10 Trendiest Neighborhoods in Austin

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</br><a href="10-trendiest-neighborhoods-in-austin">The 10 Trendiest Neighborhoods in Austin</a> By Movoto Real Estate
There are certain debates that have plagued residents in Austin, TX for years. Whole Foods or Central Market? Barton Springs or Greenbelt? Are we hipsters or hippies? These questions have gone unanswered for years, because, as such things go, they are completely and 100 percent subjective.
Here at Movoto Real Estate, we deal in facts. We specialize in research—and we just love numbers.
So with the power of numbers on our side, we’ve decided to take one such subjective subject and settle the score once and for all. Today, we answer the question of which Austin neighborhoods are the trendiest—and perched atop the list, like a chimney on an old craftsman-style home, is none other than Old West Austin.
Here are the 10 Trendiest Neighborhoods in Austin:
1. Old West Austin
2. Downtown
3. Gateway
4. North Campus
5. West Campus
6. Travis Heights (South River City)
7. Zilker
8. North Loop
9. Barton Hills
9. Upper Boggy Creek
What exactly is Gateway doing in the top three—and why are there two No. 9s? Keep reading to find out how we came up with this list and why each of these Austin neighborhoods is just so hot right now.

It’s Science

There are plenty of articles out there about the trendiest places in Austin, but here at Movoto we are proud data nerds. So we needed some real, concrete information to find out which neighborhoods were the trendiest, and we settled on the following seven criteria:

• WalkScore
• Restaurants, bars, and coffee shops per capita
• Total restaurants in an area
• Percent of population that is married (lower is better)
• Desirability (the most desirable areas for people ages 20 to 35, according to Austin real estate agents we surveyed)
• Median value of owner-occupied homes
• Median rent (higher is better)

We started with a list of 61 Austin neighborhoods and ranked them from one to 61 in each criteria, with one being the best possible score. Then, we averaged the criteria-level rankings together and gave each neighborhood an overall score. The lower the number, the higher the neighborhood ranked.

1. Old West Austin

Old West Austin is like a Chanel suit—it never goes out of style and it is always classy. This historic part of the city, which encompasses Enfield, Pemberton Heights, and Bryker Woods, comes in at No. 1 on our list, scoring well in almost all of our criteria. It has a WalkScore of 77, making it one of the more walkable neighborhoods in Austin, which is perfect since there are so many restaurants nearby (Olive & June anyone?).
Interestingly, this neighborhood has some of the priciest real estate in Austin, coming in at No. 2 for home values, of about $386,575; but even with these pricey properties, rent in the area is relatively reasonable at just $1,127 per month. Fun fact: Rent here is almost $700 cheaper on average than in North Burnet.
This neighborhood is historic Austin at its finest. The houses are charming, the yards are green and well-kept… it’s no wonder agents in the area ranked it as one of the most sought-after neighborhoods.

2. Downtown

Why is everybody rushing to move downtown? Let us count the ways. Downtown is the most walkable area in the city, with a WalkScore of 86, and it has more restaurants than you can feasibly visit in a year, making it No. 1 in amenities. The home values average just over $230,000—because downtown, “home” really means condo, while the rental prices average at about $1,485, making it one of the most expensive areas in the city (but still under North Burnet for some reason).
You get what you pay for, however. Downtown Austin is the place to be if you like nightlife. You have a bar for every day of the year (Easy Tiger, Barbarella, all of West 6th, East 6th), a restaurant for any occasion (Moonshine Patio and Bar & Grill, Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue), and it really is the only place in Austin you truly don’t need a car. Well, until you want to leave downtown, of course; then you’ll need to drive.

3. Gateway

According to our study, the Gateway area is trendy because A) it has tons of restaurants per capita (like North by Northwest Restaurants & Brewery) B) only 25 percent of the population here is married, C) rent is high at $1,664 (meaning people are willing to pay it), and D) did we mention North by Northwest?
Upon closer inspection, Gateway actually has a lot going on. There is the Arboretum nearby and Amy’s Ice Cream. Just don’t try walking to work in the Gateway area—like most of Austin, you’ll need a car in this neck of the woods.

4. North Campus

North of UT Campus is a wonderful neighborhood for all types of people: undergraduate students, grad students, law students, professors. Seriously, North Campus is a hot spot in Austin, and most of this is because of UT students. This area is a beautiful mix of apartments, single-family homes, and quirky shops, bars, restaurants, and coffee places, stuck right between UT and Hyde Park. So it is a nice mix of both.
It scored an 81 on its WalkScore, which is good normally, but great for Austin, making it the third best neighborhood for pedestrians. With a population of mostly students, only 20 percent of residents here are married, making it ideal for young singles, and with over 200 restaurants and coffee shops in the area, like Crown & Anchor Pub, Trudy’s Tex-Mex Restaurant and Bar, Texadelphia, and of course, Spider House Cafe, it scored well in amenities.

5. West Campus

West Campus graces our list at No. 5. It scores points for its high WalkScore of 85, its large variety of restaurants, and its total amenities overall. It also has some of the most single people in Austin, with just 9 percent of the population wearing wedding rings, and it was ranked one of the most desirable areas in the city by local agents.
When most people think West Campus, they think the Drag, dotted with shops, restaurants, late night coffee shops, 24-hour diners, and tattoo shops. If you’re an undergrad student at UT, this is the hottest place to be in Austin.

6. Travis Heights (South River City)

Travis Heights ranks well in amenities overall with a high WalkScore and a good amount of restaurants close by. The median home value here is $323,545 and rent is $1,481—which are pretty high numbers for Austin, indicating a high demand for these houses.
If you walk around the neighborhood, you’ll see why: It has some of the most eclectic, unique little Craftsman-style homes, a really great local dog park just off of Riverside, and it is within walking distance to Big Stacey and Little Stacey Parks. Plus, you’ve got all of SoCo’s finest: South Congress Café, Amy’s Ice Creams, and on and on, just a few streets over.

7. Zilker

The Zilker neighborhood in Austin comes in at No. 7 for its WalkScore of 69, and its high desirability according to local agents.
It is no wonder why; the area is dotted with places like Sno-Beach Hawaiian Shaved Ice, Chuy’s, Barton Springs Pool, and, of course, Zilker Park. Over the past decade, Zilker Park has been the home of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, but for generations, the park has been an Austin staple, with the big central rock, the rolling grassy areas for dogs to roam free, kids to play soccer, and the surrounding hike and bike trail.

8. North Loop

North Loop is the new East Side. Yes, hipsters, young families, and young professionals seem to have traded in their trendy digs on the east side of I-35 for trendier digs in North Austin.
This area is like Hyde Park’s rebellious little sister. It has tons of restaurants, like Foreign and Domestic; vintage stores like Room Service Vintage; bars and coffee shops like Epoch; and it has some very cute little homes. There are some fixer uppers, but these days, North Loop is so trendy, many of them are mid-makeover.
This neighborhood scored a 67 on its walkability. which in some cities, like New York, may be a failing grade, but in Texas, this is pretty good. There are also tons of young single people in this area, with a married population of just 28 percent.
9. Barton Hills

Just a stone’s throw from Zilker lies Barton Hills, the mostly residential area just behind Barton Springs. Barton Hills is a young family’s dream area, which explains the high home prices over $380,000 on average and a rent of more than $1,400 per month. This area tied with Old West Austin in terms of desirability, according to local agents.
That’s about where the similarities between these two neighborhoods end, however. Barton Hills is one of the key areas that keeps Austin weird. It is home to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, is walking distance to many of the same restaurants and shops along Barton Springs as Zilker, and is the best spot for Greenbelt enthusiasts. It’s also a great neighborhood to park in during Austin City Limits if you have a friend there.

9. Upper Boggy Creek

Tying for No. 9 on our list is the neighborhood that certainly wins when it comes to names. Unfortunately, we didn’t award points for “Boggy”-ness, so let’s take a look at what this place does have going for it.
Overall, Upper Boggy Creek, on the east of I-35, ranked well when it came to amenities, with a WalkScore of 63 and over 200 restaurants nearby. Just 33 percent of young residents here are married, which means plenty of opportunities to meet Mr. or Ms. Right while you’re out walking your dog or eating at your local gastropub.

Keep Austin Trendy

It certainly doesn’t seem like Austin needs any help keeping things trendy—just look at the growth rate of 2.8 percent. If you happen to be one of these incoming Austinites, you need look no further than these 10 trendy neighborhoods. If you’re already a resident in one of these spots, hold on to your houses, folks, because these neighborhoods are just getting hotter.
(click to enlarge)