Allandale

Location: Allandale is bounded by Anderson Lane on the north, by Shoal Creek at 45th Street, from MoPac to the Shoal Creek waterway, and following the waterway to Hancock Drive to the south, with Burnet Road as its eastern boundary and MoPac as the western boundary. It’s known for its large lots, mature trees, and central location.

History: The area now considered the Allandale neighborhood was originally part of an 1841 land grant to George W. Davis by the President of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B Lamar, for his service in the Battle of San Jacinto. Over the years, Davis and his descendants sold most of the 3,154 acres he was granted. W. Murray Graham, who was known as the “dean of the Austin real estate profession” and was instrumental in developing the Enfield, Tarrytown, and Bryker Woods neighborhoods, started platting the original sections of the Allandale neighborhood, soon followed by Allandale Oaks in 1951. 

Architecture: Most of the homes in Allandale are ranch style slab on grade homes. However, east of Shoal Creek Blvd, and south of Greenlawn Pkwy, are pockets of mid-century modern houses intermixed with the more traditional ranch style homes. A portion of Allandale was an experimental Air Conditioned Village, sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders and studied by scientists at not only the University of Texas, but the US Department of Energy, opened in 1954 to assess the effects of air-conditioning on middle class residential design.  

Recreation: Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest District Park is in the heart of Allandale and one of the first recorded uses of the park was as an old limestone quarry that supplied limestone for the 1853 Texas Capitol Building. The park which covers 31 acres contains fishing piers on the small pond, picnic and BBQ areas, tennis court and basketball courts, Olympic sized swimming pools, and numerous walking and hiking trails.