Pemberton Heights is the name of a beautiful and historic area of Old West Austin, centrally located and convenient to downtown, the University of Texas campus, and the State Capitol complex, as well as easily accessible by the MoPac Expressway, also known as Loop One. The gateway to Pemberton Heights is considered to be the Keith House, at 2400 Harris, and this historic home was built in 1933 and has an unobstructed view of the Texas Capitol building from the front balcony, since it is located in the northern area of Austin’s State Capitol view zone. The Keith House was exhibits characteristics of both the Monterey Revival style as well as the Colonial Revival Style, with a wooden balcony and low-pitched roof, as well as varied exterior wall materials. This home is considered to be the earliest example of the Monterey Revival Style in the Austin area, and has chimneys at the gable ends, a central hallway, and shutters throughout, illustrating the Colonial Revival style. Two other historic and majestic homes in the neighborhood are Pemberton Castle, also known as the Fisher-Gideon home, at 1415 Wooldridge Drive, and the Catterall Mills House, at 2524 Harris, very near the Keith House.

Pemberton Castle is a limestone structure, with ivy-covered walls, which was built in 1926 from the remnants of an old cistern that was built on the spot in the late 1800s, and which was originally used to help Austin’s first fire fighters access water in the area. The home was originally owned by Judge John Harris, of Galveston, who was one of the earliest settlers to the area, and for whom Harris Boulevard is named. Harris was the Attorney General of Texas in the 1940s under then-governor Elisha Pease, for whom Pease Park is named, and Pease and Harris were real estate partners at the time. In 1925, the tower of the home was converted into a gothic structure by Samuel Fisher and his wife, Lucille.

The neighborhood was named Pemberton Heights about the same time, in 1927, when the developers filed a plat with the Travis County Clerk’s office for the first home in the new subdivision to be called Pemberton Heights. Shortly thereafter, the Castle became the sales office for the new development.

The Catterall Mills House was built in 1937 in the style of Early American Georgian Revival, and it is a plain, symmetrical, wooden structure covered with red wood siding. The home was bought by the Chester Family in 1999, and features some very unusual architectural amenities, including a bomb shelter built in the backyard during the Cold War. There is also an Italian marble fireplace and many stained-glass windows throughout the home.

Pemberton Heights roughly encompasses the area from the intersection of MoPac and Windsor, south along Windsor Rd., and north along Shoal Creek to 29th Street. The street which encompasses the eastern edge is Harris Boulevard, which eventually intersects with Northwood and then Jefferson. Westover Road is considered the last bordering street of the neighborhood, and the land contained within these boundaries is generally considered to be Pemberton Heights. The subdivision is considered to be one of the most prestigious as well as livable neighborhoods in Austin for a variety of reasons.

The Pemberton Heights subdivision was named in the 1998 issue of Town and Country magazine as one of the twenty-five Platinum Addresses in the United States, and in 2007, this neighborhood, along with its Old West Austin counterparts, was named by the American Planning Association as one of its “Great Places” neighborhoods. There is a very active neighborhood association in the subdivision, open to all residents, and some of the issues they are involved with include the preservation of trees and other foliage, less expansion by the MoPac into the neighborhood, and retaining the historic character, as well as creating and maintaining a pedestrian friendly environment in Pemberton Heights, which is also considered to be a very family-friendly area.

Today, residents and visitors can become knowledgeable about issues by reading the Pemberton Journal, which is published by the neighborhood association, and the subdivision has numerous single-family dwellings for sale and rent as well as condominiums and apartments available for rent. Pemberton Heights is one of the most desirable locations to live in Austin, and is minutes from downtown and various other attractions. If you are looking for the good life, Pemberton Heights has it all.

Ki works in the Austin real estate market. His site has a free search of the Austin MLS and information on mortgage interest rates.

The West Austin area of Clarksville was originally a freedman’s colony for slaves freed after the Civil War. Clarksville now has a very diverse population, and this diversity is reflected in the various nationalities of the residents. There is an excellent public grade school in Clarksville, named Mathews Elementary. Every fall, Mathews holds a carnival on the grounds, which includes the Clarksville Annual International Dinner and the Octoborama Festival, which is held at the end of October. During Octoberama, local musicians, many of whom are the parents or relatives of Mathews School students, perform at the carnival. Also, most of the kids bring large quantities of food to be sold at the International Dinner, to reflect the cuisine of the countries of their origin. Since most of the University of Texas Division of Housing apartment complexes are located in the West Austin area, and the grade school children residing there with their parents attend Mathews, many ethnicities and heritages are represented at the dinner, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Mexican, and various African and other nationalities. While at the Octoberama Festival, you can hear local musicians, sample all kinds of homemade food, watch contests such as two-legged races and relay races, and enjoy juggling and face-painting, which all of the kids love. Right down the street from the school is another Austin legend, Nau’s pharmacy, which has one of the oldest soda fountains in Austin. You can have eggs for breakfast or a shake after school at Nau’s, and then head down to the 9th Street dog park.

There are many good restaurants in the Clarksville area, and this area is a short bus ride or long walk to Lady Bird Lake, and the jogging trails, or you can go downtown by bus or on the sidewalk, just a mile or so in the other direction. There are also a number of historic homes in the Clarksville area, including a home referred to by the children as "the Castle", since it looks just like a medieval castle, but which was originally a military college building. There is also a "Moonlight Tower", another local landmark, in the area of the Castle. Austin and Clarksville are home to many local politicians and well-known Austinites. Ann Richards was a regular at the drug store soda fountain, and most Hollywood celebrities visit the restaurants when in Austin.

The Johnson Creek Hike and Bike Trail skirts the western edge of Clarksville, and winds along under the Loop One freeway, also called the MoPac for the Missouri Pacific rail line which runs directly alongside the freeway. You can walk, ride a bike, or jog up and down the hike and bike trail, which crosses Johnson Creek in one place and begins at Austin High School, on the northern shore of Lady Bird Lake.

From the Austin High School access point to the trails, You can cross the lake, which is actually the Colorado River, and hike through Zilker Park or swim in Barton Springs, or go north, and once past Clarksville, you eventually wind up in the Brykerwoods area, if you go south you can head down to the Barton Hills and Travis Heights.

Clarksville is also home to various arts and crafts establishments, and the yearly Eeyore’s Birthday Party Celebration, another fun local event, which is held in Pease Park, on the north-eastern perimeter of the Clarksville area. All in all, The Clarksviile area of Austin is truly a great place to live, whether you’re raising a family, a student, retired, or any one of the varied lifestyles which flourish in Austin. You will always feel at home in Clarksville.

Ki lives in Austin and spends way too much time blogging. He also runs a site about Austin real estate which has a search of the Austin MLS and information on mortgage interest rates.

Many of the historic buildings in Austin are either privately owned, have been turned into modern-day businesses, or are open to the public in the form of museums. Luckily for those looking to actually live in such a building, even if for just one night, both the Driskill hotel and the Stephen F. Austin hotel are waiting downtown.

In 1886, cattle baron Jesse Driskill purchased the land, and built the Romanesque Driskill hotel in the heart of downtown Austin. Driskill, who had provided beef to the confederate army throughout the civil war, found himself fairly wealthy, and spent $350,000 on the building, and an additional $50,000 on furnishing his upscale hotel. Unfortunately for Driskill, the $2.50 to $5.00 per night charge was out of reach for most staying in town, and well over the 50 cents per night fee that most other hotels were charging at the time. A year after opening the hotel, Driskill had a cattle-killing drought which wiped out most of his savings, and he sold the hotel to his brother-in-law Doc Day in 1888 (though rumor has it the hotel was lost in a poker match).

The hotel went through a variety of owners throughout the 20th century, and in 1969 when a large renovation fell through, most of the hotel’s furnishings were sold, and the hotel was scheduled for demolition. Austin, being a city to stand behind a good cause, ended up raising $2 million dollars to save the historic hotel, and Braniff International Hotels purchased the building in 1973. In 2005, Lowe Enterprises purchased the Driskill for a reported $55 million dollars, and currently runs the hotel.

For Austinites, and those visiting Austin, staying at the Driskill is a treat, with many old furnishings, and its original upscale opulence still intact. With suite rates hovering around $2500, some might opt to take in the Driskill’s beauty while sipping on a cocktail in the lounge or with a nice dinner at the Driskill Grill. The Driskill is also considered one of Austin’s most haunted places. Though the current owners don’t like to advertise this fact, a quick check in with the concierge will get the curious a list of supernatural tales about the old building.

Just a few blocks from the Driskill lies another of Austin’s grand hotels, the Stephen F. Austin, at the corner of East 7th Street and Congress Avenue. This landmark hotel opened in 1924 to bring more lodging to town. What started as an 11 story hotel quickly grew to 16 stories on the site of the old G.A. Bahn Optical and Diamond Co. and the Keystone Hotel. Much like the Driskill’s elegance, the Stephen F. Austin was decked out in granite floors and marble staircases, oriental rugs and Italian chairs.

Though the hotel has had its share of owners over the years, the hotel still holds many of its original features, though each owner has added their own flair. In 1997, the hotel’s owners Highgate Holdings, brought the Stephen F. Austin back to its original opulent state by following the original architectural plans of the building. Now the hotel is a mix of turn-of-the-century charm, and state of the art amenities, drawing a similar elite crowd as the Driskill.

Today, a table at the second floor veranda overlooking Congress Avenue is hard to come by, and was once the area where oil and cattle deals were made. Also the hotel’s restaurant directly below the veranda, the Roaring Fork, adds their own Texan twist to many upscale menu items, such as grilled jalapeno shrimp and green chile macaroni.

Both the Driskill and the Stephen F. Austin provide a chance to relive the ritzy past of the city, whether staying in a room or just stopping in for a drink or a bite to eat.

Escapeso Realty works in Austin and helps buyers interested in the Austin real estate market. Their site has a free search of the Austin MLS along for a tool that provides current mortgage interest rates