Known to many people as "the Clarksville area" because of a tiny freedmen’s colony that grew up here, Old West Austin is a remarkably intact community of 1,500 or so homes, local businesses, schools, and parks. What’s remarkable is that Austin has no local ordinance protecting such historic districts, meaning the residents must maintain the high quality of life. "Everyone trots down to the city council whenever there’s a threat to neighborhood integrity," says historic preservation consultant Terri Myers. That includes Old West Austin’s walkable streets, locally owned shops and restaurants, and diverse residents. Says Terri, "It’s a great neighborhood for people of all walks of life."

Location: 1 mile west of the state capitol building

Map it: West Austin Park

Number of homes: 1,500

What $300,000 will buy you: a two-bedroom cottage on the ungentrified fringe

Closest latte: Sweetish Hill Café and Bakery

For more info: owana.org

photography: Megan Thompson

Homes: The oldest cottages are in Clarksville, a three-block section named for Charles Clark, who led a group of emancipated slaves to settle here in 1871. Starting in 1910, wood-frame homes grew up around the tiny community—Craftsman bungalows and a few Tudor Revival houses—most of them less than 1,500 square feet. Along streets like Theresa and Patterson, where homes are almost intact, says Terri Myers, there’s an "uninterrupted rhythm to the streets."

People: What was originally a working-class neighborhood is now a healthy mix of professionals, clock-punchers, at-home entrepreneurs, and artists. Throughout the year, they gather for association meetings and host various events, including fundraising socials at restaurants and Clean Sweep, a communal cleanup coinciding with Keep Austin Beautiful month.

Shops and Hangouts: The pace of change has made Austinites especially touchy about the influx of chain stores. That’s one reason Old West Austin’s so special: Residents shop for food at Fresh Plus, an icon for decades that’s been called the “neighborhood’s pantry”; they buy Latin American textiles, ceramics, and jewelry at El Interior; they sip coffee at Sweetish Hill Café and Bakery; and they eat a fine meal at Jeffrey’s Restaurant and Bar. Each is locally owned, and each is more than a quarter-century old.

Greenspace: West Austin Park is a beloved gathering spot for people and dogs. There’s an interesting round swimming pool built in the 1930s, a Tudoresque bathhouse, and nice limestone retaining walls leading down to Town Lake.

Cottage Twist: Nau Enfield Drug, on West Lynn Street in the heart of Old West Austin’s shopping district, opened in 1951 with wooden booths, mint-green tabletops, a curved soda bar, and swivel stools. Hardly a thing has changed, inspiring one Austinite to call Nau’s "the time machine perfected." Wait for your prescriptions to be filled while sipping a malted milk shake whipped up in a vintage mixer.