Austin Is Even Better Now

Dear Editor,
    As a 61-year-old Austin native, I have this to say to Colby Spath and Rebecca Maindonald: I’m glad you’re here! And I liked your letters! (“Postmarks,” Dec. 14.)
    Rebecca put it beautifully: We do need “to see the bright future Austin holds” for all of us, no matter when we arrived on the scene.
    Yes, Austin was a great place in the past. But our town is even better now, in my opinion. With the influx of new people, we have had an onslaught of fresh ideas, talents, and perspectives.
    What has growth done for Austin? Well, let’s see what has come online in the past couple of decades:
    – An arts scene that is firing on all cylinders.
    – Live music of infinite variety playing nightly in smoke-free venues.
    – Wonderful events like South by Southwest, the Austin Film Festival, Austin City Limits, and the Texas Book Festival.
    – A plethora of fine restaurants.
    – Shopping opportunities that could have only been dreamed of a few decades ago, from larger stores like Central Market and Whole Foods to a host of unique independent places.
    – A job market offering many more attractive career paths than were available before.
    My wife and I embrace these changes. In fact, we are going to move Downtown to a high-rise condo next year, so we can be immersed in the urban lifestyle of our thriving core district that growth has fostered.
    Does growth need to be managed? Of course. But the bottom line makes it all worthwhile.