Austin: On the fast track to an economic boom or the destruction of a culture?

Formula 1 racing is returning to the United States and it's crash landing right here, in Austin, Texas. Circuit of the Americas is the first Grand Prix racing facility build in the US, and it will host many prestigious racing events year-round, including the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. This massive structure is located in southeast Austin, close to the airport. The effects of this new Austin addition may be incredibly beneficial or incredibly catastrophic. From an economic standpoint, the track is a welcome sight. But if you take into account Austin's one-of-a-kind culture and unique population, you may very well see the downside of Austin's latest attraction.

Only 15 miles from downtown Austin, it's bound to have a huge impact, whether positive or negative. CoTA is predicted to draw hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world. Hello, traffic.  300,000 people are expected to flood into Austin every Grand Prix weekend. The massive influx of out-of-towners is going to alter Austin's makeup, making it a more international city and possibly threaten to diminish Austin's beloved counterculture. The design itself doesn't reflect Austin, but the European tradition of sculpting the architecture to the contours of the land. Austin will be tested to see if it's able to hold its own against the invading European cultures. I hope that the wonderful and quirky Austin personality isn't at stake. Although they designed this building with sustainability in mind, the environmental effects cannot be overlooked. It will require huge amounts of water and resources, will increase cars on our roads and planes in our skies, and will cause massive increases in pollution to our beautiful, green, environmentally-minded city. Austin prides itself on being an outdoor city. We have the rare gift of getting to live in a city, while being surrounded by nature. Try to name other cities that can say the same thing, your list won't be very long. This circuit threatens to cityify our beautiful, green Austin. Austin might morph from forest green to sidewalk gray as new establishments are built to accommodate the influx of people. 

Am I the only one who thinks it looks like this little race car just comes in and destroys everything? (And stereotype much?)

Watch this video to see international F1 drivers' positive feedback on the track being built in Austin.

However, the track is expected to make $400 million to $500 million annually, which is $4 billion to $5 billion over 10 years. It will also be a huge employer, making a point to hire locally. Not only is is an economic asset to Austin, it is also bringing world-class entertainment to our backyard. The first Formula 1 United States Grand Prix is set for November 16-18. Austin Fan Fest Powered by Mobil 1 will also take place at the same time, featuring three big concerts. After reading a lot about this new track, it's also apparent that Circuit of the Americas is being very careful to keep the track in line with Austin's values. There are plenty of positives, but I just hope Austin will be able to remain as charmingly odd as it's always been. 

Citgo Sign: Landmark or Curse

Citgo Sign: Landmark or Curse

The Citgo Petroleum Corporation began in 1910 by Henry L. Doherty originally known as the Cities Services Company. A big sign was built a couple blocks away from Fenway Park at Kenmore Square in Boston Massachusetts. City services changed its name to CITGO. Thus, changing the sign to what today is known as the Citgo Sign. For the company the Citgo sign was just for advertisement but for Bostonians it became much more.

"See it go"

Foley, the famous electrician who began working on the sign in 1965 at the age of 20, has been the keeper of the sign ever since. He upgraded the sign in 2004 from neon to LEDs to save energy and keep the sign up to date. Foley, in an interview with the New York Times, said, ““I was only a kid when I started servicing it, and I’m still servicing it. It’s part of me.” Not only has it become a part of Foley, but it has become a part of the city’s culture. The sign has become important to the city and is now in tour guide brochures and post cards as a representation of the city. 

The sign originally became famous by its exposure through the Red Sox games. A tradition at Red Sox games is to chant “C-IT-GO” whenever a player hits a home run over the left field. The sign has become a symbol of good feeling for Red Sox fans all over the world. In 1980 the mayor of Boston, Edward J. King, wanted to turn off and tear down the sign as a symbol of energy conservation. By that time the sign had gain affection from all over the nation and the world. After many protest and the acknowledgement of its importance to the city, the mayor decided to pause the removal of the sign and turned it back on in 1983. No other sign has had such an impact or importance on a city since the famous Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign which is well known all over the world and was declared a national landmark. Most Bostonians and Red Sox fans everywhere believe the sign should be a landmark while others have cynical views about the sign and wish to remove it. 

Signs of Time: Citgo and Hugo by Andres Orozco

Citgo was sold to the Venezuelan government in 1990 and to this day the connection between Hugo Chavez, the dictator of Venezuela, and the sign, angers many Americans. The sign for these Americans resembles a foreign dictatorship that should be tore down not be promoting Chavez. They see it as a constant reminder of a horrible dictator. This global political problem brings a lot of controversy to the city of Boston, but luckily for locals their only concern is the significance the sign symbolizes to the city of Boston and Red Sox fans. The sign has become part of the Boston culture and holds a big significance to Red Sox fans world wide.