Central allandale By Jackie Potts

Crestview

Once considered remote from the hubbub of downtown Austin, Crestview is today a centrally located neighborhood, featuring elegant, gracefully aged homes built along shaded, tree-lined blocks.

Longtime resident Chip Harris says he and his wife were attracted to the Crestview area because of the mature trees, the quiet atmosphere and the nice mix of ages of people who live there.

"When you move into a new subdivision, a lot of the people there are of the same age. Being an older neighborhood, the diversity of ages was nice. There are people who live there now that could tell you about when Anderson Lane was a gravel road, they've lived there for 50 years," he says.

Though some residents of Crestview have lived there for decades, newcomers are attracted to the tranquil, serene environment this community offers.

Generally recognized as an ideal environment for families, Crestview is bordered by Anderson Lane to the north, Justin Lane to the south, North Lamar Boulevard to the east and Burnet Road to the west. It is located north of the city's urban core.

A quiet, friendly neighborhood, Crestview's streets are speckled with locally owned businesses. "We probably have more barbershops per capita than anywhere else," Harris says, laughing. "If you throw a rock, you'll probably hit one. It's the same for churches, too."

Harris says a few places residents frequent include a small restaurant called The Little Deli, and the Crestview Mini-Max, a small grocery store located in the center of the neighborhood.

Gary Knippa, of Knippa Properties, says Crestview's location is ideal for homeowners wanting an older home without the high price of other established neighborhoods.

"The young professional-type crowd typically buys homes in Crestview, the type that doesn't mind rolling up their sleeves and making their homes suit their individual tastes," he says.

Typical homes in the area range from 1,100 to 1,200 square feet, and most homes are pier and beam construction, Knippa says most Crestview homes are 2 bedroom, 1 bath, or 3 bedroom, 1 bath. About three-quarters of homes in the neighborhood have been converted from standard air conditioning window unites to CA/CH systems.

Brentwood Elementary is just across Justin Lane from Crestview in the Brentwood neighborhood and features a small city pool, ball fields and a playground. Beverly Sheffield Park also is nearby. A much larger public facility, this park offers a public pool, playgrounds, tennis courts, barbecue areas and basketball court.

"People enjoy the neighborly quality of living in Crestview," Knippa says. "My sister lived in Crestview for years, and always talked about how everyone knew everyone, and helped each other."

Residents of the neighborhood enjoy an active neighborhood association that hosts several different annual events. Harris says a several notable events include an ice cream social held in July, and National Night Out events in August.

These nights are part of a program that encourage one person on each block to host a get-together on their front lawn the first Tuesday in August, for neighbors to get to know one another.

Harris says the neighborhood is not as ethnically diverse as he would prefer, but things are slowly changing. "There are different socioeconomic groups in the area, because there's a large amount of rentals in the neighborhood," he says.

Children in the neighborhood attend Brentwood Elementary School, Lamar Middle School, and McCallum High School. Utilities are provided by the city.

Schools Austin Independent School District Brentwood Elementary School Lamar Middle School McCallum High School

Amenities Beverly S. Scheffield Northwest Park The Arboretum Northcross Mall

Resources Search articles mentioning Crestview in the Austin American-Statesman's archives. Find area restaurants on Austin360

Zone: Central

Zip Code 78757