KXAN Austin EntertainmentAUSTIN (KXAN) -- In 2025, most in Austin would describe Rainey Street as a downtown district where small, old homes have been converted into bars or replaced by food trucks, high-rises, and construction.
However, that was not always the case, according to the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Chief Operating Officer Brittney Rodriguez.
According to the Austin Chronicle, in 1884, Jesse Driskill and Frank Rainey took advantage of land available around the city's margins and created the Rainey Street neighborhood.
Initially, the neighborhood was made up of white, middle-class tradesmen. However, as Austin's demographics saw a shift in the 20th century, those families moved to more suburban areas, and working-class and ethnic minorities moved in.
"The district didn't come to be
11Alive Politics