South Austin 

The part of the city of Austin, Texas, that is south of the Colorado River. Can be further divided into northern, southern, and eastern sections.

The northern neighborhoods are surrounded by MoPac, Ben White, I-35, and the Colorado River. They hold Zilker Park, SoCo, St. Edward's University, Barton Springs, and the "Greetings from Austin" mural. This part of South Austin has gentified very quickly, now being primarily upper-middle-class white people. This area of the city was originally built up in the early 1900s, so it has many century-old bungalows and live oak trees.

The southern area is boxed by Ben White, I-35, Mopac, and Slaughter Lane, and is more laid-back and affordable, being one of the last parts of the city to experience a population boom. There aren't as many attractions here as in other parts of the city, but there are some nice nature trails and local restaurants. A lot of these neighborhoods were built in the 1960s and 1970s, so it looks more suburban and feels less vibrant compared to northern areas.

The eastern section is quite similar to East Austin, being mostly Latino and Black. For a long time, the Southeast Side, Montopolis, and Del Valle neighborhoods were some of the poorest parts of the city, but they've been getting wealthier like the rest of the city. This area is actually pretty suburban, even though it's really close to Downtown Austin. The airport is nearby, as are some golf courses, McKinney Falls State Park, and the Onion Creek Greenbelt.

Person A: I'm heading down to Barton Springs this weekend!
Person B: Oh cool, I was at Zilker Park with my friends from St. Ed's last week!
Person A: South Austin's just so fun!
Person B: It really is, as long as you're careful around Montopolis!

South Austin by lilllymoscovitz June 19, 2023