Axios Austin celebrates one year

A year ago today, we hit send on the first-ever Axios Austin newsletter.

• As we approached this milestone, we realized our first 12 months of work might be best encapsulated with a trip down South Congress Avenue.

Flashback: In August, Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds — the iconic costume shop — announced that it would close by the end of the year. Its shuttering marked just one example of how parts of old Austin have been lost to the city's growth.

• Meanwhile, South Congress has continued to change, with the addition of SoHo House, Hermès, a trendy chophouse and tech offices for John Deere.
• Soon, a new nightlife venue, a tire shop and nail salon will open.
• Plus, office towers and more will take over the dormant Austin American-Statesman property.

Zoom out: The stroll tells the tale of a city at once full of promise — and also a little glossy.

• Between the lines: A city whose identity is bound up in its creative class has become unaffordable enough to drive some musicians and artists — and middle-class workers of all stripes — to towns far outside the city limits, like Elgin and Lockhart.
• "We're never going to be the Austin of 1978 or 1990, but will it be equitable?" Travis County Judge Andy Brown said at a Tribune Festival panel over the weekend titled Waterloo Sunset. "Are we still an incubator for artists and musicians?"

Why it matters: That tension between the old and the new rippled through many of our daily dispatches.

• The housing crisis, local political battles and criminal justice reform all reflect a city grappling with profound change.
• Every day, we've sought to harness more than 25 years of combined experience covering Austin to explore and explain our home.

Yes, and: Every day, the Axios Austin community has helped us to reach that goal.

• You steered us toward fascinating stories, sent us your burning questions and suggested some seriously delicious food.

The bottom line: As our readership has grown, so has Axios' footprint. On the day Austin's first newsletter was published, Axios Local was in nine cities. By the end of this year, we'll be in 30.

• If you've enjoyed spending your mornings with us over the last year, encourage your neighbors to subscribe for free.