Eye of the Storm: Why Eyes on the Street Aren't Good Enough

People loot and that is a fact. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and any major natural disaster, people loot.  However, it is mainly prevalent in large cities.

The unity of the city and the unity of the country came to save
this battered Midwestern town

On May 22, 2011 Joplin, Missouri, a city of about 51,000, was flattened by a F5 tornado. This tornado was a half mile wide and leveled everything in its path including the main hospital, the high school, and thousands of homes. Despite this devastation however, looting was minimal according to police.

Inversely, looting is already an extreme issue in the aftermath of Sandy. In Brooklyn, New York, there have already been businesses destroyed by looting. Mega Aid Pharmacy, a local business, was completely carved out by looters. The majority of the stolen goods were prescription medications.

An eye on the street destroyed by looters

I believe that the cause for the differences in the aftermath of disasters in small towns and big cities is the people. In small towns, it is like the idea of "eyes on the street" on steroids. Instead of just business watching out for the sake of their own business, it is people truly looking out for their neighbor's best interest because of the close knit emphasis in small towns. Relationships do not have business hours or days off.

It is about people being close together emotionally as opposed to being close together physically. Close proximity physically does not create close relationships.

In big cities like New York, they shove people together into tenements like dogs expecting them to come out holding hands and loving each other. One resident told the Huffington Post, "People are turning on each other -- they're attacking each other. Even when there's no disaster, this building is disastrous. But after the hurricane, it just got crazy." 

For a community to come together after a disaster, there must be unity, but not the type that is forced by the government. It must be a genuine love for the people around the city or town. The new question that has to be raised is, "is that possible for a big city?" Maybe the best place to live is a small town?

Alleyways in the City

Alleyways today are commonly known as "avoid" zones. What I mean is that, if you're walking home to your apartment that is a few blocks northeast, you most likely won't take the shortcut between the restaurant and the other apartment complex. Why? Because frankly alleys appear what people today call sketchy. Riddled with dumpsters and graffiti, alleys are areas that most people avoid because they have a bad reputation of being the location of illegal activities and hobo-hangouts. I believe that the stereotypes associated with alleyways could be solved with the broken windows theory that modernizing and maintaining alleyways would deter crime and anti-social behavior.  

Jacob Riis dedicates a whole chapter in his photographic collection How the Other Half Lives to downto wn alleyways. He describes them as the worst parts of the city, the areas where the tenements spill out into the streets and cause violence and general trouble in the city. He writes, "A man lies dead in the hospital who was cut to pieces in a 'can racket' in the alley... The sway of the excise law is not extended to these back alleys..." (34). Both in the last century and now alleys have been accepted as generally corrupt places. Shielded in darkness, they almost welcome the presence of shady activities. Riis points out that the light hardly reaches the alleyways: "the rays of the sun, rising, setting, or at high noon... never shone into the alley from the day the devil planned and man built it" (36). Building wider spaces in alleyways would allow for more sunlight to perforate the area. I understand that alleys are also used for social services such as waste removal. But many are left unused and host cracked walls and weed-infested grounds. Placing benches and painting murals on the walls could potentially invite more pedestrians to stay use alleyways as a path or even a stop. If this were to happen, according the the broken windows theory, it would decrease the amount of crime committed in the alleyways and while increasing the beauty of an urban space.

The Swamp

In 19th century, wealth became an important aspect in determining people's living standards. In Jacob Riis’s “How the Other Half Lives,” pictures that portrait the lives of poor immigrants in tenements clearly demonstrate the distinct gap between rich and poor. Even though industrial development has created prosperity in the society and brought fortune to some people, the lives of immigrants and poor people did not become better; surprisingly, it became harder for them to get better livings. Due to the lack of similar tenement environments nowadays, one might not be able to fully understand the reasons behind these miserable conditions. Stephen Crane, in his "Maggie, A Girl of the Street", points out that tenements have significant impact on impecunious families. Tenements not only restrict people’s ability to distinguish useful information, but also create “swamps” that turn down any possibility for improvement.

 The main character, Maggie, is used to be a girl as innocent as girls from rich families. However, she was neither autonomous nor insightful enough to judge rationally because she has little contact with outside world. Taking care of her little brother, Maggie observes the world though the reflection of her parents.
When her parents quarreled, “the babe crawled under the table and, turning, peered out cautiously. The ragged girl retreated and the urchin in the corner drew his legs carefully beneath him.” (8) Different responses of three children from identical family show the profound influence which family post on children’s behaviors and thoughts. The babe’s action of “crawled,” “turning,” and “peered out” depicts the unique curiosity and innocence of children when they first encounter the world. It shows that babe is unaware of the meaning and danger of his parents' quarrel. However, Maggie and Jimmie choose to “retreat” and “drew his leg carefully beneath,” showing their acknowledgment of the issue. Their responses indicated that they have learned lessons from quarrel, for which they believe staying away from the issue is a better decision for them.
But, indeed, Maggie’s parents have nothing good to teach their kids. After the quarrel ends with the victory of woman, “the man grabbed his hat and rushed from the room, apparently determined upon a vengeful drunk. She followed to the door and thundered at him as he made his way down stairs.” (9) Stephen Crane describes the husband and wife relationship in order to emphasis the role of alcoholism that plays a frequent aspect of Maggie’s life. Before the quarrel even starts, wife has been drinking. When the quarrel ends, instead of appeasing the issue, the husband chooses for a “vengeful” drink that is going to help him forget the stress and madness while ruining himself. The words “apparently determined” and “rushed” show he has a frequent tendency of using alcohol as an access to release his pressure from works and quarrels. From her parents, Maggie can only experience alcoholism and quarrels that cannot help Maggie judge properly when she meets Peter with his attempting promises for better livings. She even uses her little savings to buy fresh flowers in order to win Peter's favor. Considering her economic background, Maggie makes an irrational decision and ruins her whole life.

 In addition, when Maggie gets betrayed by Peter and has no where to go, no one but the old lady in the tenements seems to have sympathy on her, pushing her away from having a rebirth. Being considered a corrupted woman, Maggie returns and gets yelled by her mother harshly. Instead of stepping up to help Maggie, “through the open door curious eyes stared in at Maggie. Children ventured into the room and ogled her, as if they formed the front row at a theatre. Women, without, bended toward each other and whispered, nodding their heads with airs of profound philosophy.” (56) The depictions of neighbors' reaction to Maggie’s return show self-center character of the people in tenements. They do not care other people’s feeling at all. Children and the baby, unaware the significance of Maggie’s situation, “ogled” and they are “investigating” Maggie to find out why Maggie’s presence draws so much attention from their adults. They act like they are in a “theatre” and wait for interesting things to come out. More importantly, though women have experience more and know more than their children do, they are “nodding their heads with airs of profound philosophy,” showing their feeling of superiority but not helping Maggie. They simply just criticize her secretly as a corrupted woman to make them feel superior. Maybe in their mind, the purity and pretty of Maggie, for a long time, have been too bright for them to look compare to their lives. If Maggie can start over, she may become a more sophisticated woman who is able to think more critically and act more rationally. She gets a big lesson from Peter, and she may work out a better life from this experience. But, in reality, she gets discouraged and loses all her connections. She cannot get out of the swamp by any chance.

JDean Da Man

To determine the real impact of the East 6th food carts one must look at both their impact on their area and the impact of the food cart reveloution on as a whole in relation to austin. In this respect my decision is split. It became apparent to me through the interviews conducted that the East 6th food carts specifically do not particularly benefit immediate area they reside in.

The carts there mostly cater to patrons who have just left the bars around the area and are looking for something to help sober them up. As it was put to me by a vendor of an ice cream cart, you have to have extra money to spend if you're buying eight dollar ice cream. Being startup local business also does not help the prices of the products the venders sell. In order to sustain the business, the prices must be raised. Because East Austin is historically a lower income neiborhood this means that local people to the area might not be able to afford the product. This leaves the food carts to those, as the vendor put it, with extra money to spend, as the only group who can enjoyably use the food carts. In this way the food carts on east 6th are catering to the gentrification of nearby downtown.

 As new high-rises go up and living in the city becomes the in vogue place to be the price of living in the city skyrockets. This pushes out the residents that could afford to live there in the past and creates economic homogeny that is ripe for the East 6th food carts to exploit. The vendors I talked to said there was a decent mix of races that visit the food carts but it is clear the economic diversity is slim. The vendors themselves and were not from the East Austin area. The carts are not employing residents of East Austin and in this way not giving back to their immediate environment. One of the more interesting aspects of one particular cart was a disclaimer sign bolted to the side reading "we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone". Prominently displayed with a picture of Big Brother below it the sign continues the trend of catering gentry. It is a physical reminder that if the institution deems you unsavory they will not serve you or tolerate your presence. 

Continuing the trend of catering to the gentry is the physical location of the carts. While they are on the other side of the highway the carts are very close to downtown. Clearly a conscious decision by the owners the location exemplifies the ideology of these trucks. They intend to be trendy by placing themselves in the up and coming east austin, but not too far in which is still considered a bad part of town, while still making themselves extremely accible to those living downtown. It is unfortunate that a group of local businessmen have not been able to find a way to better their immediate surroundings.  The elevated prices, location of the carts, and prominent display of the dissillouisioning sign all show how these food carts are not intended to help their community, but instead maximize profit by feasting on the excess of Austin's new gentry.

                                              Degrading by Upgrading
                                                   Podcast 

Life by the drop, it’s what Austin is all about. From our nude hippy hideaways to our buzzing urban center, Austin gives you a taste of all aspects of life.  That was exactly why I chose the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue because SRV stands for Austin’s rich culture. From its position across Lady Bird Lake from City Hall to its very fingerprints imprinted in it brass structure, the statue emulates a story of how Austin came to be.

If you have been lucky enough to experience a warm spring day relaxing under a Texas oak on Lady Bird Lake, you would know why so many Austin natives flock to this getaway. The pungent but comforting smell of the warm humid air mixed with the slightest hint of duck weed. Fluctuations of Texas wildflower pollen and the distinctive cry of the Texas raven, screaming as to somehow release the heat from its black foliage, seem to tantalize the ear drums and nostrils with a gentle tickle. The enticing smell of mesquite fired barbeque smoldering and sweating in a gigantic propane tank, chopped and welded to an old F-150 bed frame/ trailer combo. The result leaves individuals with a sensory tease that only can be described as a mental road of elation. It’s Austin culture at its finest.

In the early days, Austin symbolized a getaway from the status quo. Just like SRV revolutionized rock and roll and the blues, Austin radically opposed conventional ideologies.  Austin paved the way for a new age in Texas like SRV did on his fender Stratocaster. Epitomized in the very handprints still visible on the brass outside of the statue, Austin’s creation was a long and physical battle.  However, as we look at the whole picture, the struggle created something original and magnificent.

One of SRV's most remarkable revolutions was his unique style he brought to blues music. His astounding ability to collaborate and share creative ideas with other musicians, such as B.B King, is very parallel to Austin’s representative, progressive, and largely liberal population. SRV’s innovation represents Austin’s inclusive attitude toward the strange and the mysterious.  Not only does that preach equality, but it also demonstrates Austin’s appreciation of originality and how it has fueled our nation's image as one of the weirdest cities in America. Found in the creation of the "Keep Austin Weird" campaign, many Austinites relish in many forms of artistic expression and experimentation. Even to the point of fanatic obsession, such artists, especially SRV, are highly prized by local citizens.

At first glance upon arriving at the statue, I was suddenly struck by the glare of copper patina emulating from the monument’s weather-beaten exterior. The blinding beam of light was debilitating, but for that split second, I felt like many other people in history had been in my position. As I listened to the birds chirping in the background, I pondered about all the people who SRV influenced in his short carrier. Being the urban explorer that I am, I turned to the city for the answers.

After a few minutes of interloping, I was lucky enough to find an outside perspective. A guy from Alabama named Scott Ireland, gladly gave me his take.

         ( Scott Ireland interview)
 

It was cool to see such a passionate side on a guy who wasn’t even from Texas. It just shows how special this statue really is. SRV was from Austin and the city made him into the person he was. SRV represented our city. Just like the next person I asked.

                                                                    

As I sat atop the coarse but comforting stone wall that surrounded the frozen figure of the blues god himself, I couldn’t help but realize that just like the slow and devastating demise corrosion will eventually ensue upon the statue, the culture that Austin has fostered for the last 200 or so years is slowly dwindling away.  Even in my brief existence on the earth, the influx of modern society has dealt a mighty and ironic blow to Austin. Through upgrades such as the recently finished W hotel and the Austonian, Austin's culture is suffering from equal degradation. The age of seemingly progressive new developments have maliciously brought universality to a city where it was once frowned upon.  The worst part about is it is only the beginning of Austin’s transformation into a typical American city. But there is a glimmer of hope and it is found in the very glint of SRV's frozen smile. Just like how SRV formulated Austin’s culture, SRV now stands for the little remaining values that Austin used to pride itself upon.  As sad as it may be, Austin will continue to grow and modernize.  As time goes by, the statue will continue to stand across the lake from city hall.  Slowly losing its battle to the elements, the statue will be a lasting symbol of Austin’s rich culture for the future to come. Stricken by the conformity of bland high rises and condos that seem to endlessly spring up around town, the statue will soon stand alone as the last bridge to the city’s vibrant past.

English Podcast (Frost Bank Tower)

    

         You're driving on the highway, a few miles out of the city. On the horizon you see various buildings stretching hundreds of feet into the sky. You're looking at one of the most iconic locations of any city; downtown. The downtown of cities are constantly full of various aspects of peoples' lives. From going to work, to chilling at a coffee shop, downtown has it all. 

      

          Nearing arrival to Austin, one can look across the horizon and see a downtown much like many others, but the differences are plentiful. For example, the Frost Bank Tower is one of the more unique towers in downtown Austin, and is considered to be one of the most recognizable of buildings. The tower is located right in the heart of downtown, and is easily accessible to people. Surrounding the tower are various other establishments, ranging from other towers, to cafes, to restaurants and shops. The atmosphere around the building is always populous and social. Upon visiting the site, I observed many people strolling around downtown Austin, whether it was in a car, on a bus, on foot or bike.

                             

          Construction of this monumental tower began on the 27th of November, 2001. This made it the tallest building to be constructed in the US proceeding the 9/11 attacks. Frost Bank was founded here in Texas in 1868, and is to this day, the largest privately owned banking company in all of Texas. During the Great Depression, Frost Bank was one of the very few banking companies that remained open in order to help people financially recover from the depression. It has historically been known that Frost Bank has always been one of the more supportive banks, treating each customer in a "personal and efficient" manner. In a way, these attributes parallel Austin's community, being close-knit and socially active. 

                                                                                    

                                           

           

Architecturally, the Frost Bank tower has many interesting aspects to it. The base of the tower has a cube-like shape, as this is the appropriate foundation to almost all skyscrapers. However, as you ascend up the Frost Bank tower, you find a very uniquely shaped top section. Some have seen this section to resemble a crown, while others have seen it to resemble an owl.  People are quick to assume that the crown might represent the banks dominance, instead of seeing the crown as a prize for the city as a whole and its success. In both cases, the peak of the tower is in a sense "rebelling" from the usual expectations of a business related skyscraper. The peak of the tower also helps maintain Austin's "characteristically weird" personality by being different and unique. On special occasions such as UT football games, the building lights up in different colors in order to show support to Austin's spirit.  The building won the best new building award in Austin in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. It's apparent that before constructing the Frost Bank tower, architects took in mind Austin's uniqueness and how they might match  it.  

           

                            

              

              Buildings such as the Frost Bank tower ultimately represent the successful development of Austin, TX. While some might say that structures such as the Frost Bank tower are diminishing from Austin's traditional personality of being laid back and "weird", others argue that development doesn't necessarily have to get in the way of the cities roots. This viewpoint is supported by the establishment of the Frost Bank tower because while it does represent development and advancement, it successfully maintains a little piece of Austin's weirdness, and conforms to the traditional Austin persona. Instead of "degrading while upgrading", as mentioned by Connor, I believe the tower is instead represents the idea of "upgrading while integrating".