So what is it about Austin that gives this place more character than, say, a suburb around Dallas? Many people fail to realize that at the heart Austin's culture, the source of Austin's eclectic appearance, the places that color the popular arteries of this city such as South Congress and Guadalupe St. are the local, independently owned businesses.
I've always had an aversion to chain restaurants but never thought about it critically. An ad on 91.7FM, probably KOOP Radio, got me thinking about it. They had me curious. So I checked out the website for the Austin Independent Business Alliance, www.ibuyaustin.com, and here's what I found out. According to the AIBA, shopping locally is outstanding for Austin's economy. When you make a purchase from a locally owned business, the amount of money that makes a local economic impact is three times more than if you were to do your shopping at a national chain. Even though I understand the importance of all this, the main thing to me is the diversity of places, services, and goods Austin has to offer its residents. There is nothing uglier to me than the face of development. When access roads become pimpled with Targets, Office Depot's, Chili's, and other chains, all within the span of a month or so (ever had one of those moments driving down the highway and thinking to yourself 'Where in the hell did that come from!?'), there is really nothing going on other than a perfect picture of America's consumerism.
No, I like to support places that have real faces, real people, real owners taking risks. It's these places that give Austin its character and charm.
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