Buda, Texas: Small Town USA

On the way south out of Austin, Texas there is this small town by the name of Buda. Established in 1881, originally a rail-road town, Buda was founded virtually overnight and has continued to expand over the years. Specifically within the last 5 years one of the main land owners in town sold many acres to Cabelas for several millions of dollars, thus paving the way for further town development, literally and figuratively. As part of the contract with the town, Cabelas provided a new water tower and greater commerce. The door was opened and expansion lept-forward. Since this deal Wal-Mart has added a store and a whole series of restaurant chains have joined the fray.

The addition of these big businesses has caused the small town to become of great interest to those moving to Austin trying to avoid Austin housing prices. Apartments and housing developments are going up at an amazing rate, thus leading to even greater interest from more big businesses. Buda seems to be the text-book example of how a town can grow and expand.

Regarding the name "Buda," there have been many conflicting "suggestions" as to the origin. The prevailing opinion is that "Buda" is an English mutation of the Spanish word for widow: viuda. In the early town history along the railroad at the local inn were two widows that maintained the bed-and-breakfast, greeting newcomers to the town.

Tourists have been coming to Buda more and more recently to be able to witness the small town feel within the big-town developments. For example, Buda has the annual Wiener dog races that draw hundreds of spectators and competitors from the surrounding community. Once a year Buda throws "Budafest" which essentially shuts down main street for the parade and fun-park rides. During the Christmas shopping season, Buda has an arts & crafts gathering, allowing exhibitors and crafts-folk to set up their booths along with hundreds of others. This, once again, effectively shuts down Main Street to allow for parking and pedestrians. Still consisting of one main street, Buda has only one primary stop-light that is sufficient for all these special events and for everyday commerce.

As one walks down Main Street, small town Texas shines through. At one corner is the castle-shaped building that has all the curios and antique furniture. A little further down is the coffee shop owned by the same curator that owns the pizzeria two blocks away. Buda Grocery stills stays open to battle the local large grocery food chain, combining groceries and Tex-Mex food that is made fresh to order. Further down Main Street is the local family owned salsa company, Jardine's, which makes different flavored salsas for distribution throughout the country. Perhaps Jardine's only competition for quality salsa is Buda Grocery itself which makes its own homemade salsa. And, finally, at one end of town is Buda park, central location of fairs, late night movie viewing, car shows, craft shows and family gatherings and events.

The merging of big commercial chains and small town feel is a tricky prospect that Buda has handled well up to this point. Whether or not it is able to maintain this symbiotic relationship remains to be seen. For now, Buda continues to be a pleasing blend of modern development and historical ambiance. Travel 10-15 minutes south of Austin and experience Buda, Texas, past and present rolled into one.