Central allandale By Jackie Potts

Rosedale

Charming and old-fashioned while embracing and adapting to the inevitable changes that the times bring, Rosedale is a stand-out neighborhood symbolic of the "old Austin" meeting the "new Austin" as it finds itself incorporating new elements to its neighborhood mélange.

"Rosedale certainly is a strange combination of old and traditional and new and funky," says Mark Brucks, co-president of the Rosedale Neighborhood Association. Brucks says the neighborhood's rise in popularity has attracted new residents emblematic of the "new Austin," but the neighborhood still has many homeowners that have stayed in the neighborhood for decades.

The starting price for a home in Rosedale is in the high $200,000's, says realtor Socar Chatmon-Thomas of REMAX Austin Skyline, and can be described as "charming cottages" or "quaint bungalows." Homes average about $200 per square foot, with the median price in the mid $300,000 range. Many of the new residents moving into Rosedale are typically of the upwardly mobile set. "With Rosedale's north central location, it's perfect for many young professionals who want to be close in to Austin, but still want that cozy, homey feeling. Rosedale has quite a few homes that are 2-1, which is the perfect 'starter home' size for a single person or a couple."

Older homes were just built smaller then, agrees Karen McLinden, secretary-treasurer of the Rosedale Neighborhood Association, and Rosedale is no exception. Some residents have made additions and adjustments to their homes over the years to accommodate growing family needs. "If you just walk through the neighborhood, you'll see the typical Rosedale bungalow from the front, and you'll see this two story addition at the rear of the house." McLinden says that when many Rosedale residents decide to expand their homes, they do so in the back of the home because many home lots have the room to do so in the backyard but not enough to go side to side.

Rosedale is located in north central Austin, and its 1,200 homes are bounded by 38th Street to the south, Shoal Creek to the west, North Loop / Hancock Drive to the north, and Lamar Boulevard to the east. The area receives City of Austin utilities, and is part of the Austin Independent School District. Students in south Rosedale attend Austin High School, O. Henry Middle School and Bryker Woods Elementary School. Students in the north Rosedale neighborhood attend McCallum High School, Lamar Middle School and Highland Park Elementary School.


Ramsey Park

If there were a heart of Rosedale, it would have to be Ramsey Park. With its swimming pool, playground and now its new landscaping provided as part of a project by a neighborhood Eagle Scout, Ramsey Park has been literally at the center of the neighborhood and its activities for years.

Brucks credits Rosedale's older citizens as giving the neighborhood a sense of place in Austin's history. "There's an added sense of uniqueness that we really like. We have so many long-time residents here in this neighborhood, and they possess so much neighborhood lore. Florence and Forrest Preece, for example, might be our longest-lived residents. They know who built many of these old homes and who lived in them. They provided invaluable information when Michael and Karen Collins decided to renovate and restore the Moore-Hancock Farmstead at 4811 Sinclair Avenue."

Moving away from the historic restoration of the Moore-Hancock Farmstead, other residents have been doing their best to maintain the spirit of "Keep Austin Weird" - or at least unique. From the "castle home" at 44th Street and Ramsey to celebrated author-gardener-cook Lucinda Hutson's delectably and eclectically styled home, a drive around Rosedale confirms that Rosedale is indeed a mix of traditional styling meets free-thinking bohemia.

Another charming aspect of Rosedale is that like many other older Austin communities, it is considered a "walking neighborhood." New developments along Burnet Road are carefully monitored, as the Rosedale Neighborhood Association tries to maintain the integrity of their community.

"One of the things the neighborhood likes is to have businesses and places to walk to - that's one of the things we try to preserve," says Brucks. "When there's a new business being developed, there's the question of 'cut-through' traffic in the neighborhood, and we try to keep traffic moving along the major arteries and off the neighborhood streets."

McLinden agrees with Brucks that vigilance is necessary to maintain Rosedale's integrity. "One of the struggles for any close-in neighborhood is protecting your edges, and when you have a neighborhood like we do there's always a risk that people will buy a home property and then try to get a variance to tear it down and put up an office or a parking lot," says McLinden. We have neighbors who for years have fought anything that will ruin the integrity of this neighborhood. One of our themes is to make a nice place to come home to stay that way, and we intend to make sure that it stays that way."

Zone: Central

Zip Code 78756

Rosedale, perfectly located in North Central Austin, has amenities you and your family will love. Ramsey Park, the "heart of Rosedale" has a swimming pool, playground and new landscaping to offer. Rosedale's residents can also enjoy lovely neighborhood walks, since the community works to keep traffic out of the neighborhood. Rosedale with its "charming cottages" and "quaint bungalows" is an enjoyable community for your new home.