Round Rock on a Fall Sunday

Today was a beautiful Fall Sunday and Max and I wanted to get out of the house. So we climbed onto the motor scooter for a short tour around Round Rock.

Brushy Creek at Memorial Park

With no particular destination or route in mine, we soon found ourselves at Memorial Park where we stopped to enjoy a few moments of the perfect day. Luckily I had remembered to bring my phone and was able to snap this photo from the low water crossing where N. Lee Street crosses Brushy Creek. 

After leaving the park, we wandered around through one of the older neighborhoods. The neighborhood is primarily Mexican American and many of the homes are a bit ramshackle. But it has always been an interesting neighborhood.  As you drive through you often see entire multi-generational families on their porches or gathered in the yard for a family barbeque. Almost every third or fourth lot now has a commercial "For Sale" sign and within a short time, this neighborhood will not longer exist. It will be replaced by cutesy shops and professional offices that will bring more tax money to the city coffers.  I wonder what will happen to the people who live here now. Home prices are so high that I suspect many of them may not be able to afford to replace the home they are loosing.

The Saint Paul A.M.E. Church - Est. 1885

This church is nestled within the neighborhood. I have noticed it before, but this time I stopped and looked at it a bit more closely. There is a cornerstone that says that this church was established in 1885. You can read more here about the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

I imagine that there are many stores that the wall of this church could tell if they could speak. The structure appears to be sound but could definitely use some restoration work.  After standing for almost one hundred and twenty years, it will be a shame for this old church to be demolished or turned into a bar. After all, does the City of Round Rock really need that much more tax revenue?