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200 feet above Rainey Street, the traffic on I-35 doesn’t seem quite as bad. Almost tranquil even. I am following one of Austin’s most daring rooftop photographers as he makes his way across the roof of a Rainey Street highrise.
This image was captured solo using a tripod with a 15 second exposure. On the unfinished JW Marriott looking westward.
Shaggy and the Mystery Machine in Austin
This guest blog article is by Kendra Wright.
I have an obsession with weirdness and oddities. It’s probably why I adore our quirky little city so much. When I discovered that a real life Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo was cruising our streets, I was determined to dig up the details.
Next thing I knew, I was dressed up as Velma Dinkley and going behind the scenes with a life sized Scooby to get the story.
If you’ve ever wondered who is behind the brightly colored mystery mobile, you’re about to get an Austinot insider scoop. [Read more…]
Sara Levine, Founder of ATX Safer Streets
What happens when a normal citizen becomes fed up with a city’s lack of action in response to a city-wide crisis? Over 3,500 signatures and more than 42 pages of testimonials from frustrated Austinites get collected, demanding action.
Sara Levine founded ATX Safer Streets after she received an overwhelming response to her petition calling for action. In less than two months, with the help of Butch Dowdy, Joseph Doyle, and several other volunteers, Sara has made considerable progress.
The first call to action was to gather data about drinking habits, driving habits and local transportation options. Austinites reponded: 651 anonymous respondents gave critical insight into our late night transportation habits. The data was alarming [Read more…]
Our Austinot Store doesn’t carry a ton of products, but we’ve put a lot of love into what we offer! This Mother’s Day season, we want to make it easier for you to give your Austin-loving mom something special…with free shipping through May 11th (yes, that’s Mother’s Day!).
To shop now, use our MOMSROCK code at check-out to get rid of shipping charges. Order by midnight on Wednesday, May 7th, to guarantee your gift arrives on time. But the code is good all the way through May 11th. Start here.
If you’re new to the Austinot Store, you should know that it’s relatively new to us too! From the beginning, we resolved to feature items that can only be found through the Austinot, and are always made it Austin. [Read more…]
Mikaila Ulmer turned her experiences at Lemonade Day into a distribution deal with Whole Foods Market (Photo credit: Austin.LemonadeDay.org)
Several months ago, I was journeying with my fiancé on my neighborhood’s hike and bike trails. The trails led us to our neighborhood duck pond, where we came across a young girl selling cups of lemonade with the help of her mom. The day was warm and it looked like business was good for her. I had my druthers about the quality of the product, but I bought three cups anyway. It was good lemonade.
Selling lemonade in America is the quintessential introduction into the world of entrepreneurship for young children. Our city, always willing to support and encourage creativity, is taking lemonade stands to a whole new level through Lemonade Day Austin.
Austin’s Best Tasting Lemonade Competition is a lemonade brewing competition showcasing 25 young lemonadistas (new word), ages 5-17. The young group of Michael Dells and Steve Jobses will compete in categories like Most Creative Recipe, Best
Are you looking for some alabaster eagle bookends? How about a meat puzzle or some vintage typography? Whatever tickles your fancy, you’ll most likely be able to find something of interest at Uncommon Objects.
Meat puzzle at Uncommon Objects in Austin
It’s best to go without a particular item in mind and see where you end up. The shop offers you a chance to step into the past and explore with as much depth as you please. With over twenty dedicated vendors working together to create a one-of-a-kind medley of items, there’s no telling what you’ll stumble upon. [Read more…]
James Moody, Mohawk Club owner, helped set up SXSW Cares (Photo credit: AustinChronicle.com)
When I think of our city, I tend to look at it as a person transitioning from childhood to adulthood. It’s called puberty, folks. Austin is still transitioning from a small college city to a bustling metropolis. And as our city grows, we will experience hardships and trying times. How we react to these situations will define Austin’s character.
On Thursday March 14, 2014, a man was stopped downtown for an alleged DWI. The situation escalated rapidly as he chose to run from authorities. The chase ended at the Mohawk Club on 10th and Red River, as drove through a crowd of people waiting to get into a SXSW event. He was eventually apprehended by APD. The immediate result of the mayhem was two dead and 23 wounded. Since the occurrence, two more victims have passed away. Rashad Charjaun Owens is now facing capital murder and aggravated assault charges, and more may be added since not all of the victims are out of the hospital.
The incident sparked a debate about our city. It’s almost like hearing parents talk about their adolescent child. “The city is too drunk,” some say. “It’s not the people’s fault; it’s a lack of effective mass transit,” others reply. Still others place blame on SXSW, the police, and a plethora of other targets.
Regardless, of the reason(s) why things went down as they did, the fact remains that, as of this writing, four people are dead and others are still in the hospital. In sobering instances like this, Austin’s people show their true character. And in this case, our city shines. [Read more…]
We have an amazing family of bloggers at the Austinot. Each writer has a unique perspective on our city’s hidden treasures, and isn’t selfish about keeping them secret. To that end, we’ve rallied together to produce our very own Austin Gift Guide for the 2013 holiday season.
Enjoy gifting your Austin-loving loved ones with these locally-oriented ideas!
Recommended for anyone with a spirit of adventure who knows how to ride a normal bicycle. Definitely something to do to entertain out of town guests and show them our city in a unique way. [Read more…]
“Ten Things About Austin” Bangle Bracelet
Thank you for the warm response to our new Austinot t-shirt! It’s fun to display our favorite things about Austin in one design.
In response to “Are you going to offer anything else?” the answer is YES! We’re excited to announce the launch of our newest product, a wooden bangle bracelet styled after the “Ten Things About Austin” design on our t-shirts.
Made right here in Austin by Vinca, this piece of jewelry is exclusive to The Austinot. You can only find it here! Available in one size (approx. 2.5″ diameter wrist size), the Austin bangle bracelet is laser-cut from Maple wood, one of the most durable hardwoods available.
Our bangle bracelet is made from Maple for durability
Austinot T-Shirt Design Contest winner, Anya Surnina, with the Grand Prize package
(Don’t need the back story right now? Our new online store is here!)
This sort of project never wraps up quite as soon as planned. But at long last, I’m excited to announce that the first ever Austinot t-shirts are now available on our site!
Many of you recall that we ran the Austinot T-Shirt Design Contest over the summer, searching for the perfect design that exemplified everything we love about our city. Our winner was Anya Surnina, who won $2,000 worth of amazing local prizes, from laser tag tickets to a party barge on Lake Travis.
We’ve gone through a redesign process, coordinated with our screen printer, designed an online store, and tied up a ton of other loose ends to get to this point! I hope you enjoy the short read through our long journey, and finally seeing our t-shirts at the bottom of this article! [Read more…]
