Mid-Century Neighborhoods in Austin: Brentwood

Brentwood, Austin TX
Brentwood completes the triangle of mid-century Austin neighborhoods in northwest Austin - the others being Crestview and Allendale. Move to Austin has the best simple breakdown of the area that I've read:
Crestview has the oldest homes, built in the 1940-50s, and are the smallest of this area (but to me, have the most charm). Brentwood was built next in the 1950s and 60s, and the homes are a little bit bigger. Allendale came next, in the 1960s and 70s, and has the largest floorplans.
Brentwood is home to many unofficial Austin landmarks: Dart Bowl (try the enchiladas), Threadgill's (Janis Jopli's old stomping ground), the Wall of Welcome (120 feet of welcome) and Burnet Road (shops, eats and chicken shit bingo). There are a variety of home styles in Brentwood. Classic mid-century style homes are pretty easy to come by, as are bungalows and modern homes.

The Brentwood Neighborhood Association has a pretty on-the-mark description of the neighborhood:
Brentwood is now a trendy and popular area that is home to gorgeous tree-lined streets and established homes. Many of the homes are bungalow style homes, normally one story, and have a low to medium pitched roof and simple, rectangular shapes. Many were originally two bedrooms and were purchased by GIs who wanted to start families following WWII. The combination of original residents who never left the 'hood and a growing number of young professsionals have built a strong community which fits perfectly with the style of Austin.

History
The area that's now called Brentwood was once cotton farm in the rural part of north Austin. Austin purchased the farm and annexed most of Brentwood in 1946. The remaining parts of the neighborhood, including Brentwood Park, were annexed in 1951, which is also the year Brentwood Elementary School opened.

Housing Data From the 2000 census
Total housing units: 4,157
Homes built between 1940 and 1959: 1,962 (47.2%)
Median housing value: $171,600
Median mortgage: $1,300
Household population: 7,128
Average household size: 1.8
Average family size: 2.68
Owner-occupied housing: 41.7%
Renter-occupied housing: 58.3%
Median age: 35.2

Resources
Brentwood Neighborhood Association

2 comments:

  1. Don't forget about Wooten. Still quite a few Mid-Century homes north of Anderson Lane.

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  2. It's funny, we actually looked in that area when we were buying a house, but didn't know Wooten was its own neighborhood - I guess we just assumed that area was part of Crestview. I'll be doing some research and definitely add it to the Mid-Century Austin neighborhoods list. Thanks for the info.

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