5th and Lamar – Austin, Texas

I was stopped at a red light on the corner of 5th and Lamar, on the outer periphery of Austin’s downtown. I quickly reached down into my camera bag and shot this scene through the windshield. I realized that less than 10 years ago, none of these towers existed.

So much of the downtown skyline has changed over the last decade and it continues to evolve with perhaps a quickening pace today. All of these are residential towers, both condos and apartments. From right to left, you have “Spring”, “The Bowie” and “The Monarch”, which are the three tallest in this photo. Here’s the reverse view of these three towers, with an even nicer spacing.

The building under construction on the left is called “Fifth + West,” a 39 story condo that will be slightly taller than “Spring”. That and there are many other buildings under construction not seen from this vantage point. It’s going to be interesting documenting all of this change.

Worth noting are the silhouettes of the birds on the power lines. In a very Austin scene, these birds, called Grackles, swarm to various areas within the city at sundown. Also, I have to admit my pet peeve that I really dislike these power lines in the downtown area. I think they are fine in older residential neighborhoods but they clutter the view and look distinctly “third world” to me in the central business district. Time to bury these power lines underground.