South Austin

Onion Creek

Pecan, cypress, and live oak trees welcome you to the Onion Creek community which was built in 1974. Onion Creek Club is nestled in the Onion Creek neighborhood and is the center of activity for many residents. Membership to the club provides access to a junior Olympic sized pool, tennis courts, a fitness center, and 27-hole golf course. The club also boasts of its myriad of activities for members of all ages.

Onion creek is home to a large population of retirees, which the neighborhood caters to. There are bridge games going on all day at the Club and buses come in to provide tours to the symphony or ballet in Austin. However, onion creek is also home to many growing families. When not on summer vacation, Onion Creek's children attend Menchaca Elementary, Paredes Middle, and Akins High School.

Onion Creek homes are all similar style, while at the same time being unique. For example, all homes are over 2,000 square feet, have 2 car garages, 25 foot setbacks, and 75%-100% are brick homes but all have very distinct floor plans.

Homes in Onion Creek on average cost $225,000 up to $700,000. Streets surrounding this area are Wild Dunes on the north side, Pinehurst on the south end, IH-35 and River Plantation make up the west and eastern sides.

Homeowners receive gas utilities from Southern Union Gas, electricity and water from the City of Austin, although waste water is handled through the Onion Creek Waste Water Corporation. Amenities for cable are available with Time Warner and telephone services are offered with Southwestern Bell. The Onion Creek Home Owners Association also provides 24-hour private security, street lighting, trash pick-up, and landscape maintenance.

Area churches are St. Albans Episcopal, Manchaca United Methodist, and Manchaca Southern Baptist. Running errands and grocery shopping is conveniently located in several shopping centers at William Cannon traveling just a few minutes north of Onion

If you would like to see this wonderful community, simply drive south on IH -35 and exit number 225 toward Onion Creek Parkway, make a left after exiting the freeway and you will arrive at Onion Creek's main entrance.

Onion Creek is bound by River Dunes on its north side, Pinehurst on its Southside, and with I-35 and River Plantation as the western and eastern boundaries respectively.

San Marcos

Halfway between San Antonio and Austin is a place where youthful energy and the charm of yesteryear coexist in a scenic snapshot of the Texas Hill Country. Welcome to San Marcos, the Gateway to the Texas Hill Country and home to Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University) and the magnificent San Marcos River.

Downtown San Marcos has shopping, eating, medical facilities and, with its proximity to the university, it has an active nightlife. Downtown has many popular loft style condominums from which residents can walk to campus or walk to the grocery store.

While downtown continues to thrive, so does new-home construction in the surrounding areas. San Marcos' lack of big-city congestion is a major draw.

Three- and four-bedroom homes ranging in price from the $100s to the $140s are being built by local builders.

Kyle

Accessibility and affordability are the two major qualities that make Kyle attractive to those new to the Central Texas area. Easy access to I-35 and employers and businesses in Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio, as well as the lower housing costs are what have helped to make Kyle one of the fastest growing communities in Hays County.

Kyle's small town charm has tremendous appeal for those who long for small town life, but desire close proximity to shopping, businesses and schools found in larger cities says Jerry Hendrix, the director of communications with the City of Kyle.

Kyle is growing by leaps and bounds. The estimated population is 27,500 for 2007, compared to only 5,000 in 2001. In addition to its population explosion, Kyle has also been experiencing significant commercial and retail growth Kyle's electricity provider is Pedernales Electric Cooperative, while solid waste collection is supplied by Texas Disposal Systems. The City of Kyle provides water to its residents through a number of resources.

Kyle recently struck a unique deal with Response-Service-Initiative (RSI), Inc. to bring two of the manufacturing company's divisions to Kyle. Under the agreement, RSI will bring as many as 200 jobs into Kyle over the next five years. In turn, the Kyle will reimburse RSI, Inc. for their land purchase based on the number of jobs created and retained. The reimbursement is doubled if the person holding the job lives in Kyle. RSI's products support military, aerospace, oil, homeland security, and medical markets.

Bastrop

Surrounded by beautiful pine trees and scenic vistas, Bastrop is best known as Central Texas' own emerald jewel, and rightfully earning it the name "Home of the Lost Pines." Located just 30 miles east of Austin in Bastrop County and nestled along the banks of the Colorado River, Bastrop offers a variety of choices for those looking to make a home in a small-town setting. In fact, going by the numbers and looking at the current growth trends, it doesn't look as though Bastrop's newfound popularity will end anytime soon. With a current population of a little more than 7,000 inside the city limits and nearly 70,000 within the county, Bastrop is second only to Williamson County in percentage growth and positioned for even more as people find its natural beauty, good schools and affordability offer a cost-effective option to living in Austin.

Housing options in Bastrop are just as diverse as its population. Those who prefer old fashioned country living with a home on some acreage for a "get away from it all" feeling will find Bastrop's historic charm irresistible, while whose who prefer convenience and affordable housing choices are drawn in by Bastrop's housing development boom and its easy accessibility to Austin. Retail stores ranging from the cute little boutiques in Bastrop's historic downtown to the Super Wal-Mart and H-E-B provide convenient shopping for residents. School-age children attend classes in academically recognized schools in the Bastrop Independent School District, one of the largest school districts in Texas. A recent $23.4 million school bond issue passed in 2005 that will allow for the renovation and expansion of Bastrop High School.With all of the new construction there is an underlying pride in the settlement founded by Stephen F. Austin and named in honor of his friend, the Baron de Bastrop. The historic downtown area boasts of 135 historic homes on the national registry, and is home to the Bastrop Opera House, originally built in 1889 and now home to theatre productions, children's theater shows and Bastrop's annual Yesterfest Pioneer Heritage Festival.