Friday, April 3, 2009

There Goes The Neighborhood



So life in the city of Austin is completely different than life in Seattle (duh)...and predominantly in the structure of the city. Seattle is made up of a BUNCH of different neighborhoods, each with their own sense of identity and sterotypes.

In Austin, if you wanted to know where Rudy's Barbecue is, you would say, "There's one in North Austin if you take 183 North, and there's one in South Austin near Barton Creek Mall." In fact, the only three areas of Austin I've ever heard specifically referred to by name are: Downtown, Bee Caves, and Tarrytown. But here in Seattle, if you asked me where Cafe Vivaci is (that's for you, Leah), I'd say, "Oh, that's in Capitol Hill on Broadway." Want to know where Cupcake Royale is? "It's in Ballard on Market Street." Oh and where will I find Amanda's house? "Northgate on Roosevelt Way."

Every time I've tried to explain it to my Austin friends, it's been very confusing and I've had to try to draw pictures on napkins and such. But the picture above is a poster I found in an Art Shop in Ballard and I'm totally saving up to buy it! It's a great representation of all the various neighborhoods in Seattle!

8 comments:

Kelley said...

I dunno, I think some parts of Austin are like that.

Especially central Austin.

I mean think of Hyde Park, Shoal Creek, Some of the West Side neighborhoods...

I know the Seat is way different, but I think Austin proper shares that characteristic somewhat, even if way less.

Ah I miss Austin... :/

amo (amanda) said...

I see what you're saying... but I think I'm mainly referring to the fact that if you're in Austin, you refer to Shoal Creek AS the actual creek, not the neighborhood. I know that growing up in Austin, no one ever called Hyde Park, Hyde Park. They would say, oh I went to Hyde Park Elementary, but never actually made a reference to living in Hyde Park. The first time I ever even HEARD the term "Georgian Neighborhood" was when P.Kerms mentioned it... and even so... the people in that area... don't call it that. They call it "The Burg" (thanks, Chase) or north central austin. But here, if you ask someone where they live, "Oh I live in Greenlake." or "I live in SoDo..." or "Next to the Soundview Playfield in Crown Hill." That's what I mean. But in Austin it's "EAST, NORTH, CENTRAL, SOUTH, SOUTHEAST, WEST, or The Rolling Hills... or the Projects (see also SOUTHEAST AUSTIN).

Kelley said...

Ah.

Yeah I totally get that the neighborhoods are the main geographical distinctions inside the Seat (which they aren't in Austin.)

At the same time, though, when I lived in Austin people I did hear people reference neighborhoods that way. Like, before coming to Masters, I had only ever heard Hyde Park as a reference to the neighborhood, and usually heard Shoal Creek in the Same Context. St Johns (neighborhood, not street) was the same.

Weird. Maybe we are from two slightly different Austin subcultures. LOL.

Kelley said...

Second sentence: At the same time, though, when I lived in Austin I did hear people reference neighborhoods that way.

Sorry, my brain is still having a nap.

amo (amanda) said...

hah...i totally forgot about the St. Johns area. Yeah, I think we did. Cause not a one of my friends, their family members, or my family members ever referred to neighborhoods in that context. They would just say "near Shoal Creek." or "off of St. John's Street." or "up by Rundberg." Everything else was, "the Omni Hotel in South Austin" or "Barton Creek Mall in South Austin..." etc... But it might just be cause I'm such a loser...and apparently not attuned to the true "Austin" life. ;)

good thing i split when i did. ;) hahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahaha

Kelley said...

Oh dear.

Bianca Crystal said...

i see what you are saying, i understand!!!! haha. I like that seattle is like that, i wish austin was like that. I would be like "in allandale, off of northland". right??? too bad, it's not. Maybe i'll start a trend...

amo (amanda) said...

exactly! :D i think you should definitely start the trend! :D Well, make it more prominent anyway. :D