Night Lights and Reflections

Each night after work, I make my way down South Congress, across Lady Bird Lake and through the City of Austin to West Campus. The city is quiet, but I am comforted by the slight city noises I am unreceptive to during the day. I am mindful of my surroundings and at peace as I follow my usual path home, which alternates between segments of streetlight, bus stops, unlit streets, and illuminated buildings. Buses occasionally pass, rumbling and shaking as their tires run over imperfect pavement. Along the way, I encounter multiple mesmerizing reflections, construction sights and buildings, some of which I will now share with you. 

The moon hangs low beside the Fairmont. 

The Frost Bank reflects on a building across the street.

One of the many construction sites downtown, where construction does not stop when daylight disappears.

Sixth Street is virtually empty, but the pedestrian walkway is entirely lit awaiting the next person to pass through.

Hundreds of feet above the ground, cranes rotate and giant lights project on construction workers.

This building’s parking lot is still with the distant buzz from the lights.

The blue glow from the inside of the building makes the construction workers appear as if they are inside a glass box.

The crane raises a piece of glass into its rightful place with guidance from the workers on the floor.

The lit and covered pedestrian sidewalk creates a buffer between Guadalupe Street and the unfinished building. 

Photos by Pia Scharfenberg