Central Austin Properties
Ken Altes, REALTOR
Ken Altes, REALTOR
Hyde Park Neighborhood
Hyde Park was originally developed by Monroe Martin Shipe in 1891 as a streetcar suburb with a large artificial lake. While the lake was filled in long ago, Hyde Park is still known for its beautiful tree-lined streets and its great diversity of residents, buildings and land uses. It is now home to small, local shops serving everything from buttermilk-dipped fries at Hyde Park Bar and Grill to vegetarian fare at Mother's as well as a large shopping center.
Before the creation of Hyde Park, the State Fair of Texas was held in the eastern sections of Hyde Park from 1875 until it was moved to Dallas in 1884. A portion of the State Fair's horseracing track is still reflected in the curved segment of 39th Street between Avenue F and Duval Street. The Shipe House, also known as Shadowlawn, was built along this curve using the style and the actual wood from the grandstands.
In 1892 sculptor Elisabet Ney built a small castle-style studio, named Formosa, in northwest Hyde Park. The studio is now the home of the Elisabet Ney Museum.
Hyde Park's closeness to the University of Texas at Austin and downtown has made it popular with faculty, graduate students and young professionals.
I lived in Hyde Park for most of my college days. It is a great walking and cycling neighborhood.
