Govalle

Located just south of the East Austin area and north of Town Lake, the Govalle neighborhood features some of the lowest price single family homes in the city with prices from $100,000 to $200,000 and low apartment rental prices. On the flip side, it's one of the worse neighborhoods in Austin in many parts though there are a few hidden gems in the area in the form of a thriving art community. This is not the place to be after dark and the area is in general deeply in need of some repair and maintenance. There is heavy industry in the area so it's not great for peace and quiet either.

It's a racially diverse neighborhood with a few good fine dining choices of you love Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. There are Capitol Metro lines in the area so it's easy to make the relatively short trip to the University of Texas and Downtown Austin. The neighborhood is served by the Austin Independent School District though the area schools have been lagging other in the district in performance.

There is a great art scene in Govalle, although this isn’t apparent unless you know where to look. 910 Springdale for example is an art venue/event space that looks like a big blue industrial warehouse from the highway. I discovered this spot during the kick-off celebration of the East Austin Studio Tour when I was riding by on my bike and heard Feist blaring from inside. In a warehouse space behind the 7th street H.E.B. grocery store is a great little space that is home to the Rude Mechanicals theater company. There are tons of converted industrial studio spaces in this area, so if you’re an artist and you want to live near your studio, this might be a good fit for you.

In addition to the more industrial or commercial spaces in this neighborhood, there are pockets of quiet residential areas as well. And this is a neighborhood where people come to stay and build community.

My favorite street in Govalle is Calle Limon. Every year, as early as Thanksgiving, the families that live on this block put up an incredible display of lights and Christmas decorations. The tradition dates back about 25 years, and every year the display gets more elaborate. I stopped to gawk at the lights this year, and a man came out of his house to me about the tradition. He told me his last name was Limon, and that the street was named after his grandfather. He added, “I’m related to about half the people who live on this block.”

Another great part of this neighborhood is Govalle Park. It’s 26-acre green space with a baseball field, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground, swimming pool, picnic tables and barbeque pits.

This east-side neighborhood is something of an undiscovered gem. Conveniently located just north of Lady Bird Lake, and a short drive to downtown, it is not surprising that new development has started creeping into this area. There is a strong and vibrant Hispanic culture and community found here, giving this neighborhood a diverse and colorful atmosphere.

Bordered by Oak Springs on the north and Lady Bird Lake on the south, Pleasant Valley to 7th Street mark the northwestern edge with Webberville Road on the far west, and Airport Boulevard to the east. It is a neighborhood in transition, like so many in Austin, with older homes sharing the streets with new tear-downs and new, more expensive, development. One can still find an affordable home here, however. Housing prices average in the $150s, which is a great value for such a convenient location. Neighborhood schools include Govalle Elementary, Kealing Middle School and Johnston High School.

This is the neighborhood for those who enjoy living amidst Austin’s east-side vibe, with its strong Hispanic roots, colorful houses and plethora of taco joints, in a convenient and affordable location. The area does carry a reputation for a higher level of crime than found in some of the more gentrified neighborhoods, but this is not an unsafe area, especially compared to other big cities. It is a great neighborhood for young families with children, as the area is surrounded by city parks, including Govalle, Metz and Rosewood Parks. Roy G. Guerrero Park is also close by, a 326-acre park that the city plans to develop into another recreational area similar to Zilker Park.

This is not only one of the most eclectic and artistically rich areas of Austin, but it’s also one of the friendliest and charitable. Ballet East is located here, and they have more of a Latin influence than the more classical Ballet Austin. They have some of the most exciting ballet choreographers working today, some of which were trained at our very own UT, and the company does a lot of community outreach to schools and youth. The Theater Action Project has similar artistic outreach ideals, and provides area children with amazing opportunities to explore drama and express themselves. On a more selfish note, I must give a shout out to the greatest little tea room in Texas—Zhi Tea Gallery. If you think tea is boring, go here and you’ll never bother with coffee again. Last but not least is Rio’s Brazilian. I can’t say it’s the best Brazilian food I’ve ever had, because it’s actually the only Brazilian food I’ve ever had. But it’s pretty amazing, and a fun time to go and eat. You can hang out on their patio and hear amazing samba music, or just cruise through their drive through. They even sell frozen loaves of their amazing cheese bread that you can bring home and bake whenever you want.

Nowhere is there a higher creative space concentration than in the Govalle neighborhood where cheap warehouse spaces have created room for numerous visual and performing artist studios. This area is the main site for the East Austin Studio Tour, hosted by Big Medium on Bolm Road. In addition to being the location of Austin Community College's east campus, Govalle has both public and community schools, many aiming towards teaching the fine arts. Encompassing the triangle that is formed by the intersecting E. 7th St. and E. Cesar Chavez, this part of Austin is also noted for its high concentration of Mexican restaurants and eateries, which is not surprising since over half the residents are of Mexican descent.

Rent in this neighborhood is considerably cheap, ranging from $350 to $650, with the cheaper properties located along Airport Blvd. and Springdale Rd. Closer to Pleasant Valley Rd. are several live music venues that showcase many blues and reggaeton musicians and many nonprofit organizations rent in this neighborhood due to the low cost in real estate. On Bolm Rd. near the 183 intersection is a state surplus store where entire pieces of furniture sell for less than $10 and the Govalle Shopping Center on E. 7th has an H-E-B and Family Dollar. This is an ideal neighborhood for artists that are looking for both cheap living and studio spaces as well as those who wish to be a bike or bus ride distance to Downtown without the Downtown living prices.