Fourth Fridays

Amid gentrification buzz, an East Austin neighborhood celebrates its collaborative spirit

There is perhaps no better example of how old East Austin mingles with new than East 11th Street. Once past I-35, the neighborhood entrance is flanked by Franklin Barbecue and a row of tony condominiums. A little further down and the Historic Victory Grill and Kenny Dorham's Backyard greet you on one side, while Take Heart gift shop and Blue Dahlia Cafe say hello on the other. The newly revamped J&J Spirits nestles up to The Longbranch Inn. And as you reach the Texas State Cemetery, you'll find locally owned shops operating out of the ground floor of a mixed-use development, the newest incarnation of the Quickie Pickie, East End Wines and Hillside Farmacy.

In a part of the city that so often serves as a microcosm for Austin gentrification, a story often tinged with anger and resentment, the East End neighborhood comes together once a month not to bemoan the changing landscape, but to celebrate and collaborate.

The East End neighborhood comes together once a month not to bemoan the changing landscape, but to celebrate and collaborate.

With this collaborative spirit in mind, the June 27 East End Fourth Friday is hosting a series of events celebrating both the old and the new. Part of Austin's IBIZ network, the evening is a chance for neighbors to gather and for all Austinites to support the local, independent businesses that serve as the beating economic heart of this boulevard.

At Tiny Taiga (1200 E. 11th St. Ste. 106), local photographer and artist Rama Tiru will sign copies of her 2010 book Austin East of I-35. Tiru spent months documenting the east side, a place she's always felt drawn to. "When I came here 18 years ago, I was told not to go to the east side. But when someone tells me not to do something, I do it," Tiru says laughing.

"Before [this project], I had been capturing small towns of Texas. I always feel history should be preserved, and [in 2010] I felt that this was time I should capture this." Tiru didn't want to focus on the narrative of gangs, drugs or gentrification, a story she says gets told enough, but instead on the people. And so she spent time capturing the portraits, architecture, history and stories of the city east of the interstate. With a grant from the City of Austin, Tiru was able to publish her book using only Austin-based companies for production.

Though it's been only four years since Tiru published her book, the images still capture days gone by, featuring people and places that have already said farewell to the east side. One such place in danger of leaving is Kenny Dorham's Backyard. This Fourth Friday marks the first since news broke that Kenny Dorham's Backyard, an outdoor event space on East 11th run by nonprofit DiverseArts, could be shuttered by the City of Austin.

Citing complaints about the aesthetics of the event space and event compliance, the Urban Renewal Board threatened to terminate the Backyard's lease with the city. After a standing-room only meeting on June 16, the URB voted to extend the contract until September, giving DiverseArts and founder Harold McMillan three months to get the space in shape. Since then, DiverseArts has launched a call to action asking for volunteers for everything from gardening to event production, as well as an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds.

"Just so you know, I'm feeling good about all of this," McMillan said on Facebook. "Lots of active love going on up in here."

On June 27, the Backyard will play host to a night of music beginning at 7 pm for a suggested donation of $5. Kids can enjoy free pizza from East Side Pies while adults can BYOB (but no glass, please!). The lineup has not yet been announced, but click here for more information.

And these aren't the only two local businesses celebrating the neighborhood. Enjoy free yoga from Eastside Yoga at 6 pm, throw your name in a lottery for a free tattoo from Hub Tattoo, and get food and drink specials from Hillside Farmacy, East End Wines, Quickie Pickie, Mijo's Tex Mex Cantina, Sagra, Tony's Jamaican, Blue Dahlia and the Historic Victory Grill. With wedding season upon us, get a jump on gift buying (or just say screw it and get yourself something nice) with deals at Take Heart, Olive, Tiny Taiga and artisan pop-up shops up and down the street.

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East End Fourth Friday is held on the fourth Friday of every month from 5 pm -9 pm. For a full list of participating vendors, please visit Austin's IBIZ website.

Austin's East End neighborhood.

Photo by Frank Mills

Austin's East End neighborhood.

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Red Light

San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

animals downtown civic issues

Fourth Fridays

Amid gentrification buzz, an East Austin neighborhood celebrates its collaborative spirit

Austin's East End neighborhood.

Red Light

San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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