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Oh, Look! Austin Discovers "Greenspace" Isn't Just for Avocado Toast.

Oh, brilliant! Let's celebrate the bureaucratic masterstroke of the century! The city finally figured out how to actually use the park bond money for—wait for it—parks! Wow, who would've thought? It's almost like they've been holding out on us this whole time. Groundbreaking stuff, really.

Published October 11, 2024 at 6:04am by Ella McCarthy

Oh, For the Love of Compost, Look Who Finally Stepped Up!

So, buckle up, buttercups! The Austin City Council finally pulled their fingers out and did something right. On Thursday, they waved their magic gavel and poof—five city-owned plots are now officially parkland. About damn time! Check out the ordinance here, if you're into that sort of bedtime reading.

Three of these gems are in East Austin (because, of course, that's where all the cool kids hang), one's in Windsor Hill, and another is chilling in Northwest Austin. We're talking community gardens, creekside greenbelts, and backdoor access to big-ass neighborhood parks.

Here's the 411 on the lucky locations:

11703 Charing Cross Road — Your typical suburban lot in Northwest Austin. Yawn, but hey, parks are parks.
1605 February Drive — Smack dab in the middle of Walnut Creek's greenbelt, kissing distance from Copperfield Nature Trail. Upper Windsor Hills represent!
1137 Saucedo St. — A hop, skip, and a jump off Springdale Road, backing into a neighborhood creek. Rustic chic, anyone?
1412 Fort Branch Blvd. — Your ticket to Springdale Neighborhood Park in East Austin. Party in the front, business in the back.
2011 East Ninth Street — The one, the only, Blackshear Neighborhood Garden in Central East Austin. 🙌

The city's spin on it? "The Properties are undeveloped, open spaces located in park-deficient areas across the City and are currently used for unofficial passive recreation and greenbelt access." Translation: "We finally realized we were sitting on a goldmine of chill spots."

But hold your horses, folks! Before any fancy changes happen, Auntie Austin's gonna have a sit-down and a planning sesh, community engagement and all. Isn't that sweet?

Shoutout to Staff Reporter Emiliano Tahui Gómez for the deets. You da real MVP.