Montopolis

One of the most affordable areas of Austin, Montopolis has homes that sell for the most part in the $100,000 to $200,000 range, and also has a number of apartment complexes. It has a history that spans back two centuries, and long has been known as one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city of Austin. However; given the tremendous growth in the city during the past few decades, the fortunes of this neighborhood could be changing as the city is working on a master plan to improve the area.

Montopolis has long been one of the highest crime areas in the city, so it is not the place to raise a family or take a stroll or walk in the evening. The area is served by Capitol Metro bus lines so it's easy and cheap to get to any part of the city. It's adjacent to the Riverside Golf Course and there are few dining options, mainly BBQ and Mexican food restaurants if you feel like eating out.

Montopolis has long been a problem area of Austin, but with a master plan to improve the area, if it may become a more lucrative area for people who need affordable housing.

Every city has its problem areas, and Montopolis is definitely one of Austin’s. What it’s got going for it, in spades, is cheap housing. What it’s got working against it, basically, is everything else imaginable, and even if plans to spruce things up a little bit ever do come to fruition, the area is never going to be a particularly desirable place to live.

The airport ensures the neighborhood is noisy and polluted at all times, which is bad for both mental and physical health. The crime index here is astronomical, and the area is notoriously impoverished. The schools are in abysmal condition, making this a pretty uniformly terrible place to raise children. Students and younger folks might be drawn in to Montopolis by the low rents and reasonably high availability of housing, but the cons of living here are too numerous—and serious—to ignore.

There is no real nightlife to speak of, the location is inconvenient, and even the parks and green spaces are run-down and dilapidated. Sadly, most of the problems Montopolis faces are directly related to the area’s poverty, and things seem unlikely to change for the better simply because anyone who can afford to live anywhere else in Austin will do so.

Despite the fact that Austin’s rapid growth has resulted in many previously problematic neighborhoods being transformed, there are many areas, particularly on the east side of town, that still struggle. The Montopolis neighborhood is one of them. Located in far southeast Austin, this is an area with a reputation for high crime and high poverty.

The boundaries for the Montopolis neighborhood are Montopolis Drive to the west, Highway 183 to the north and east, and Highway 71 to the south. This is a predominantly Latino neighborhood that has made efforts to band together as a community to bring improvements to the area. Housing prices remain lower than much of the city, with homes averaging in the low $100s. Area schools include Allison Elementary School, Martin Middle School and Eastside Memorial High School at Johnston. The high school in particular has suffered from low academic performance for many years, and calls for its closure regularly occur.

If the city and Montopolis residents can achieve better success in their efforts to revitalize this neighborhood, this area has the potential to be a highly attractive neighborhood. It is close to Roy G. Guerrero Park, for which the city has grand plans to make into another Zilker Park, has quick access to major highways and can therefore be convenient to downtown, and it will likely continue to be affordable for some time. If one is looking for a long-term investment, this could prove to be a good area to settle in.

There tends to be a general consensus when advising people about moving to Montopolis... don't do it. Yes, housing is cheap with few going above the price of $60,000 and some renters paying as little as $250 a month, but there is a dead obvious reason for that; nobody wants to live here. One, it is right next to the airport, so your days and night would be filled with having to hear the roaring sound of low flying airplanes. Two, the sketchiness of the neighborhood is very hard to ignore. The typical street scene are tiny decaying houses that are slowly falling apart with piles of junk laying out in the front and back yards.

There are a couple of parks, but they have definitely seen better days. Also low on the scale is the lack of nightlife that Austin is so well known for, especially if inside the 183 loop, which Montopolis is. The only creative space the area has to offer is Coronado Studio, which is a screenprinting studio that targets the local Latino population. Behind the many depressing abodes and mobile homes closer to the airport is a cluster of warehouses, which adds to the neighborhood being unpleasing to the eyes. Like some other high crime and poverty stricken neighborhoods in and around Austin, there is an attempt to revitalize this community, but results are coming about much more slowly here than in other places. At the end of the day, there is going to be little demand and effort in areas next to an airport and under major highway crossings.