Homes in Travis Heights
The Travis Heights neighborhood features everything from modern apartments, to grand historic homes, to modern new construction, though the norm is a colorful two-bedroom, one bathroom mid century bungalow.
History of the Neighborhood
It was founded in 1912 by Newning, Swisher and General Stacy, but development did not expand rapidly until the 1920s. The city park located along Blunn Creek in Travis Heights was donated by Stacy and bears his name, Stacy Park, as does the “Big Stacy” spring-fed pool and the “Little Stacy” park and swimming pool, built as a WPA project during the Great Depression.
Originally conceived as an exclusive district for the wealthy, the adjacent development of Fairview Park was first developed in the late 19th century but did not really take off. It was not until the 1920s when Travis Heights was developed next to it, that life south of the river was a reasonable venture. Now, with a great mix of mansions, smaller homes, and hip apartments, Travis Heights is among the most desirable residential neighborhoods in Austin. Proximity to South Congress, Downtown Austin, and the major freeways also make Travis Heights one of the best-positioned areas in South Austin.
About the Neighborhood
Travis Heights is a funky unconventional neighborhood known for the bohemian lifestyle of its eclectic residents. It is full of bright homes, decorated yards, winding streets and dramatic hills. Homeowners here have easy access to the South Congress entertainment district and all the vintage shops, restaurants, eateries and boutiques that call “SoCo” home.
Two city parks Big Stacy Park and Little Stacy Park run through the neighborhood and are connected by the Blunn Creek Greenbelt. The parks have wading pools, swimming pools, playground, tennis courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, playing fields, picnic tables and barbeque pits.
Attractions
The main road through Travis Heights is SoCo (South Congress) Avenue that offers eateries, funky boutiques, shopping, various restaurants, street musicians, pop-up vendors, and a vibrant nightlife. Tourists and residents love walking SoCo Avenue to frequent gourmet restaurants such as Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, Vespaio, along with a variety of casual eateries such as Torchy’s taco bars, Guero’s, Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Home Slice Pizza, and Magnolia Café.
If you love shopping, from antiques to cowboy boots to souvenirs, you will find it at shops like Allen’s Boots, Uncommon Objects, and Parts & Labour. If you enjoy going out at night, make sure to visit C-Boy’s Heart & Soul Bar, Ego’s, and the Continental Club. For even more entertainment talk a walk across the South Congress Avenue Bridge which takes you into downtown. While you are out and about stop to watch the bats that live under this bridge that fly out as soon as the sun goes down
Public Schools
Travis Heights Elementary School is an above average school in Austin, TX. It has 503 students in grades PK-5 and has a student teacher ration of 14 to 1. 49% of students are proficient in math while 44% of students are proficient in English.
Travis Heights Elementary School is a community built on collaboration—among students, teachers, families and partners—that celebrates individuality and diversity. Working together, Thunderbirds create an exciting educational environment for all students to learn, serve and lead.
Lively Middle School is an above average school with 1,175 students in grades 6-8. The student teacher ratio is 16 to 1. 50% of the students are proficient in math while 50% of the students are proficient in reading.
Lively Middle School, located on historic South Congress Avenue and just down the street from the Texas Capitol, serves approximately 1,000 students. Lively was founded in 1886 and has been in its current location since 1911. Lively is proud of its rich history of educating Austin’s children. Our mission, “To provide educational opportunities that inspire global thinking and social responsibility,” is met through diverse course offerings and rich extracurricular activities.
The Lively Humanities and Law Magnet for International Studies offers advanced academic programming that provides engaging coursework and that both challenges and supports students. The three strands of humanities, law and international studies provide the basis for a wide array of unique academic and award-winning fine arts electives that are found exclusively at Lively. Magnet students enroll in specialized language arts and social studies courses, where they enjoy accelerated, cross curricular project-based learning.
In the 2014–15 school year, Lively began offering dual-language courses to our sixth-grade students to support the district’s dual-language programming that has been in place in elementary schools. Our Dual Language Program provides students the ability to become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural through high-level cognitive instructional practice.
Travis Early College High School is a highly rated public school with 1,243 students and a 15 to 1 student teacher ratio. 58% of students are proficient in math while 32% of students are proficient in reading. Travis Early College High School has a rich history of serving students in South Austin since it opened in 1953 as Austin’s first high school south of the Colorado River. Travis High School welcomes students with a faculty and staff dedicated to student success. Diverse academic offerings, strong athletics and fine arts programs, and other extracurricular activities provide students with a range of opportunities to pursue their interests.
In addition to offering more than a dozen Career and Technical Education courses, Travis is also the district’s newest Early College High School. This partnership with Austin Community College provides students with the opportunity to earn an associate degree while still in high school. Travis students come from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to achieve academic excellence and pursue their passions, consistently placing among the best in the state in the arts and athletics.
