Why Bastrop?
Elon Musk didn’t just stumble into Bastrop by accident. A few years back, around 2021, he started pulling his businesses out of California, fed up with its taxes, rules, and politics. Texas, with its wide-open spaces, low taxes, and “don’t mess with me” attitude, was calling his name. Bastrop County, in particular, caught his eye. It’s close enough to Austin’s tech scene but far enough to feel like the middle of nowhere perfect for big projects that need room to breathe.
Musk’s team started snapping up land thousands of acres, maybe 3,500, maybe 6,000, nobody’s quite sure because they kept it hush-hush. Now, along Farm-to-Market Road 1209, you’ll see shiny new buildings, tunnel entrances for The Boring Company, and a massive SpaceX Starlink factory. There’s even talk of X, Musk’s social media platform, setting up its headquarters here. It’s a far cry from the cotton fields and ranches that used to define this place.
Why does it work? Texas doesn’t fuss much with zoning laws. One lawyer called it “the wild, wild West,” and that’s no joke. Bastrop County can’t say much about what Musk builds, and local leaders, hungry for jobs, didn’t exactly push back. “They wanted it done fast like, yesterday,” said Paul Pape, who used to be the county judge. Musk’s people move at warp speed, and Bastrop’s along for the ride.
A Town Full of Stories
Bastrop’s no stranger to big changes. It’s been around since the 1830s, back when Texas was still figuring itself out. Over the years, it’s seen lumber booms, coal mining, and farming come and go. During World War II, Camp Swift brought thousands of soldiers and even German POWs to the area, shaking things up big-time. “That was probably a bigger deal than Musk,” says Judy Enis, a volunteer at the Bastrop Museum, with a chuckle.
The town’s got serious pride in its roots. Downtown Bastrop is like a postcard: old brick buildings, Victorian homes, and 131 historical sites that scream “Old Texas.” People here wear cowboy hats without irony, drive pickups, and know their neighbors’ names. It’s the kind of place where you can grab a coffee at a shop called Neighbor’s and watch the Colorado River roll by. But with Musk’s crew moving in, some folks worry that Bastrop’s small-town soul might get paved over.
The Good, the Bad, and the Busy
Let’s talk about what Musk’s bringing to the table. Jobs, for starters lots of them. SpaceX’s Starlink plant, The Boring Company’s digs, and the X headquarters are hiring like crazy. We’re talking hundreds, maybe thousands of gigs in cool fields like rockets and satellites. For a town where kids often leave for bigger cities, this is huge. “Folks are thrilled their grandkids might stick around,” says Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino, Bastrop’s city manager.
The money’s flowing, too. There’s a spot called the Boring Bodega now a food mart, bar, and hangout with pickleball courts and quirky Musk merch, like a nod to that $500 flamethrower he once sold. Hyperloop Plaza’s popping up, too, drawing younger crowds. Local spots, from diners to riverfront cafes, are buzzing with new faces, many of them Musk’s employees settling in.
But it’s not all rosy. Housing prices are climbing, and not everyone can keep up. Traffic’s a mess good luck finding a parking spot at the grocery store. And then there’s the environment. The Boring Company wants to dump 142,500 gallons of treated wastewater into the Colorado River every day, and that’s got folks like Chap Ambrose, who lives across from their site, nervous. He runs a website called Keep Bastrop Boring to call out what he sees as shady moves. “They’re sneaking stuff through before anyone notices,” he told reporters.
Musk’s companies have already gotten slapped with fines for environmental slip-ups, and water’s a big deal in a place like Bastrop. “I’m fine with them being here, as long as they don’t mess up my water or dig a tunnel that swallows my house,” says Alfonso Lopez, a tech guy who moved from Seattle. That’s the vibe around town: excited but cautious, especially when it comes to Musk’s big personality and bigger plans.
Snailbrook: A Musk-Style Village
Here’s where things get wild. Musk isn’t just building factories he’s building a whole community called Snailbrook, named after The Boring Company’s mascot, a snail named Gary. It’s got modular homes, a pool, a gym, and plans for a Montessori school backed by Musk’s nonprofit, Ad Astra. Right now, it’s small, just a few homes and a warehouse, but it’s a glimpse of Musk’s dream: a place where his workers live, work, and play, all under his umbrella.
Down south in Cameron County, he’s trying something similar with Starbase, a community near SpaceX’s rocket site. It’s got about 500 people, including kids, living in trailers and fixed-up houses. Musk wants to make it an official town, with a vote set for May 2025. If it happens, he could fund roads and schools with public money while keeping a tight grip on the place. Sounds cool, right? But historians like James Highsmith warn it could be a power grab, leaving locals with less say and nearby towns short on cash.
Company towns aren’t new think of old railroad or factory villages but they’ve got a sketchy track record. Workers often traded freedom for convenience. Musk’s version feels futuristic, but it’s got folks wondering: how much control will he have over Snailbrook or Starbase? And what happens if you don’t drink the Musk Kool-Aid?
A Town Caught in the Middle
Bastrop’s got what Carrillo-Trevino calls a “split personality.” Some folks are stoked Musk’s putting their town on the map. “If Elon thinks we’re cool, we must be,” she laughs. Others feel like they’re being steamrolled. “It’s like a third party’s taking over,” she adds. The changes are coming fast, and not everyone’s ready.
Musk himself is a lightning rod. Some admire his hustle; others side-eye his politics, especially since he’s gone from green-energy hero to Trump supporter. He’s rarely seen in Bastrop, which makes him feel like a ghost haunting the town. “There’s this big question mark hanging over us,” says journalist Jessica Mathews, who covered the story for Fortune. Add in Musk’s side projects like funding schools or pushing for a fancy park in Austin and it’s clear he’s not just building businesses; he’s shaping the whole region.
What’s Next for Bastrop?
Bastrop’s at a turning point. Musk’s vision could make it a tech powerhouse, a mini-Austin with rockets and tunnels. But there’s a cost. Will the historic downtown stay charming, or will it get swallowed by sprawl? Can the river and the land handle the growth? And will Bastrop still feel like Bastrop when it’s all said and done?
Elon Musk didn’t just stumble into Bastrop by accident. A few years back, around 2021, he started pulling his businesses out of California, fed up with its taxes, rules, and politics. Texas, with its wide-open spaces, low taxes, and “don’t mess with me” attitude, was calling his name. Bastrop County, in particular, caught his eye. It’s close enough to Austin’s tech scene but far enough to feel like the middle of nowhere perfect for big projects that need room to breathe.
Musk’s team started snapping up land thousands of acres, maybe 3,500, maybe 6,000, nobody’s quite sure because they kept it hush-hush. Now, along Farm-to-Market Road 1209, you’ll see shiny new buildings, tunnel entrances for The Boring Company, and a massive SpaceX Starlink factory. There’s even talk of X, Musk’s social media platform, setting up its headquarters here. It’s a far cry from the cotton fields and ranches that used to define this place.
Why does it work? Texas doesn’t fuss much with zoning laws. One lawyer called it “the wild, wild West,” and that’s no joke. Bastrop County can’t say much about what Musk builds, and local leaders, hungry for jobs, didn’t exactly push back. “They wanted it done fast like, yesterday,” said Paul Pape, who used to be the county judge. Musk’s people move at warp speed, and Bastrop’s along for the ride.
A Town Full of Stories
Bastrop’s no stranger to big changes. It’s been around since the 1830s, back when Texas was still figuring itself out. Over the years, it’s seen lumber booms, coal mining, and farming come and go. During World War II, Camp Swift brought thousands of soldiers and even German POWs to the area, shaking things up big-time. “That was probably a bigger deal than Musk,” says Judy Enis, a volunteer at the Bastrop Museum, with a chuckle.
The town’s got serious pride in its roots. Downtown Bastrop is like a postcard: old brick buildings, Victorian homes, and 131 historical sites that scream “Old Texas.” People here wear cowboy hats without irony, drive pickups, and know their neighbors’ names. It’s the kind of place where you can grab a coffee at a shop called Neighbor’s and watch the Colorado River roll by. But with Musk’s crew moving in, some folks worry that Bastrop’s small-town soul might get paved over.
The Good, the Bad, and the Busy
Let’s talk about what Musk’s bringing to the table. Jobs, for starters lots of them. SpaceX’s Starlink plant, The Boring Company’s digs, and the X headquarters are hiring like crazy. We’re talking hundreds, maybe thousands of gigs in cool fields like rockets and satellites. For a town where kids often leave for bigger cities, this is huge. “Folks are thrilled their grandkids might stick around,” says Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino, Bastrop’s city manager.
The money’s flowing, too. There’s a spot called the Boring Bodega now a food mart, bar, and hangout with pickleball courts and quirky Musk merch, like a nod to that $500 flamethrower he once sold. Hyperloop Plaza’s popping up, too, drawing younger crowds. Local spots, from diners to riverfront cafes, are buzzing with new faces, many of them Musk’s employees settling in.
But it’s not all rosy. Housing prices are climbing, and not everyone can keep up. Traffic’s a mess good luck finding a parking spot at the grocery store. And then there’s the environment. The Boring Company wants to dump 142,500 gallons of treated wastewater into the Colorado River every day, and that’s got folks like Chap Ambrose, who lives across from their site, nervous. He runs a website called Keep Bastrop Boring to call out what he sees as shady moves. “They’re sneaking stuff through before anyone notices,” he told reporters.
Musk’s companies have already gotten slapped with fines for environmental slip-ups, and water’s a big deal in a place like Bastrop. “I’m fine with them being here, as long as they don’t mess up my water or dig a tunnel that swallows my house,” says Alfonso Lopez, a tech guy who moved from Seattle. That’s the vibe around town: excited but cautious, especially when it comes to Musk’s big personality and bigger plans.
Snailbrook: A Musk-Style Village
Here’s where things get wild. Musk isn’t just building factories he’s building a whole community called Snailbrook, named after The Boring Company’s mascot, a snail named Gary. It’s got modular homes, a pool, a gym, and plans for a Montessori school backed by Musk’s nonprofit, Ad Astra. Right now, it’s small, just a few homes and a warehouse, but it’s a glimpse of Musk’s dream: a place where his workers live, work, and play, all under his umbrella.
Down south in Cameron County, he’s trying something similar with Starbase, a community near SpaceX’s rocket site. It’s got about 500 people, including kids, living in trailers and fixed-up houses. Musk wants to make it an official town, with a vote set for May 2025. If it happens, he could fund roads and schools with public money while keeping a tight grip on the place. Sounds cool, right? But historians like James Highsmith warn it could be a power grab, leaving locals with less say and nearby towns short on cash.
Company towns aren’t new think of old railroad or factory villages but they’ve got a sketchy track record. Workers often traded freedom for convenience. Musk’s version feels futuristic, but it’s got folks wondering: how much control will he have over Snailbrook or Starbase? And what happens if you don’t drink the Musk Kool-Aid?
A Town Caught in the Middle
Bastrop’s got what Carrillo-Trevino calls a “split personality.” Some folks are stoked Musk’s putting their town on the map. “If Elon thinks we’re cool, we must be,” she laughs. Others feel like they’re being steamrolled. “It’s like a third party’s taking over,” she adds. The changes are coming fast, and not everyone’s ready.
Musk himself is a lightning rod. Some admire his hustle; others side-eye his politics, especially since he’s gone from green-energy hero to Trump supporter. He’s rarely seen in Bastrop, which makes him feel like a ghost haunting the town. “There’s this big question mark hanging over us,” says journalist Jessica Mathews, who covered the story for Fortune. Add in Musk’s side projects like funding schools or pushing for a fancy park in Austin and it’s clear he’s not just building businesses; he’s shaping the whole region.
What’s Next for Bastrop?
Bastrop’s at a turning point. Musk’s vision could make it a tech powerhouse, a mini-Austin with rockets and tunnels. But there’s a cost. Will the historic downtown stay charming, or will it get swallowed by sprawl? Can the river and the land handle the growth? And will Bastrop still feel like Bastrop when it’s all said and done?
