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Austin has many colorful neighborhoods and shopping venues, but most inhabitants of the city will tell you that Austin is divided into two distinct areas: South Austin, and North Austin. The Colorado River runs directly through the central part of the city, encircling the downtown business district on its southern perimeter, and as is flows west, the river skirts the northern edge if Zilker Park and the Barton Springs area. The part of the river which flows through the metro area was recently named Lady Bird Lake, and was previously called Town Lake.

South Austin is thought of among Austinites as the laid back area of town; it is a very eclectic area, and most of the residents are thought of as informal, casual and very individualistic. South Austin…

Just north of Hyde Park, with approximately 1400 homes, lies the neighborhood of North Loop. Also referred to as “Northfield”, the North Loop neighborhood boundaries are 51st street, Lamar Boulevard, Airport Boulevard, and Koenig Lane.

Like many of Austin’s central neighborhoods, North Loop got its start once soldiers began returning home from World War II. Other soldiers cashed in their GI Bill, and attended the university to get a college education. With the mass influx of people moving to Austin in the late 1940s and early 1950s, more homes had to go up quickly. The majority of the homes in North Loop are relatively small 2 bedroom, 1 bath homes hovering around 1,000 square feet. The homes went up quickly to meet the demand, but the quality of the…

Some streets lead to wherever it is you want to go. Some lead to surprises both bad and good. Some streets are destinations in themselves, stretches of thoroughfare where the journey itself is all that matters.

South First Street between Riverside and St. Elmo’s is one of those streets, one of the last in Austin where , block after block, the old magic of the city that once attracted musicians, artists and other creative minds to move and settle down here, is still palpable, still crackling in the air.

Going south from Riverside, you pass shops and boutiques on the right, converted from 1930’s private homes, turned into artsy clothing and import stores. They sit across the street from the broad, green campus of the Texas State School for the Deaf.…

With East Austin’s affordable housing prices and close proximity to downtown, it’s long been a hub for Austin’s musicians and artists.  Over the years the different artists in East Austin started to work and collaborate with each other.  Over time this has turned into an event called the East Austin Studio Tour.  This allows for artists to see what other people are working on and a chance for people to purchase art directly from the creator, in addition to seeing the studio where the pieces are created.  It also allows the artists to get their work viewed by a large audience of interested people and potential buyers.  This kind of grass roots endeavor is one more way Austin attempts to keep true to its slogan of “Keep Austin Weird”.
One weekend in…

The February statistics for the Austin Real Estate market are out. So what is going on? It looks like prices are basically flat compared to last year. This is actually good considering prices in most real estate market around the country are dropping like a stone. I created a spreadsheet that breaksdown the real estate statistics in Austin for the last few years.

 

As far as areas the central Austin real estate market is doing better than the suburbs and the market for single family homes is outperforming the market for condos. This is probably because their were a large number of condo projects that have come on the market in the last 6 months.

The first 3 rate cuts by the Fed did not lower mortgage rates as the banks were looking to increase the…

Just north of Austin’s urban center lies the Crestview neighborhood, bordered by Anderson Lane to the north, Justin Lane to the south, North Lamar Boulevard to the east and Burnet Road to the west. In 1948, developer A.B. Beddow began building the Crestview homes on what was originally an old cotton field.

The majority of the homes in Crestview were built in the 1950s with a very utilitarian style, mostly 2 and 3 bedroom cottages ranging around 1100 to 1200 square feet, suitable for the postwar boom of the time. Many residents of Crestview have lived in the area since its inception, not willing to leave the tranquil surroundings and friendly neighbors they’ve grown close to over the years.

It's this same reason more Austinites want to move to the…

The 2nd Street District in downtown Austin has grown rapidly, and Austin is reaping the benefits. Besides the nightlife bar scene of 6th Street, and a smattering of shops on Congress Avenue, downtown Austin lacked a hub for shopping, eating, and entertainment that the 2nd Street District is now providing with a vengeance. Cashing in on Austinites’ love for being outdoors, and its close proximity to the Zilker hike and bike trail, the 2nd Street District is pedestrian oriented, with wide sidewalks, and open air store fronts and outdoor seating at many of the restaurants. Locals and tourists alike will find a business that appeals to them. Established local eateries, such as Austin Java Café and Jo’s Coffee, mix and mingle with a few fun chains and other…

In Austin, Texas, just north of one of the largest universities in the US, lies the neighborhood many refer to solely as North Campus. This should be a small indicator of exactly how much Austin's culture and prosperity is influenced by the University of Texas. This area is home to an incredible amount of diversity for relatively compact size. Of all the North Campus residents, the largest demographic is also the most difficult to describe with any certainty: the students. While the population of Austin has expanded in part because of the constant influx of students, (and graduates, who often find that after four years of Austin, they'd rather stay) in the neighborhood of North Campus this effect is more pronounced than in most any other. A sizable…