citykid09 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 I decided to take the very very back way into central Austin from my mother's house. Much of this area is hilly terrain, although it is somewhat deceiving as the hills closest to Austin proper is actually a long canyon/escarpment. Central (flat) Austin actually sits at a higher elevation than some of the hills, so it is often the case that you drive down into them instead of up. It's almost a secret; you would never know there were large cliffs just a mile away from some of Austin's biggest freeways.We'll start with the new subdivision near my mother's house - roughly 20-25 miles northwest of downtown. The quality of homes going up nearby are quite nice for suburban standards. They look quite different from the typical Austin tract house, at least to my eyes: The sign says the houses run from the 300's-600's. Roundabouts are all the rage in Austin suburbia lately: If you notice the hilltop, it's quite flat. That's the plateau that much of the city actually sits on. But down near the creekbed, the area resembles somewhere more leafier and east coast in origin. Generally the hilltops have mountain cedar (ashe juniper) and mesquite, with live oak and some other oaks mixed in, and the creekside areas or well-watered areas will have sycamore, cypress, willows, ash, etc. This is Volente Road, once rural but becoming suburban. It's a back road to Lake Travis, Austin's large recreational body of water. 5 miles later: Lake Travis is one of Austin's main attractions, or at the very least an amenity to many Austinites. There is quite a drought going on, as the islands/sandbars that appear in the middle of the lake are not supposed to be there. This is about 17-18 miles west of downtown Austin. This is one of the few lots left with such a wide angle view of the lake, so I imagine it's million dollar property. The Oasis restaurant is pretty much a local installation - it's a place you take out of towners for the lovely view, not for good food. Now the cuisine isn't all that bad, it's just a bit overpriced. This captures why a lot of people are flocking to central Texas - ersatz Tuscany for the price of Dallas. About 6 miles closer to downtown: The exposed limestone is actually where Highway 2222 runs. It's only a few miles away from this angle, but you have to go down into the valley and back up to get to the road, so it's a lot farther in reality. This is Lake Austin, which is just the part of the Colorado River that winds from Lake Travis to downtown Austin. This is only about 4-5 miles away from downtown, directly west. This is one of the last lots of its type in the entire city, on Mount Larson Road. This lot by the way has remained unsold since I last visited it 5 years ago. This is another unsold hilltop lot in Westlake with a good view of downtown. Notice the red moon over the skyline! This is a good example to demonstrate how central Austin is actually higher in elevation than some of the hill country is: This is from near Zilker Park, about 3 miles southwest of downtown. That was the very long, very scenic, very hilly back way to downtown Austin. This, by the way, is downtown Austin! I'm putting these here just so you can remember that it is a city (of some sort) we're talking about here. Also, to prove we're a real city, I will make sure to include a picture of our brutalist projects! Austin only has 2 of them, at least in high-rise form. This was formerly the RBJ Tower, named for Lyndon Baines Johnson's daughter Rebekah. And that's the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Great pics. Love the Oasis (when it's cooler). Looks like Travis is really low. Going to be a long summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Looks like Travis is really low. Going to be a long summer. That's what really struck me--the water level. Yikes. "Ersatz Tuscany for the price of Dallas." I'm not sure what's funnier--if the photogprapher was being serious, or not. Who knew? The proof of being a real city is brutalist architecture! Bless his heart. Another budding blogger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Great photos! I can just feel the heat looking at that picture of the Oasis restaurant. "Ersatz Tuscany for the price of Dallas." I'm not sure what's funnier--if the photogprapher was being serious, or not. Yeah, I had to laugh when I read that. That house is going to be far more expensive on Lake Travis than if it were anywhere in Dallas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 This one reminds me of San Fransisco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 There's something called the Veloway in Austin which is like a 1 mile track for bikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moni Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 This one reminds me of San Fransisco Beautiful location without the weirdness of Frisco! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rammer Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Great photos! Austin has something else in common with California...wildfire dangers. Be sure to watch the Weather Channel's series called "It Could Happen Tomorrow Series" before you think of purchasing a home there. They cover the high risk fire dangers for west Austin because of the junipers/slopes/home incineration combination. It seems like every place has it's issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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