Closing a Chapter

Staple South Congress bookstore closes one chapter to open another in Old Austin

South Congress Books closes up shop in January.

Photo by Red Riding Hood Productions

If you've walked down South Congress in the past few years, you may have noticed the decreasing number of local establishments still keeping Austin "weird" in that particular pocket of town. After Lucy in Disguise announced its closure earlier this year, South Congress Books came to mind as one of the fearless few still working to retain a modicum of Austin soul in that increasingly soulless strip.

As such, the store's December 28 announcement that it will be closing its current location in January feels a bit like the final domino in a long line of bad news for what was once one of the "weirdest" of weird corners in our city. The small business shared the news via social media, thanking customers for their love and support over the last 11 years.

"It may not surprise many of you to learn that we have been priced out of South Congress, so we are moving in January," the post reads. "Why the short notice? We have been negotiating down to the wire and just signed a new lease last week."

So at least the news is not completely tragic: The bookstore will remain, just not on South Congress. In fact, the post also shared that business has never been better for the small, independent book store, and that they'll still be located in Central Austin.

The new outpost will be a vintage bungalow on Kerbey Lane, directly across from the iconic original cafe at 3703 Kerbey Lane (and, we might add, down the street from Spread & Co, which has recently become the shared home of Wine for the People — and what pairs better with a glass of wine than a good book?).

While the new location is slated to open in March 2023, the South Congress spot will close its doors by January 8, 2023. The shop will offer a 20 percent off sale from January 2 through January 8 to help lower the inventory before movers arrive to pack everything up.

For bibliophiles worried about where to buy used books between the January closure and March reopening, Austinites can still get their book fix at the shop's small outpost inside Uncommon Objects.

"Bear with us while we temporarily close shop to move. We hope to see you in March at our new home," the post continues, adding later: "Happy New Year from the South Congress Books family — Sheri, Allison, John, Erika, Nicole, Luke, and Kaila."

For updates on the new shop, check out the store's website and social media.

share the road

Texas races to the bottom in new list of best states for cyclists

Photo by Justin Wallace on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Austin, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around Austin, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling-friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."