Austin's Hyde Park Neighborhood

 

Austin's Hyde Park is a wonderful example of what the word neighborhood really means, where Hyde Park real estate owners relax on their front porches and walk to the local cafés. With its turn-of-the-century architecture, tree-shaded streets and unique Austin businesses serving the neighborhood, Hyde Park is an address many Austinites would love to have.

Texas entrepreneur Morton Martin Shipe laid out Hyde Park in the 1890s, hoping to sell Victorian mansions to Austin's growing upper middle class. Later, he adjusted his target audience and built smaller homes to accommodate working families, but large or small, most retain that symbol of Hyde Park: a front porch where real estate owners still hang out on lazy days. Hyde Park is now a neighborhood of generously sized turn-of-the century homes, a few of which have been turned into popular B&Bs and duplex apartments; and a few, older, small apartment and condo complexes that have blended into Hyde Park.

Maintaining the architectural integrity of the neighborhood is paramount for Hyde Park real estate owners, so there is a lot of attention to monitoring renovations and new real estate construction. The Hyde Park Neighborhood Association holds a real estate tour every year which usually includes a stop at the Elisabet Ney Museum, the sculptress who built her castle-style studio here in 1892. Hyde Park also contains one of Austin's municipal golf courses, Hancock Golf on 41st Street was built in 1899 and is the oldest golf course in Texas.

The Hyde Park neighborhood is served by its own "no chrome, no contracts" Hyde Park Gym which is a neighborhood landmark. Hancock Shopping Center serves Hyde Park with a busy HEB grocery store, Sears, and various other chain stores and restaurants. Hyde Park's convenient location just north of Downtown Austin and near the University of Texas campus makes the easy commute attractive to faculty, graduate students and young professionals working downtown. Hyde Park is also popular with young families who enjoy the quiet streets, neighborhood parks and welcoming community.

Interested in a home or condo in Austin's Hyde Park neighborhood? Look through our Austin MLS home listings, take a peek at our home buying checklist, or give a shout to our featured Austin real estate agent for a free consultation!