Crestview

Location: Crestview is bordered by Wooten and West Anderson Lane to the north, Allandale and Burnet Road to the west, Brentwood and Justin Lane to the south and the Highland neighborhood and North Lamar Boulevard to the east. It is located north of the city's urban core. Crestview is located in ZIP code 78757.

History: The Crestview neighborhood was built by developer A.B. Beddow on the site of an old dairy farm in the 1950s and early 1960s. Many original residents were veterans. Some had grown up on farms outside Austin and were of Swedish and German descent. The G. I. Bill of Rights, a Federal law passed in 1944, helped veterans to purchase the relatively affordable homes for their young, growing families. When Crestview began to be developed, the land had few trees, and early neighbors could easily see the hills to the west and the violet glow that sometimes appeared over them at sunset.

Architecture: It is filled with single-family bungalows, mid-century ranch homes and apartments. The original post-World War II architecture of its cottage homes have big backyards, quiet streets, and smaller, affordable homes and duplexes. The Crestview Station prompted the construction of a new mixed-use development known as Midtown Commons in 2010.

Recreation: Although there are no city parks in the neighborhood, Crestview residents have access to major parks, as well as top-rated public and private schools, in neighboring Brentwood just to the south. Also, the North Austin Optimist Club holds a lease on a baseball and softball field for local youth teams. Some local icons have deep roots, including the former Minimax grocery store (est. 1953, now an Arlan's) and Top Notch Burgers (est. 1971).