North University

Home to the hipsters, jazz fans, and art students of the University of Texas at Austin, the North University neighborhood is located just north of the college campus. This neighborhood is a mix of single family homes, condos, and apartments. Homes can run from the $200,000 and up range while condominiums run the gauntlet from $120,000 to $180,000. There's plenty to see and do here though this is not the place for a family as it can get rather rowdy on Longhorn games days and the weekends.

It's bordered on the west by Guadalupe Street, which is without a doubt one of the most colorful streets in the city with an eclectic collection of tattoo parlors, diners, shops, and more. There's no need to have a car in this neighborhood, as if you could find a parking spot anyway. Capitol Metro bus and rail lines can quickly and easily take you to most any part of the city. It's also a very hike and bike friendly part of the city and ideal for going out for a night on the town without drinking and driving as there are several excellent taverns and pubs in the area. This is the place for students who love to party.

As the name describes, the North University neighborhood is located directly north of the University of Texas (UT) campus. This old, historic neighborhood contains many large, older homes on large lots, on wide, tree-lined streets. Because of its proximity to the university, this is a popular neighborhood for faculty and staff of UT. There are also many students who choose to live here in one of the many apartment complexes found in the area. The boundaries include 38th Street to the north, 27th Street to the south, Guadalupe to the west and Duval Street to the east.

The history of the North University neighborhood dates back to the late 1800s, and many of the homes in the area are from the early 1900s. Residents work hard to preserve the historic nature of the area, and even the newly remodeled homes remain consistent with the arts and crafts styled bungalows that dominate the neighborhood.

All this convenience and uniqueness of the homes comes at a steep price. Rents are high and housing prices are among the most expensive in the city. While a modest-sized home in need of remodeling may be found for the low to high $200s, the larger homes range from the high $400s into the high $600s. While the neighborhood is ideal for families, many are priced out of this market. For those that do live here, the area schools include Lee Elementary, Kealing Middle School and McCallum High School.

Obviously, this neighborhood has much to recommend it. Not only is it convenient to the University and downtown, there is quick access to all points of interest in Austin. There are a few neighborhood parks tucked away within the North University boundaries, including Adam-Hemphill Park which has a short greenbelt, Sparky Park, a pocket park on the grounds of a former electric substation, and Eastwoods Park, which includes ball fields, picnic tables and walking trails.

Sandwiched between W. 38th St. and Dean Keaton, North University is much like West campus, but minus the rowdy frat houses and housing meant for big boys and girls. Rather than having apartment complexes stacked and stuffed next to each other, this neighborhood has a mix of small scale apartment complexes and small wooden houses that most often have several students living in them at once. The bars are concentrated along Guadalupe St. and W 30th, but are within easy reach of all residences in the area. There are more bus stops than students will ever need and the tree lined streets are perfect for daily walks and bike rides. The conveniently close distance to the Drag cannot be ignored and students and graduates that live in this neighborhood have access to more trendy eating, drinking and music spits than they can count.

The real estate here is valuable with the selling prices of houses moving onto the more expensive slope, but more than three quarters of residents rent, and splitting the rent with three or four other people makes living in North University affordable for almost any budget. Though there are no shopping centers or medical facilities within this exact neighborhood, those living or staying here are still a short walk or bike ride away from everything they need. The Hancock Shopping Center is just several blocks and all the hospitals on the west side of I-35 are within close reach. The University of Texas is less than eight blocks away from all houses and apartments, and walking and biking in and out of this area will make any local fit from the activity. North University is right by I-35 and close to N. Lamar Blvd., making this community and all access point. The only downside of living here is that some older residents may become tired of the high concentration of students, but many recent graduate choose to stay here until they are able to afford larger housing.