East Austin’s Holly District
We’re staying in East Austin, a rapidly growing area near Downtown that is described as diverse, eclectic, and energetic. Our neighborhood is called the Holly District. Although I did most of my walking on the trail around Lady Bird Lake, there was a lot to discover on the residential streets of Holly.
I found a piece of history when I took at closer look at buildings across the street from our cottage. Santa Rita Courts was the first public housing project funded by FDR’s Housing Act of 1937. It was built especially for Mexican-American families; other sites were built nearby for African-American familes and white families. These three Austin housing projects were segregated until the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
Gentrification is in full swing, with newly built houses everywhere. Most have a modern, California-ish style: boxy, minimalist design, black-and-white color scheme, drought tolerant garden, and house numbers in a clean, modern font. Thanks to local zoning, many lots have been split in two, with unit A in front and unit B behind, with not much yard left for either one.
The Holly District has a cool, artsy vibe. There’s an interesting variety of restaurants, bars, clubs (comedy and jazz), and breweries. Street art is everywhere! With its proximity to good food, good music, and Lady Bird Lake, we would probably choose to stay in this neighborhood again on future visits.
