Travis Country Real Estate: Peaceful Elegance with Direct Access to Downtown
For people who appreciate convenience, relaxed luxury and a particularly helpful and organized neighborhood association, Travis Country in southwest Austin is the place to be.
Fifteen minutes from downtown and 25 minutes west of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the Travis Country neighborhood is bordered to the north by the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Many of the highly sought-after homes in the community back up to the greenbelt, considered one of Austin’s most beautiful natural retreats, an urban oasis with trails for biking, running, rock climbing, and swimming.
Construction in Travis Country began in 1972 and continued through 2007. Many of the older homes have been remodeled to include modern amenities and additions. The original section, including Woods of Travis Country and Trailwood Village, is comprised of single-story ranch and two-story homes. The newer sections, Village Park and Travis Country Green, began development in the early 1990s and are comprised of homes that range in size from 1,140-square-foot cottages to custom-built, luxury estates.
A popular neighborhood for families, students in Travis Country attend Oak Hill Elementary, which was rated as “Exemplary” by the Texas Education Agency, as well as nearby O. Henry and Small Middle Schools and Austin High School. Many students choose to attend the acclaimed private Regents School, which is within walking distance from most homes in the neighborhood.
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For new residents, the Travis Country Community Association offers an online Welcome Packet and “Back Fence” message board, as well as a monthly newsletter and an E-Alert system for important updates.
The association also hosts holiday-themed activities and oversees several standing committees aimed at getting residents engaged. Newcomers have many additional ways to be involved, including a book club, moms club and a knitting/crochet group, as well as events such as an Easter egg hunt, 4th of July celebration, the Halloween Boo Bash, and their End of Summer Party to beat the back-to-school blues.
“Travis Country has a lot of neighborhood energy,” says Gerald Benard, a 23-year resident who oversees the neighborhood garden. “It often acts as a ’self-organizing’ entity in the sense that, when residents decide there should be a new activity, such as the garden or an outdoor movie night, they band together very quickly to make it happen. When we first started thinking about the neighborhood garden, over 100 people quickly signed up.”
Gorgeous and Educational Nature Options
Locals who want to recharge after a workday at nearby employers such as Lifesize, AMD, Freescale, Solarwinds or ARM can stop by the outstanding Blue Valley Amenity Area, which serves as the neighborhood’s nature center — full of turtles, geese, ducks and blue herons.
The pond is also regularly stocked with small-mouth bass for top-notch fishing, and greenbelt access leads directly to the invigorating mini-waterfalls of Sculpture Falls. Filled with large, sweeping cypress trees, the Blue Valley area also has swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts and a playground. The Hilltop Amenity Area, located farther within the heart of Travis Country, has many similar facilities, as well as picnic tables and barbecue grills.
For another type of outdoor activity, residents with a green thumb often stop by the Travis Country Neighborhood Garden, which has 49 plots assigned to residents and a mission to “produce a harvest of healthy food” while teaching the principles of organic gardening. Adding to the locals’ festive spirit, a wood-fired oven was brought in to create some fun, delicious diversions via Garden Pizza Parties on holiday weekends.
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“Each resident is allowed to choose what kind of vegetables they plant, and we also offer classes,” says Cynthia Wilcox, a Travis Country gardener and homeowner. “What’s beautiful about the garden is its ability to attract residents of all ages and physical abilities.They start to feel positive the minute they get here. Just seeing a vine on a trellis can make them feel more refreshed. Then there is the social aspect; one of our residents provided the oven and his own expertise for our first wood-fired pizza party, with people using vegetables from their private garden plot as the toppings. The garden is just a great part of the community.”
Encircled by Nature, but Conveniently Close to Everything
With its own park, fishing pond and pools, as well as a neighborhood garden and walking trails, Travis Country is an exceptional environment where “peaceful” describes not only its lush surroundings, but also a state of mind. Numerous shopping and dining opportunities are close but far enough away to make Travis Country residents appreciate living in a beautiful oasis.
For everyday grocery and shopping needs, residents head to Arbor Trails or Sunset Valley shopping centers, while Barton Creek Square, an enclosed mall, features 180 specialty retail stores and an AMC Cinema. For a sophisticated dinner out, Travis Country foodies make plans to dine at nearby Tarka Indian Kitchen or the Milano Café for 5-star Italian fare.
“The first house I ever owned was in Travis Country,” says Tom Nuckols, a former Travis Country homeowner and representative of the Austin Neighborhoods Council. “I loved that the neighborhood was surrounded by nature. At the end of the work day, when I drove through the stretch of Mopac that crosses the greenbelt. The scenery was a breath of fresh air, and I’d just say to myself, ‘You’re home!'”
