Illustration by Doug Davis

My Town: Austin, TX


Illustration by Doug Davis

By Leigh Montgomery

Austin is a collage of most of the must-haves in my life. I came here in 1992 to interview for a doctoral program in counseling psychology. When the director asked why they should accept me into the program and my most compelling answer was that Austin and the University of Texas “felt so right,” I wasn’t lying. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an acceptance letter. Soon after, I left Boston and began my journey here.

Some things on my must-have list can be found most anywhere, but to find ample accessibility, warm-hearted, open and progressive people from all walks and rolls of life, beautiful landscape, typically warm weather, a large variety of tasty restaurants, and lots of art, music, and creativity — all wrapped in an intellectual and political hub — makes my heart pound. Words like enrichment, flexibility, abundance, tolerance, and wide-openness come to mind when I think of how best to describe Austin.

But Austin offers such an array of activities and places to enjoy that single words just can’t capture. This city is like a taco bar that features many succulent and savory ingredients. You select your favorites and wrap them up in a warm tortilla.

To be honest, “typically warm weather” may be a euphemism during the summer, when temperatures reach 105 degrees (and lows stick at 85). This translates to “holy crap” when you touch anything shiny that has been sitting in the sun over 15 minutes. There’s no way around it: The months of June through August are sizzling hot! But the average number of days below freezing is 11, the average temperature is 69, and there are usually about 300 days of sunshine. In my book that almost spells heaven. With maybe just a glimpse of hell.

You can escape the heat by dunking yourself in cool spring-fed Barton Springs or one of the many waterways that run through Austin and surrounding areas. Within the city limits, it is generally flat, and the city is hugged by large limestone hills that provide breathtaking views. Large, old oaks, cranky cedar trees, and mountain laurel add to the lushness of the uniquely picturesque landscape. In the spring, the mountain laurels bloom glorious purple flowers that fill the air with the smell of grape bubblegum. About the same time, roadsides and fields are overrun by bluebonnets (the state flower). It is an amazing feeling to drive down the freeway surrounded by swashes of blue and white flowers.

The political climate is also hot in Austin. Being the state capital, Austin houses the governor, state legislature, and the offices of heads of state agencies. The capitol building crowns the downtown area. It is the largest state capitol building in the U.S., measuring only a bit smaller than the U.S. Capitol building, but 15 feet taller. Built from locally quarried “sunset red” granite, it is an awesome sight.

Texas is generally conservative, but the majority of Austinites balk at rigidity and intolerance. As the late liberal columnist Molly Ivins put it, Austin is “the little blue dot in the middle of the big red state.” When “W” was holding out in the governor’s mansion for 35 days at the close of 2000, hundreds of protestors gathered outside his home daily as the world awaited the final results of the election.

Our state attorney general, Greg Abbott, uses a wheelchair [“Taking the Reins in Texas Territory,” November 2007]. He’s good looking, but his political stance is not appealing to me. At some point, he seems to have compromised on disability rights, having represented Texas in some significant suits against the ADA. Thank goodness the ADA is fairly sturdy and is well represented elsewhere in town.  Austin has a thriving disability community and access to great public and private transportation and most places and activities throughout.

Austin is rich in ways to stay occupied. If you’re into keeping fit, St. David’s wheelchair fitness center provides accessible workout equipment and certified adaptive fitness trainers. The fitness center is in a centrally located building and serves people with all types of disabilities at no fee. People come from all over town to partake of this sacrament regularly. Inside those walls, you’ll more likely hear “hmmmm, how can we make this work?” as opposed to “that’ll never work!” Staff members and patrons team up to make almost anything possible. You’ll find people there who are striving, thriving, or just plain surviving.  Over the years I’ve rolled through those doors when I’ve been in and out of each of those phases, and each day I’ve been greeted by people who treat me as if I’m much bigger than my wheelchair, even on days when I’ve felt it’s much bigger than me.

When it comes to food, barbeque and Mexican food rule in Texas. But in this town, where you are just as likely to find people wearing Birkenstocks as cowboy boots, there is vegetarian, German, and Asian food as well.  You rarely have to wait in line or pay too much. Finding places where you can combine dinner with listening to a band or even seeing a movie is not a challenge, as more than 1,900 musicians and other artists call Austin home.

The array of musical sounds, talents, and venues are why Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” From blues to punk, music lovers of any stripe will find what moves them. SXSW is a music and film festival that dominates Austin for a week every spring, showcasing more than 1,400 bands from around the world.

The Austin City Limits music festival attracts 65,000 locals and visitors each September. ACL Fest features 130 bands on eight stages in three days. Each of the stages includes a spacious, elevated platform to the front-side, providing a clear line of sight for wheelchair users. Between this platform and the stage you can find ASL interpreters moving joyfully to the rhythms while signing for the deaf and hard of hearing. From this vantage point, you can look at the suffocating crowds below and feel lucky to have a disability. Sitting here, I’ve enjoyed the likes of Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Lyle Lovett, Sheryl Crow, Thievery Corporation, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen, Patty Griffin, Aimee Mann, Gillian Welch, Willie Nelson, and the Flaming Lips.

The University of Texas is also one of Austin’s main draws, pumping 50,000 students yearly throughout its 40 acres. As one of the nations top public universities, UT supplies much of Austin’s creative, scholarly, and athletic character. Renowned professors and coaches propel students to new heights and add to the electricity in the air.

When in the mood for something different, or if you feel like you need more breathing space, you can head just southwest of the city to the Texas hill country. Here you will find many treats, but one of my favorites is the Benini Sculpture Ranch. Benini is a famous Italian artist who moved to the United States in the 1970s and recently “defected” to the outskirts of Johnson City, where his 140-acre ranch reminds him of the Mediterranean landscape.

The ranch showcases dozens of large-scale sculptures by national and international artists. The sculptures are strategically placed around the grounds and can be viewed while driving down dirt roads. Benini’s house is LBJ’s former hunting lodge, which sits high atop a hill overlooking the stunningly adorned landscape. Amidst the sculptures sits Benini’s studio and a gallery highlighting his work and that of other artists. Inside I was not only amazed by the artwork, I was surprised to find a fully wheelchair-accessible entrance, main gallery, and restroom. All of this appears to spring out of the middle of nowhere. If you attend during the last weekend of every other month, you’ll be greeted by Benini himself, his beautiful wife Lorraine, and several other artists.

I enjoy exploring places nearby and far away. But I’m always happy to return to Austin. In this big city with the small-town feel, as a local songwriter once wrote: “The road goes on forever and the party never ends.”

Leigh Montgomery has lived in five major U.S. cities from coast-to-coast and has traveled widely.

Editor: This is the last in an eight-part 2008 series of “My Town” personal essays by New Mobility readers and freelancers.


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