East Sixth Ch-Ch-Changes

More big changes coming to East Austin as another Sixth Street business says goodbye

Anyone who has happened into The Liberty on a Friday afternoon has no doubt seen a handful of men in navy blue coveralls bellied up to the bar, celebrating the end of a shift at the Arnold Oil plant across the street. Well, don't expect to be partying next to those guys much longer. But don't worry, you may have a whole new crop of workers to sip on Pearl Snaps next to.

Arnold Oil announced this week that after 37 years it will be moving off East Sixth Street and breaking ground on a new headquarters on Burleson Road in southeast Austin. While the fate of the prime piece of property has yet to be determined, the Austin Business Journal is reporting that Houston-based developer Transwestern is copied on much of the paperwork.

Originally founded in Corpus Christi in 1939, the automotive parts manufacturer expanded to Austin in 1977 when Jim Arnold opened the headquarters in what was then a very different neighborhood. With the rapid expansion of condominiums and retail spaces encroaching on the east side, it looks like the Arnold Oil property is destined for a similar fate.

According to its website, among Transwestern's projects in Austin is a complex being called Eastside Village, a 94,500 square foot commercial and residential space on Comal between East Fifth and East Sixth Streets (the Arnold Oil property falls on this tract of land). Transwestern says in the document that half of the massive office space has already been leased, despite construction not even starting yet.

In addition to the office space, the document says Eastside Village will feature 348 apartments for rent in "a trendy entertainment district on the edge of downtown across from Plaza Saltillo." Edge indeed.

In the past six months, East Sixth Street has undergone rapid change with property being snatched up by the Walton Family, La Corsha and Greystar, among others. Just how this new massive office building is going to look nestled between The White Horse and Yellow Jacket Social Club remains to be seen.

Another day, another development.

Nick Mickolas Flickr

Another day, another development.

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Car-munity

Austin speeds into top spot on list of world's biggest car communities

Cars and Coffee Austin/Facebook

Events like Cars and Coffee at Circuit of the Americas draw in Austinites and visitors alike.

Austin's car-centric culture doesn't just extend to its highways: The city was recently dubbed the No. 1 destination with the biggest car-loving community in the world, according to a new study by Auto Trader.

The study ranked 411 cities from across the globe based on the number of car meets and auto shows in each city, the number of past Cars and Coffee events, and the share of "car meet" social media posts tagged in each city.

Austin earned a 98.1 percent "Car-munity" score to claim the No. 1 spot, and was the only U.S. city to make it in the top 20.

With the increasing popularity of Formula 1, MotoGP, NASCAR, and other racing events in Austin, it was only a matter of time before the city started to gain recognition for its auto enthusiast community. But it's Austin's local car clubs, events, and meets that push it to the No. 1 city.

A few notable events Auto Trader mentioned include the long-running Lonestar Rod & Kustom Round Up – a massive outdoor car show hosted at the Travis County Expo Center featuring vintage hot rods and custom cars – as well casual meet ups like Cars & Coffee at Circuit of the Americas.

"The presence of these diverse events highlights Austin's appreciation for both new and classic vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Ferraris, and even vintage military vehicles," the study said. "But, undeniably so, it's the classic Americana vehicles that most often feature in the social media posts from Austin car events."

Vintage racecar sports car at Circuit of the Americas Austin car enthusiasts love a vintage sports car. Photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas Facebook

Local racing events are another a great opportunity to meet fellow car enthusiasts. Autocross club Texas Spokes hosts monthly events in Austin and around Central Texas, while those who want to get some track time can visit Harris Hill Raceway, a 1.82-mile, 11-turn asphalt road course in San Marcos.

CultureMap even covered two weddings this year that prominently featured collector cars: One couple made a mini car show out of their wedding, and one bride wanted to represent her late father.

Austinites who want to learn more about the city's rich car culture can check out the Bob Bullock Museum's Carros y Cultura exhibit, which showcases unique lowrider cars and bikes while exploring how Texas lowrider culture is tied with the Mexican American community. The museum described lowriders as "a canvas for celebrating identity through artistic expression."

The top 10 cities with the biggest car-loving communities worldwide are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Toronto, Canada
No. 3 – Cape Town, South Africa
No. 4 – Turin, Italy
No. 5 – Munich, Germany
No. 6 – London, United Kingrom
No. 7 – Warsaw, Poland
No. 8 – Frankfurt, Germany and Sydney, Australia (tied)
No. 10 – Christchurch, New Zealand

austin circuit of the americas cars events racing