Brentwood, Austin, Texas

Brentwood is a neighborhood in central Austin, Texas.

Brentwood comprises United States Census tracts 15.05 and 2.01, and ZIP codes 78756 and 78757. The area is bordered by Burnet Road on the west, Lamar Blvd. on the east, 45th Street on the south, and Justin Lane on the north.

Major streets include Koenig Lane, Lamar Blvd., Burnet Road, and Highway 183 to the north. Brentwood is also situated close to the Guadalupe main thoroughfare to the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin), Austin's largest employer.

The area was a cotton farm until the City of Austin annexed the Brentwood neighborhood and purchased the land next to Brentwood Elementary to establish the Brentwood neighborhood park. That same year, Brentwood Elementary opened its doors for the 1951-1952 school year.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census-year, 86% of the Brentwood population is over the age of 18, and the average household size is 1.9 persons. Only 17% of the population is over the age of 65. Forty-five percent of the neighborhood's residents are from 25 to 44 years of age, and 50% of the homes occupied in Brentwood are one-person households. Just over 20% of the neighborhood's total population are Hispanic American or Latino, while 74% of Brentwood's population are White, 1.8% are Asian, and 2.3% are Black or African American.

Among people over age 25, approximately 57% have a bachelors degree or higher, while 28% percent are currently enrolled in graduate school. The median family income, according to the 2000 census was $42,616. Only 5% of Brentwood residents work outside Travis County. The average drive time to work for residents who work outside the home is 17.5 minutes. Ten percent of residents carpool, and five percent use public transportation. [U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3.]

Housing

As of 2000, there were just over 4,275 housing units in Brentwood, mostly single-family homes. Large, modern apartment complexes and condominiums are located on most of the district's primary and secondary thoroughfares, many of which are home to young professionals and students attending nearby UT-Austin.

Brentwood saw a dramatic increase in housing prices in 2000, soon after jet flightpaths were rerouted away from the area when the new Austin Bergstrom International Airport replaced nearby Robert Mueller Municipal Airport.

According to the Austin Central Texas Realty Information Service (ACTRIS), the average price of a single-family home in Brentwood in 2003 was $171,084, and prices of existing homes ranged from $189,000 to $385,000. The lower end of the price range includes homes needing some repair, investor deals, or lacking central air conditioning. The average monthly cost of a mortgaged home in Brentwood is $1,300.Fact|date=June 2007

Recreation

Brentwood is divided by a wide median creek on which stand many large trees on Arroyo Seco. These 150 trees were planted in February 1993 through public and state contributions to the Austin Energy Planting for the Future Fund, a special fund of the Texas Parks and Recreation Department.

Popular recreational spots include the Brentwood Farmers Market, an early farmer's market complex built in 1947; the Crestview Village, a small shopping district near the intersection of Justin and Grover; and more recently, Brentwood Tavern, a "village commons".

Public open space includes Brentwood Park, spanning just over nine acres, with tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds and a playscape. Only 1% of the Brentwood neighborhood is public open space, but plans for the neighborhood include a neighborhood dog park at a location yet to be decided.

Brentwood is known for its native old-fashioned bars and hamburger joints, some of which date to the 1930s. Threadgills was frequented by Janis Joplin when she attended the University of Texas.

Local traditions include the Violet Crown Festival, held each year on the lawn of the Brentwood Park, and the annual holiday decoration of the canal along Arroyo Seco with luminarias.

Education

Public schools

Brentwood is located in the Austin Independent School District.

* [http://www.austin.isd.tenet.edu/schools/details.phtml?id=051 Brentwood Elementary School]
* [http://www.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=032 Lamar Middle School]
* McCallum High School

Private schools

* Brentwood Christian School (now located at 11908 North Lamar Boulevard, which is between Braker Lane and Yager Lane)
* Petite Ecole Internationale
* The Oakmont School
* CS Lewis Hall
* Northwest Montessori House of Children
* Paragon Preparatory
* Shoreline Christian School

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/neighbor_crime.htm Austin crime reports by neighborhood] – select 'Brentwood'
* [http://www.main.org/brentwood Brentwood Neighborhood Association]
* [http://www.violetcrownfestival.com The Violet Crown Festival]
* [http://www.threadgills.com/history.cfm Threadgills history]
* [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTGeoSearchByListServlet?ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&_lang=en&_ts=170171494801 2000 Census by address]