Austin Profiles : The Bryker Woods Neighborhood

The Bryker Woods neighborhood in Austin is actually a collection of small housing developments and subdivisions, and the earliest known residents settled in the area around 1886, thus it is one of the most historic neighborhoods in the Austin real estate market, located in west central Austin. The neighborhood is roughly bordered by 35th Street, the MoPac Expressway, Westover, and Lamar, and this neighborhood is adjacent to some of the most historic neighborhoods in Austin, including Pemberton Heights and the Old Enfield neighborhoods.

The neighborhood was founded when the fourteen-lot William Thiele subdivision was platted in 1886, near Kerbey Lane and Jefferson, and the neighborhood is also very close to Shoal Creek, which is a beautiful creek that runs north and south through parts of the area. The subdivision is also very close to Camp Mabry, the local military base, and an interest in patriotism inspired the early settlers to designate the streets by using the names of previous presidents. Three examples are Harrison, Madison, and Jefferson, which are all streets in the Bryker Woods subdivision, as well as Pershing and Funston, two nearby streets named for American military generals.

The Bryker Woods neighborhood is primarily residential, except for a few intersections around 35th Street and Jefferson, which are commercially zoned. Most of the neighborhood restaurants and grocery stores, among other commercial ventures, are located at or around the intersection of 35th and Jefferson, including a Randall's Grocery Store and a number of medical buildings, as well as restaurants such as La Madeleine and Waterloo Ice House, which is near the Medical Arts Square.

There are numerous parks and schools in the subdivision and surrounding areas, including Shoal Creek Park, which is between St. Andrew's School and Bryker Woods Elementary, and Bailey Park, at Seton and St. Andrew's, as well as Seider Springs Park, between 34th Street and 35th Street. There are scenic hike and bike trails which run alongside Shoal Creek in the Shoal Creek Park, and the trails are shaded by stately trees, landscaped grounds, and xeriscaped gardens. Hike and bike trails can be found in Seiders Springs Park, and Bailey Park also boasts many recreational facilities, including outdoor tennis courts and a sand volleyball court.

The predominant architectural styles in the neighborhood are those popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and many of the homes in Bryker Woods are listed in the national register of historic places. There are also many historic bridges in the subdivision and most of them span Shoal Creek. These include the State Street Bridge, which was the first built and which was constructed in 1916, and the 29th Street and 34th Street Bridges, built in 1938 and 1939, respectively.

The medical facilities in or near Bryker Woods are some of the most plentiful in the Austin area, and both Shoal Creek Hospital and Seton are situated on 35th Street near the intersection with Lamar, along with a plethora of medical offices, diagnostic facilities and the like. This neighborhood is only minutes from the downtown area, but accessible to long distance travelers by the MoPac Expressway, also known as Loop One, which runs along the west side of the Bryker Woods area. Lake Austin is also very close to the neighborhood, just a few blocks west of the MoPac.

There are numerous housing opportunities in this subdivision, including historic homes, condominiums, and a few apartment complexes, many of which cater to University of Texas students, since the area in just a stone's throw from the campus. The Bryker Woods neighborhood has it all: numerous choices of restaurants and parks, many recreational activities and access to nature, diverse housing choices, proximity to downtown, campus, and the MoPac, and a safe environment to raise a family. This neighborhood is one of Austin's premier addresses, so when visiting Austin, be sure to schedule a trip to the Bryker Woods neighborhood.

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