2nd Street Bridge, Completed – Austin, Texas

It’s been about a year since I did my West Austin Rising Photo Essay and a lot has changed in downtown Austin. The big news is that the long-awaited Central Public Library has opened along with the 2nd Street Bridge. This bridge, which spans Shoal Creek, ties the Seaholm redevelopment area into the rest of the central business district.

I’ve actually featured this bridge before, when it was first lit up, back in the spring of this year. The bridge looked complete even back then, but I’m guessing that they waited until the Library was finished until officially opening it to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

As you can seen on the left, the next wave of development has started. Closest to the bridge is the Austin Proper Hotel and Condominium. I heard that this place might break the record for the most expensive in Austin. Not pictured, left of camera, are a couple of more large towers also commanding high prices. This has certainly turned into a very livable area with nice amenities, but I wonder who lives here. Are they empty nesters moving back from the suburbs or young professionals paying high prices for a place that they may regret later in life.