Central Austin is a lively, thriving area which encompasses the University of Texas, downtown, the State Capitol complex and Zilker Park/Barton Springs. If you work centrally, then living central can be very appealing. Not having to commute from outlying areas gives you more time for work and play! And there's so much to do in central Austin – from attending music venues to kite festivals to you name it! Homes in central Austin can be pricey – often averaging $200 per sq ft or more, depending on age and condition, views or not, and location.
Central Austin has a lot of character and charm and a style for every taste. New construction downtown consists primarily of condos. There are some homes downtown, but a pretty limited number are on the market at any one time. For an idea of downtown condos, click here. And for an idea of downtown homes, click here.
South/Central Austin - once you are south of the river (Lady Bird Lake) you are in South/Central Austin, home of the popular 78704 zip code (there's a bumper sticker that says "78704 – It's more than a zip code, it's a way of life"!). This is a great area to be if you want to be close to Zilker Park/Barton Springs pool and downtown. Some of the South/Central neighborhoods are:
Barton Hills – gets it's name due to proximity to Barton Springs and the Barton Creek greenbelt. Also close to Zilker Park.
Travis Heights – many of the original bungalow-style homes are being remodeled, but the neighborhood has kept its somewhat ecclectic feel. The neighborhood is near Congress and Riverside, has million dollar homes with city views, and has a park and elementary school in the neighborhood.
There are lots and lots of condos in the 78704 zip code as well.
There are several other neighborhoods in 78704. View homes for sale under $350K, or homes for sale over $350K.
If you prefer more home for the money, and a little bit newer home, you might want to consider Southwest Austin, where homes are a little newer and more reasonably priced, but a little further from downtown. If you like the charm of the older/smaller homes in South/Central Austin, but the prices are just a little high for you, you might also consider South Austin.
West/Central Austin - the area west of downtown is more expensive than South/Central Austin. Within this area you'll find the incorporated city of Westlake which boasts an excellent school district, "Eanes," and several different neighborhoods with a variety of sizes and prices. In the Austin zip code 78703, you'll find several neighborhoods, often lumped together and called Tarrytown, near Lake Austin. And in the 78731 zip code you find several neighborhoods, including Highland Park.
View Tarrytown and area homes for sale under $500K, or homes for sale over $500K.
View Highland Park and neighborhoods in 78731 under $500K and over $500K.
North/Central Austin – north of downtown and UT, you'll find most of the homes were built in the 1940s-1960s. As you go further north, the homes get newer and often larger, but north Austin will still have reasonably priced homes in comparison to West/Central Austin.
Crestview area – this is a popular area featuring homes in the $200K-$400K range. Many of these homes have been renovated in recent years.
Again, there are several small neighborhoods in North/Central Austin. View homes for sale under $300K, or homes for sale over $300K.
Another very popular area is Northwest Austin, which features hills and views, some steep driveways, and sometimes steep prices.