To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Loss of Nowhere
When we moved 8 years ago, it seemed like our new home was in the middle of nowhere. I know it really wasn't, but it felt that way. Sure, it was in a neighborhood (complete with houses far too close together), and the school was just down the street. We could get groceries by driving a mere 5 minutes or so.
But that was it. It was an eight mile drive to the highway on a road with nothing but cactus, cedar trees, buffalo grass, and cows. When you drove after dark, you needed to watch out for deer in the road. If you wanted to go to a restaurant (other than a Mom & Pop joint or two or Mickey D's), you had to "head into town" ("town" being Round Rock or Austin). Doctors' offices were located in other zip codes. Wal-Mart was even a (short) trek. Target and other chains were even further.
And I liked it. We were close enough to Austin to have all the benefits of a big town. We were close enough to have access to what we needed (or just wanted), but far enough away to be out of the hustle and bustle. Having to drive more than a couple of blocks to get to a good restaurant kept the out-to-eat budget in check (and honed my cooking skills). No traffic jams, no city chaos. It was quiet and peaceful.
I guess it couldn't last. First they added on a new section to our neighborhood (not a big deal, but traffic did increase a bit). Then they decided to put a Wal-Mart in a field across from the grocery store (I love Wal-Mart- I just knew how much traffic it would bring). Then the 8-mile road to the highway started to lose its cattle and gain more subdivisions, and then a Home Depot and another grocery store and a strip mall and... well, you get the point. More and more buildings, less and less nowhere.
Then finally, they put in the toll road. Just opened a month or so ago, it provides a smooth, 70 mph route to the west half of Austin (as opposed to the original 45 mph, stop light strewn route). This toll road connects with other toll roads in the Austin area to provide some much needed relief to the traffic congestion that was getting completely out of hand. (The city of Austin alone is experiencing a 19,000 person increase in population annually, and the majority of the area's growth is actually in the surrounding areas).
Now, thanks in part to the new toll road, more stores and cookie-cutter neighborhoods are springing up all around what used to be the middle of nowhere. Now, don't get me wrong- I love capitalism and growth. People need to live somewhere, and housing needs to be build. Along with that come all of the services that go with living. Convenience is a huge part of our economy, and some investors are taking full advantage of the situation and making a bundle in the process. Works for me. It's the American way, right?
But with all of this growth, there is a downside. More concrete, less grass. More stores, fewer barns. More utility poles, fewer trees (even if they are evil cedar trees). More stray cats, fewer stray deer. High-speed internet, but low-speed car rides.
I guess I just miss my little piece of nowhere.
But that was it. It was an eight mile drive to the highway on a road with nothing but cactus, cedar trees, buffalo grass, and cows. When you drove after dark, you needed to watch out for deer in the road. If you wanted to go to a restaurant (other than a Mom & Pop joint or two or Mickey D's), you had to "head into town" ("town" being Round Rock or Austin). Doctors' offices were located in other zip codes. Wal-Mart was even a (short) trek. Target and other chains were even further.
And I liked it. We were close enough to Austin to have all the benefits of a big town. We were close enough to have access to what we needed (or just wanted), but far enough away to be out of the hustle and bustle. Having to drive more than a couple of blocks to get to a good restaurant kept the out-to-eat budget in check (and honed my cooking skills). No traffic jams, no city chaos. It was quiet and peaceful.
I guess it couldn't last. First they added on a new section to our neighborhood (not a big deal, but traffic did increase a bit). Then they decided to put a Wal-Mart in a field across from the grocery store (I love Wal-Mart- I just knew how much traffic it would bring). Then the 8-mile road to the highway started to lose its cattle and gain more subdivisions, and then a Home Depot and another grocery store and a strip mall and... well, you get the point. More and more buildings, less and less nowhere.
Then finally, they put in the toll road. Just opened a month or so ago, it provides a smooth, 70 mph route to the west half of Austin (as opposed to the original 45 mph, stop light strewn route). This toll road connects with other toll roads in the Austin area to provide some much needed relief to the traffic congestion that was getting completely out of hand. (The city of Austin alone is experiencing a 19,000 person increase in population annually, and the majority of the area's growth is actually in the surrounding areas).
Now, thanks in part to the new toll road, more stores and cookie-cutter neighborhoods are springing up all around what used to be the middle of nowhere. Now, don't get me wrong- I love capitalism and growth. People need to live somewhere, and housing needs to be build. Along with that come all of the services that go with living. Convenience is a huge part of our economy, and some investors are taking full advantage of the situation and making a bundle in the process. Works for me. It's the American way, right?
But with all of this growth, there is a downside. More concrete, less grass. More stores, fewer barns. More utility poles, fewer trees (even if they are evil cedar trees). More stray cats, fewer stray deer. High-speed internet, but low-speed car rides.
I guess I just miss my little piece of nowhere.
