Austin Real Estate Profiles : Crestview Austin Homes

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 neighborhood, as it's still considered a great place to raise a family 60 years later. Crestview is also highly desirable to those seeking an older home that is centrally located, but cannot afford to pay the higher house cost and property taxes of neighborhoods such as Hyde Park (which also has a high UT student population, upping the possibility of a loud and rowdy neighbor.) Also, those on the hunt for a mid century modern home can find success in Crestview houses built in the 50s.

Though the Beverly Sheffield Park draws a crowd with its public pool, playground and barbeque grills, it's the Crestview Shopping Center that would be considered the heart of the neighborhood. Built in 1952, the Crestview Shopping Center has maintained its original state, like many of its surrounding homes. The Crestview barber shop has been in the same location since it arrived in the shopping center in 1954. The landlord of the shopping center is 72-year-old J.D. Harper, who runs the Crestview Pharmacy, which he purchased from the center's founder Ray Yates in 1964. Ronnie Prellop owns the shopping center's independent grocery store, Minimax. The Prellop family has operated the store since 1953. Lucretia Doyer runs the Little Deli, which yields lines out the door during lunch hour. Her family ran the cleaners in the shopping center since the late 50s, until it was sold in 2006. It's this kind of time warp that makes the Crestview residents refer to their area as a "modern day Mayberry."

Early this month, construction began on what will be called Crestview station. Located west of Lamar between Justin Street and St. John's where the Huntsman Corporation sat from 1949 to 2005, Crestview station will be the first big transit-oriented development along the Metrorail track which will provide a train service from downtown Austin to Leander. Crestview station will be a mix of retail, office space, and residence space. The first phase will include around 800 apartments, with 400 single-family "row style" homes slated afterwards, bringing a newly built residential region to Crestview, something not easily achieved in most centrally located Austin neighborhoods. Many new suburbs pop up around Austin constantly, where neighbors pass by without even making eye contact. Crestview is the complete opposite- a neighborhood where neighbors share their front door keys in case of emergencies, and suggest the daily specials at the deli. This kind of neighborly bond is hard to come by these days.

Ki is a realtor helping clients investigating the Austin Texas real estate market. His site has a free search for Austin homes for sale. He also provides an Austin real estate blog to help people keep up to date on the Austin market.