Bouldin Creek, Austin, Texas

Bouldin Creek is an older neighborhood in Austin, Texas, originally created at the turn of the 20th century. With several historic homes remaining from that era, and countless more from the period of rapid growth in the 1920s and 1930s that followed, this neighborhood has an undeniable historic charm. Bouldin Creek is also highly diverse, with a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and architectural styles blending together, resulting in a neighborhood that is uniquely Austin.

One of Bouldin Creek's homes

Bouldin Creek is bordered by South Congress to the east, the Union Pacific railroad track to the west, Barton Springs to the north, and West Oltorf to the south. It includes two major commercial areas, South First and South Congress. Given its proximity to these areas, and to Downtown Austin, the neighborhood has changed dramatically as result of gentrification.

The neighborhood has several local historical sites including the Victorian mansion Green Pastures, which once belonged to famous Austinite John Henry Faulk, and the St. Anne African Methodist Episcopal Church (originally constructed in 1916) on Newton Street. In the South First area, the Mexican bakeries, tattoo parlors, art galleries, and unusual shops reflect the changing ethnic and social identity of the neighborhood. Another integral part of the neighborhood is the Texas School for the Deaf. The campus occupies the entire area bounded by South Congress, Elizabeth Street, Barton Springs Road, and South First. Originally created in the mid-19th century, the school underwent a massive renovation and expansion during the early 1990s.

The Bouldin Creek Neighborhood Association (BCNA, http://www.bouldincreek.org/) arbitrates development and city initiatives with the neighborhood's residents.