This project is centered around the documentation of the area surrounding Burnet Road. This section of North Austin has been a place of culture and history for decades. Over the past decade, incoming residents (which many claim are all from California) often non-native Texans have been steadily developing new houses and businesses. The side effects from this rapid development has been rising rent costs and reduction of traffic for many businesses that have been around for decades. This is due to many reasons, as some businesses cannot change with the times, and others simply cannot produce enough income to stay open.
With this in mind, this project aims to document stores, businesses and other attractions along Burnet Rd. that might be under threat in the area. We believe this will serve to preserve the history of Austin that has been so widely known, but is slowly fading away as years continue.
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The Frisco 02-12-2019
Since 1953, local residents have been able to enjoy the quaint diner-style food from The Frisco. In July of 2018, The Frisco closed due to rising taxes and more competition sprouting up all around them. While the restaurant is closed, the landmark still remains. Now up for auction, it’s possible that even a year from now, this 65+ year old location will be nothing but a memory and some left-behind rubble.
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Out of the Past: Buy, Sell & Trade 02-12-2019
Part of a strip mall, Out of the Past sits across the street from the brand new AMDI apartment complex. It has been there for over 25 years, and has collected items from thousands of people since opening. The owner talked about her experiences with development, “I had to fight the city for a year and a half about the divide in the road because of that apartment complex. If they would have built the divide the extra 50 feet they had planned, this whole strip mall would have just been washed out. We already have trouble getting visitors, the city doesn’t need to make it any harder on us.”
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A Look Inside Out of the Past 02-17-2019
Each path is lined with so many items, it can often be hard to traverse through without bumping into something. The owner has expressed that they are constantly renovating and organizing, but with so many items everywhere, it can be difficult to keep organized. That hasn’t stopped her hopes of staying open however, “I am staying here as long as possible. I have been here for so long, I’m not leaving yet.”
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Billy’s on Burnet 02-20-2019
Established in 2004, Billy’s is a neighborhood bar that has a faithful group of customers that visit often. Many customers even have certain tables they “have to” sit at whenever they visit. According to the owner Billy Forrester, “we keep it plain & simple. That’s what people come back for, we just make good food and love our community that comes in.” Originally, the building and area was used as a veterinarian clinic in the 60s-70s, stories are told that the husband, for unknown reasons, shot his wife in the parking lot of their clinic, and committed suicide following her murder. Shortly after this event, a hearing aid store opened and was around until the early 2000s. The community around Billy’s is apparent, as only 10 minutes past open on both days I visited, there were at least 15 people that came in. The bartender, Phillip, knew all of their names and greeted them as they entered.
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A Look Inside Billy’s 02-20-2019
“We have lots of events that bring people in, y’know? Darts tournaments, happy hours and specials every day… We are also proud to be a Packers bar. Billy’s is a die-hard Packers fan, and so are the customers on game days. It’s pretty crazy to see this place during football season. It gets pretty rowdy.” Phillip Koger, head bartender stated. Much like other traditional bar & grills, Billy’s focuses on the atmosphere and events for customers just as much as the food.
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Star Car Lot 02-17-2019
Driving up and down Burnet Rd., one thing that is seen more than almost anything else is used car lots. Many stand, and many have washed away. Google Maps shows this unnamed car lot used to be Oasis Cars LLC., but has closed down sometime since May 2018
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Arbor Auto Works 04-08-2019
Arbor Auto Works has been around since 1990. They provide car services for all of the Burnet area. Their location, however, is a high-value area. It is quite likely that eventually this auto repair shop will be bought-out, relocated, or simply run out of business due to rising costs. As the development increases in the area, more businesses like Arbor get sent away
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A Town: Austin Lifestyle Store 04-09-2019
Over 100 different artisans are represented at any given time in A Town: Austin Lifestyle Store. They are one of many large boutiques in Austin, and others like it have grown to franchise and spread across Austin and other cities. A Town was founded in 2011, and has not spread as rapidly as others. They are happily located on Burnet Rd. and do what they can to make Burnet unique
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The Aristocrat Lounge 04-09-2019
The Aristocrat Lounge is housed in the former Poodle Dog Lounge location, and they offer things like pool and skeeball as well as many drinks. The building has stood for decades, and its interior was even used to film “Dazed and Confused”. Besides the name change, everything about this historic location has been kept the same, and will likely stand for years to come.
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Flyrite Chicken 04-09-2019
Flyrite Chicken is a local to Austin fast-food chain. This location (the 2nd) opened in 2017. They bring sleek architecture to the streets of Burnet, as well as fresh cooked chicken. It is likely that this chain will continue to grow along the likes of a Torchy’s Tacos or Thundercloud Subs.
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Taurus Academy 04-09-2019
Taurus Academy is an Austin-born dog care company. They have locations across Ausin, and the location on Burnet is one of the newer locations they have. The building is adjacent to two old, run-down buildings, and soon they will likely be rebuilt as well for a local business or chain
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El Chilito 04-09-2019
El Chilito quietly shut its doors on October 29th, 2018. After spreading to 5 different locations, Burnet Rd. did not seem to bring the traffic that was needed to keep a new business around. Graffiti has recently begun populating the exterior of the building, and will only continue along with other buildings as they shut down.
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Little Longhorn Saloon 02-17-2019
For more than four decades, The Little Longhorn Saloon has served the city of Austin as a unique home for live country music and events that bring customers from around the world to visit. Their famed “Chicken Shit Bingo” event happens every Sunday. Visitors donate $2 to play, and wherever the chicken “shits” is the winning number. It is an absolutely ridiculous event that brings crowds in to experience the weird, and uniquely Austin event.
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Honest Barber Barbershop 04-08-2019
Honest Barber Barbershop is a new establishment that has just opened at the beginning of 2019. Its location is attached to The Futon Store. The Futon Store was forced to lease off this section of the building in order to keep up with rising property costs.
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The Futon Store 04-08-2019
Bert Cantu is the manager of The Futon Store. He gave some insight into the store and its history. The Futon Store has been around since 1999, and are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. He expressed his feelings about the development in the area, “I think there is a mix of good and bad with the development in the area. I mean, there is a lot more people in the area, which means more customers for us. But there is also a rise in taxes and cost to keep the location around.” He isn’t worried too much though, as he says “we have a monopoly on the futon market in Austin, We get enough customers from that alone.”
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The Kolache Shoppe 04-08-2019
The Kolache Shoppe has been around for 32 years. In July 2018, the original owner, Robert was forced to shut down for personal health reasons. The shoppe was also well below the safety standards but was “grandfathered” in as the new owner Debra Ford puts it. After closing down, Ford purchased the business from the original owner, and brought in a 4 star michelin chef to lead the kolache production. They follow the same recipes as the original except for a change in the butter they use compared to lard. According to the chef, most people prefer the slight change compared to the old.
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The Light Bulb Shop 02-19-2019
The man with the lightbulb above his head is a memorable sculpture placed above the Light Bulb Shop. Penny Powell, worker at the nearby Leslie’s Pool Supplies, had a handful of things to say regarding the unique store. “The owners, after running [the store] for decades, finally decided to retire. They got probably close to a million for that place. I had talked to them one time and they seemed sad to let it go, but they were ready at the same time. I’ll miss that goofy statue next door.” It seems that soon the building will be torn down to build an apartment complex, or something new to continue the development along Burnet Rd.
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Wild Foods 02-19-2019
Over the past four years, Wild Foods has been working out of a warehouse while growing to be able to have a storefront. They are currently moving into a permanent location, and are opening a coffee shop. Wild Foods is opening directly next to the Light Bulb Shop and they are hoping to bring more traffic to the area.
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Leslie’s Pool Supplies 02-19-2019
Penny Powell has been the manager at Leslie’s for a little over 2 years. She gave a lot of information about the history of Leslie’s, and the building itself, “There is over 900 stores around the country now, but this is store #39. This one has been around since the 60s or early 70s. Before that, it used to be a drive through liquor bar.” Leslie’s has been around for at least 45 years and there are not talks of selling the location as of now.
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Longhorn Automotive 04-09-2019
Longhorn Automotive has been around the Burnet area for over 10 years. They serve customers with any problem they have with their vehicle. It is interesting to see, that even after 10 years of business, the signs are all still temporary banners that most businesses get rid of after finding a permanent location
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2007 Pasadena Dr. 04-17-2019
Trees and other foliage cover many of the homes that have lasted throughout the years. Newly built homes often do not have an emphasis on the nature around them, but many homes from decades past integrate nature into their home in some way.
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2007 Pasadena Dr. 04-17-2019
Each home in Austin is unique in its own way. However, while walking down the streets connecting to Burnet, it is interesting to see the similarities from house to house. The era it was built in, as well as the location seem to have an impact on the overall designs of homes in different neighborhoods
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6105 Shoalwood Ave. 04-09-2019
Homes of all different kinds stand throughout Austin, each with a different story. More and more of these homes, however, are being replaced with brand new, modern buildings. The history of what made each neighborhood unique, lost to the rapid development Austin is experiencing.
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2208 White Horse Trail 04-09-2019
The simple design choice of having a sidewalk leading to the front door front and center is something of the past, as most newly built homes have the garage first, and the front door shadowed by the garage. This signifies the change in openness to neighbors as time presses forward.
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5802 Bull Creek Rd. 04-09-2019
Homes such as this are slowly fading away. The use of trees as a canopy, and almost as part of the aesthetic of the home is less common in modern designs of homes. Adjacent to address is a newly built or remodeled home, and over the next decade, the neighborhoods of Burnet will become more peppered with modern homes replacing the old.
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2107 Pasadena Dr. 04-17-2019
Like most homes in these neighborhoods, it is a one-story house with a similar roof style. Nearly every home in the neighborhoods surrounding Burnet Rd. was a single story building. The only two-story homes were freshly built, modern homes.
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1917 Pasadena Dr. 04-17-2019
Painted red, white & blue; this home along with others in the neighborhoods show off their American pride. The expressiveness of these homes are a dying breed, as more modern homes lose the history and uniqueness of older homes.
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2104 Pasadena Dr. 04-17-2019
For some homes, color distinguishes it from the rest. Paint jobs, decorations, and other items are all used to show the homeowner’s uniqueness. This home for example has laid out chairs collected over the years to sit and watch the neighborhood.
