Chestnut: A Neighborhood of History and Character
Chestnut, located just moments northeast of the University of Texas campus and near downtown, is a sought-after, picturesque community of around 60 blocks bordered by Chicon to the west, light rail to the east, MLK on the north, and 12th street on the South.
When Austin was chartered in 1839, the Chestnut area was cotton fields, pastures and woods. Residential real estate development in Chestnut started at the turn of the century. Because many smaller neighborhoods were incorporated into it, development in Chestnut consists of a mix of historical bungalows, retro cottages, and modern family housing.
The Chestnut Area Neighborhood Association (CANA), along with the Chestnut Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation, have worked together to preserve the rich, historic culture and legacy of the Chestnut neighborhood. The CANA has made some significant changes in the neighborhood as it has grown, including increasing street lighting in the neighborhood, creating new sidewalks and pocket parks for residents to enjoy, creating a transportation plan for the neighborhood, and building affordable homes for sale in the neighborhood.
Take a private neighborhood tour, or receive detailed neighborhood market information. Contact our local expert for all you need to know about Chestnut and the Real Estate opportunities that exist.
Contact MaureenScenic, Tree-Lined Streets and Great Community Schools
The Chestnut neighborhood is located in Austin ISD, and homeowners are attracted here in part because of the neighborhood’s quality schools. Younger students attend Campbell Elementary School, where through partnerships with neighboring organizations and relationships with community members, students learn film-making, digital portfolios, stop motion animation, daily news casting, dance, and more.
Older students attend Kealing Middle School. The Kealing Magnet Program has a reputation for excellence in academics, offering the most challenging and advanced core curricula in the district for English, math, science and social studies.
High school students attend McCallum High School. Established in 1993 as Austin ISD’s district-wide fine arts intensive high school program, the Fine Arts Academy at McCallum High School provides an exemplary arts education program for ninth- through 12th-grade students to pursue an accelerated arts curriculum as fine arts majors.
Enjoy Three Neighborhood Parks
Rosewood Park is a sprawling green space loaded with family fun. Host a neighborhood barbeque using the picnic shelters, and invite everyone to play on one of three multipurpose fields. There’s a swimming pool for summertime fun, and when the sun goes down, don’t miss the Movies in the Park series beginning in June each year! Rosewood has a large playground and there’s always something new to discover, like the arboretum, rec center, tennis courts, and an auditorium. Bike paths lead right up to the park and there’s a mass transit station right there on the corner.
Downs-Mabson Fields is another community park, located just north of Rosewood. It has a softball field, a baseball diamond, and picnic tables. It is also located right off bike paths.
Chestnut Pocket Park is a fantastic new family park. It’s got a nice playground for when the weather is cooler, and a splash pad for those Central Texas summers. It also has a large, shaded picnic shelter for enjoying lunch on the go, or getting out of the house on a work-from-home day.
A Retro and Stylish Neighborhood
This centrally located neighborhood is handy to major thoroughfares, making it a breeze to access the major employers in North Austin and the lively nightlife of downtown. In addition, it offers many convenient amenities along with affordable homes.
There are scores of restaurants and cafes, including historic offerings such as Victory Grill, Sam’s BBQ, and Nubian Queen Lola’s, or at newer spots such as Franklin Barbeque, Blue Dahlia, or Hillside Farmacy. Get your coffee fix any time of day at the 24-hour Bennu Coffee. Recreation opportunities are ample in the parks nearby. Just moments from the University of Texas and downtown Austin, the extraordinary blend of vintage and modern homes on the shady streets make Chestnut a highly desirable neighborhood.
