Clarksville, an Austin Neighborhood

By Jackie Potts

John Guffey looks at the youngsters playing in his Clarksville neighborhood and sees the Rainbow Coalition. "That's what I call them," said Guffey. "You see all kinds of kids on skateboards or bicycles. I don't see kids anywhere else get such a mix of neighbors. We have all kinds of people with all kinds of lifestyles."

Guffey bought his house in the near West Austin neighborhood 20 years ago when many considered the area to be "seedy" and mortgage companies wouldn't finance homes there. Today Clarksville, named after Charles Clark who led a group of freed slaves to settle in the area in 1871, is one of the hottest-selling markets. The neighborhood is listed in the National Register of Historic Homes.

Doctors, lawyers, architects and restaurant owners and waiters call Clarksville home. The neighborhood boundaries recognized by the historical register are West Lynn Street on the east, MoPac Boulevard to the west, Ninth Street on the south and Waterston Avenue on the north. Most people, however, consider Clarksville to include all the area from Lamar Boulevard to MoPac Boulevard and Sixth Street to Enfield Road.

Homes are all pier and beam, and built between 1910 and 1930. All homes have hardwood floors, with older ones boasting oak floors. Many homes are built from long leaf pine, a tree that was found locally back then, but is no longer available.

Many of the homes are small with three bedrooms and two baths. There are a few smaller three-bedroom, one-bath homes. Sizes range from 700 to 6,000 square feet, although the majority of homes are 1,200 to 1,500 square feet. Most homes do not have garages, but most have driveways. The garages that do exist were once stables for horses.

In the past, students from The University of Texas lived in Clarksville although it's more difficult for students to own homes since prices have nearly quadrupled since then. However, its appeal keeps on growing. "I can walk to work," said Guffey, a waiter at Jeffrey's. "It's so close to downtown."

But Guffey said he "loves the feel of the neighborhood." "It's a wonderful mix of architecture and people," Guffey said. "People are pretty tolerant of different lifestyles and cultures." The University of Texas apartments for married students many of whom are international are in the neighborhood.

It's also a neighborhood where a new Mercedes-Benz may be parked in front of a renovated home next to a modest bungalow with a 20-year-old domestic car outside. It's not unusual to find these same homeowners sitting next to each other at the counter at Nau Enfield Drug enjoying hamburgers and milk shakes. Nau's, as it's affectionately known, is considered the heart of Clarksville.

There's plenty of retail along West Sixth Street. Antique shops, ice cream shops, bakeries, art galleries and restaurants line the popular thoroughfare. A couple of blocks east is the corner of Lamar Boulevard and Sixth Street where a major grocery store and book store anchor several smaller retail shops. Need to get to work fast? A few blocks in any direction gets drivers to MoPac Boulevard, Lamar Boulevard and Sixth Street. Some residents are known to bicycle to work downtown. Capital Metro also is an option. Within the neighborhood, people still walk and children ride bicycles under the shade of majestic old trees that have stood for a century or more. One of Austin's best-known trees the Treaty Oak is just outside Clarksville on Baylor between Sixth and Fifth streets.

Linda MacNeilage, chair of the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association, has lived in the area since 1970. "I was attracted to the historical nature of the community which reflected in the structure of the homes. The flavor of the neighborhood has a lot of appeal". The convienience of local grocery stores such as Fresh Plus are a great amenity. MacNeilage enjoys the restaurants in the area that boast a sense of community.

The neighborhood association keeps about 150 members apprised of zoning and traffic issues via a newsletter. Clarksville Park and West Austin Park are also in the neighborhood.