Barton Hills Real Estate: Your Slice of Heaven
It’s late spring in Austin. Although the mornings may be cool, the afternoons are hot.
No worries. Hidden below the neighborhood streets of Barton Hills lies the Barton Creek Greenbelt, a refreshing sanctuary from warm weather.
The rocky but well-worn path to the Flats (a section of the Greenbelt where massive flat limestone tables line one side of the creek) can be found just behind Barton Hills Elementary School. Freshly refilled after the spring rains, the creek is a favorite getaway for families, college students, mountain bikers and hikers looking to escape the heat and enjoy the pristine natural beauty of this secluded and dearly loved neighborhood treasure.
“We wait to go swimming down there until a few days after the rain has stopped,” says Barton Hills resident Roberta Preston, a writer and New Zealand transplant who hikes down in the mornings for a dip with her Cairn Terrier, Lulu. “You want any runoff to have cleared out. Then, the water is so absolutely delightful. Cool, clear, and you can sunbathe on the rocks to warm up.”
More than just a hot spot to cool off when temperatures rise, the 7-mile stretch of the Greenbelt, dry or wet, provides outdoor enthusiasts with endless hours of recreation and adventure regardless of the season. Truly, the folks who live in Barton Hills and are lucky enough to have the Barton Creek Greenbelt as their backyard say it’s their own little slice of heaven.
Take a private neighborhood tour, or receive detailed neighborhood market information. Contact our local expert for all you need to know about Barton Hills and the Real Estate opportunities that exist.
Contact JohnThe Art of Convenient Living
Nestled in the rolling hills just south of Zilker Park, Barton Hills is one of Austin’s more historically eclectic neighborhoods. The area is a unique draw for those who love to be in the middle of it all, but who also desire a small-town feel with easy entrance to Austin’s natural landscapes.
With quick access to all that downtown Austin has to offer, Barton Hills residents can walk, run or bike to an endless variety of hike-and-bike trails, shopping, restaurants and entertainment.
“Living in Barton Hills brings with it a certain prestige, in a laid-back way,” says longtime resident and freelance film producer Cathleen Sutherland. “You feel very much connected to the heart of the city but within a tightly knit community.”
In Between the Fun, There’s Work
Downtown Austin is just a stone’s throw across Lady Bird Lake from Barton Hills, where startup, corporate, state and University of Texas at Austin employers are located. Housed in many of the historic downtown homes are also state trade associations, whose lobbyists have easy access to the Capitol during legislative sessions. Barton Hills is also a quick drive to major highways such as Highway 360, Mopac, Highway 290 and Interstate 35, which can ferry residents to employers outside the city’s central hub.
Need to travel for work? The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is conveniently located as well — it’s a straight 5-minute shot from the neighborhood down Highway 290 East.
The best part of the workday, however, is coming home to the tranquil environment that is Barton Hills for dinner with family and friends, then join with fellow dog walkers or take an evening stroll or bike ride to the park.
The Good Life by Design
The range of architecture in Barton Hills reflects its diverse population. Homes range from 1930s stone cottages on large lots to sleek steel-and-glass eco-friendly modern designs, along with 1950s ranch-style homes. And buried deep in the heavily tree-lined neighborhood is an enclave of homes designed and built by A.D. Stenger in the 1950s, a Frank Lloyd Wright-style architect who catered to the likes of humorist Cactus Pryor and University of Texas faculty.
With two small and highly rated elementary schools (Zilker Elementary and Barton Hills Elementary), neighborhood children can still walk or ride their bikes to school or gather for after-school snacks at one of two local markets situated within walking distance of both schools.
“I wouldn’t have traded raising my son here for anything,” says Preston, a longtime Barton Hills resident. “He could ride his bike to the market. We had Scout meetings at the church just half a mile from the house, and we lived close enough to the school that he could walk home after. Everything we needed was right here.”
