown brand faring in today’s grocery wars? Having expanded from a hippie-centric natural foods store to a popular community gathering spot, it’s now undergoing another dramatic transformation. But as it slowly phases out the experiential to focus on price cutting and a more aggressive, data-driven online model, has it sacrificed the customer-friendly intangibles, its elusive “Austin-ness,” that once made it a local icon?
Finally, senior editor David Leffler looks back at the series of horrific bombings that terrorized the city in 2018. In his powerful piece, “20 Days in Hell” (p. 76), he talks to those closest to the victims as they try to make sense of the tragedy amid an unrelenting news cycle. Closure for many involved remains just out of reach, while those elevated to heroes have suffered drastic swings in public opinion. Adulation, it seems—whether you’re a former police chief like Brian Manley or a grocery giant like John Mackey—is as fleeting as the latest “steal” on the real estate scene.
PRETTY IN PINK
We were having a difficult time finding a good example of a ranch home in North Shoal Creek for the issue. I grabbed a coffee and decided to hit the streets looking for inspiration. Sitting in traffic, I looked to my left and there it was! I’d recognized the home from browsing Nextdoor and knew that this unforgettable house was known for its festive yard decor. “I make most of the decorations myself, so crafting and creating is part of the reason behind the decorating,” says homeowner Anna Hobbs. “But the decorating has grown over the past few years because we love making people happy and seeing them smile as they walk by. Especially last year, when we were all in lockdown, it was nice to know we were bringing people a little joy in their day.” Follow them on Instagram at @pinkhouseatx.
—Sara Marie D’Eugenio, Creative Director
Chris Hughes Editor in Chief chughes@austinmonthly.com @cmhughestx @chris_hughestx
Space: The Final Frontier
What’s more alluring than a 10-foot commute to your job? When Tuan Phan discussed the possibility with his friend Pavel Kolenda, the latter boldly offered to build him a backyard cabana that could act as an office. After Kolenda made good on his promise, the unexpected happened, as Phan’s neighbors soon asked him to forge their own remote workstations. Alongside friend Knut-Henrik Brouwer, the trio created a company around the concept, Backyard Pod, which specializes in 120 to 200
square foot metal-and-lumber structures that can function as an office, storage space, or guest house. The air-conditioned cabanas take less than 30 days to construct and typically don’t require a building permit. Clients note that the separate spaces have helped them to improve productivity, mental health, and even their marriages: “On multiple occasions, we had one of the spouses call and say, ‘If you don’t build this for me in the next two weeks, I will get divorced,’” Kolenda laughs. backyardpod.com
Weird Science
With her new book geared toward adults, Kate the Chemist breaks down everything from exercise to alcohol—and finally makes learning fun. By Madeline Hollern
AS CLAIMS TO fame go, Dr. Kate Biberdorf’s is hard to top: She’s made a name for herself blowing things up on television. Outside of her day job as a University of Texas chemistry professor, the 35-yearold moonlights as a theatrical performer of science experiments in front of live audiences and on-air. In 2015, she started going on local morning show We Are Austin once a month to do explosive and fiery demonstrations, such as stirring up a thundercloud by combining liquid nitrogen and hot water or adding fire to hydrogen gas balloons to make them combust. Known as Kate the Chemist, she’s since taken her act on the road, appearing on
The chemist does explosive and fiery experiments on live television.
national spotlights like The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, The Wendy Williams Show, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
The Michigan native says none of this would’ve happened, though, without an assist from one dynamic teacher, Mrs. Kelli Palsrok. “She’d run around the classroom, and she was just energetic and exciting and would do experiments, and ever since I was 15, I knew I wanted to be a chemist because of her,” she says. While Biberdorf has employed that same enthusiasm to get youngsters excited about science and has also penned seven children’s books on the subject, she is now turning her attention to educating grown-ups. This month, she will release her first book for adults, called It’s Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry in Everything. Inspired to do the project after recognizing the knowledge gap between herself and loved ones, her latest book breaks down chemistry in a way that’s both entertaining and easy for non-scientists to understand. The esoteric nature of her profession had never been more evident to Biberdorf than when she was getting her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry, and she sent her dissertation to her mother in order for her to understand her life’s work. “Within a minute, my mom called and was laughing with me because it’s like a completely different language,” she says. “And so, that was a
Kate the Chemist (above) has written eight books, including her new title, It’s Elemental (far right).
pivotal moment to me, because I was like, OK, they don’t even know the words. It’s not that they don’t understand A + B = C. They don’t even know what A is.”
Over time, Biberdorf began making a list of topics people would ask her about, including the science of things like baking, sex, sunsets, and alcohol. “Somebody was asking me the other day if wine was chemistry, and I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” she says. The author details these and other chemical occurrences sans academic jargon in her new book, which delves into the science of the everyday. For example, why hugging your partner or hearing your baby laugh feels so good (it gives a boost of oxytocin, the love hormone) and why coffee gives you a jolt in the morning (caffeine doesn’t actually give you energy, but rather it blocks other molecules in your brain that make you feel sleepy).
As a female in a male-dominated industry, Biberdorf is especially motivated to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)— something that was lacking in her own formative years. “As much as I love my male professors, they can’t tell me what it’s like to be pregnant in lab. Even though they can tell me what they’ve heard, it’s just not the same. So, there were little things like that that I noticed growing up, and I just want to make it easier for the next generation of girls,” she says.
Like so many others, the educator and entertainer has had to make huge career adjustments throughout the last year due to the pandemic, filming many of her experiments for TikTok and teaching her university classes via Zoom. But the chemistry professor is heartened to hear that after a year defined by science, the world is warming to the topic, noting the results of the annual 3M Company State of Science Index Survey across the globe. “Before the pandemic, always, it was one out of five people— 20 percent of people were willing to stand up and be an advocate for science—and now post-pandemic, it’s one out of two,” Biberdorf says. Learn more about all things scientific when her new book, It’s Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry of Everything, debuts on July 13. katethechemist .com
’Shroom Boom
Touted for their immunity-boosting and stress-relieving properties, mushrooms are now sprouting up in everything from coffee to skin care.
❶ Perfect for athletes, this energizing formula contains both cordyceps and ashwagandha.
Onnit Shroom Tech Sport ($23.29) at onnit.com
❷ Lion’s mane and other super mushrooms are incorporated into this dairy-free creamer.
Picnik Vanilla Oatmilk Adaptogen Creamer ($21.99 for two) at picnikshop.com
❸ Combat under-eye puffiness with the help of revitalizing snow mushrooms.
Éminence Organic Skin Care Snow Mushroom Moisture Cloud Eye Cream ($74) at store.vivadayspa .com
❹ This earthy dark chocolate bar features ground reishi mushrooms from local Hi-Fi Mycology.
SRSLY Chocolate Reishi Mushroom ($10) at srslychocolate.com
❻ Spice up your morning brew with this blend that includes antioxidant-rich chaga mushrooms.
Fallen Oak Mycology Cordyceps & Chaga Mushroom Coffee ($18) at fallenoakmycology.com
❼ Bolster your immune system with an elixir made of maitake, turkey tail, and other fungi.
Texas Medicinals Mushroom Forest Deep Immunity Blend ($25) at gingerwebb.com
❺ Fortify your smoothie with a scoop of this powder, which contains a whopping 10 kinds of mushrooms.
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Blend ($30) at us.foursigmatic.com
Hammer Time
A local collective is giving Austin musicians a handy new side gig.
By Madeline Hollern
NEED HELP ON your “honey do” list? Now you can hire a guitarist to patch your drywall or a drummer to trim your trees. Last October, True Lawton formed The HandyBand Collective, which helps musicians earn supplemental income by doing home improvement tasks. Throughout his career, Lawton has worked both on and off the stage in the music industry, but when his concert production job was halted due to the pandemic, he spent months looking for sustainable employment before shifting to handyman work. After accepting a project that was too big for one person, he hired some other out-of-work musician friends, sparking the idea for the collective. Through HandyBand, homeowners can employ locals in the music industry to help with anything from sticky doors and dripping faucets to landscaping, carpentry, and painting jobs. Musicians with no prior training can be hired for simple tasks like cleaning brushes or picking up supplies, and those with more experience can help mentor apprentices to broaden their skill sets. Because these projects are contract gigs, they fit easily into the erratic schedules of musicians. “It’s impossible to have a regular job and be a regular musician because you have to go out on the road, or you have to be up until 4 in the morning on a weekday,” Lawton says. “For me, having this kind of [handyman] job was paramount because I can schedule things around it.” Since January, the company has helped local musicians earn more than $40,000 in supplemental income. Learn more at handybandcollective.com.
FIRED UP
To coincide with Record Store Day on July 17, independent label Light in the Attic Records is releasing an album in honor of Roky Erickson, the late frontman of Austin’s famed psychedelic group The 13th Floor Elevators. May the Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute to Roky Erickson features 12 new recordings from artists like Gary Clark Jr. & Eve Monsees, The Black Angels, Ty Segall, and Lucinda Williams. Highlights of the album include Margo Price’s rendition of “Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog)” and Jeff Tweedy’s version of “For You (I’d Do Anything).” Pick up the vinyl release at local outlets such as End of an Ear, Breakaway Records, and Waterloo Records.
To aid out-of-work musicians, True Lawton (center) created The HandyBand Collective.
Scout Events
To-Do List
By Madeline Hollern
Beyond Van Gogh: An Immersive Experience
Mathieu St-Arnaud knows how to mesmerize an audience through art. The Montreal-based creative director has worked as a designer for Cirque du Soleil and has even crafted video backdrops for musicians such as Justin Timberlake and The Killers. For his latest project, St-Arnaud brings the timeless works of Vincent van Gogh to life through Beyond Van Gogh, a multimedia experience that allows viewers to see the world through the eyes of the post-impressionist artist. “For The Starry Night, you can try to imagine what was around the painting: OK, I see the starry night, I see the Rhône, I see the village, but what was behind him, or what was under his feet?” St-Arnaud says. In addition to vibrant 360-degree projections that animate more than 300 of van Gogh’s paintings, the exhibit integrates sounds such as wind blowing and birds chirping, not to mention spoken word recordings of letters that the artist wrote to his brother. Experience the hourlong exhibition at Circuit of The Americas through Aug. 8. vangoghaustin.com
7/2
THE DROP-IN
Enjoy live music once again during this outdoor series, which happens on the Long Center terrace every Thursday night through Sept. 9. The summer lineup features artists like Bob Schneider, Gina Chavez, Tomar & the FCs, Riders Against the Storm, and Walker Lukens. Reserve free tickets online at thelongcenter.org.
7/3
AUSTIN FC HOME GAMES
After spending the majority of its early inaugural season on the road, Austin’s new pro soccer team returns for four in-town matches at Q2 Stadium in July. Don verde and black and cheer on the football club as they take on the Portland Timbers (July 3), the Los Angeles FC (July 7), the Seattle Sounders FC (July 22), and the Colorado Rapids (July 31). austinfc.com
7/8
COME TOGETHER: BEATLES REDUX
As part of its “Songs Under the Stars” series, this outdoor event at ZACH Theatre reimagines Beatles classics in the style of R&B artists such as Aretha Franklin and Earth, Wind & Fire. Singers will belt out
soulfully orchestrated arrangements of the Fab Four’s hits, including “Yesterday,” Let It Be,” and “Hey Jude.” Through July 25. zachtheatre.org
7/9
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Ordinarily performed on a hillside across from Barton Springs Pool, the annual summer musical presentation by Zilker Theatre Productions has moved to the Hill Country Galleria Central Plaza lawn this year. Catch a performance of horror-comedy rock musical Little Shop of Horrors Thursday through Sunday nights through Aug. 14. While the family-friendly musical is free, advanced reservations are required. zilker.org/summer-2021
7/24
AUSTIN TACO & MARGARITA FESTIVAL
Celebrate your love of Tex-Mex and live music at this spirited event, which includes beverage stations with margaritas, tequila shots, and beer, tacos from local vendors, and performances on the ACL Live and 3TEN stages. acl-live.com
7/29
GLOW IN THE PARK Guests can show off their poker skills at this Austin Young Chamber benefit, which includes a virtual Texas Hold ’Em Tournament (July 29) and a live bash at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden (July 30) with a poker tournament table and casino and lawn games. austin yc.org
This Slide of Paradise
Bar Peached owner Eric Silverstein might’ve grown up in Atlanta, where Krystal commands a cult-like following for its brand of sliders, but as the chef admits: “I’m not a huge steamed meat kind of guy.” At his latest concept, Fat City, Silverstein amends what he sees as the fast-food chain’s technique woes with “a bit more sophistication.” After creating a seared crust on a smashed patty, he tops each mini burger with house-made pickles, American cheese, and onions sauteed in miso, mirin, and sake. Launched as a pop-up last summer, the restaurant is soon to settle into a permanent home at Yard Bar in Allandale. “I think I was always more interested in Krystal’s following than the actual burgers,” he says. “But our sliders tap into that nostalgia, while also tasting good.” —Chris Hughes
Cold Case
River-ready tequila. Texasstyle hard seltzer. Even a tasty zero-ABV alternative. There’s a local way to improve your cooler this summer. By
Chris Hughes
Dulce Vida Tequila & Soda
A reimagined tequila highball, this new ready-to-drink line by local spirits standout Dulce Vida combines 100 percent blue agave tequila with fresh fruit juices and soda sans any added sugar.
The team at Austin Eastciders trades in apples for lemons to create a less-saccharine version of the hard lemonades that dominated the late ’90s. A selection of hard teas also means a boozy Arnold Palmer is on the table (or cooler).
Luck Springs Hard Lemonade
DENNIS BURNETT
Blue Norther Hard Seltzer
By using only real Texas fruit (think: prickly pear) and organic agave nectar, this new father-and-son South Austin brand avoids any of the chemical aftertaste typical of hard seltzers.
St. Elmo Brewing Co. Hop Water
To avoid hangovers, experts recommend drinking a glass of water between every alcoholic beverage. But an even better solution? Some hydrating H2O flavored with Citra and Simcoe hops.
Failure to (Re)Launch
The service industry’s staffing woes are wreaking havoc on a city that thrives on dining and nightlife. Now, a more equitable future could finally lie in wait. By Trey Gutierrez
IT’S A LATE weekday afternoon at Beerburg Brewing Co. in Dripping Springs, and owner Trevor Nearburg is sipping on a frosty pale ale at a pollen-coated picnic table. Even though the bucolic 15-acre brewpub was in perhaps the worst position possible at the pandemic’s outset (i.e. mainly offering on-site service with little to no beerto-go options), Nearburg’s team has nonetheless weathered its first year admirably. Head brewer Gino Guerrero’s Germanic-style brews have only gotten more complex and crushable with each batch, while head chef Ricardo Guierrez’s taqueria-style menu has become nothing short of a hidden Hill Country gem.
“The people that you are serving now are entitled... and radicalized.”
Now, with the brewery’s expansive indoor taproom finally set to reopen, Nearburg, by all accounts, should be enjoying the fruits of his labor. Instead, after receiving a sparse response to his latest job posting, his days are spent feverishly drafting a new call for taproom servers. “I honestly expected to get some bites, especially considering that we pay well. But at this point, interest has been really low,” he says.
“Low” is putting it lightly. When the brewer’s operation was getting off of the ground in early 2020, Nearburg says he was able to hire a staff of 30 employees in just a two-week span—a period today that yields zero applicants. And he’s not the only one struggling to bring on new hires. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the number of leisure and hospitality jobs has dropped 16 percent statewide since the onset of the pandemic. “I’ll talk to friends anywhere from El Paso to Oklahoma—everywhere you look, current staffs are working extra and running harder than normal.” says Joel Fried, chef-owner at Eldorado Cafe in North Austin.
For owners like Fried and Nearburg, the burdens of such shortages affect all facets of their business, including making do with skeleton crews that are barely capable of covering normal business hours. To avoid burnout, Eldorado Cafe even made the tough decision to shutter every Tuesday. “Our team can’t be working at full throttle indefinitely,” Fried says. “And if we brought customers back inside after 14 months and started giving bad service, people would think we’d lost our way.”
As for what’s causing the city’s current labor shortage, one frequently dangled explanation is lucrative federal government unemployment benefits. This includes the extra $300 weekly supplement provided by Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, something Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to eliminate on June 26. While such benefits undoubtedly play a role in the service industry’s current, less-than-stellar state, those in the foxhole don’t believe that argument paints an accurate picture. “The pandemic laid bare how Austin service employees are working full-time and still can’t make a living wage in this town.” says Fried, noting that the base-pay for
hospitality workers has largely remained stagnant since 2001.
To his point, JuiceLand employees went on strike in mid-May, leading to the temporary closure of at least eight area locations. Their demands included a minimum $17 hourly wage and more sanitary work conditions. Yet not all explanations for the current shortage are financially driven. As someone whose operation began enforcing mask-wearing and social-distancing well before such requirements became state mandates, Nearburg says the customer/server dynamic has changed for the worse. “By and large, the idea that servers are living, breathing people with emotions—that went out the window in 2020. The people that you are serving right now are entitled, polarized, and radicalized.”
All told, Austin’s current labor shortage is one that the veteran brewer believes has a deceptively simple solution: “Friggin’ pay people more and make it a better experience,” he says. But to achieve that, many businesses are putting the burden back onto customers. While restaurateurs like Nearburg and Fried are embracing employee-first policies that raise take-home wages (servers at both operations typically make more than $25 an hour after tips), it might come at an unpalatable cost for many. “Going forward, I predict Austin diners have to get used to higher menu prices,” he says.
Besides greater compensation, Nearburg is also adjusting his job descriptions to better entice Beerburg hopefuls. Now, on his posts, he clearly states that any customer causing undue conflict will be unceremoniously invited to “kick rocks,” before being denied any further service. But will that kind of explicit advocacy be enough to lure back the hundreds who’ve since abandoned the industry?
“I’ve been thinking lately about how I was originally going to name the brewery Armistice, a name that conveys ‘here is a place that, whatever your battle is in life, you don’t have to bring that here,’” he says. “I think that’s now also our key to moving forward: having a safer, more comfortable work environment, where employees feel they have the resources to actually succeed.”
Under the Texan Sun
Ready to elevate your summer picnic? Restaurants are now offering curated to-go spreads to better your beverages (hello, frozen orange wine) and charcuterie boards. By Chris Hughes
Salt & Time Cafe
Opened in 2020 at Republic Square Park, this all-day cafe by co-owners Ben Runkle and Bryan Butler offers the same high-quality ingredients and attention to detail as its flagship restaurant on East Seventh Street. In addition to a selection of boards (both meat-centric and vegetarian), parkgoers can order a range of sandwiches, like the mezcal-glazed ham on a Swedish Hill demi-baguette, and cups of its signature Frorange (aka frozen Italian orange wine). saltandtime.com
Spread & Co.
Taking over the spot formerly occupied by Epicerie inside The Contemporary Austin at Laguna Gloria is this streamlined concept from husband-and-wife team Austin and Rosemary Ewald. With the former’s experience working at Easy Tiger, it’s no surprise that cheese and house-baked bread is the focus here with toasts, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards being offered to those who want to graze while touring the sculpture garden. spreadandco.com/laguna
Pinthouse Brewing
Not only is Pinthouse Pizza’s location on Ben White flush with picnic tables outdoors, the craft brewpub’s newest destination has become a favorite pit stop for those about to hit up the Greenbelt, says marketing manager Rob Larry. To cater to those more outdoorsy customers, they’ve created Pinthouse’s Southern Bento Box, which is filled with items like pickled shrimp, boiled peanut hummus, and assorted fresh veggies for dipping. pinthousepizza .com/ben-white
Where to Eat Hottest New Restaurants
KEY
• Best of the best
$ Most entrees under $10
$$ Most entrees
$10 to $25
$$$ Most entrees over $25
Restaurants in the Austin Monthly Dining Guide are selected and reviewed by the editorial team
ABBY JANE BAKESHOP
Green goddess scones. Wood-fired “Roman-inspired” pizzas topped with Sunday gravy. And one heavenly kouign amann filled with sweet pecan paste. At Abby Jane Love’s eponymous Dripping Springs bakery, both sweet and savory get equal billing. Focused on using sustainable local ingredients, Love leans heavily on grains from Barton Springs Mill, located just a few yards away. Breakfast and lunch, Thu-Sun. 16604 Fitzhugh Road, Dripping
Springs, (512) 383-5923 $$
• DISTANT RELATIVES
Looking to explore the substantive place African American food plays in the country’s culinary identity, chef Damien Brockway opened this East Side trailer that delves into the flavors of his own genealogy. Barbecue burnt ends meet black-eyed peas and West African spices like nutmeg and mace, while smoked chuck (a nod to Kreuz Market’s beef shoulder clod)
comes dolloped with pimento cheese, a Southern staple from the Virginia area where his grandmother used to live. Lunch and dinner, Wed-Sun. 3508 E. Seventh St., (512) 717-2504 $$
• DOUGH BOYS
Chef Tony Curet tested more than 40 dough variations before settling on “the one.” Smoky, slightly cinnamon-y (from the red germ flour), and with a perfectly blistered cornicione, it comes out of a scorching 900-degree brick oven ready to
underscore a range of enticing toppings, like hatch green chiles, garlic cream sauce, and roasted oyster mushrooms from Hi-Fi Mycology. Dinner Tue-Sat. 1108 E. 12th St., (512) 781-5949 $$
FIL N’ VIET
After losing his job during the pandemic, decorated chef Kevin Truong went into business with his wife, Rosie Mina-Truong, on this East Side food truck that traces the gastronomic similarities between Filipino and
Owner Steph Steele at Tiny Grocer on South Congress.
Vietnamese cuisines (Rosie and Kevin’s backgrounds, respectively). For example, a bánh mì that’s smeared with calamansi pate, Sinigang chicken wings doused in tamarind sauce, and grilled beef ribs served with cha trung, the Vietnamese quiche.
Dinner Wed-Sun. 1720 E. 12th St., (512) 798-4334 $
HOLD OUT BREWING
The arsenal of hazy IPAs and crisp pilsners from head brewer Brent Sapstead (formerly of Real Ale) might get the lion’s share of attention at this much-delayed brewery in Clarksville, but chef Rich Reimbolt’s accompanying food menu is just as impressive. Like his work at the neighboring Better Half, comfort is king here, with outstanding smash burgers, Tender Belly–sourced hot dogs (Seattle-style with jalapeño cream cheese and caramelized onions), and crispy wings served with an umami-rich miso ranch. Lunch and dinner, Wed-Sun; brunch on weekends. 1208 W. Fourth St., (512) 305-3540 $
LOVE SUPREME
Complaining about Californians is undoubtedly a favorite Austin pastime, but chef Russell Victorioso might just have disgruntled natives reconsidering. Recruited from Los Angeles by co-owners Ryan and Wade McElroy (Thunderbird Coffee), the former Ma’am Sir chef is now crafting some of the most ingenious pizza in town. A hybrid Neapolitan/New York–style round pie dominates the
JewBoy Sub Shop
Owner
Mo Pittle’s El Paso influence
finds even more creative grounds to roam in the polemic land of sandwiches.
COMPARED TO THE eponymous dish that built his reputation at JewBoy Burgers, Mo Pittle insists sandwiches are a far more challenging culinary endeavor—at least in the eyes of the public. “It’s a really personal type of food because everyone makes them at home and they have their own spin on them,” he says. “Also, you have to factor in the regionality of sandwiches, which invites even more opinions on the subject.”
To that point, Pittle and his team at the newly opened JewBoy Sub Shop in Allandale have been subject to a number of vocal guests questioning the authenticity of a Philly cheesesteak that deigns to swap thinly sliced ribeye with chunks of marinated carne asada. And *gasp* there’s nary any Cheez Whiz in sight. But like at his first concept, Pittle isn’t interested in any preconceived notions of what a dish should adhere to. The influence of the border, as well as his Jewish heritage, is always going to usurp any tried-and-true formulas. Hence why hatch green chiles abound, steamed pepper jack can be substituted for processed cheese, and a heavily smoked pastrami (more Texas barbecue than Katz’s Delicatessen) is stuffed into a traditional Philly Amoroso roll. Here, irreverence and experimentation are the only constants. For example, fries that come dusted with Australian chicken salt, meatballs fried to mimic a smash burger–like crust, and a menu that’s subtly been in flux since day one. “I brought in my mom to change the matzo ball soup recipe after the first week,” Pittle says. “I enjoy that element of the business. It’s about tweaking and trying to get it perfect every time.” —C. Hughes
House-smoked pastrami gets the Philly treatment at Mo Pittle’s latest.
Lustre Pearl South 10400 Manchaca Road, March 15
R19 Taqueria 4604 Weletka Drive, April 16
Ivan Ramen 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Ste. 144, April 22
Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop 5610 N. I-35, April 26
Bobo’s Snack Bar 3850 Airport Blvd., April 29
Taqueria la Violeta (at Beerburg Brewing Company) 13476 Fitzhugh Road, April 30
Simi Estiatorio 601 Congress Ave., May 7
20471 I-35, Kyle, May 11
Sunny’s Backyard 3526 E. Seventh St., May 20
Old Pal 100 E. Market St., Lockhart, May 21
Favorite Pizza 801 W. Sixth St., Mid-June
Fat City (at Yard Bar) 6700 Burnet Road, Late June
Ma’Coco 501 Comal St., Late June
Closings
Cow Tipping Creamery
4715 S. Lamar Blvd., May 2
Cane Rosso
4715 S. Lamar Blvd. May 23
As of a Late-May Press Date
menu, but there’s also an airier square variety that negotiates the Sicilian/ Detroit-style divide. Love Supreme’s enviable 3,000-square-foot patio also makes for an ideal spot just to kill a lazy afternoon with some frozen sangria. Dinner Wed-Sun. 2805 Manor Road, (512) 296-2655 $$
LUTIE’S
Lush greenery hangs from a latticework ceiling inside this Ken Fulk–designed restaurant at the Commodore Perry Estate. Helmed by husbandand-wife team Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu (Barley Swine), its seasonally driven menu includes standouts like Delta Blue Rice dotted with smoked trout roe and a Grand Aioli platter featuring locally grown vegetables and house-made pickles. Save room for Querejazu’s distinctive desserts, like the kouign
amann ice cream. Dinner Wed-Sun. 4100 Red River St., (512) 817-5200 $$$
QI
Sporting a more high-end menu than her first concept, Lin Asian Bar, chef Ling Qi takes dim sum to fancy new heights. Pull the lid off that bamboo steamer and you might find lobster dumplings or pan-fried bao buns bursting with Akaushi beef. Old favorites also abound, as Qi has brought along her famous Shanghai soup dumplings from her other Clarksville spot. Lunch and dinner daily; dim sum brunch on weekends. 835 W. Sixth St., (512) 474-2777 $$$
SALTY CARGO
Having forged an undeniable synergy working together at Uchi and the now-closed She’s Not Here, chefs Michael Carranza and
John Gocong teamed up again to open this Texan-ified Hawaiian spot inside Hana World Market last fall. Pork burnt ends are stuffed into onigiri, thick-cut Texas toast envelops a tori katsu sandwich, and braised beef short rib is used in lieu of the ground beef patty typically seen in loco moco. The duo has also recently opened a trailer at Celis Brewery, for those that want to add some Belgian witbier to the equation. Lunch and dinner Tue-Sun.
1700 W. Parmer Lane, Ste. 100, (737) 465-1821; 10001 Metric Blvd. $$
SAMMATARO
What can we say, it’s been the year of spectacular pizza in Austin, and former New York hospitality pro Isaac Flores and his team have provided something the city hasn’t seen before: a quintessential Brooklyn-style offering with a
Chef Russell Victorioso shows off his pizza skills at Love Supreme.
thin, chewy crust and a streamlined sauce made from Bianco di Napoli tomatoes. Inspired by the likes of Brooklyn’s Lucali and Pizzeria Beddia in Philly, they wow with sheer simplicity: namely, specialty ingredients like aged gouda and allnatural Ezzo’s pepperoni. Lunch and dinner, Wed-Sun. 1158 Lost Creek Blvd., (512) 690-1547 $$
• SAMMIE’S
You might hear Italian red-sauce joint and think red-checkered tablecloths and chianti bottles acting as candlestick holders. But in Larry McGuire’s world (McGuire Moorman Hospitality), everything comes with a heaping serving of swank and polish, like servers adorned in embroidered red dinner jackets and a wine list that boasts rare vintage bottles of barolo. Mind you, the service, that cellar of Italian rarities, and the steak that commands almost three figures? It’s all the best in its class. Dinner Tue- Sun. 807 W. Sixth St., (512) 474-2054 $$$
TINY GROCER
This specialty grocery store from longtime Whole Foods and Bunkhouse Group veteran Steph Steele has not only curated an impeccable selection of locally produced goods (Sweet Ritual soft serve, Steamies Dumplings, and much more), but created an excellent on-site deli developed by former Swedish Hill chef Page Pressley. Pre-made salads, like a smoked trout iteration with smashed potatoes, join a wide selection of
made-to-order sandwiches, including multiple gourmet grilled cheeses. Lunch and dinner daily. 1718 S. Congress Ave., (512) 520-5735 $
TSUKE EDOMAE
The student has become the master, as chef Michael Che takes over the former Kyōten Sushiko spot in Mueller, which was run by his influential mentor, Otto Phan. Switching his sushi philosophy from a more Americanized approach (heavy on sauces and toppings) to the much cleaner Edomae style (which dates back to the Edo period of Japan), the method involves treating and aging fish, such as mackerel, that’s been salted and cured in Akazu vinegar. Pre-sold reservations for the omakase concept sell out quickly, so act fast. Dinner Thu-Sun. 4600 Mueller Blvd., Ste. 1035, (512) 825-3120 $$$
VIC & AL’S
Building on their Cherrywood sovereignty, cousins Matt and Nic Patrizi of Patrizi’s food truck fame have debuted this mod new brick-andmortar concept that examines their Cajun roots in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Rich cochon de lait, slowroasted in a wood-fired pizza oven, comes piled on a crackly po boy. And dishes like a dark roux gumbo and red beans and rice, ladled over aromatic sassafras rice, are redefining the classics here in Austin. Brunch and dinner daily. 2406 Manor Road, (512) 387-5875 $$
PANTRY ESSENTIALS
Chop Chop Noodle Cups
EUGENE LIN CREDITS traveling to his family’s home country of Taiwan and partaking of its legendary street food with expanding his palate from an early age. But admittedly, he wasn’t immune to the charms of instant ramen when he was back stateside. Teaming up with partner Steve Har, the two aspired to develop “something quick, more wholesome, but still without any pretentiousness” in the category. Officially launched last fall, their line of frozen noodle cups reflect the duo’s passion for authentic street foods, with offerings like kimchi udon and penang curry. Made with all plant-based broths (kombu, miso, and mushrooms lend some necessary umami), they’re easily prepared with the addition of hot water. Look for Chop Chop products at Fresh Plus, Royal Blue Grocery, Thom’s Market, and more ($8.99). —C. Hughes
Fade to Black
For decades, Sixth Street was the heartbeat of Austin’s live music scene. But after years of decay and pandemic-fueled losses, some wonder if the historic stretch is on its farewell tour. By Joah and Kahron Spearman
THE PICTURES WERE everywhere last spring, when Austin was first shaken by the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. They depicted Sixth Street—a thoroughfare so often teeming with inebriated co-eds and tourists—boarded up and vacant, its bars, restaurants, and music venues left to languish in solitude in the name of social distancing. For the casual observer, it was a sign of the times: Even the famed area between Congress Avenue and I-35, which had played an unmatched role in the city’s evolution by drawing millions of partygoers and festival attendees over the years,
ON THE ROCKS
Breaking down Sixth Street’s rise, fall, and transformation.
68.4%
After the pandemic arrived last March, Sixth Street was opened to weekend vehicular traffic for the first time in 22 years.
$355.9 million
Economic impact of 2019’s SXSW, much of which takes place on Sixth Street. The festival’s inperson offerings have been canceled the past two years.
had been brought to its knees. But when you step back and examine Sixth Street’s maturation, and gradual decay, it becomes clear that its problems began long before 2020. Even more, its present state and role in the capital city’s future are anything but certain.
The story behind the historic stretch mirrors that of Austin itself. In the early 1970s, when the city’s burgeoning reputation as an outlaw country haven drew nightly crowds to the Vulcan Gas Company (Congress Ave.) and the Armadillo World Headquarters (Barton Springs Road), Sixth Street was hardly a nightlife hotspot.
“In 1975, Sixth Street in downtown Austin wasn’t exactly a groover’s paradise,” music industry executive and longtime Austin Chronicle contributor Bill Bentley wrote in 2017. “There was a sprinkling of bars like the Green Spot and Triple J, a drugstore, some nefarious buildings that possessed their own hidden charms, and even a barbecue shack that catered to the street’s working girls… Of course, the area was the perfect location for a blues club.”
That’s where Clifford Antone and his eponymous club come in. Opened on Sixth Street on July 15, 1975, the club’s first showcase featured a per-
More than two-thirds of Austin musicians make less than $10,000 a year in their industry jobs, according to a 2018 UT study. Sixth Street’s evolution is emblematic of the city’s devaluing of live music.
50+
Number of bars on Sixth Street in 2017, according to Thrillist. Only a fraction of those venues catered to audiences seeking live music.
#1 ZIP code 78701, which includes Sixth Street and Rainey Street, has more bars per capita than any place in America.
25%
Occupancy allowed in bars last May after the spring lockdowns. Downtown drink spots were some of the city’s hardest-hit businesses last year.
13 Bob Woody owns 13 downtown watering holes and event spaces— including seven on “Dirty Sixth.”
formance by zydeco legend Clifton Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. The move signaled the arrival of Antone’s (and the road on which it sat) as one of the city’s preeminent places to experience live music.
“East Sixth Street was truly funky in those days, with scattered music clubs, some local businesses that had been there a long time, and a handful of places to eat,” says Austin City Limits producer Terry Lickona, who arrived in town in 1974 after attending Willie’s Fourth of July Picnic. “It was authentic, and our introduction to Austin in the mid-’70s.”
Over the next 20 years, Austin’s population exploded from less than 300,000 to nearly 530,000 by 1995, more than double the rate of Houston’s growth, by comparison. A number of elements fueled this rise, namely UT’s growing student community and the city’s reputation as a tech innovation hub. But it was live music, specifically on Sixth Street, that led the way.
By then, around 50 bars and clubs lined the part of the road between Brazos and Red River Streets—roughly 20 of which offered live music. Haunts like Steamboat, Joe’s Generic Bar, and Bates Motel were among the most cherished venues in town, with the likes of the Black Cat and Babes also doubling as watering holes and stages for local performers. In that vein, it’s fair to say that Sixth Street’s artistic dynamism contributed more to Austin’s economic and cultural evolution than any other stretch in town.
But even amid all that growth, Sixth Street was already showing some signs of wear. In 1996, Andy Langer, a prominent Austin music writer and radio host, wrote a lengthy Austin Chronicle piece titled “Where Live Music is Dead,” as a sort of obit for the famed street’s affinity for original music performances. Most notably, Langer lamented the area’s move toward younger crowds that were less inclined to pay for concert covers and were more drawn to cheaper, booze-filled clubs. Two decades later, he followed up with a 2016 Texas Monthly piece that read more like a call to action than a column.
Sadly, Langer’s call largely went unheard. And, as Austin continued to climb the list of blogs detailing the best places to party, Sixth Street earned its nickname (“Dirty Sixth”) by becoming a debaucherous tourist nest whose rooms are now filled with the sounds of commercial hits and cover bands. Considering it’s been two years since South by Southwest held an in-person festival, it’s that much more difficult for local music fans to fathom a return to the street’s past glory.
Today, not only does original live music not have much of a fighting chance on Sixth Street, but neither do other beloved local businesses. Alamo Drafthouse announced earlier this year it would close its Ritz location as part of its bankruptcy filing. Last September, Easy Tiger, the renowned bakery and beer garden, permanently closed its
original Sixth Street shop. Days earlier, the Irish pub B.D. Riley’s chose not to renew its lease, signaling a full-on exodus from the entertainment hub. Although all three have other locations in Austin, the departures of longtime businesses will hinder city leaders’ efforts to clean up the street’s waning reputation around town.
“Sixth Street always seemed like the epicenter of live music and partying growing up here,” says Travis County Judge and lifelong Austinite Andy Brown. “But now I’m older, have kids, and generally recommend outdoor things like Barton Springs, Zilker, and live music.”
Even with Langer’s aforementioned Chronicle piece, it remains hard to pinpoint precisely when the words “Sixth Street” and “live music” stopped being synonymous in Austin, but the disassociation is as loud as a cover band at Maggie Mae’s. “Dirty Sixth has felt like a lost cause since around 2013, when Bob Woody took control of the
ACL’s Terry Lickona is one of several entertainment luminaries pondering the future of Sixth Street.
Sixth Street’s identity crisis began long before 2020 emptied its bars.
association down there,” says former Austin City Council Member Chris Riley. “In many ways, that part of Sixth Street is an urban dystopia, with the balance of uses completely out of whack, and I don’t see that changing in my lifetime.”
Woody, the developer/bar magnate behind dozens of downtown bars, is a central figure in this trend. Beyond owning Sixth Street staples like The Blind Pig, Buckshot, and Shakespeare’s Pub, he proudly considers himself one of the leading voices in transforming the area. But when you ask Woody about that stretch of downtown, he makes the argument that the purpose, not the identity, of the historic thoroughfare has changed since its earliest iteration.
“I was doing business when our customer was a college student, now it’s conventioners and visitors,” he says, before referring to Sixth Street as Austin’s version of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. “Tourism is what Austin is, live music is part of what we have to provide as far as any type of entertainment. I’ve pushed it to be what it is now, since back in ’96.”
True as Woody’s words may be today, the question remains: Will the road continue to play a role in attracting newcomers to Austin as it did for decades? The answer isn’t obvious. Unlike when Lickona moved to town almost 50 years ago, folks aren’t flocking to the capital city just for its irreverent culture or vibrant art scene. Rather, many of the newest arrivals—like venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale, who has become one of the leading libertarian voices championing Texas as “the best place to make a stand together as a free society” since moving from California last year—have come here in search of low taxes, a more favorable business environment, and cheap(er) real estate. In that sense, the intangibles that once powered Austin have been supplanted by commodities and material gain.
Given these factors, it’s fair to wonder not just if the magic of Sixth Street is gone, but if it’s ever coming back. Maybe Langer was right when he first mourned its shift those 25 years ago. Maybe locals longing for the live music–rich, free-spirited days of yore are living out a fantasy that is, by now, long gone. Maybe the East Side and Rainey Street have permanently replaced it as more palatable options for older, local consumers. But as Austin grows more and more expensive, as transplants like Lonsdale infuse political sentiments and perspectives that sharply contrast those of the people who built this city, it’s increasingly obvious that Sixth Street will not maintain its ranking as one of the most important live music streets in modern American history. And that’s a damn shame.
David Yeomans
Chief Meteorologist at KXAN
In February, David Yeomans emerged from the snowmelt of Winter Storm Uri and stepped into the shoes of weather legend Jim Spencer, who semi-retired after manning KXAN’s green screen for 30 years. In the months since, the Albuquerque native and three-time Emmy winner has continued his ascent as one of Austin’s biggest media stars, appearing in GQ’s online video series “The Breakdown.” In addition to sharing stories about natural disaster coverage and the importance of addressing climate change, Yeomans muses on his predecessor’s legacy and the best weather-themed flicks.
Interview by David Leffler
When did your fascination with meteorology begin?
We had all kinds of weather in Albuquerque, and I became obsessed with what made it tick. My parents got me an at-home weather station for Christmas one year, which we put on the roof. I’d wake up, jot down the daily climate reports, and log monthly sheets that I’d send to the local National Weather Service (NWS). I’d sneak my weather radio into school, too, and was a registered NWS storm spotter at age 9. It was the power of weather, the fact that we’re totally at its mercy, that fascinated me most.
Was on-air work always the plan? No, not at all. For years, there was this narrative that TV weather people were just talking heads pointing at a screen who didn’t know the science. That, plus my being a super shy kid, initially repelled me. But as I went further in my meteorology coursework at the University of Miami and had a chance to intern at KXAN with Jim Spencer, I realized that wasn’t the case whatsoever. The work is the perfect mixture of science, engagement, and personality. Every day’s different.
How do you try to educate viewers about climate change?
I worked as a researcher under Dr. Brian Soden, who’s a world-renowned climate change expert. In a nutshell, we studied the relationship between water vapor in the high reaches of the atmosphere and global warming—which is connected to climate change. Some of my peers across the country can’t discuss it because it’s considered controversial, which is troubling. We, as meteorologists, have to use our platforms to talk about these matters from a scientific standpoint. Because that’s what this comes down to: science. Climate change is real, and we have to acknowledge it.
What is your wildest experience covering natural disasters?
Hurricane Harvey was the first I covered for KXAN. Things escalated quickly once we arrived to report in Rockport. The roof to the EOC [emergency operations center] caved in and flooded with 3 feet of water, meaning 9-1-1 dispatch was down. We locked ourselves inside our hotel because it was too dangerous to go outside. When the wind and rain died down, we realized we were in
the eye of the storm—and an entire side of the six-story building was missing. You could see exposed staircases and rooms. It was a reminder that Mother Nature can bring us back a century in a heartbeat.
What did you do after that?
We had a decision: Do we stay at the hotel or go elsewhere? Traditional wisdom says you should stay put, but things were getting heated. The hotel manager had been hitting the bar pretty hard, and he started screaming “No one can f***ing leave” while we were doing a live broadcast. He rambled about this dream he’d had the night before, where he was Noah and this was his ark. He also punched a hole in the wall. It got to the point where we really had to start considering, Do we tie this guy up until he calms down? I was more scared of being locked up with him than I was of the storm itself (laughs).
Your weather-themed movies GQ appearance got tons of attention. Which is your favorite film? That whole experience was unbelievable. Essentially, they brought me in to talk about whether Hollywood accurately depicted extreme weather patterns in its blockbuster features. Which, as you can imagine, is a mixed bag. Personally, I like The Day After Tomorrow because it’s centered around climate change, but, let’s be real, Twister is at the top. The 25th anniversary of its release just happened, so I just gave it another watch.
What is your relationship like with Jim Spencer?
I wouldn’t be in Austin if it weren’t for Jim. Beyond advocating for me and helping me land here in 2012, he’s been a constant source of support, wisdom, and coaching. Early in my career, we were both at the station and there was a cut-in, which is when we interrupt regular programming to talk about a severe storm. He didn’t just let me take it—he was off on the side filming me like a proud father. He’s still the guy I seek out personally and professionally. And he’s even more generous and kind than on TV. There’s definitely pressure to fill his shoes, but I’m excited to continue paying homage and carrying out his legacy.
Summer Madness
Rising temps always seem to coincide with a surge in bad behavior, head-scratching headlines, and egos run amok. Here, we rank the latest in capital city news. By David Leffler
Austin FC announces that its gameday mascots will be adoptable Austin Pets Alive! dogs
UT women’s basketball player Charli Collier is drafted No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft
Elon Musk’s company declares it could build a real Jurassic Park with genetically engineered dinosaurs
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he won’t support Gov. Abbott in 2022—then pulls a complete 180 on Twitter
Sen. Ted Cruz falls asleep in front of a national audience during Joe Biden’s congressional address
Gov. Abbott tweets baseless claims that President Biden is taking away Americans’ beef
After a year of silence, the Mohawk resumes concerts, signaling the much-needed return of live music
A Dallas Morning News poll shows potential gubernatorial hopeful Matthew McConaughey ahead of Gov. Abbott by 12 points
Outdoor Voices threatens to sue Austin bar Little Brother over its “Doing Things”–inspired “F***ing Around” hat
Joe Rogan tells millions of podcast listeners that “healthy” young people should avoid coronavirus vaccines
Voters pass Proposition B in May elections to reinstate the camping ban
Full-Court Press
Public-defender-turned-prosecutor José Garza is fighting the carceral system from the inside. By
David Leffler
FROM 2PAC’S SHOUTOUT in the closing seconds of “Picture Me Rollin’” to verses by Notorious B.I.G., Boosie Badazz, and Juvenile, district attorneys have long been maligned in rap culture for their historically punitive stances, especially toward communities of color. But if Travis County DA José Garza gets his way, that may be changing in the capital city.
Raised in San Antonio, Garza’s path to becoming Austin’s chief prosecutor was an unlikely one. As a child, his parents (both of whom were involved in Texas’ Chicano movement) instilled in him a passion for advocacy and an eye for inequity. The numerous rallies and marches stuck with him until, as a law student in Washington, D.C., he decided to harness his activism through litigation.
“We use our criminal legal system as a rug to sweep society’s failings under,” Garza says. “People struggling with substance abuse or unmet mental health needs, who have been failed by an unequal education system and economy… we throw them behind bars so we don’t have to address the root issues.”
That sentiment was further cemented in 2005, when Garza arrived in Del Rio, Texas, to work as a public defender. Tasked with providing legal aid to defendants housed in small county jails across the Rio Grande Valley, he was struck by the sheer lack of opportunity in his clients’ lives. More than a decade and several positions later—including serving in the Obama administration’s Department of Labor and leading the Workers Defense Project—he declared his candidacy for Travis County district attorney, a move that placed him within the emerging nationwide movement of “progressive prosecutors” promising to revamp the justice system. After winning last November’s election with more than 69 percent of the vote, he’s doing just that.
Since that milestone, Garza has focused on campaign platforms like ending cash bail, bolstering diversion programs that help defendants avoid felony convictions, and focusing on violent crime rather than low-level drug violations. He’s also expanded resources for sexual assault survivors and taken steps to hold law enforcement accountable for violent on-duty incidents, including handing down seven indictments against police officers within his first five months in office.
While these early initiatives have kept his team working at a breakneck pace to start 2021, Garza says a litany of additional policies will be unveiled by the end of the year. Above all else, he says, Austinites—especially Black and Brown residents— deserve to see a drastically different system that prioritizes long-term public safety over punishment.
“When you separate someone from their job and their family for non-violent, low-level offenses, you create instability in that family, in that neighborhood. That’s antithetical to public safety,” he says. “Real public safety is stability, access to good jobs, access to good schools, access to health care and mental health services. It’s time we view our criminal legal system as part of our cities and communities, rather than pretending that it exists in a vacuum.”
José Garza is taking a long-term approach to Travis County’s public safety.
By Madeline Hollern
(Even in the Worst Market Ever)
FOR YEARS, AUSTIN real estate has been on the upswing, but then, ahem, 2020 happened, and our already-sizzling market morphed into an all-out inferno. Now, those hidden gems and hottest neighborhoods (hint: that’s all of them) have become even more in-demand. To get to the heart of what’s happening, we look to the architectural soul of what’s driving the capital city’s great buying frenzy. Is it the historic craftsman homes of Clarksville? The smattering of decorative Queen Annes in the middle of funky South Austin? Or what’s considered to be Austin’s first suburb (you’ll be surprised by the reveal)? While focusing on the city’s design lineage, we’ve zeroed in on the eight classic home styles that help define each neighborhood. Paired with expert tips and all the latest real estate data, your potential dream house is one lucky bid away. Happy hunting!
MIDCENTURY MODERN
NATIONALLY, THIS DESIGN movement sprouted up after World War II and lasted through the Mad Men era. But here in the capital city, according to Webber + Studio founder and principal David Webber, the style proliferated in areas like Rollingwood due to one local architect in particular: “Midcentury [design] in Austin was almost singlehandedly driven by A.D. Stenger,” he says.
HISTORY IN ROLLINGWOOD
While the design’s heyday technically ended in 1969, Stenger designed midcentury modern homes well into the ’70s. One reason the architect centered on this West Austin neighborhood was perhaps out of self-interest, Webber says. “He owned a lot of land in Rollingwood, and he was either part owner or made money off the Rollingwood water supply,” he says.
Also Found in: Barton Hills, Pemberton Heights, Judge’s Hill
Median Home
in Rollingwood (78746): $1,303,000
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
Known for their clean, simple lines (1), midcentury modern homes are usually one story and have a flat or low-pitched roof (2), a vaulted central ceiling (3) and floor-toceiling windows (4).
Fahrenheit 2021
In just the first three months of the year, Austin-Round Rock real estate is already reaching unprecedented new heights.
16.8%
Median Sales Price
$425,000, increase of 16.8% since January
42.8%
Closed Sales 3,603, increase of 42.8% since January
26 0.4
Average Days on Market 26 days, down from 33 days in January
Total Sales $1.99 billion, increase of 72% ($1.16 billion) in January
DOTTED THROUGHOUT THE city, bungalows are especially popular in South Austin areas like Bouldin Creek. “A lot of times when you see [Austin] on TV and they pan through neighborhoods, what you’re looking at are bungalows,” says McKinney York Architects president Michelle Rossomando. “It’s a very common house type in Austin.”
BUNGALOW
Months of Inventory 0.4 months (anything below 4.0 is considered a seller’s market)
HISTORY IN BOULDIN CREEK
Though it’s hard to imagine now, this pricey South Austin area was once a middle-class neighborhood. Bouldin Creek experienced rapid growth during the 1920s and ’30s, and the bungalow was an alternative to the expensive, ornate styles of the previous century. “It was a reaction to all the decorative elements of a Victorian,” Rossomando says.
Also Found in: Hyde Park, Central East Austin
Median Home Price in Bouldin Creek (78704): $629,000
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
Bungalows are usually one or one-and-a-half stories with a pitched roof (1), front steps leading up to a covered porch or a veranda (2), and wide overhangs with rafter tails (3). Another common element of the style is a double gable, with a front gable over the porch and bigger one over the house (4)
RANCH
IF YOU LIKE houses with airy interiors, you can thank this midcentury home style for pioneering the open floor plan concept. The casual ranch dwellings that line the pedestrian-friendly North Shoal Creek area of town emphasize a connection to the outdoors and often have sliding-glass doors that lead to big back porches. Because they were built when automobile culture emerged, many have built-in garages or carports as well.
Agents of Chaos
A local real estate pro weighs in on navigating a historically difficult market.
IF AUSTIN’S SKY-HIGH real estate prices have left you dumbfounded, you’re not alone. Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) president Susan Horton says she’s never seen anything like it in her 33-year career, where record shortages on inventory, low interest rates, a population boom, and a global health crisis have collided to form such out-ofcontrol spending. Factor in companies like Tesla and Cisco moving here from California, and you have the predicament the city finds itself in today. If you’re looking for a new abode, that’s not what you want to hear. But Horton insists home prices will never be less expensive. To help buyers, she shares five tips to help them remain competitive:
HISTORY IN NORTH SHOAL CREEK
Considered a suburb at the time, North Shoal Creek was developed in the 1960s, when ranchstyle homes flourished in warmer U.S. climates. “It’s really interesting to see how successful that style was in places like here and in California because our climates have that indoor-outdoor, informal, casual living style,” Rossomando says. “That was a big selling point.”
Also Found in: Allandale, Brentwood, Windsor Park
Median Home Price in North Shoal Creek (78757): $525,000
Average Days on
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
Ranch homes are one-story houses that are low to the ground (1). They typically have a shallow or low-pitched roof (2), broad eaves, and an asymmetrical shape (3)
“It’s simple architecture that was very popular with the booming middle class in the 1950s and 1960s,” says Brian Carlson, a partner at McKinney York Architects.
1. Work with an experienced, full-time realtor. By the time you see a listing on Zillow, it’s probably already under contract. Find someone who knows what’s coming online before the national sites.
2. Start early! Give yourself at least 90 days to land the right place.
3. Know your priorities. In today’s market, it’s unrealistic to think you’ll get everything you want out of a property. Prepare to make some sacrifices.
4. Be nimble. Have a prequalification letter ready.
5. Don’t get discouraged. With as many as 65 offers on reasonably priced listings, the odds are stacked against you. Realize a rejection is not a failure and move on quickly.
IT’S RARE TO find this decorative home aesthetic in the outskirts of Austin. The oldest and most ornate design on the list, the Queen Anne is a signature Victorian style that was built in central areas of town, including the Travis Heights neighborhood in South Austin.
HISTORY IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS
The Queen Anne was most popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the United States. But although Travis Heights didn’t see rapid development until the 1920s, the Victorian home design was still a popular choice here at the time. As Webber notes, “Austin was always about 10 or 20 years behind.”
Also Found in: Clarksville, Old West Austin, Hyde Park
Median Home Price in Travis Heights (78704) $629,000
Average Days on Market: 46 Percent Increase from Last Year: 9.87%
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
Usually at least two stories high, Queen Annes often have steeply pitched roofs (1), a gabled end (2), a big front or wraparound porch (3), and dormer windows on the roof (4). This embellished style can also include columns, turrets, and tracery on the windows.
COLONIAL REVIVAL
PART OF THE ritzy Old West Austin Historic District, Pemberton Heights is regarded as one of Austin’s most affluent and established neighborhoods. Home to politicians, entrepreneurs, and creatives alike, the centrally located area is also known for its stunning brand of architecture.
HISTORY IN PEMBERTON HEIGHTS
The storied neighborhood was first developed in the late 1920s, when this style of home was popular across the nation. “You see Colonial Revivals in areas where the lots were plotted a lot bigger and wider, so that would take you to the west parts of Austin,” says Rick Black, cofounder of Rick + Cindy Black Architects. “It’s always been valuable real estate [in Pemberton Heights], being on the hill and overlooking the city.”
Also Found in: Bryker Woods, Old Enfield
Median Home Price in Pemberton Heights (78703): $1,022,500
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
Symmetry is the name of the game for these sizeable domiciles. They are at least two stories high (1), with a central door (2) and evenly spaced windows (3) The homes sometimes include dormer windows on the roof, and the roof typically has gables on the side (4)
Streets of Fire
Here are the top 10 ZIP codes where median home price climbed the most between 2019 and 2020.
78722
Cherrywood
$495,000 (+18.6%)
78734
Lakeway/ Hudson Bend
$550,000 (+18.5%)
78947
(+19%)
78957 Smithville $245,000 (+20.4%) 78703
Tarrytown/Old
$1,022,500 (+24.7%)
(+21.4%)
$349,900 (+29.6%)
$355,000 (+28.6%)
INFAMOUS FOR ITS pricey real estate, Clarksville (founded in 1871 as a freedmen’s community) was once an affordable area to build homes. Unlike Victorian styles, “the craftsman was more for the middle classes,” says Ada Corral, co-founder and principal of Jobe Corral Architects.
CRAFTSMAN
HISTORY IN CLARKSVILLE
Craftsman homes were popular throughout the country from the 1890s to 1930s, in part because they were widely available for purchase through the Sears catalog at the time. The fact that they were commodified in that way made them more economically feasible for middle-class neighborhoods like Clarksville, which was developed during that same period.
Also Found in: Travis Heights, Hyde Park, Chestnut
Median Home Price in Clarksville (78703): $1,022,500
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
“They’re named craftsman for a reason: They’re about details,” says Camille Jobe, founder and principal at Jobe Corral. These one- to two-story homes are known for having a low-pitched gabled roof (1) with exposed rafter tails and brackets that support the eaves (2), covered porches that are several steps off the ground (3), tapered columns (4), and double-hung windows (5)
The Price is Right
What does that house or downtown condo really cost? We did the math in terms any Austinite can grasp.
1-bedroom tiny home in East Austin: $103,500
about the cost of two Tesla Model Ys
1-bedroom condo in downtown: $425,000
about the cost of four East Side tiny homes, four SXSW Platinum Badges, and a Franklin Barbecue Pit
3-bedroom bungalow in Zilker: $1,290,000
about the cost of three downtown condos, a new air conditioner, and a Willie Nelson autographed guitar purchased at auction
HERE’S A SURPRISING bit of Austin trivia: Despite its now-central location, Hyde Park was actually considered the city’s first suburb when it was founded in 1891. Although the neighborhood has a mix of home styles, one of the most frequent here is the charming Tudor Revival.
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
HISTORY IN HYDE PARK
As the neighborhood was developed in the late 1800s into the 1930s, the Tudor Revival design was especially common in the Shadow Lawn Historic District, which is located in the southeast portion of Hyde Park. The district is bound by 38th, 39th, Avenue G, and Duval Streets and also features a number of historic Queen Anne homes (see page 65).
Also Found in: Travis Heights, Tarrytown, Old Enfield
Median Home Price in Hyde Park (78751): $523,750
Both one- and two-story versions of this style can be found in Austin. The homes are asymmetrical (1) and commonly have elements like a steeply pitched roof (2), a front gable or gables (3), and a chimney. “Even in our modest Austin Tudor Revivals, there’s usually still a kind of biggish window on the front (4),” Webber says.
COMMON IN CENTRAL East Austin, this design is named after its layout, which has a room on each corner of the house. “The idea behind the foursquare is that it was super efficient,” Rossomando says. “You’ve got the four rooms, and you’re not wasting square footage on a hallway.” The home is also oriented to provide passive cooling, essential in the days before air conditioning.
HISTORY IN CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN
Like the bungalow, this classic home style became common at the turn of the 20th century and features a pareddown aesthetic that was a departure from the ornate Victorian. Classic examples in Central East Austin include the twostory Newton House (1874) and the one-story Dedrick Hamilton house (1892), the latter of which was one of the first houses owned by a Black freedman in Austin.
Also Found in: Hyde Park, Bouldin Creek
Median Home Price in Central East Austin (78702): $515,000
SIGNATURES OF THE STYLE
Though foursquares are usually two to two-anda-half stories tall (1), there are also one-story iterations in Austin. The dwelling is defined by its boxy shape (2), hipped roof (3), and a central door (4). It often has a dual front porch (aka two porches on top of each other) (5)
With its hippie roots, Whole Foods Market was an Austin triumph of feel-good consumerism.
As its much-publicized merger with Amazon nears its fifth anniversary, what—if anything—is left to love?
By Tracey Minkin
Illustration by Pete Ryan
All she needs is some almond milk.
She makes a quick run to Whole Foods on North Lamar, surprised at the open spaces in the parking garage, surprised at how quiet the aisles feel inside. It’s like a city after a zombie apocalypse, she thinks, as she scouts the polished concrete pathways to the store’s shelf-lined core. As she grabs the carton, she realizes there’s something in the store with her.
A stalking robot, a four-legged steampunk dog-wolf, rounds the aisle corner and trains its focus on her. A laser pointer’s red dot scans the package in her hand, and in a terrifying flurry, the creature surges up the walkway and snatches the carton. The dog lands, crouched, with her almond milk now in its robotic jaw. Its face, a flatscreen LED, glows with the grin of Amazon logos everywhere: in the store, on the streets, on her computer, in her world.
“Imagine having your shopping done and delivered in two hours with your Prime membership,” purrs a voice deep inside the prowling bot. And in a flash of metal and menace, the hound scurries away while grabbing more products and flinging them into a storage bin perched atop its back.
This story isn’t true. Not yet.
IT’S TEMPTING TO go dystopic—to go all Black Mirror—when thinking about the future. But the world of groceries, and in particular, the humanity of a market nurtured from a crazy little seedling right here in Austin, seems like the last place for this brand of nightmare.
But what Whole Foods Market began as—an idealistic hippie store that sold natural foods to other like-minded hippies—started to fizzle over time. Instead, it would grow into a brand not just of grocery shopping, but of life itself, a self-styled experiment in “conscious capitalism” that would gobble up competitors, expand aggressively, and fend off unionization of workers while simultaneously setting new benchmarks for ethical and mindful eating. It was a tricky balancing act, and one that was ultimately doomed as massive supermarket chains copied its organic playbook at lower prices. By 2017, the pressure grew so great that Whole Foods took refuge, via a $13.7 billion cash purchase, in the arms of one of the world’s biggest Big Tech behemoths: Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.
And while the tale of Whole Foods Market has played out all over America, nowhere is it more acutely felt than on the streets of Austin, where the city’s very way of life spawned and nurtured the company’s core principles. Where now, Whole Foods’ flagship store hunkers, near moribund, as a reminder of the thriving hub for life, food, and culture it once represented. With Amazon making headlines as a bully of labor, as many Whole Foods stores give up their front-of-shop community space to fulfillment zones for remote “picker” shopping powered by Amazon Prime, is there any soul left? What has happened to Whole Foods Market?
“It’s the saddest physical retail story of the century so far,” says Lee Peterson, who worked with Whole Foods for a decade as a consultant. “And I’m an Amazon admirer.”
From left: Whole Foods founders Craig Weller, Renee Lawson Hardy, and John Mackey.
TO APPRECIATE THE fall, it’s vital to witness the birth and rise of Austin’s own. That story begins in another era of cultural change, the 1970s, with a curly-haired guy from Houston who grows up with a taste for Cocoa Puffs, Pop-Tarts, and philosophy. It begins with the restless John Mackey.
Ping-ponging over six collegiate years between studies at San Antonio’s Trinity University and the University of Texas at Austin, Mackey at age 23 is pulled like a comet into the post-’60s obsession of vegetarianism in Austin. “I was interested in the counterculture and I thought I’d meet interesting women as well,” Mackey told Guy Raz in a 2018 episode of the popular podcast How I Built This (Whole Foods Market declined to allow Mackey to be interviewed for this story.) “I thought it was an adventure,” he said.
At a commune named Prana (the Sanskrit word for “life force”), Mackey wraps himself in batik, inhales the musky perfume of patchouli, and says no to meat. His diet and consciousness expand. He also chafes at the
required readings for his philosophy degree at UT and takes, he said, 120 hours of electives, devouring books in his free time on things he’s interested in instead—a ranging, autodidactic streak that is as much a trademark as his tempered drawl, libertarian leanings, and a penchant for getting into scraps with the media. But no one pays you to read, so the newly minted vegetarian snags a job at a natural food store in Austin called The Good Food Company. “And wow, I was launched on my path,” he told Raz. “I loved everything about natural and organic foods. I liked cooking [them]; I liked retailing [them]. And I thought, this is something I can really be passionate about.”
Just six months into his gig, the recent college dropout, along with girlfriend Renee Lawson, decide to raise the $45,000 necessary (including Mackey’s $10,000 personal investment) to launch their own natural grocery. By 1978, the pair open the hard-punning SaferWay Natural Foods, a vegetarian market (first floor) and cafe (second floor) on the sleepy corner
“Willie Nelson was a bridge between the right and the left, and in some ways, Whole Foods did that same trick.”
Stephen Harrigan
Clockwise from left: One of the earliest Whole Foods locations at 10th and Lamar Streets; Mackey, Weller and co-founder Mark Skiles.
of Rio Grande and Eighth Streets. “We were pretty pure,” Mackey said. “We didn’t sell sugar, didn’t sell meat. We were selling produce, bulk foods. We didn’t know what we were doing [the business lost half of its total investment in the first year], but we learned very quickly. We got better.”
Mackey reads books on business; he experiments, fails, adjusts, and the store turns a $5,000 profit the second year. Time for a victory lap? Not in John Mackey’s all-natural universe. “After we began to make money, I began to realize SaferWay was too small,” he said. “We needed to have a bigger, better location. I dreamed of opening a real grocery store where you could do all your shopping.”
Mackey revs up. He hustles everyone he knows for more money, including a guy that he spots getting into a BMW after a pickup basketball game—a serendipitous encounter that leads to a $50,000 investment. He talks Ben Powell, a Houston attorney who owns a burned-out shell of a nightclub on North Lamar, into renting to a droopy-mustached kid with a vision way bigger than his resume. “I went to pitch him on it,” Mackey recalled, “and he started laughing. He said, ‘John, you are so full of enthusiasm, you think you can conquer the whole world. Well, life’s going to teach you different, son. But you remind me of myself when I was young. Let’s do your god darn natural foods supermarket.’”
But the high-velocity offensive isn’t quite over. Mackey knows that the already-successful Clarksville Natural Grocery is just down the street from his new location, so he makes owners Craig Weller and Mark Skiles an offer they can’t refuse: Close Clarksville and join Mackey and Lawson in the new venture. Is this a communal kumbaya or a mobster implying: “It’d be a shame if something happened to your family?” No one can say, but Weller and Skiles sign on and push to add meat, beer, wine, and coffee to the venture—to leave the vegetarian ideals behind in pursuit of success. “It was a compromise that turned out to be the right one,” Mackey said, “from a business perspective.” In September 1980, just two years after SaferWay debuted, Whole Foods Market, with a respectable 10,500 square feet and 19 employees, opens its doors. And changes the world.
in early 1980s Austin. The synergy doesn’t surprise Stephen Harrigan, author of Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas. “I remember back in the 1960s, there was a natural foods store near the university that was kind of a right-wing survivalist kind of place,” he says. “Then you had hippies, who were basically into natural foods, but they met in the middle with these really anti-government people.”
What Whole Foods Market pulled off, Harrigan believes, was launching natural foods into the mainstream. “Austin was a natural place for that to arise because there was this great hippie-redneck détente when it came to music in the 1970s,” he says. “We had the Armadillo World Headquarters. Willie Nelson was a bridge between the right and the left, and in some ways, Whole Foods did that same trick. They fused these two outlaw identities.”
Popularizing the countercultural became a hook that bred generations of grocery loyalists. Question a long-haul local today, and you’ll get an early Whole Foods memory so vivid and fond, it feels like you’re swapping remember-whens at a high school reunion. For Gray Hawn, a photographer who confesses to having filled suitcases with Whole Foods products when traveling overseas, it was the sounds of Austin ringing out of the store’s PA system—Willie Nelson, Bob Livingston, Rusty Wier—“our great music,” she says.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 132
IT ISN’T PRETTY at first, but at that point, it didn’t need to be. What Mackey and his crew offer in that first Whole Foods Market location is both a capitalist and social experiment that finds a surprisingly receptive consumer base
Since acquiring the brand in 2017, Amazon has waged a price war with other organic competitors like Walmart.
In March 2018, Austin was held captive by a serial bomber who killed innocent civilians and spread terror throughout the city’s streets. More than three years later, those closest to the events still carry emotional scars and questions that elude answers.
2 0 DAYS IN HELL
By David Leffler
TTHE VOICE BOOMED at Collin Thomas like it was shot out of a cannon. Disoriented, the New Jersey native disregarded the noise and continued to speak with his business partner as he paced the sidewalks of his Pflugerville neighborhood. But then it came again, even louder, a gruff, barking order that chilled him to a halt. “FBI! Step away from the phone. I repeat, step away from the phone.”
Looking to his left, the 26-year-old saw that a man wearing plain clothes and a baseball cap had emerged from a black Chevy Suburban. The stranger striding toward him was tall, about 6’1”, and had a sturdy build that was backlit by the oncoming spring sunset. He had two other people shadowing him—and all of them were brandishing guns.
After Thomas dropped his phone and threw his hands into the air, the officers led him behind Hanovers Draught Haus, a beer garden located two blocks from the house he rented. Police cars descended from all directions, their flashing lights setting off alarm bells in his head. Thomas’ heart pounded as the agents peppered him with vague, but probing, inquiries. All he could think about was remaining as calm and cordial as possible. “I just tried to keep it easy and not escalate the situation,” Thomas says. “I was alone in a parking lot surrounded by police. I mean, it’s the cops…why are you going to fight back? What can you really do?”
Several tense minutes passed before Thomas was forced into an Austin Police Department (APD) squad car and taken downtown for further questioning. He made note of the time that his
Left: Collin Thomas in the Hanover’s parking lot APD took him to; Right: Thomas on the street where he lived with the bomber.
ANNEKE PATERSON
“It didn’t make any sense. I just kept telling myself it had to be a mistake.”
—Collin Thomas
call had been interrupted—7:05 p.m.—in case he’d need to refer back to it later. It was March 20, 2018. And, although he didn’t know it, he was at the center of a citywide manhunt for a serial bomber that would transform his life and send shockwaves throughout the country.
Upon arriving at APD’s Seventh Street headquarters, Thomas was stationed in a small interrogation room. The space’s walls were lined with foam padding and a wooden table sat at its center—a spartan design that only exacerbated the swirling fears and creeping isolation that had engulfed his mind.
A few moments later, two detectives walked in. Their mood was light, almost playful, at first. But as the conversation unfolded, their line of questioning grew progressively sharper. What do you know about the Austin bombings? Do you know who’s behind it? You’d better tell us everything you know. As the interrogation ratcheted up, Thomas’ mood spiraled from frustration to fear and anger. I don’t know anything, he pleaded. Eventually, he broke down and fell asleep on the room’s frigid floor after the
officers left the room, unsure of when he’d see the light of day again.
More than 15 hours since being apprehended, the detectives came back at 10:30 a.m. and notified Thomas that he was being released. The agents also divulged why they’d pursued him in the first place. “After we got in the car to take me home, the detective turned and said that the bomber was my roommate, that he’d blown himself up just a few hours ago after they’d tracked him down,” he says. “It didn’t make sense. How do you even begin to process that the person you’ve been living with for months was making bombs in your home and had killed multiple people? I just kept telling myself it had to be a mistake.”
Yet it was true. His housemate of roughly five months, a 23-year-old white man named Mark Anthony Conditt, was indeed the person behind
The deaths of Anthony Stephan House and Draylen Mason, respectively, left behind unhealed wounds for loved ones and friends.
a spree of violence that had transfixed the nation. All told, the bomber had killed two people, both of them Black, hospitalized three others, and incited mass terror around the capital city for nearly three weeks. Up until then, he’d used a series of chillingly expert maneuvers to evade a joint investigation totaling more than a thousand agents and officers from APD, the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Now, he was dead.
Disturbing recollections flashed through Thomas’ mind. The deranged laughter that would often ring out from his roommate’s bedroom. The abrupt yelling and sounds of items being smashed. The night just a few weeks back when the bomber accused him of being the one unleashing explosives around town—an ominous encounter that, until then, he’d chalked up to misplaced anxiety. All of it washed over him as concerned texts flooded in and headline-hungry reporters hounded him for a quote. As the days passed, he remained a person of interest in APD’s investigation. He watched as his name appeared in pieces by outlets like The New York Times that detailed (and mischaracterized) his experience as the person who’d shared a roof with a mass killer.
In the months that followed, Thomas was wracked with survivor’s guilt and PTSD. Why, he wondered, had the bomber not killed him? Was there anything he could’ve done to stop him? The questions were always there, invisible but persistent presences in every room he entered, shadows he couldn’t shake. Grappling with his own mortality, he would suddenly be overcome with intense rushes of adrenaline and depression that would start and alternate without reason. Some days, he wanted to drive a car full speed into a wall; others, he barely had the energy to move. Even now, after writing a self-published book
on the subject, Sleeping Next to Death: A Memoir by the Roommate of the Austin Bomber, he thinks about the experience every day.
But Thomas wasn’t alone. Across Austin, many are continuing to grapple with the fallout from the March 2018 bombings. Victims’ loved ones remain in mourning, wondering how such heinous attacks arrived at their doorsteps. FBI agents long for missed opportunities to bring the culprit to justice. Concerns about the racially charged nature of the bomber’s assaults remain in question.
However, as many close to this string of tragedies acknowledge, something else has also surfaced for the first time since those harrowing 20 days—an opportunity for closure.
WHEN ANTHONY STEPHAN House stepped outside his Northeast Austin home on March 2, 2018, the Pflugerville native noticed a package sitting a few steps away, beneath the red brick overhang covering his front porch. It was just before 7 a.m., an unusual time for a delivery, and he reached out to pick it up with some suspicion. Immediately, the box detonated, releasing a lethal mixture of metal shrapnel, nails, and galvanized steel pipe. After being rushed to the hospital, the 39-year-old father and husband was dead within minutes.
On the other side of town, FBI assistant special agent in charge Jason Hudson’s phone rang.
APD Chief Brian Manley (center) became the face of an investigation that encompassed several nationwide agencies and more than a thousand law enforcement agents.
An expert in domestic terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, the bureau veteran was perplexed when he first heard the news. Given how rarely bombs—especially hand-delivered devices—have been used in the U.S. in recent years, he wondered if there was a simpler explanation for the incident. Potentially a gas leak or another residential malfunction had induced the explosion. But after arriving on the scene, he knew a homemade pipe bomb was behind the grisly episode. Diagnosing the motive behind House’s murder would prove much more challenging.
“We had some investigative theories that Mr. House had possibly been targeted by accident, that maybe the bomber got the wrong house and the wrong victim,” Hudson says. “Was it terrorism? Was it a hate crime? Was it completely random? The best charge we had at the time was a homicide… We obviously didn’t realize we had a serial bomber on our hands.”
Few leads surfaced as Hudson’s investigators worked to reassemble the weapon that killed House. Then-interim APD Police Chief Brian Manley said the department had no reason to believe it was anything beyond an isolated incident. Assistant Chief Joseph Chacon went a step further, posing the question of whether House had in fact brought about his own demise. “We can’t rule out that Mr. House didn’t construct this himself and accidentally detonated it, in which case it would be an accidental death,” he said. Reports surfaced that police had explored whether the event was connected to drugs and the cartel.
These lines of inquiry riled many within East Austin’s Black community, who asserted that such assumptions wouldn’t have surfaced had the explosion taken place in a wealthy, white area of town. It was just the latest example in a long history of racial bias among capital city police, they argued. “A lot of us are just kind of tired of the discrepancies,” Fatima Mann, the executive director of Counter Balance: ATX, an advocacy organization that aids low-income residents and communities of color, told The Washington Post. “We know that if these bombings would have happened on the West Side, there would have only been one. They would have locked down the community and made sure it wouldn’t happen again.”
Mann’s theory spoke to the racial divide and mistrust that enveloped the crisis from the beginning—issues that were only exacerbated when the bomber struck again on March 12 in East Austin. Within a matter of hours of one another, two more homemade devices, concealed in packages similar to the one delivered to House’s doorstep, were detonated.
“I was with the bureau during 9/11... We all had that same level of uncertainty.”
—Special agent Michelle Lee
One victim, 17-year-old Draylen Mason, was a gifted bassist who had been accepted into UT’s Butler School of Music and the esteemed Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Known for his quick wit and charming demeanor, he’d been preparing for an upcoming solo performance during his final spring break at East Austin College Prep when he was killed in his kitchen, his mother only a few steps away. The other victim, Esperanza “Hope” Herrera, was a Latinx woman described as a “4foot-7 firecracker” and the foundation of her family. Unlike Mason, the 75-year-old grandmother survived after picking up the box that had been left in her yard. She spent weeks in critical condition after the explosion, which had sent a nail through her face, split her stomach open, and shot materials more than 200 yards in every direction.
“I’m not even supposed to be here,” Herrera said in an episode of CBS’ The FBI Declassified dedicated to the saga. “I thought I was going to die.”
Everything changed after that, Hudson says. APD advised anyone who received a suspicious package to contact the department immediately— an advisory that elicited nearly a thousand phone calls from fearful residents. Amazon boxes, which had been transformed from online retail bounties to harbingers of death, piled up on porches. South by Southwest, which had kicked off on March 9, went into a frenzy when a pre-show bomb threat derailed a performance by The Roots. More than 600 FBI personnel with expertise ranging from intelligence analysis to hate crime examination poured in from across the country. It was official: There was a serial bomber on the loose in Austin.
“I’m not aware of any other crisis event in Texas where the FBI deployed that many resources to address one case. The Austin bombing was unique in that, unlike in past situations like the Boston Marathon, there was a sequence of different events over a lengthy period of time,” says FBI special agent Michelle Lee. “I was with the bureau during 9/11, as were several of my peers. We all felt that same level of uncertainty, of not really knowing what was in store for us in the next few minutes, hours, and days.”
AFTER MARCH 12, Austin entered one of the darkest periods in its history. In a span of 10 days, the city had lost two residents in traumatic fashion.
Another laid in a hospital bed. Their communities were in shock; their families and friends were grief-stricken. And the person behind it all was still at large.
Then, after six eerie days of quiet, the bomber broke his silence only hours after Chief Manley issued a public appeal to the offender during a news
Hermes Camacho, who taught Draylen Mason for more than five years, pictured with the late 17-year-old’s electric bass.
conference. Unlike the previous incidents, all of which involved package bombs delivered to Black and Brown residents on the East Side, the fourth explosion occurred when two white men in their 20s triggered a tripwire while riding their bikes in Southwest Austin. The attack’s randomness and locale dashed all of the officers’ developing leads.
But authorities got their big break just after midnight on March 20, when another box blew up along a FedEx conveyor belt in the San Antonio suburb of Schertz. Using recorded video from the facility’s security system, which captured footage of a man donning a blond wig as a makeshift disguise, investigators identified their target. From there, they triangulated his location at a Round Rock hotel in the early hours of March 21. After a car chase ensued, agents surrounded a red Nissan Pathfinder on the southbound I-35 frontage road. Before they could approach his SUV, though, the bomber blew himself up—ending his spree in a fiery exclamation point.
Concerns about the bomber’s motivations and the subsequent APD investigation consumed the city, with social justice advocates critiquing authorities for refusing to refer to him as a domestic terrorist that had committed hate crimes. Law enforcement’s decision to not release the transcript of a 25-minute video confession the assailant left behind also stoked theories that it could have contained an admission of racist motives.
Further driving this narrative was the fact that homemade explosives were the de facto terrorism tools for white supremacists throughout the 20th century. Some of these attacks took
place in cities like Chicago, where Black southerners who had arrived during the Great Migration were targeted with house bombs as they moved into white neighborhoods. Others included assaults on Black leaders, such as when Martin Luther King Jr.’s home was bombed by segregationists in retaliation for leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott. But arguably the most egregious example came from Walter Leroy Moody Jr., who not only slayed a federal judge with a package bomb, but killed a prominent Black civil rights lawyer with a mailed explosive and targeted a Florida NAACP office.
Despite these associations, Hudson maintains that the FBI didn’t categorize the bomber as a domestic terrorist because he never expressed an interest or allegiance to a terrorism network or ideology. The bureau’s top hate crime analysts found nothing to suggest otherwise after scouring the bomber’s internet activity, he adds, noting that the FBI didn’t release the 25-minute recording because it doesn’t want to provide a platform for those who incite violence.
“I listened to the video, and I can tell you: He alluded to, in his own words, a kind of self-diagnosed mental health issue he had experienced his entire life,” the special agent says. “He thought he would get some sort of emotional response from placing these bombs and killing people. Toward the end of the recording, he basically stated, ‘But I didn’t. I realized it was just adrenaline, and I feel no sympathy whatsoever.’”
Potentially the most controversial moment came when Manley (who could not be reached for comment) referred to the bomber as a “very challenged young man” on the afternoon of March 21. Experts like Germine Awad, an associate professor in UT’s Department of Educational Psychology who specializes in prejudice, discrimination, and racism, saw this as a reflection of bias frequently found in policing and the media. All too often, white men who commit even the most catastrophic crimes are portrayed in a far more humanizing and exculpatory light, she explains.
“There is a clear discrepancy between how white perpetrators and Black perpetrators are treated. Black men are more likely to experience violence from law enforcement, whereas white men typically receive the benefit of the doubt, both in police treatment and how they’re presented in society,” Awad says. “It’s not just that white men’s actions are downplayed or couched in larger explanations that others aren’t. Black boys are assumed guilty from the start, even when they’re the victims [like Anthony Stephan House].”
All of these elements placed the 2018 bombings at the center of Austin’s much-maligned record on
Mementos and tributes to Draylen Mason line the East Austin College Prep portable building that he once filled with music.
“Grief is different for everbody...I thought Draylen would be by my side for the rest of my life.”
—Miranda Gibble
race, both historically and in policing. That perception only grew last summer, when Manley, who was named to Fortune’s 2019 list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders for his handling of the bombings, was besieged by criticism for minimizing racism among his force’s ranks and overseeing violent assaults on Black Lives Matter protesters. He eventually stepped down in March 2021, but his once-sterling legacy—and the bombings that defined it—remains in question.
“The Austin Police Department can say whatever they want about it. If you ask Black and Brown residents of this city, they will tell you that these events were absolutely racially motivated,” Awad says. “There’s the mainstream media perception of it, and then there’s the fact that people of color who have lots of life experience with racism and discrimination see it differently. I don’t see that changing.”
HERMES CAMACHO STOOD in a portable classroom at East Austin College Prep on a sunny spring afternoon this April. Behind him sat a dry erase board covered in treble clefs and walls lined with cellos, guitars, and percussion pieces. Images of famous female composers like Ethel Smyth and Fanny Mendelssohn hung above the instruments. But the most notable decor was a sign bearing the words “Dray Showed Us The Way” in bold, black lettering, with dozens of handwritten notes and colorful drawings adorning its white surface.
Over the course of their five-plus years together at Austin Soundwaves, the music education nonprofit where he works as a program director, Camacho watched Draylen Mason mature from an excitable seventh grader to the most polished musician he’d ever taught. “During his junior year, I found out that he’d gotten a copy of the portable key from the school and was coming in to practice playing his bass on the weekends,” Camacho says. “That experience speaks so much to who Dray was. On one hand, he was charming and bold enough to somehow get ahold of a key to the school grounds. On the other hand, how can you be upset with a kid who wants to practice that badly?”
Like so many people connected to this crisis, Camacho remembers exactly where he was when he’d learned that his star pupil was dead. Couched amid a sea of congratulatory birthday messages, he considered the initial text a cruel practical joke from one of his high school pupils. As more details emerged, though, he found himself counseling more than a dozen distressed
students, each conversation more gut-wrenching than the last.
In the time since, Austin Soundwaves has dedicated much of its work to not only preserving, but building upon Mason’s legacy. That charge has taken a number of forms, most notably its Draylen Mason Fellows Program, which offers financial support and musical coaching to young musicians around Austin. Camacho and the organization have also maintained a close relationship with the bassist’s family (who declined to speak for this story) and organized an annual performance on the anniversary of his death.
Despite these actions, Camacho says that, for the first two years after the explosion, his student’s memory was largely defined by crippling sorrow. Because after the dust settled and the media attention shifted elsewhere, those hurt most by the bombings were left to grieve alone while the rest of Austin moved on. Some, like Mason’s close friends, were forced to face an inexplicable tragedy before they’d even graduated high school. Others, like Collin Thomas and the victims’ families, were tasked with trying to make sense of their direct connection to a string of terror that sent tremors across America.
“Grief is different for everybody. Even now, it’s just a roller coaster for me. I thought Draylen was going to be by my side for the rest of my life,” says Miranda Gibble, one of Mason’s closest friends at East Austin College Prep. “It could be 30 years from now, and I’m still going to remember him. As much as we’re celebrating the good things that he did for us and this community, I also like to imagine all the wonderful, amazing things he would have done for us.”
There’s no telling if, or when, these wounds will ever heal. But for the first time since 2018, there is also a glimmer of hope emerging on the horizon. At this year’s memorial concert, Camacho noticed that the performance had a different atmosphere to it than in previous years. It felt lighter, even optimistic—as if March 12 could be a reminder that they’re doing community work and forging relationships that Mason would be proud of, rather than it solely being a day of mourning.
“Before, there was this overwhelming feeling of constantly not trying to lose it, not trying to break down crying. But now, there’s also this hopeful feeling where we can look back and say we’re proud of having known Dray and we’re proud of what we’re doing to continue his legacy,” Camacho says. “Despite the fact that we’re three years out, it almost feels triumphant that we’re not going to let this be something that stops us from creating the music he loved so dearly. We’ll never let Dray’s memory or his spirit die.”
REALTOR
PROFILES 2021
VICTOR NINO THE NINO TEAM AT KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
Victor bought his first home at the age of 19 and started his Real Estate Career in 2004. Victor fell in love with the power of leverage that real estate investing offers and enjoys teaching others the benefits of passive income achieved through income-producing properties. The Nino Team Sold over $51 Million in volume helping over 160 families in 2020 earning his team the #1 spot at Keller Williams NWMC.
Nino is an avid student and attends numerous real estate seminars to sharpen his skills and share his knowledge with other Realtors. “I study the local real estate market daily so I can properly guide the families that come to me for help as they invest, buy or sell a home. My dedication to constant learning through books, podcasts, and many other sources has allowed me to attract great talent to our team which makes it easy for us at The Nino Team to help hundreds of families each year in the Austin Metro area.” Nino knows that The Nino Team has a very big responsibility when helping clients handle their largest investment... their home.
Victor and his wife Monica are both Realtors and have two beautiful daughters Sofia and Alison. Thanks to L.C. (his first mentor), Susie, Monica, Diego, Dennis, Andres, Julio, Jaime Juan, and Eddie they are able to help many families.
You can find Victor Nino on Facebook or look for him on Instagram @realtornino. If you want to learn how to live mortgage-free through real estate investing or if you are considering buying or selling your home feel free to call or text at 512-587-8652.
(512) 587-8652
realtor@victornino.com www.Victornino.com
ELISABETH HAY KELLER WILLIAMS
REALTY
Elisabeth Hay is a top-performing realtor serving Central Austin and the Texas Hill Country. Having closed transactions ranging from $28,000 to $28 million, Elisabeth knows how to support every deal and every client with superior service. Working in finance for a decade, Elisabeth first got exposure to real estate in an investment capacity and fell in love with the industry. Now those seeking to buy or sell properties benefit from her experience in analytics, marketing, and negotiation. Elisabeth quickly rose to become a notable producer in her office. With annual sales exceeding $30 million, her character and community influence continue to attract referrals. Elisabeth keeps an office in downtown Austin and on Main Street in Johnson City. She lives in Tarrytown with her husband, John, and their 4-year-old twins, Cohen and Brooklyn. With a love of hospitality, they spend their leisure time in the Texas Hill Country, involved in ownership of the Albert Texas Dancehall or hosting friends at their ranch in Fredericksburg.
(512) 658-1873
e.hay@kw.com www.elisabethhay.com
KRYSTLE COPULOS THE PLATINUM GROUP
Krystle Copulos, principal of the Platinum Group, has been a real estate broker for over a decade, specializing in condo living in Central Austin. As a top producing agent in the downtown real estate market, Krystle utilizes her extensive knowledge of the existing condo inventory, future developments, and real estate trends to identify the ideal community for her clients. Establishing great relationships with developers and other real estate professionals in her industry has allowed her to carry over exceptional service and expertise in the Austin luxury real estate market. The Platinum Group storefront is conveniently located in the heart of downtown, off West 3rd and Nueces streets, allowing them to gain maximum exposure for their listings. Whether you’re an empty nester looking to downsize or an urban dweller moving to the suburbs, Krystle and her team of professionals have all of your real estate needs covered.
(512) 659-9329
krystle.copulos@compass.com www.platinumrealtyaustin.com
DAVE MURRAY
DMTX REALTY
GROUP
I’ve been in real estate since the mid-’80s. I started my career driving around buyers all day, selling $10,000 mobile home lots, and it was very motivating. I never turned away business—if I could sell it, I would list it. If I had a buyer, I would sell them. As a result, my business grew with a very diverse clientele and portfolio, and I’ve consistently been in the top 1 percent of all realtors in Central Texas for more than 20 years. Many of my clients also started with nothing and are now hugely successful. I have earned their business, and as a result, the majority of my business is repeat and referral. I do this every day with a phenomenal support team and an incredible company that I joined a little over a year ago. As successful as I was, I didn’t realize that there was so much more untapped potential until joining Keller Williams Realty. We have barely tapped into their resources and training and have increased our business nearly 100 percent. The journey from selling $10,000 mobile home lots to sales averaging well over $1 million, while getting to live and work in Austin, has been a blessing. Specializing in ranches, luxury, and waterfront, and having represented some of the most amazing properties and clients in Central Texas, has been an incredible life experience. As we close in on nearly $1,000,000,000 in career sales, I have not forgotten my roots, and we continue to list and sell all price ranges of both residential and ranch properties. I have a great team and amazing agents ready to assist with anyone’s real estate needs.
(512) 695-2176
dave@dmtx.com
www.dmtx.com
www.texasland.com
DONNA M ANDRUK KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
Meet Donna Andruk - 2020’s No. 1 independent agent at Keller Williams Northwest Market Center. Donna is also in the top 2 percent of the area’s producing realtors and believes her success is the results of a passion for giving, her rock star clients and the support of her family—both at home and in office. She is a proud wife to Jay Andruk and mother to Charlotte, 7, and JJ, 4. Jay supports her personally and professionally, providing maintenance and services to sellers in his spare time.
Donna credits the rock-solid team culture at KW Northwest for allowing her the freedom to spend quality time with her family while serving her clients. Donna is an active member of KW’s Agent Leadership Council working with agents of all experience levels, as well as a Master Facility participant, where she teaches and mentors new agents by educating them and on how to “Play to Win”. When she is not giving her all to her family, clients, or team, Donna is working to give back! She is the top donor for KW Cares, which supports KW agents in need. She also spearheaded the Dare to Care movement for KW, working to challenge her fellow realtors to support a cause that calls to their heart. Donna is all heart!
When experience matters, Donna is on a level of her own. She and her husband personally own multiple properties and are hands-on landlords who work diligently with their tenants to ensure things are always taken care of in a timely manner. Donna’s commitment to excellence does not end with real estate and she has worked hard to make long-standing personal connections with builders, lenders, title companies, stagers and tradesmen so she can better serve her clients and her KW family alike! If you are looking to sell, invest, or graduate from homeowner to landlord, and want to connect with someone who cares about your needs, has the experience to get it done, and is ready to guide you, Donna is the one for you— Contact her at 512-663-6672 or donnasellsaustin@kw.com.
(512) 663-6672 donnasellsaustin@kw.com www.donnasellsaustin.com
ED HUGHEY MORELAND PROPERTIES
As a professional realtor and long-time practicing architect, Ed Hughey’s deep-rooted residential background gives him a unique advantage in providing exceptional service to his clients. With an architecturally trained eye, and nearly two decades as an Austinite, his extensive knowledge of the city and its neighborhoods enable him to offer invaluable guidance to both buyers and sellers alike.
Ed enjoys working with an array of clientele to meet their individual goals, whether representing a stately Pemberton Heights home, searching for a charming South Austin bungalow, assisting with new construction in East Austin, or finding the perfect lot on which to build a dream home. As one of Austin’s top-producing agents, his experience and connections within the residential industry has helped many clients achieve success in this extremely fast-paced Austin market. Communicating clearly and consistently, listening to each clients’ specific needs or goals, and providing sound advice throughout the process are the cornerstones of his professional service. Ed uses his experience in real estate, architecture, and project management to better inform and serve his clients. His ability to present a home confidently and knowledgeably, provide realtime consultations to determine if a home has true potential, or give thoughtful and unbiased feedback when comparing different homes are just a few of the useful benefits of working with Ed.
Originally from the Northeast, Ed moved to Austin in 2003 to earn his master’s in architecture at the University of Texas. As a longtime resident of East Austin, Ed currently lives in the energetic East Cesar Chavez/Holly neighborhood where he and his wife renovated a classic 1930s bungalow with a modern twist. In his free time, Ed enjoys grabbing tacos from one of the many great food trailers, spending time on the hike and bike trail, and cheering on his Steelers football team.
(512) 940-0950 ed@moreland.com www.edhughey.com @edhugheyatx
WADE GILES MORELAND PROPERTIES
Austin’s never had a real estate agent quite like Wade Giles. Since putting down roots in Austin in 2013, it didn’t take long for this self-described “people person” to begin his real estate career and make his mark on one of the nation’s hottest markets. Wade has now sold over $250 million in real estate, and from his perspective, he’s just getting started. An agent at Moreland Properties, Wade has established himself as one of Austin’s leading agents in Central Austin with a strong presence in the desirable 78704 zip code (which includes Zilker, Bouldin, and Travis Heights). His commitment to his clients, love for his profession, and personal approach to real estate transactions have given Wade an edge in a highly competitive industry. To further differentiate himself among other realtors, Wade has unmatched access to off-market inventory, which has proven critical in today’s market. In recognition of his success, for the last several years Wade has been a member of Elite 25 Austin, a prestigious group made up of the top 0.25 percent of Austin’s real estate agents. Wade has also earned a spot among the ranks of the Luxury League, a premier membership organization that recognizes highperforming real estate agents in South and Central Texas who specialize in luxury residential sales. While he’s primarily focused on the luxury space, Wade prides himself on being approachable and loves being a part of everyone’s “next chapter,” from first-time homebuyers to empty-nesters. Through his strong, engaging social media presence and involvement within the community, Wade has developed a wide and deep-rooted network of friends and connections in Austin. He counts among those the many clients who have become close friends. When he’s not helping clients find their dream homes, Wade is a tireless advocate for placing dogs in their forever homes. In his downtime, he enjoys traveling; hosting pool and dinner parties; competing with his show horse, Sherlock (Reserve World Champions in 2019 & 2020); and hiking with his rescue dogs, Sport and Bill.
(512) 646-6412 wade@moreland.com www.wadeatx.com @wadeatx
JEANNETTE SPINELLI SPINELLI RESIDENTIAL GROUP
Jeannette Spinelli’s award-winning service and marketing strategies distinguish her as a leading broker and one of the most respected agents in Austin, Texas. The depth of her contacts for off market properties, her historical knowledge on properties, and expertise in relocating a luxury client, have proven a successful combination time and again.
Jeannette has been honored year after year as a member of Elite 25 – the top 1% of agents in central Texas, the top 20 in the Austin Business Journal Book of Lists and most recently as a top 25 finalist for the Profiles in Power for Austin. She relishes in sharing this knowledge and has been asked to speak for companies on different stages nationally and internationally.
If you are interested in purchasing in our vibrant market, you have found the right partner. The majority of Jeannette’s business stems from long lasting relationships, resulting in multiple transactions with both buyers and sellers. One thing is for certain, you will not be disappointed by her efforts or the outcome.
Jeannette is characterized as an ardent philanthropist. She devotes herself to Board and leadership positions for three non-profits in Central Texas driven by her passion to share her blessings. Furthermore, over the past 8 years, Jeannette has sponsored 162 children in the form of school scholarships and familial support. In addition to being very passionate about fulfilling her client’s needs, Jeannette is a lover of her family, contemporary art, traveling anywhere off the beaten path and most especially her fur babies Harper and Duchess.
(512) 784-8022
jeannette@jeannettespinelli.com www.SRGaustin.com
AMBER HART AMBER HART HOMES
An Austin native who has been earning accolades as a top performer since her first year as a realtor, Amber Hart is an expert when it comes to Austin real estate. With more than 12 years of experience, Amber is consistently ranked as one of the top agents in Austin, as well as the great state of Texas. Most recently she was named Top Individual Keller Williams Agent in Texas for 2020 and Top Individual Keller Williams Agent in Austin for 2020. Additionally, she was named Keller Williams Top Listing Volume Sold, Top GCI, Top Listings Units Sold, Top Closed Volume, and Top Recruiter for 2020. She is also a Platinum Top 50 Centurion Award Winner, an Elite 25 Austin member, a Top 500 Real Producers, and a member of Luxury League Austin. After earning a degree from Baylor University, Amber’s passion for real estate catapulted her into becoming one of Austin’s most sought-after names in the industry. Amber actively pursues professional development opportunities to stay current with her business, earning credentials like Certified Negotiation Expert, which less than 1 percent of realtors have, and she has been a member of the Keller Williams Luxury Home Division since conception. These additional skills have helped her stay on top of the market, as evidenced by five consecutive years as a Platinum Top 50 Realtor, a Centurion Winner, and Five Star Real Estate Agent. Amber is proud to be a member of the Master Faculty, and she regularly mentors new agents. She is also deeply involved with the community, supporting organizations including the Texas Advocacy Project, Lakeway Police Foundation (where she served as President), Rotary Club, and the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society. Amber is known as an agent who will go above and beyond: She has both the insider expertise and patience to sell the most discerning properties.
(512) 415-9023
amber@amberharthomes.com www.amberharthomes.com
HEATHER WITBECK COMPASS REAL ESTATE
Heather puts her clients first. She thrives in a fastpaced environment, yet makes every day count by really listening to her clients, hearing their needs, desires, and dreams. Few decisions you make will affect your life or rival the importance of the choice to purchase or sell your home. Heather approaches every real estate transaction as if it’s her own personal deal. Her detailed knowledge of the Austin real estate market, combined with 15 years of experience in business focused on Public Relations & Event Planning, gives her an edge over the competition. She understands the importance of effective marketing, communication, and organization while listing a property. When working with buyers, she does her research and is a strong negotiator. Applying a tenacious spirit—and executing advanced promotional strategies, strong negotiation skills, and a service-obsessed attitude—Heather demonstrates an exemplary approach to real estate in the Austin area. No one will work harder to make your purchase or sale a success.
Heather lives in the heart of the city in one of the founding neighborhoods, Travis Heights, with her boyfriend and two spoiled, long-haired mini dachshunds. She works with the Austin Animal Center, donating her time and funds to help local animals find their forever homes. Taking full advantage of the outdoor lifestyle Austin offers, Heather is an avid tennis player and runner. Early mornings, you will find her at the gym or on the trail. She is passionate about food, both cooking and eating out as well as live music—an ideal fit for Austin!
(512) 920-2521
heather.witbeck@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/heather-witbeck/
CATHY ROMANO COMPASS REAL ESTATE
Cathy Romano’s interpersonal and communication skills, unique area knowledge, and experience living on the Lake Austin waterfront for more than 30 years has made her one of the city’s most sought-after realtors. Cathy has worn many hats over the years. Her unique and impressive career path took her from stockbroker to marketing rep, published author to top-producing real estate agent. She applies her diverse expertise and knowledge to providing the best experience and strongest results for each of her clients. After an international assignment in France, Cathy and her family landed in Texas in 1991. Since then, she, her husband, and their three children have enjoyed living life in Austin to the fullest—taking advantage of the great schools, incredible food and music, and access to many amazing outdoor activities that make the city a one-of-a-kind place to call home. In her free time, you can catch Cathy out on the lake, and when she’s not on the water, her favorite activities are tennis, golf, hiking, and writing. She served on the board of Drive A Senior Central Texas and loves their mission to enrich the lives of senior citizens by offering them safe free rides, friendship, and other support services. Cathy considers it a privilege to represent her clients and to help them accomplish their real estate goals, whether they are looking for their family’s first home, to downsize, or start living life on the lake. No matter what, she works hard to always get it right: right time, right size, right place.
(512) 627-4849
cathy.romano@compass.com www.cromanorealtor.com
GENE ARANT GENE ARANT TEAM KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
A husband, father, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and award-winning real estate agent, Gene Arant is the founder and principal agent of Gene Arant Team, Keller Williams Realty. His passion for real estate began when purchasing his first home with his wife, Susan, 28 years ago. When most young adults were planning to purchase their first car, Gene was buying a house. That initial transaction sparked Gene’s entrepreneurial spirit and kindled a desire to help other families through real estate.
Home is at the heart of all his endeavors and is the motivation for his business decisions. As a problemsolver, strategist, and local market economist, Gene is an advocate for his clients. Together, he and Susan have built a successful team of agents and helped more than 4,000 families thus far. Among other accolades, they are voted the 2021 No. 1 Sales Team by the Austin Business Journal and have been No. 1 in their Keller Williams Realty Office for the last 17 years. Gene believes in “Changing Lives Through Real Estate” and demonstrates this by providing conciergelevel service to all clients.
“God, family, and business” is the model by which Gene divides his time and focus. He is active in philanthropic endeavors, believing that each of us can help give back and make the world a better place. Gene shares his knowledge by serving as a coach, teacher, and mentor. Through the creation of the Gene Arant Foundation, he and his team provide support to programs that benefit families, children, and animals.
This year, Gene and Susan celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They are also proud parents of three remarkable children: Olivia, a senior at San Diego State University; Sophia, a sophomore at Texas A&M, and Ford, a junior in high school. Gene and the family can often be found boating on Lake Austin or experiencing downtown Austin dining. More information about Gene and his team can be found at AustinTexasRealEstate.com.
(512) 262-1000 gene@genearant.com www.austintexasrealestate.com
GARY GENTRY THE GENTRY GROUP, KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY
Whether evaluating Austin’s dynamic downtown condo market by the converted Seaholm Power Plant, exploring exciting waterfront properties, or showing off suburban master-planned family neighborhoods, Gary’s 30-plus years of experience and knowledge are unparalleled. Creating an environment of trust and confidence is at the core of Gary Gentry’s real estate business. People want someone who always puts their interests first and who has a wealth of know how to assist them in their real estate investing process. “Our clients know that when they receive advice from The Gentry Group, our recommendations and data have been carefully researched with their best fiduciary interests uppermost,“ Gentry says. When he transitioned from hospital administration to real estate, he brought his finely honed negotiating skills and attention to detail, which have benefited thousands of his clients.
The fact that Gary has been ranked as a Top 50 Residential Real Estate Agent 14 years in a row by the Austin Business Journal is a testimony to his reputation as a skilled professional who conducts his business with integrity. He has been a Platinum Top 50 Agent Finalist/Winner from 2013-2021, winning the Career Achievement Award in 2017, and has also been recognized yearly as a five-star professional Agent by Texas Monthly
Gary and his family are outdoor adventurers who enjoy kayaking, spelunking, rock and mountain climbing, and wilderness backpacking. He loves showing people how and where to have fun in Austin and the surrounding areas. Contact Gary to begin your next real estate journey.
(512) 698-5809 gentry@kw.com www.gentrygrouprealtors.com
DONNA BLAIR BLAIRFIELD REALTY
Donna Blair is a longtime resident of 78704 and the broker/owner of Blairfield Realty. She got her start in real estate almost 25 years ago, working for a homebuilding company and quickly moving her way up the ranks to top-selling sales associate. Since opening Blairfield Realty in 2009, she has sold hundreds of homes and become known for her ability to deliver a hassle-free experience and help clients earn top dollar for their properties. That experience is marked by a highly regarded, all-inclusive home-staging service. Pulling from an extensive inventory of unique, highend furnishings, Donna works closely with her team to showcase homes in their best light. She applies that same vision and insight to every service she provides—from multimedia marketing to negotiating offers and quickly addressing any challenges that come up along the way. Donna’s passion and talent for creating beautiful spaces also carry over into her other pursuits, which include home renovation and building, opening the Commerce Gallery in Lockhart, and co-creating the Nightbirds Hospitality brand. She sees all these things as natural extensions of her love of real estate, interior design, working with people, and supporting the communities that she loves. Learn why Donna’s “whatever it takes” attitude has earned the trust of so many buyers and sellers in the Central Texas real estate market.
(512) 968-9080 blairfieldrealty@gmail.com www.blairfieldrealty.com
TIA SALES GOTTESMAN
Meet Tia Sales, a REALTOR® at Gottesman Residential Real Estate whose keen eye for architecture and design, market intel, and knowledge about the most alluring neighborhoods in Austin makes her an invaluable resource to her clients. Tia loves the Austin lifestyle and enjoys sharing it with both locals and newcomers alike. She feels the creativity that comes out of this city is incredible. “Austinites really care about the well-being of their neighbors and are very involved in the future of our city,” she says. Outside of work, Tia can be spotted at the new local hotspots or shopping on South Congress. She lives in Bouldin Creek with her dog and the neighborhood peacocks and welcomes the opportunity to serve you with all of your real estate needs.
(512) 567-0997 tia@gottesmanresidential.com www.TiaSales.com
ADELINA ROTAR BEN KINNEY TEAM, A PLACE COMPANY
From growing up in pre-revolutionary Eastern Europe to excelling in Austin, Texas, Adelina Rotar is living the American dream—and ensuring others are, too. “I think of myself as a small-town girl with big dreams, and I work tirelessly to achieve them. I am grateful for my humble beginnings and strive to be a good steward of the opportunities I have,” Rotar says.
The 34-year-old leads one of Austin’s top real estate companies, with more than $175 million in contracts signed and closed in the last year. “We’ve helped over 1,500 sellers, buyers, developers, builders, and investors in the last five years. I am proud that my team delivers exceptional results—they maximize our seller’s equity positions, manage exclusive builder projects, specialize in uncovering off-market opportunities for developers and investors, and negotiate winning offers for our buyers in this hot market,” she says. Rotar notes that their repeat/ referral rate is 72 percent, and after 16 years in the industry, she has consistently performed in the top 1 percent nationwide. “My approach to sales and leadership is the same: I value hard work and going the extra few miles—in every relationship, in every transaction. I believe that teamwork and cutting-edge technology delivers extraordinary results. I believe the real estate agent provides the highest fiduciary service in the industry, and I believe in leading by example, breaking records, trail-blazing, and leading the pack,” she says. Rotar also believes in work-life balance: “Being an awesome businesswoman and an awesome mom and wife are not mutually exclusive.”
With record-breaking revenue in 2021, she and her team look forward to living their vision: win, make, give, live, and do good. Her team proudly supports Community First! Village, Hungry Souls, Central Texas Food Bank, and Texas Advocacy Project. Rotar is the managing partner and co-founder of the Ben Kinney Team, powered by PLACE. She lives in South Austin with her husband of 15 years and her children. Connect with her @adelinarotar or adelina@benkinney.com.
(512) 649-2048
adelina@benkinney.com www.bktaustin.com
COURTNEY OLDHAM COMPASS REAL ESTATE
Getting to Know Courtney
Favorite Workout? Lady Bird Lake for a long flat run, the 10-mile loop offers plenty of scenery! For a hill challenge, Ladera Norte in North Cat Mountain will do the trick. If you want a 30-minute, whole-body lifting session that will make you “good sore” then check out Austin Simply Fit!
Favorite Taco(s)? It would be impossible to pick one so here are my top three 1. Taco Deli’s Jess Special with Dona Sauce 2. ADP’s Pork Belly Carnitas Taco and 3. Valentina’s Smoked Brisket Taco.
Favorite BBQ? Also hard to pick one so here are a few 1. Salt Lick Brisket 2. Terry Black’s Sliced beef and surprise 3. Rudy’s Turkey. I love the Salt Lick Sauce, spicy version! I put it on everything, including eggs!
Favorite Drink? A Ranch Water with Tequila 512, Still Whiskey and a French 75 at The League.
Favorite Hangout? Honestly, my own backyard, but if we are going out Treaty Oak, the San Joes Hotel pool or Ski Shores on Lake Austin.
Favorite Charity? Rodeo Austin. We love helping deserving kids go to college!
You can count on Courtney’s in-depth local knowledge, deep relationships and 16 years of industry expertise to give you a competitive edge when it matters most.
(512) 809-5495 courtney@oldhamrealestate.com www.OldhamGroupAustin.com
CLAY MCLAUGHLIN KELLER WILLIAMS
Clay was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, lived in California for 10 years and has called Austin home since 1997. He began his real estate career in 2006 and was awarded “Rookie of the Year” as a Top Producer his first year.
With integrity and discretion at the forefront of his interactions, Clay has developed deep relationships in the community, which have helped him negotiate some of the finest properties on Lake Austin, Westlake, Tarrytown and downtown. Clay remains extremely connected to the luxury private market with off-market transactions representing over 60 percent of his sales. He is exceptionally skilled and educated on evolving market trends, economic patterns, and quick opportunities—providing an invaluable knowledge base for his clients.
Clay has been consistently recognized by Elite 25 Austin as among the top 1 percent of agents and is a member of Luxury League, representing the finest luxury real estate professionals in Austin. He is in the top 1 percent of agents in Keller Williams International Realty and was recently awarded the No. 1 Top Producing Agent in the Keller Williams Southwest Market Center.
As an Ironman athlete, Clay knows well the importance of drive and dedication in achieving success. In the city he loves, he can be found outside of work enjoying Austin’s many running trails, swimming spots, and miles of great roads for cycling.
(512) 917-8884
clay@claymclaughlin.com
MOLLY PARKS
AUSTIN REAL SPACE - HORIZON REALTY
There are many qualities and skills that go into being an excellent real estate professional— integrity, in-depth community and market knowledge, marketing savvy, effective negotiation skills and a high-quality professional network, all of which are hallmarks of how Molly works. Molly strives to provide the very best service to her clients, which means keeping herself accessible, being a good listener as well as a good communicator, and responding quickly to client’s needs. This “client first” philosophy has always been her approach and it requires her to continually improve her skills and ways of doing business to meet the needs of today and tomorrow’s buyers and sellers. Molly’s proven skills and professionalism have awarded her clients many wins in this challenging and fast-paced market. Molly is an Austin native and holds Austin near and dear to her heart. Since she was a child, she’s watched the area bloom from a close-knit town into a bustling city. While the cityscape has changed, the feeling has not and that is why she loves welcoming new residents to Austin and guiding them to find their next dream home.
(512) 923-0360
molly@austinrealspace.com www.Austinrealspace.com
“It was manna from heaven,” says writer Becca Hensley, another early transplant from Boulder, Colorado. “I went every day, and I knew every person who worked there. It was the kind of place you could sit down in the aisles and nurse an infant.” (She did.) Veteran team members remember chatting and dancing with shoppers on the retail floor. Judy Osborn, an attorney, fell into her relationship with the store over one item when she was a law student at UT. “There was an upright freezer with a door,” she says, painting a scene like an opening argument to the jury. “And in it were these ice cream sandwiches. I’ve never had an ice cream sandwich before or since that was as wonderful as those were. They were extraordinary.”
Locals bonded with the Whole Foods vibe to the extent that, after a 100-year flood nearly swept the store away on Memorial Day 1981, a life raft of goodwill and extended credit buoyed the founders through rebuilding and reopening a remarkable 28 days later. It also whetted Mackey’s appetite for growth, while shedding two of his original partners. “We opened a second store after the flood,” he said, thinking at the time, “We can’t put all our eggs in a basket that might float down the river.”
From there, the story becomes one of expansion, first in Greater Austin, then in Houston and Dallas in 1984. Four years later, the company takes on venture capital to fuel more growth, stretching outside state lines to New Orleans, then in the shadow of California’s Stanford University a year later. When Mackey tires of the controlling nature of VCs, he takes Whole Foods public in early 1992, which puts $28 million in his coffers to buy up similar businesses on both coasts like some organic-hungry manifest destiny.
Mackey received some help from the country’s higher powers along the way, too. Namely, the fact that the term “organic,” defined with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, anchored Whole Foods’ ever-expanding canon of ethical sourcing and labeling. “It was my impression that most people shopped at Whole Foods for organic produce,” says Leigh McAlister, a professor of marketing at UT’s McCombs School of Business and a customer since 1986. “Whole Foods became clearly identified with organic food, and it enhanced that identification by buying up all the little organic food chains around the country.”
While nurturing an idealist, almost puritanical organic mission at its heart, Whole Foods surrounds that with a sybaritic shopping experience heretofore unimagined from the antiseptic supermarkets of the 20th century. The conventional sweet (and most profitable) spot of the store—long narrow rows of packaged goods stacked high—shrink down to make way for a wonderland along the periphery: sumptuous pyramids of produce, kingdoms of hand-crafted cheeses, painterly still-lives of whole fishes, shrines to chocolate. Here is where Whole Foods lives, breathes, and intoxicates, and where affable, uniformed culinary Virgils stand ready to educate and escort shoppers through their respective circles of paradise.
You hear stories of the beer shelves painstakingly alphabetized and exhaustive origin backstories to the point of being told how far a chicken had to travel to the slaughterhouse. Of a shopper needing a persimmon for a recipe only to be asked, helpfully, whether she wanted Fuyu or Hachiya. Going to Whole Foods isn’t just a way to eat better and more sumptuously; it’s like getting a visit-by-visit master’s degree in, well, food.
EVERY ARC HAS its apogee, and many would argue that Whole Foods enjoys its biggest run between the new millennium and 2013,
when stock prices top out at $65 per share. But amid its growth, prosperity, and expanding altruism supporting local charities and growers and producers worldwide, the company stumbles more than once.
Some particularly notable instances include a battle with unionizing staffers in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2002, an event that leaves Mackey and the company a target for criticism from labor to this day (check out the Whole Worker Union Instagram account for daily doses). In 2006 and 2008, the stock takes perilous dives. Meanwhile, a straight-out-of-Succession plot twist in 2007 reveals that Mackey has not only been posting nasty things about an acquisition target—Wild Oats Market—under a nom de poisoned plume on Yahoo Finance’s online bulletin board, but it turns out he has been championing his own brand anonymously there for seven years. (Perhaps in atonement, 2007 is also the year Mackey announces he will draw only $1 a year in salary—a deal he maintains to this day.)
So, say what you will about Mackey’s eat-clean-but-play-dirty hijinks, or join the naysayers who dubbed the company “Whole Paycheck” over its extravagant prices, but you cannot argue the impact of the 2005 unveiling of its new flagship store at Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard. A love letter to Austin, and perhaps a hip check to H-E-B, which had wowed with its two Central Market locations since the ’90s, the store itself is the biggest Whole Foods Market in the world at 80,000 square feet—nearly the size of one and a half football fields. And it has so much more: a massive roof garden and plaza, a place for kids to play, even a stream running through it. Below, 900 parking spaces. Above, a six-story world headquarters tower.
And within, another revolutionary innovation. “Restaurants weren’t a thing in grocery stores at the time,” says Gabrielle Rosi, who got her start in 1993 answering phones in a Chicago Whole Foods and rose through the company to a regional design director for new stores and construction—including Austin. She recalls the thrill of taking what creatives in the company had learned from European markets and importing that
to Texas. “It was completely new to the grocery industry in the states,” she says. In the beginning, the new flagship features three actual restaurants, plus a barbecue venue, a walk-in beer cooler, and even what she calls a chocolate-enrobing station.
That location becomes Austin’s backyard—from gaggles of bachelorettes taking selfies with the big ATX sign out front to couples going out to dinner in a grocery store for date night. Locals bring visiting friends there; tourists check it off their list right along with bats and honky-tonk bars. It’s a place that John Mackey himself wanders downstairs to on a regular basis, checking in and chatting at its wine bar. It’s also a powerful incubator for tiny Austin companies to take a product straight to the big time.
Local food entrepreneurs like Roberto Espinosa and Daniel Nicholson tell stories that are pure deus ex machina. A few years after introducing his Salsa Doña at Tacodeli, Espinosa got a call in 2017 asking if he’d be interested in packaging it for the shelves of Whole Foods. (The business now produces three salsas, plus black beans, queso, and chips.) Nadamoo! CEO and president Nicholson provides the ultimate plucked-from-obscurity tale: Founder Amy Ramm was experimenting with making an ice cream–style dessert from coconut milk in 2004 and offering samples at an Austin juice bar. A guy walks in and gets a taste. “I’m a buyer at Whole Foods Market,” he tells her, like an Old Hollywood producer discovering a starlet at a drug store fountain. “If you can build a brand around this and put it into packaging, we’ll put it on the shelf at our flagship store.” And just like that, another Austin star is born.
IT MUST BE a heady thing, to wave a wand and send a stream of Cinderellas to the ball. To shift a conversation in the culture, to make the shopping public a healthier, happier one. But heavy is the head that wears the non-GMO crown. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Whole Foods’ spasms of growth, paired with a relentless challenge from Walmart (which famously embraced organic products in 2006), not to mention the Texas-proud H-E-B, weakened the company along its most exposed flank: its shareholders. Trying to fight back on price with innovations that don’t get enough runway to reverse declining returns over six quarters, Whole Foods Market finds more than 8 percent of its stock gobbled up by activist investors in 2017, just as John Mackey is hitting the road to promote his latest book, The Whole Foods Diet. As the founder prepared to spread a new gospel of “a lifesaving plan for health and longevity,” he finds himself, and his company, under siege.
The hasty search for a savior is now history. With the deep pockets of Amazon—worth around $1.75 trillion dollars this spring—behind the brand since its purchase was finalized in August 2017, Whole Foods Market remains in business, albeit in a strange state. There are assurances of growth from corporate: The company opened 18 new stores nationwide since March 2020 and is hiring locally, it says, including more than 250 positions in the Austin area. In December 2020, it breaks ground on a new five-story office building just east of its corporate headquarters.
But a second Amazon grocery narrative is developing, and it could stalk around the aisle sooner than you think. To see the future is to understand why Amazon bought Whole Foods in the first place: to take a bite out of America’s more than $1 trillion grocery market. “I bet you in Amazon headquarters, right next to Jeff Bezos’ office, there’s a huge bull’s-eye on the wall and in the middle, it says, ‘Walmart grocery,’” Lee Peterson offers. “I think the overall strategy has been, ‘When we’ve got Prime solved, we’re going to dominate grocery.’”
With more than 500 Whole Foods stores to play with, Amazon can run its own simulations, Peterson says. “They can find out what you like then figure out how to get it to you faster, more efficiently, fresher, and at less cost than Walmart.”
Five years in, it’s hard to witness Amazon sucking the marrow of Whole Foods from the bones of stores around the country as it learns the grocery trade. As in the dystopic fever dream, the stores don’t look the same, feel the same. Banners everywhere exhort shoppers to use their Prime memberships, to order online. Amazon Prime pickers hustle past the few shoppers trying to browse. Restaurants spaces that shuttered during the pandemic may not return, while in Austin, the experiential groove at H-E-B has just gotten increasingly groovier with beer halls and a full-on music stage at the upcoming South Congress location.
But perhaps most chillingly, Amazon has been quietly rolling out its latest experiment in grocery during the pandemic. With polished concrete floors and a gentle industrial vibe, the first Amazon Fresh supermarket opened in September of 2020 in LA. Ten more stores were open by March of this year, and at least 28 more are in development. With smart “Dash” shopping carts that can keep track of what you’re spending while cruising the aisles, the real power— and threat—of an Amazon Fresh is its ability to provide frictionless online ordering and delivery while still offering up an enticing shopping experience, to use its gargantuan data riches, and to come at the grocery world with lower prices to boot.
With the first 11 Amazon Fresh stores blooming in suburban, upper-middle-class areas, and with the company’s “bagful of money,” as Supermarket Guru editor Phil Lempert says, making it easy for the corporation to buy up existing chains, how soon before an Amazon Fresh arrives in Austin? How soon before the artificial intelligence of Amazon, made all the more intelligent from the learnings of Whole Foods, might come home to roost? How soon before that bright red laser dot is trained not on a carton of almond milk, but right on 525 North Lamar, and the dog is upon us all?
Animal House
After receiving a mayoral pardon and an invitation to live on the Nelson Family Farm, Nik the goat became South Austin’s unofficial mascot. By
JOEL MUNOS FIRST laid eyes on the horned billy goat in 2005, when he found it wandering next to a flea market off US 290. His house on West Mary Street hardly resembled a farm, but he saw something in the animal that he couldn’t shake. So, Munos brought him home and named him Nik— a move that would forever change the pair’s lives.
Nik adjusted to residential life quickly. A large frontyard pen allowed him to greet neighbors daily, many of whom won his affection with snacks like french fries and Doritos. Over time, he earned a celebrity status of sorts within the community. But when the Austin Health Department caught wind of the goat’s presence, they ticketed Munos for breaking a city ordinance (restricting livestock from living within 100 feet of a neighbors house) and gave him 10 days to relocate the animal.
Rosie Ninesling
The neighborhood had other plans, though, flooding then-mayor Will Wynn’s email inbox with complaints. Many planted signs in the goat’s pen: “Let Nik Stay! He saved my relationship and my sanity!” one exclaimed. Thankfully, Wynn stepped in, granting the goat a pardon after stating that the removal of Nik would be “an injustice” and affirming that he was, indeed, “a good goat.”
Nik remained in South Austin until his adopted father opted to move in 2012. Desperate to find a home worthy of his beloved pet, Munos secured the invitation of a lifetime when Willie Nelson’s daughter Paula offered to bring him to their family farm. Fortunately, trading city life for country living didn’t impact Nik’s gregarious nature. Said to have had two girlfriends, the socialite lived the final year of his life in pastoral bliss.
Mayor Will Wynn presents his formal pardon to Nik in 2005.
