By Michele Chan Santos
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Throughout Austin, there are neighborhoods that are hidden treasures. With tall trees and quiet streets, these close-knit communities have names that aren’t familiar to most people in town. They can be a little bit hard to find, but that only adds to their charm.
These neighborhoods are sought after by home buyers who have heard of them for their peaceful nature and solidly built homes. Four gems we’ve discovered in Austin are Castlewood Forest, Hidden Estates, Senna Hills and Granada Hills.
Castlewood Forest
This neighborhood in South Austin sits west of Manchaca Road and south of William Cannon Drive, in the 78748 ZIP code. On two sides it is bordered by the better-known Tanglewood Forest neighborhood. There are about 300 homes in this subdivision, built in the 1960s and 1970s. The neighborhood was developed by the late Don West, who joined with builders L.A. Felder, Don Leach and Art Thompson in building houses in this community.
Castlewood Forest, as its name indicates, is filled with trees. Towering live oaks and cedar elms shade the houses. Most of the lots are more than half an acre in size, and the properties are characterized by large, shady front lawns. Homes in this area are priced from $150,000 to more than $300,000. In the 1960s and 1970s, Castlewood was home to many families of people stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base, and many retired military men and women still live in the neighborhood, says Nolen Stanford. He and his wife, Joy Stanford, are among the retired Air Force families who live in Castlewood Forest; they are real estate agents with Keller Williams Realty and have sold many homes in this area through the years. They moved to Castlewood Forest in the 1970s after Nolen Stanford retired from the Air Force after 29 years.
“Because we are sort of secluded and no one really knows about us, there is not a lot of through traffic,” Nolen Stanford says. “People feel safe here. People come from other areas to walk their dogs and children here. They like the neighborhood because it’s peaceful.”
Residents in this area can join the Castlewood-Oak Valley neighborhood association for a donation of $10 per year. Oak Valley is the neighborhood just north of Castlewood.
The Stanfords are the listing agents for 2403 Comburg Castle Way. This house has four bedrooms, two stories and 2,334 square feet, and is listed at $259,500. A contract is pending on the house. The homeowner is Donald Bjornson, a retired Air Force colonel who recently moved to Illinois to be closer to his grown children.
The house was built in 1974 and has been owned by Bjornson since 1975. It features terrazzo floors in the foyer and cherry floors in the formal living, dining and family rooms. The family room fireplace is surrounded by antique Dutch tile. The kitchen offers Corian counters, double ovens, a gas cooktop and tile floors. The master bedroom and three other bedrooms on the second floor recently have been painted and have new carpet. An attractive in-ground pool and a large screened porch sit in the backyard.
Hidden Estates
Many Austinites have driven by Hidden Estates for years without knowing it was there. This neighborhood is in far Northwest Austin, ZIP code 78727. You reach it by taking the southbound access road of MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) south of Howard Lane and turning right on McNeil Drive, crossing some railroad tracks. You also can enter the neighborhood off Howard Lane.
This is an area with handsome houses, tall trees, large lots and country roads. It feels secluded, as if you’ve stepped back into another time. You can barely hear the cars on MoPac because of the trees.
“What I like about living here is that it has that feeling of being in the country,” says homeowner Cecelia Wampler. “It is truly secluded. You see deer, wild turkeys, armadillos and an abundance of birds. I can come home, and once you drive into the neighborhood, you just have that peaceful feeling of the country.”
Friends coming to their neighborhood for the first time “are always surprised, without fail, to find it here,” she says. “Some have said, ‘I didn’t know this existed in here.’u2009”
There are fewer than 50 houses in this area. When they go on the market, they are generally priced in the $400,000 to $500,000 range. There are no homeowners association fees here.
Wampler, retired from Southwestern Bell, and her husband, Wayland, an accountant, have put their house at 4100 Del Robles Drive on the market. The property has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and 3,813 square feet, on 1.1 acres, and is listed at $459,000 by Patricia Smith of Keller Williams Realty. It has a contract pending.