The residential neighborhood around Barton Springs which is now called Barton Hills is one of the earliest settlements in the Austin area, and the community was originally a small town itself. This unique neighborhood is so old that dinosaur footprints dating back millions of years have been found on the banks of the creek and springs!

More recently, shortly after the Texas Revolution in 1836, William Barton, for whom the community was named, patented the land near Barton Springs and named the springs for his three daughters. Prior to that, the Spanish had established three settlements around the springs in the early 1700s, and the creek and community were called Spring Creek at the time, which was in the Mexican state of Coahuala, but later granted to Benjamin Milam and referred to as Milam's Colony.

In 1875, passage could be bought from Austin to Barton Hills on the Steamboat Sunbeam for 50 cents round trip, and later, in the early twentieth century, the land was acquired by Andrew J. Zilker and deeded to the City of Austin as a park in 1918 and later 1931, on the condition that the city support educational programs. Robert E. Lee was also an early visitor to the area, and a well known street in the neighborhood is named for him today.

One of the earliest architects who built homes in the area was named A.D. Stenger, and his eclectic "contemporary" style, which favored low, sloping roofs and decks and balconies which extended into the treetops, was well known and he was frequently compared to Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1956, the neighborhood was named in Austin's Parade of Homes as the world's largest air-conditioned subdivision, and the neighborhood was later subdivided by S.R. Sheppard, among others, into six sections with 1585 planned lots on 535 acres of land.

In 1990, the population of Barton Hills was 6,796, and today it is over 9,000, with 8,036 residents being reported in the census of 2000, so the area is expanding rapidly as well. Today, there is an active neighborhood association, named for the neighborhood, and many schools, churches, small grocery stores and other small businesses around Barton Hills Drive.

There are also many activities and events in Zilker Park, which is the home of the Barton Springs Pool and hike and bike trails, as well as Umlauf Sculpture Gardens and the Zilker Botanical Gardens. In addition, there are and many campsites, picnic tables, and the Austin Nature Center in the park, which includes a small wild animal habitat which features animals, birds, reptiles, and other forms of wildlife native to central Texas.

The Barton Creek Hike and Bike Trail runs the length of the neighborhood, with entry points in various locations, and Campbell's Hole, a historic swimming hole which is formed from the waters of the creek and springs, is a popular spot for neighborhood children and families, as well as their dogs, since the trails are ideal for dog walking and hiking.

Barton Hills Elementary School is directly across from the greenbelt, and St. Mark's Episcopal Church, at the corner of Barton Hills Drive and Barton Skyway, is a pristine and very majestic neighborhood church which features a serene meditation walk on the grounds behind the church replete with tables, benches, and quiet, peaceful spots for prayer, worship, and meditation.

Since the neighborhood is adjacent to the Mopac Expressway, the area is easily accessible to visitors and residents alike, and with its natural beauty, many amenities, history, and gracious homes, it is one of the most popular and well-respected neighborhoods in Austin, for good reason!

Ki works as a realtor in the Austin real estate market. His site provides information on barton hills homes along with a search of the Austin MLS.

Charming pockets of single family homes are studded throughout this hidden gem of a neighborhood, and although certain parts of the area are given over to apartment complexes, duplexes and fourplexes, this is an overlooked area with enormous potential. Bounded by I35 to the west, Ben White to the south, Riverside to the north, and Montopolis to the east, this rising star offers a wide range of restaurants, a big park with loads of amenities, an ACC campus, and the promise of an area on the way up.

Both Burleson and Parker streets, two of the main north-south arteries between Oltorf and Ben White/Riverside, have many smaller streets branching off, and these streets hold mature trees, a wide array of single family homes, and a feeling of being in a secret oasis. Prices are still extremely reasonable here, and there is easy access to central Austin, as well as Ben White and I35. Following Oltorf east past Pleasant Valley, the homes are newer, with manicured lawns and a more suburban feel.

Both Oltorf and Riverside offer an abundance of restaurants, from Vietnamese at Hai Ky, Indonesian at Java Noodles, Middle Eastern at Jerusalem, Italian at Aljohn’s, or the many great Mexican places in the area, including La Tapatia, Taqueria Vallarta, El Regio, and many more. Rapidly becoming the cultural center of the area is Café Ventana, an expansive coffee shop with a wide range of offerings and a large area for relaxing, meeting, or working on your computer.

Mabel Davis District Park, recently reopened after major renovations, provides a wonderful outdoor sanctuary in this urban setting. Close to 50 acres, including 30 acres of open green space, provide room for sports, picnics, and other activities. The park also has a basketball court, an olympic-size swimming pool, a great playscape, and a good sized picnic area with shade. To the great delight of teen aged boys, the first skate park in Austin was opened here in 2005, featuring a skate bowl, streetscape elements and lawn for nervous parents to observe.

Also on the horizon is the Roy Guerrero Colorado River Park, in the northeast corner of the area. Work is schedule to begin on this undeveloped tract, and the master plan includes trails, a large playscape, and as much acreage as Zilker Park, providing lots of open space. Also located in the neighborhood are the Riverside Golf Course, and the Krieg Field Softball complex.

This area provides both an urban feel, with the shopping, restaurants and businesses located on Riverside and Oltorf, and an idyllic, quiet, residential feel, with winding streets and hills tucked away from the hustle and bustle. With businesses looking more and more to Southeast Austin for development opportunities, this area is on the verge of becoming one of the hot-spots in town.

Escapeso Austin real estate operates in Austin Texas. Their website has information for buyers interested in Austin about Austin homes and Austin neighborhoods.

Austin is home to one of the best metropolitan parks in the state. With sand volleyball courts, a nine-hole disc golf course, soccer and rugby fields, and two enormous multi-use fields for the sports enthusiasts, Zilker Park is also home to Barton Springs pool, the Zilker Zephyr train, botanical gardens, a huge play ground, miles of hike and bike trails, and with many other permanent amenities within its 350-plus acres. A regular destination for Austinites, the park is also home to some of the city’s most popular events, including the Trail of Lights, the Austin Kite Festival, and the Austin City Limits music festival.

Over three acres large, Barton Springs is Austin’s favorite swimming hole. Fed from underground springs, the pool maintains an average water temperature of 68 degrees year round – most find it bracing, and a welcome respite from the summer heat. With a separate area that welcomes dogs in addition to human swimmers, Barton Springs has drawn a diverse crowd of swimmers for more than a century. Zilker Park is located close to downtown in the historic Barton Hills Neighborhood. Barton hills homes were built in the 1940s and the neighborhood offer a quaint charm of tree lined streets surrounding the park.

Zilker Park’s playground is enormous, with plenty of action for toddler and bigger kids as well. Slides, swings, climbing structures and even an old-fashioned fire truck entice the kiddos, while benches and picnic tables are available for the less active. Adjacent to the playground is a snack bar, featuring cold drinks and a limited menu. Just across from the snack bar is the train depot for the Zilker Zephyr, a miniature train that takes visitors on about a 20 minute tour around the park. Alongside the creek, under a bridge, and past people waving hello, the train delights kids of all ages.

With eighteen acres of grounds to explore, the Zilker Botanical Garden is a beautiful and serene destination. Among its many horticultural attractions are a Japanese garden, xeriscape demonstration garden, rose garden, cactus garden, bedding displays, floral display garden, butterfly trail and garden, and an herb & fragrance garden. The dinosaur statue located in the Hartman Prehistoric Garden is always a hit with kids, and the interpretive center holds a wealth of information.

The Zilker Hillside Theatre is perfected situated to allow the audience to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and picnic while enjoying the different performances. Home to the annual Blues on the Green series, the theater also puts on concerts in many different genres of music in addition to hosting Austin’s Shakespeare in the Park.

The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum is another tranquil cultural offering in Zilker Park, focused primarily on the work of American sculptor Charles Umlauf. With over 130 sculptures, drawings & paintings located throughout its lush green grounds, they offer educational programs and tours in addition to their regular hours for public visits.

The Austin Nature and Science Center can also be found in Zilker Park, and is a fascinating and educational destination. With an interpretive center, education programs and summer camps, kids of all ages will delight in viewing their rescued animal exhibit, and can practice being junior archeologists in the dinosaur pit.

Ki lives and works in Austin Texas. His site provides information on Austin real estate with descriptions of Austin neighborhoods and a search of the Austin MLS.

Travis Heights is a centrally located neighborhood in one of Austin’s most esteemed zip codes, 78704. The neighborhood’s proximity to downtown and Lady Bird Lake makes it a desirable place to live, and the new Emma Long Center for the Performing Arts is just a couple of blocks north of the area, right across Barton Springs Road. Auditorium Shores, a lovely outdoor amphitheater which hosts festivals and concerts is adjacent to the Long Center, and is also a short walk from the Travis Heights neighborhood. Easy access to the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trails as well as access to the Zilker greenbelt is also advantageous for residents of the area. The neighborhood dates to the turn of the century, with dramatic growth during the 1920s and 1030s, and many historic homes from the period are still standing. One of the neighborhood’s most influential and well-known residents was John Henry Faulk, and his boyhood home was on the spot where Green Pastures, a beautiful, historic restaurant with gorgeous foliage and grounds is currently situated. Another well known previous resident, Charles Whitman, also grew up in the Travis Heights neighborhood, and went on to infamy as the Tower sniper in the 1960s. The neighborhood boundaries are generally considered to be South Lamar, South Congress, West Oltorf, and Barton Springs Road, in the heart of south-central Austin. The largest institutional development in the neighborhood is the Texas School for the Deaf, which encompasses 65 acres of land and was established in 1856, and is surrounded by South Congress, South First, Barton Springs Road and Elizabeth Street.

Due to the Colorado River’s frequent floods prior to the construction of dams which help control the river waters, the land was very inexpensive, thus a very diverse group of citizens populated the area, and many churches cater to a specific ethnic group, such as the St. Anne African Methodist-Episcopal Church and the nearby Goodwill Baptist Church, both of which are on Newton Street. A small group of Hispanic families settled in the neighborhood around 1940, when the San Jose Catholic Church was founded at the corner of Mary Street and South Third Street. The stone mission-style church is currently called Holy Name Of Mary Orthodox Church, and the Church still has a flourishing parish, many of whom are descendants of the original settlers.

Since the recent development of the SOCO and SOLA entertainment and shopping districts, which are respectively on South Congress and South Lamar, the residents of the neighborhood have even more access to restaurants, vintage shops, nightclubs, coffee shops, and antique dealers. Some of Austin’s most well-known institutions are still located on South Congress, such as the headquarters of the local newspaper, the American-Statesman, and a few boot and saddle shops, such as Allen Boots, which has been in the area for years and years.

There a quite a few very eclectic shops, such as Lucy in Disguise in Diamonds, a costume shop, and Bohemia, a great vintage store, as well as the St. Vincent DePaul resale shop, which is run by Catholic charities and has a little bit of everything.

There are many churches and schools, coffeehouses, and nightclubs nearby, and the restaurant row area of Barton Springs Road is just a half mile or so east, and includes such well-known eateries as Shady Grove, Romeo’s, Green Mesquite, Chuy’s, and Austin Java. Patrons can enjoy frozen custard at Sandy’s, an Austin landmark, or Italian food at Vinny’s, both of which are even closer to the neighborhood, on the east side of Lamar on Barton Springs and in easy walking distance for most residents.

Even downtown itself is a short walk across the sidewalks or pedestrian bridges at both Congress and South First Street, which continues from Guadalupe Street across the river, and the whole neighborhood is also accessible by city transportation such as the Cap Metro busses and the ‘Dillos, which are free. The Travis Heights neighborhood is one of your best bets in the Austin area for the quality of life it offers both visitors and residents.

Ki works as a realtor in the Austin real estate market. Vistors to his website can use it to search the Austin MLS. Ki also provides regular market updates on his Austin real estate blog.

Just east of IH-35, in the center of Austin, lies an area that is becoming a popular destination for Austinites looking for a central location that doesn’t come with the price tag one would pay in other centrally located areas. They also don’t lose any of the historic charm or lack of small local businesses within walking distance by moving to East Central Austin.

There are several small central east side neighborhoods, such as Blackshear and East Cesar Chavez, but the Cherrywood area is quickly becoming a new favorite; its subdivision known as French Place is being referred to as the new Hyde Park. Lying between 35 and Airport boulevard, north of Manor and south of 38th ½ Street, French Place was originally owned by the Giles family in the 1940s. It is filled with one story single family homes and some multi family duplexes, located on wide, tree-lined streets. The majority of the single family dwellings hover around the 1,000 square foot mark, and have been well maintained throughout the decades. The area has a wide variety of homeowners of different ethnicities and professions, as well as many students due to its close proximity to Concordia University and UT. Each December, the Cherrywood Art Fair is held, showcasing pieces from the area’s artists, accompanied by all day music and activities for the kids.

Central East Austin is home to several historic sites. The French Legation Museum is touted as being Austin’s oldest structure still on its original site at 802 San Marcos Street. The home was originally built in 1840 for a French representative sent by King Louis Philippe of France to determine if the Republic of Texas should be considered its own country. In 1848, the French Legation became the home of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Robertson, and it remained in their family until 1949, when it was taken over by the state of Texas.

There are two historic cemeteries in Central East Austin. The Texas State Cemetery was established in 1851, and is the final resting place for many of Texas’ state officials, dating back to the Republic of Texas days as well. Famous Texans such as Stephen F. Austin and Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock are buried here. The Oakwood cemetery is located just north of the Texas State Cemetery, and was established in the mid 1850s, and legend has it the first bodies laid to rest were victims of a Comanche Indian attack. Different sections of the cemetery are dedicated to Austin’s black, Latino, and Jewish populations.

There’s plenty of entertainment and local eatery options for those in the Central East Austin area. Live music can still be found at the historic Victory Grill, established in 1945, and was part of the original “chitlin circuit”. Across the street from the Victory Grill on East 11th street is the Longbranch Inn, a nice little bar that became so popular the owners had to buy another place on East 4th, the Scoot Inn, to make room for the crowds and live music acts. Hoovers restaurant, run by Night Hawk alum Hoover Alexander, is a great mix of BBQ, Cajun, Tex Mex and soul food. Down Manor road lies El Chile, opened by ex Jeffrey’s employee Carlos Rivero, and serves top-notch interior Mexican food and Tex Mex, with their to-go eatery El Chilito down the road. Joe’s Bakery and Coffee Shop on East 7th Street has been in business since 1963, serving up Mexican and baked goods from family recipes for over 40 years.

Moving to East Central Austin could snag a house hunter a nice home at a fair price, but even those not in the market for a house can spend some time taking in the history and a great meal or two.

Escapeso Realty operates as a small company in the Austin real estate market. Their site has a free mortgage calculator along with a free graphical search of the Austin MLS.

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.

One of Austin’s oldest areas is the Old West Austin neighborhood of Clarksville. Its central location, between Lady Bird Lake and Enfield, and Lamar and Mopac, makes it highly popular with those looking to live in town, without having to go the downtown condo route. Where Clarksville sits now was once part of the plantation owned by Texas governor Elisha M. Pease. At the end of the Civil war, it is said that Pease sectioned of a part of his land for his emancipated slaves, in hopes they would live nearby and continue working for him. Clarksville was founded in 1871 by freedman Charles Clark, who built a house on what is now West 10th street. Clark subdivided his land among other freedmen from the Pease plantation and elsewhere, and Clarksville became recognized in the National Register of Historic Places as being the first freedman’s town west of the Mississippi River. In the early 20th century, the city of Austin grew, and a city policy was constructed to concentrate African-Americans to the east side of the city, once the land Clarksville sat on became more valuable. The city services would only be available to African-Americans on the East side of town and as a result, many who stood their ground were denied city services: most houses still used kerosene lamps as a source of light through the 1930s, and many dirt roads still existed in the area as late as the 1970s. Many immigrants settled in Clarksville homes throughout the early 1900s resulting in a community that is still felt today. Anthony Colanetta settled in Clarksville and opened Anthony's Laundry & Cleaners at the corner of West 12th Street and West Lynn in 1950. Colanetta also built a drugstore that he leased to his friend Hylton Nau. Today both stores are still operating, and the soda fountain in Nau’s drugstore is a rare find. If Clarksville had a main street, it would be West Lynn. With many family-owned businesses, it would be easy to stay in the neighborhood without needing to venture more than a few blocks for all necessities. Sledd’s Nursery, with their high quality plants and organic philosophy, and Jeffrey’s high class, eclectic cuisine have been Clarksville staples since the mid 1970s. In 1979 Craig Weller and Mark Skiles opened Clarksville Natural Grocery, and a year later they joined forces with John Mackey to open the first Whole Foods. The Whole Foods grocery store and national office is now located at the corner of 6th and Lamar, within walking distance of Clarksville. Many of the historic homes from Clarksville’s past have been torn down since the average house size hovered around 850 square feet, and deemed too small for many modern-day homeowners. One of the few homes that have survived in Clarksville is the Haskell house, built by former Pease plantation slave Peter Tucker in 1875. Hezekiah Haskell, a former Union soldier, married into the Tucker family and moved into the house in 1885. Haskell’s son lived in the house until 1976, and it stands as the last home in Clarksville built in the Cumberland style, with two front doors and a symmetrical façade. This past year, the American Planning Association named the Clarksville area as one of the Great Neighborhoods in America, due to resident participation that keeps the neighborhood character intact, and keeps Clarksville thriving as one of the most popular areas to live in Austin. Ki is a realtor in Austin. His site covers different aspects of Austin real estate and provides users with a free Austin MLS search. He also talks about currents events related to real estate on his Austin real estate blog.

Imagine a neighborhood of adorable medium houses seated comfortably on shady streets lined with trees. But then splash a rainbow across the entire area. That could get you close to what the Hyde Park neighborhood in central Austin is like. This old part of town has a lot of history, and was one of Austin's first developments north of the Capitol. Many of the houses are over fifty years old, but are lovingly cared for by tenants and successive owners, often with a heavy dose of their personality thrown in for good measure.

Spanning the area from Dean Keaton street in the south to around 45th street or so to the north, and from I-35 to the east and Guadalupe street to the west, Hyde Park is a fairly large neighborhood. As it is located comfortably between many of the major thoroughfares in Austin, Hyde Park has long been a staple area for college students at the University of Texas, which has contributed heavily to the area's looks and atmosphere. Many of the houses are painted exuberant colors with eye-catching designs and artistic sensibility, a legacy of many resident's desire to "keep Austin weird." This also contributes refreshing diversity when compared to the cookie-cutter houses that so many other neighborhoods primarily consist of.

The biggest advantage of owning a house over an apartment or condo is the lot on which it lies, and Hyde Park has this attribute in spades. While many of the houses are modest in size, with most in the 1-to-2 bedroom range, the expansive yards more than make up for it. With more privacy and more space, Hyde Park houses are cozy and comfortable. The larger back yards also lend themselves to Austin ingenuity, with expansions, garage apartments, and other conversions being common. This also contributes to the value of each house without changing its character.

And what character! Most of these houses were built in a time when different trends were popular, and these designs have often proven to endure to maintain their popularity in a way that more modern houses cannot. While most houses built in recent years have good design behind them, one often gets the impression that a house is devoid of personality and designed to be as inoffensive as possible. While this approach is safer for an architect, it makes houses like those in Hyde Park that much more desirable. Some features that were often viewed as necessary in years past have either become unfashionable or become viewed as excessive, such as high ceilings and large porches.

However, these aspects of houses are very important to many prospective homeowners. This is evident by the continued value of the neighborhood over many years. Many houses in Hyde Park have higher ceilings than newer houses, especially because many are one story. This contributes to a feeling of space that many newer homes lack. Hyde Park houses also often have a disproportionately large number of windows, which provide increased sunlight and adds to the increased sense of spaciousness. The characteristic large porches also make the homes seem cozier, more inviting, and help to connect neighbors. I personally think one of the best benefits to having a house over an apartment is having a large porch on which to relax, and this seems to be an attractive attribute to many potential homeowners as well. So, with these positives in mind, I encourage you to check out Hyde Park if you're looking for a home in Austin. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

If you are looking for a home in the central Austin tx real estate market Escapeso Realty can assist you. Their website provides users a search of the Austin MLS along with information on their blog about Austin Real Estate.