Tarrytown & Clarksville

The feel of Tarrytown & Clarksville

West of MoPac and south of 35th Street, Tarrytown is where old Austin money has lived for a century, and it carries that ease lightly. The streets bend around live oaks that predate the houses; the houses run from 1930s brick traditionals to new limestone-and-steel builds; and the rhythm of life is organized around a handful of institutions — Deep Eddy Pool (the oldest swimming pool in Texas), Lions Municipal Golf Course, Mayfield Park with its resident peacocks, and the little Tarrytown shopping center on Exposition where errands still feel like a small town.

Clarksville, tucked between MoPac and downtown, is the more compact, more walkable counterpart. Founded in 1871, it is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin, protected by a National Register historic district, and its narrow streets mix restored cottages with some of the city’s best restaurants — Jeffrey’s and Josephine House sit on a residential corner, and Fresh Plus grocery has anchored West Lynn for generations.

Who does this pair suit? Buyers who want central Austin permanence: proximity to downtown, top-tier public schools, lake access, and streets that will look substantially the same in thirty years. It’s popular with established professionals, families trading up for Casis, and downtown executives who want a real yard ten minutes from the office. Who should think twice? Anyone price-sensitive, anyone wanting new construction on a big flat lot, and anyone who’d rather not compete in a market where the best homes often trade quietly.

Schools

The feeder pattern is the strongest in Austin ISD: Casis Elementary, O. Henry Middle School, and Austin High. Casis, on Exposition Boulevard, is genuinely a driver of home values here — families pay a premium specifically for the attendance zone, and have for decades. Austin High’s lakeside campus is a short drive or bike ride away.

The honest picture: this is AISD at its best, but it is still a large urban district with budget pressures, and O. Henry draws from a wider zone than Casis. Several of Austin’s most established private schools are also within a short drive, and some Tarrytown families use them from middle school onward. As always, we verify the current attendance zone for a specific address before you rely on it — boundaries can and do shift.

The commute

This is the neighborhood’s ace. Downtown is 5–10 minutes via Enfield Road or Lake Austin Boulevard — close enough that lunch at home is realistic. The Capitol complex and UT are similarly quick. MoPac runs along the eastern edge, which giveth (fast access north and south) and taketh away (traffic noise on the blocks nearest the highway — walk any property near MoPac at rush hour before you buy).

Heading north to the tech corridor, figure 20–25 minutes to the Domain via MoPac in normal conditions, more at peak. The airport runs 20–30 minutes. If your life is oriented west toward Eanes schools instead, compare with Westlake across the river — the price bands overlap more than people expect.

Property taxes and the teardown dynamic

Effective property tax rates run roughly 1.8–2.0% of market value — City of Austin, Travis County, Austin ISD, Central Health, no MUDs. On a $2M property that is real money annually, so model it carefully; Texas has no income tax, but it collects at the courthouse.

The structural story of Tarrytown for twenty years has been teardown-rebuild. Original 1940s–1960s homes on quarter-acre lots are routinely purchased for land value, and new construction in the $3M–$6M range replaces them. That dynamic supports values but changes blocks — if you buy a charming original home, expect construction next door at some point. In Clarksville, the National Register historic district and local preservation rules constrain demolition and exterior changes on contributing structures, which is exactly why the streetscape has survived; budget time for design review if you plan to renovate there. We help clients understand, lot by lot, whether a property’s value is in the structure or the dirt — it changes the negotiation entirely.

What you’ll find

Tarrytown’s stock spans 1930s brick and white-painted traditionals, midcentury ranches, 1980s–1990s remodels, and a steady supply of new custom builds — limestone, stucco, and the modern farmhouse vernacular that has colonized West Austin. Lots typically run 0.2 to 0.4 acres, larger near the lake. Clarksville is cottages and bungalows on small lots, plus a meaningful condo and townhome layer that provides the area’s most accessible entry point.

Per Redfin and Zillow public market data as of mid-2026, Tarrytown’s median sale price sits around $1.5M–$1.6M, with originals from roughly $900K–$1.3M and new or fully renovated homes commonly $2.5M–$4M+; Clarksville trades in a wide band — condos from the $500Ks–$700Ks, houses generally $900K–$2M+ — verify current, since low transaction counts make these medians swing. Buyers who love the walkable-historic feel at a lower price point should also look at Hyde Park east of campus; buyers prioritizing parks and the greenbelt lifestyle often cross-shop Zilker and Barton Hills south of the river.