Inspiration From The Quirky Southwest Vibes in Austin, Tx.

As luck would have it, I found myself in Austin for a few days partially for work and partially for fun. Austin is the 2nd fastest growing city because it is a huge tech city. Austin has a lot of growth issues but also an old school weird vibe that combines southwest and Portland together. While we here in Buffalo are very different from Austin, there is so much to take in as you walk around and so much can be applied to our work here!

Here are some of the things that inspired me the most about Austin, Tx.

Austin is a super dog friendly city. Dogs everywhere! What a simple way to accommodate folks. We are getting a dog bowl and treats out for our residents and neighbors ASAP.

Patios are important… and so is being silly. “Guac this way” really made me giggle. Note: this is a restaurant but do you see the name anywhere? No… and that is OK.

This door and this color palette made my heart explode.

Murals don’t always have to be elaborate. Even the simple ones can create fuzzy feelings and happiness!

I’ve been a huge fan of fake grass rugs for a while… but seeing it be really popular in Austin made me happy. More of this…because, why not?

Waiting in line is OK… and when the rent is high, don’t be afraid to mix uses in one place. LA Barbecue has a BBQ line, a coffee shop and a grocery store. We waited in line for over an hour for the BBQ… it was so worth it! (Women owned and locally sourced meat, I might add!)

Neon EVERYWHERE. Austin has this mid century vibe so it makes sense. There were neon signs for restaurants and stores …coffeeshops… bars… you name it, there may have been neon. It is really impressive!