Martin Luther King

As a cyclist living just over MLK’s western border (Springdale Rd), I ride through this neighborhood all the time, and I think of it as the Land of Really Steep Hills. “Hill Country” is what Texans call the rural land surrounding the city of Austin, but you could really apply that designation to much of the city itself.

In a certain way, the triangular border formed by Airport Blvd., Springdale Rd. and Manor Rd is an arbitrary one. Defined this way, MLK doesn’t really feel like one cohesive neighborhood, since the MLK triangle is carved up by high-traffic thru roads (E12th and Oak Springs Rd). On the plus side, lots of buses run through here.

And certain areas of the neighborhood don’t feel… “of” the neighborhood. For example, the stretch of newly-built, brightly-colored yuppie townhouses planted along the steep hillside of E 12th, and the Morris Williams municipal golf course north of MLK (an apparent favorite of the Austin golf-playing set, if the yelp reviews are any indication). They're here, but they don't exactly fit the character of the rest of the place.

The best parts of this neighborhood are the residential areas sandwiched between MLK and 12th, and between 12th and Oak Springs. Here, you’ll find leafy streets with tiny houses. These are pleasant low-income neighborhoods, where you can find great rental prices.

Perhaps the defining feature of this neighborhood is the sprawling open land around the Givens District Recreation Center. It’s great to have so much open green space (well sometimes it’s green, but I guess more often it’s dry, straw-colored space). In addition to the rolling fields, the rec center has a gymnasium (not a gym with exercises machines—it’s like, a school gymnasium) and a weight room, as well as a community swimming pool that’s open in the summertime.

There’s a surprising amount of green space here, which immediately raises the stock of this area above the starker concrete expanses or apartment building wastelands of other lower-cost neighborhoods. The houses are adorable, and I love the personality of the area. Crime is of the non-violent type, as it is throughout most of Austin, so there’s not a lot to be worried about here that you won’t face anywhere else. Just make sure your car and home are locked, and you practice awareness when walking alone. I probably wouldn’t walk here alone at night, just because I’m not super familiar with the area, but after you’ve been situated there a while and know your way around, you shouldn’t have any trouble. It’s just a quick jog over to I35 and the UT campus, and it’s just southeast of the newly-renovated Mueller neighborhood. This area is also a good place to look into, as it’s got all new commercial areas and a community organization that is really trying to pump up the enthusiasm of its residents. This area’s got pretty good public transportation options, but most people would probably prefer having a car here. Traffic isn’t bad since it’s not framed by any major arteries.

In the triangle formed by Airport Blvd., Springdale Rd. and Manor Rd., the MLK neighborhood is another surviving epitome of East Side Austin. It has a former reputation of being a run down crime ridden neighborhood, but efforts have constantly been made to change that and many are jumping ship to these streets for the cheap buying and rental prices. The average house in the area goes for around $110,000 while most rental prices fall below $600. Very few apartments are in the area, but instead lines of bungalow type houses that can be irresistible to anyone who is found of such architecture and scenery.

What MLK lacks in nightlife it makes up for in neighborly spirit as this is the place to get to know and become friends with those who live next to you. Those who do want a little more excitement have plenty of bus stops and easy bike routes to use to go closer to campus or Downtown. Many mosey into this community to take advantage of the large golf course that lays along E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and there are two public parks, one with a recreation center, where residents can leisurely enjoy the outdoors. About half of those that live here live below the poverty line, but that does not seem to dampen spirits. Those who are looking for east side charm at a cheap price can easily enjoy living life in this community.