Drag (Austin, Texas)
| <span class="nickname" ">The Drag | |
.jpg) A portion of The Drag, as seen at night. | |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°17′9″N 97°44′30″W / 30.28583°N 97.74167°WCoordinates: 30°17′9″N 97°44′30″W / 30.28583°N 97.74167°W |
The Drag is a nickname for a portion of Guadalupe Street that runs along the western edge of the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas.
The Drag began as a strip of shops which provided vital resources to UT students. Bookstores, restaurants, and clothing stores fulfilled student needs. The proximity to campus, particularly the Main Building and the Union Building, added to the popularity of the street.[1] At the start of each semester The Drag fills with students purchasing textbooks and school supplies.
Past and present buildings on the Drag include the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, Raul's, Captain Quackenbush's Intergalactic Espresso and Dessert Company, Record Exchange (later renamed CD Exchange at the NW corner of 21st Street), Hastings Music and Video (directly across from the West Mall and Student Union), Bevo's Bookstore, The Gap (at the SW corner of 24th Street), Al's Formalwear (at 29 1/2 Street), Tower Records, The Bazaar, Texadelphia, Dobie Mall, Goodall Wooten private dormitory, and the University Baptist Church. Also, the Church of Scientology of Texas building is on The Drag.[2]
The Drag is considered an important part of Austin's civic life, but for many years many Austinites avoided it because of congestion. The area had fallen into disrepair, and some felt the area had become undesirable because of the presence of panhandlers known as "Dragworms",[3] or more recently as "Dragrats."[4]
Recently the west side of the Drag between 21st and 24th has been reconfigured in preparation for Capital MetroRapid bus rapid transit service in 2014.
References
- ↑ About6street.com, The Drag. Accessed 2008-01-02.
- ↑ "Scientology Austin". Church of Scientology Texas. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
- ↑ "The Drag on Guadalupe Street, Austin (Drag Worm; Drag Rat)". Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ↑ "The Drag". Austin Now. KLRU. Archived from the original on 2007-11-02. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
Further reading
External links
UT and the Drag travel guide from Wikivoyage- Guadalupe Street, Guide to Texas Outside. Photos from the history of Guadalupe Street.
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