Living in Tarrytown

What It's Like Living in Tarrytown / Clarksville

Tarrytown sits west of downtown Austin along Lake Austin, on the Colorado River — a tree-canopied, low-density pocket that trades city density for space and quiet without giving up a short commute back into the core. Its neighbor Clarksville, just west of downtown between MoPac Expressway and Lamar Boulevard, has an unusually deep history for Austin: founded in the 1870s by freedman Charles Clark, it's recognized as one of the oldest surviving freedom colonies in Texas and sits on the National Register of Historic Places today.

Homes & Architecture

The housing stock is genuinely varied — 1920s cottages and Tudor homes sit near mid-century ranches and newer architect-designed builds, with lot size and mature landscaping doing a lot of the work on price. Single-family homes commonly list above $1.5 million, while Clarksville's boutique condos offer a lower-cost way into the same neighborhood.

Schools

The area is served by Austin ISD, including Casis Elementary School and O. Henry Middle School, with private options nearby such as The Girls' School of Austin and Rawson Saunders School.

What to Love

• Lakefront living directly on Lake Austin, with easy access to boating and watersports
• A small-town, walkable feel just minutes from downtown
• Some of Austin's highest-rated schools
• A genuinely good dining scene, from casual coffee to fine dining
• Real green space — parks, a nature preserve, and a golf course nearby

Local Favorites

Mozart's Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin is the neighborhood's go-to for coffee and a lakeside patio; Josephine House and Jeffrey's cover fine dining, while Clark's and Littlefield's Tacos + Coffee handle the more casual end. For time outdoors, Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve and The Contemporary Austin at Laguna Gloria are both close by.

Demographic figures via U.S. Census Bureau, as published on Noa's Tarrytown/Clarksville neighborhood page.