Hometown glory flooded Facebook feeds last week as Austinites shared the U.S. News report on the best cities in America. Austin topped the list with good schools, a booming housing market and a generally desirable quality of life. While this illustration may appeal to young professionals searching for a new home, the day-to-day reality Austinites face is far from perfect. The unique culture that drives new residents to move to Austin is slowly disappearing due to subsequent gentrification.

Austin’s history with gentrification stretches back to the 1920s. In an effort to conglomerate African-American communities, the government moved institutions that served minorities to East Austin. Black and Hispanic families built the new area into a home and continued to grow their communities for decades. The Historic Scoot Inn, a saloon founded by some of Austin’s first black residents, functioned as a home to music and entertainment for community members. In 1980, the Meza family opened up the doors to Juan In a Million and served their neighbors delicious Tex-Mex. The neighborhood suffered slightly after desegregation, but nevertheless prevailed as a bastion of culture.

Then the tech industry boomed. With more economic opportunities, the population grew throughout the early 2000s as jobs in various industries opened up and white families migrated in. Developers were quick to capitalize on property, rebranding what were once humble family homes into “bohemian” abodes. The steady push of displacement that East Austin fought against evolved into a more violent shove.

As young professionals converted laundromats into tastelessly named bistros, the value of East Austin real estate skyrocketed, and those native to the area simply could not keep up with rising property taxes. Even as Austin’s general population multiplied, the percentage of minority residents declined.

Our admiration of quirky homes and love for trendy cafés is directly linked to other people’s displacement. Developers are profiting off of cheap property that they can easily flip and sell. While we celebrate Austin’s “weird” vibes, those who worked to cultivate that culture are not able to partake in it.

In fact, they suffer. Martin Middle School, which serves Central East Austin, is losing funds due to low enrollment. The notoriously hipster Blue Cat Cafe sits on the ruins of family-owned piñata store Jumpolin, which landowners bulldozed in a controversial case of imminent domain. In a community built by minority populations, the neighborhood’s infrastructure has been hijacked to serve new wealthy inhabitants. 

The growth is inevitable. As Austin seeks to transform itself from a midsize Texas city into an innovation hub, we will have to make room for new people. But the city has a responsibility to protect communities that have already had to deal with displacement from the government.

There are other options to facilitate this growth in a way that keeps East Austin intact. For one, the city could simply prohibit luxury construction. This way, the culture can continue to go on as it has been. As more of a compromise, Austin might work to make Homestead tax exemptions possible for lower-income households. Residents could then hold on to their homes despite a few luxury condos. 

Austin is a great city. It is understandable that people want to live here, but if we replace the culture that gives us character with the generic urbanscape yuppies love, we all lose.

Larcher is an economics and Plan II freshman from Austin. Follow her on Twitter @veg_lomein.