500 Terrace Dr, Austin, TX 78704

4,004 total sq ft per approved plans: main home 3,380 (3 levels) plus a 624 sq ft detached ADU. A few blocks off South Congress on a 0.17-acre corner lot in Travis Heights, with downtown skyline views from the upper floors. Jo's, Home Slice, Perla's, June's, Hotel San José, and the Continental Club are a short walk up the street, and South First (Elizabeth Street Café, Lenoir, Bouldin Creek Café) is an easy walk beyond. Little Stacy Park and the Blunn Creek trail are steps away, Big Stacy's spring-fed pool a short walk beyond.

The main home was completed in 2026 and everything inside is new: wide-plank floors, cabinetry, Level 5 walls. Interior walls came out to open the plan, with beam work by a licensed structural engineer. A floor-to-ceiling fireplace wall anchors the living room, which opens to a kitchen built around a 48-inch pro range with double ovens and a pot filler, a waterfall quartz island seating five under three glass pendants, walnut-tone flat-panel cabinets, and a glass door to the lawn. Vaulted dining room, separate study.

4 bed, 3.5 bath in the main home. Primary suite: treetop windows on two walls, freestanding tub against a fluted wood-tone tile wall, open wet room with a rain head, double walnut vanity with backlit mirrors, walk-in closets with built-ins. The third floor is its own suite: vaulted bedroom, glass door to a private covered deck, full bath with a deep-blue tiled shower. Rooftop balcony off the front.

A limestone colonnade leads to the ADU, a permitted second dwelling with its own CO, HVAC, and water heater: full kitchen with island, full bath, living area, and a spiral stair to a finished loft (not in the sq ft). New steel carport, gated drive, big side and back lawn. All work done under two City of Austin permits with licensed trades, every inspection passed, 2026 COs on both structures. Permits, plans, and COs available. Select bedrooms virtually staged.

Travis Heights is home to Big Stacy Pool, a free, spring-fed swimming hole that most Austinites have never visited because they are too busy fighting for space at Barton Springs. That hidden quality defines the entire neighborhood. Travis Heights has been here since the 1920s, sitting on the bluffs above Lady Bird Lake, and it has managed to stay more residential and quiet than the buzzing corridors on every side. South Congress is one block west. Rainey Street is a short walk across the bridge. And yet the interior streets still feel like the Austin people romanticize.

The neighborhood occupies the high ground east of South Congress and south of Lady Bird Lake, running from the lake to Oltorf Street, with I-35 on the east. The streets climb and wind along bluffs, creating a layered landscape of old trees and homes with views toward downtown. The Congress Avenue Bridge bats are a five-minute walk. Downtown is across the bridge, ten minutes on foot. Perla's and June's All Day anchor South Congress to the west. Elizabeth Street Cafe serves Vietnamese-French pastries. Lenoir offers a farmhouse wine garden. Odd Duck does farm-to-table small plates. Otoko is one of the most exclusive reservations in the city. Emmer and Rye rounds out with inventive tasting menus.

Craftsman bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s make up the largest category, with wide porches and original wood siding. Tudor homes add steep gabled rooflines. Contemporary builds appear on teardown lots. Mid-Century homes fill blocks farther from the lake. A bungalow needing work starts around $700,000, while renovated or new construction with lake views can exceed $2.5 million. Lots are modest - a tenth to a quarter acre - but tree coverage and topographic variation make them feel larger.

Travis Heights Elementary carries a reputation for strong community involvement and a diverse student body. Students feed into Fulmore Middle School and Travis High School. The schools attract families who actively choose an urban public school experience: diverse populations and neighborhood identity. Parent engagement runs high. Private options are plentiful nearby, including Austin Montessori.

Blunn Creek Greenbelt runs through the interior, providing a shaded corridor for walking and nature play. Big Stacy Park has both the spring-fed pool and a neighborhood gathering point. Lady Bird Lake's boardwalk connects the south side to the east side. The Congress Avenue Bridge bats are part of the nightly routine March through October. Weekend mornings might start with coffee on a front porch, a walk to the South Congress farmers market, or a jog along the Butler Trail.

Travis Heights sits between South Congress's commercial energy and the quieter feel of Bouldin Creek. South Congress properties near the avenue carry a premium but sacrifice residential calm. Bouldin Creek offers similar vintage stock on flatter terrain with less lake proximity. East Austin has seen rapid appreciation but lacks the established canopy and topographic character. Travis Heights benefits from being close to everything without being consumed by it.

Travis Heights is for buyers who want the real, historic Austin experience with a ten-minute walk to downtown and South Congress. It fits families who value Craftsman bungalows and front-porch living, couples who want to walk to world-class restaurants, and anyone who believes the best neighborhoods are the ones that have been quietly getting it right for a hundred years.