The Signs Of Austin

Violet Crown Shopping Center
6610 N Lamar Blvd
In 1890, Austin civic boosters remarked “Austin’s violet crown bathed in the radiance of the morning or arched with twilight’s dome of fretted gold” and began promoting Austin as the “City of the Violet Crown.” About 60 years later Clarence McCullough and Dr. Joe Koenig developed one of the first neighborhoods in North Austin, called Violet Crown Heights. The neighborhood stretched north of Koenig Lane to Ruth Avenue and a shopping center was built on the old Dallas highway, which is now known as North Lamar. The sign was lovingly restored by Evan Voyles of the Neon Jungle.

Posted on January 21, 2016 under North Lamar
Waterloo Ice House
1106 W 38th St
Before it was Austin, it was Waterloo. Waterloo was the original site of the Republic of Texas’ new capital before being renamed to honor Stephen F. Austin in 1839. The owners of Waterloo Ice House decided to honor the original settlement when they opened their first location at 901 Congress Avenue in 1976. At its peak they had 8 locations but are now down to 4. The 38th Street location was shut down in 2014 to make way for Doc’s Motorworks, which is owned by the same group of investors that own Waterloo. The restaurants are shifting towards a more family focused atmosphere.

Posted on January 05, 2016 under North Lamar
Texan Motel
6702 N Lamar Blvd
The Texan Motel has been in a decades long battle with its neighbor, Mehl’s Motel, for the most run-down accommodation in town. A night’s stay at the Texan will run you about 30 bucks, and it has been used as the “seedy motel” in a few movies. Their sign was put up around 1972, and there’s also a great hand-painted billboard on the property that advertises 43 cable channels and air conditioning. The rapidly expanding development of Lamar Boulevard hasn’t quite caught up to this small strip, but it’s only a matter of time.

Posted on December 09, 2015 under North Lamar
Centennial Liquor Stop
6534 N Lamar Blvd
The Centennial Liquor Store on North Lamar is long gone, but its sign is resting peacefully in the parking lot of The Yellow Rose Cabaret. Another sign survives at their original Guadalupe St location, although the store itself is now run by Twin Liquors. Harry Joseph, a Lebanese businessman, opened the original location in what would become a chain of 6 stores across the Austin area. However, the emergence of superstores such as Spec’s eventually put them out of business for good.

Posted on October 09, 2015 under North Lamar
EZ's Brick Oven & Grill
3918 N Lamar Blvd
EZ’s is a San Antonio-based restaurant chain that was founded in 1989. In another life their North Lamar location was home to 2Js, a popular spot to grab 19 cent hamburgers before heading out to the Chief Drive-In at the corner of Koenig and Lamar. It was also a frequent hangout for the students of Dillon High School. The EZ’s sign looks like it is from the 50s because it was adapted from the original 2Js sign by Ion Art.

Posted on September 02, 2015 under North Lamar

Violet Crown Shopping Center

Waterloo Ice House

Texan Motel

Centennial Liquor Stop

EZ's Brick Oven & Grill