Upper Boggy Creek - Austin, TX

Born in early city developments that encouraged Austin's income and racial divide, the area consisted of an increasingly concentrated population of African Americans from the 1930s to the 1960s when the neighborhood-bordering Interstate 35 was constructed. However, over time as UT Austin grew, a growing number of students and young singles began moving to the area.

Now the neighborhood rests as a combination of both generations of residents, with many families residing alongside groups of students and young professionals.

No museums rest directly within Upper Boggy Creek, but just a short distance across Interstate 35 and onto the UT Austin campus yields many, including the LBJ Presidential Library, which presents exhibits, tours and old records about "Landslide Lyndon." The area contains a rich art scene as well, with mainstays such as Salvage Vanguard Theater and Vortex Repertory Co. entertaining guests with alternative and original theater.

Considering the highly residential makeup of the neighborhood, options for eating out are varied and plentiful. At Haymaker, craft beer meets incredible local sandwiches. The Croque Monsieur combines applewood-smoked ham and Grand Cru gruyére with dijon mustard. To capitalize on the gruyere sauce its soaked in, be sure to upgrade to a Croque Madame with a fried egg on top.

Just down the street at Hoover's Cooking, home cooking meets some of the friendliest service you can imagine in its wood-covered dining room. If you have room after a Po' boy or chicken fried steak, cobbler for dessert is well worth your while.

Once you've enjoyed one of these eateries, relaxed spots like Butterfly Bar offer local beers and relaxed outdoor seating in repurposed schoolhouses and other neat venues. Or head back over to Haymaker, where you can enjoy a nightcap while playing ring toss games or billiards with friends.

Whether passing through or staying in Upper Boggy Creek, it's no trouble getting from place to place. The Capital Metro buses service the area, along with Metro Rail which feeds directly into downtown Austin. With its proximity to campus and increasingly youthful population, Upper Boggy Creek residents and guests also can hail the occasional taxi or easily call for one, while Uber rides are never more than a few minutes away.

Public parking is usually free though in limited portions of the neighborhood a residential permit is required for some or all hours. Access to Interstate 35 is very easy to the west, and Airport Boulevard on the eastern border leads drivers to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport after several miles.

The area's residents overwhelmingly choose to walk or ride bikes from place to place within the neighborhood, but many families continue to drive. But if you choose to walk or ride, bike lanes and sidewalks on some of the more major streets like Manor allow for just that, and most smaller streets don't receive much traffic, making them safe for use.

Several very small parks sit within Upper Boggy Creek's boundaries. Alamo Pocket Park has a small recreational area, while Cherrywood Park and Willowbrook Reach provide simple patches of grass and fields for visitors to enjoy.

The largest park in the neighborhood is Patterson Park, which plays host to many picnic tables and a skate park, and draws runners and exercise and yoga classes. Visit all these parks free of charge, and look for signs designating specific areas where your furry friends can play as well.

Annual activities are primarily local and neighborhood events, though the nearby Mueller area hosts many large events for the city of Austin. However, annual parades for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday and Juneteenth celebrate the rich history of the area and travel down East MLK Jr. Boulevard. For more events and recreation, visitors can head right across I-35, where UT Austin provides year-round events and numerous fields with exercise equipment.

The cost of living in Upper Boggy Creek is just slightly higher than the city average. With easy public options and close proximity to the Metro Rail and Downtown itself, public transportation runs anywhere from $1 to $4, depending on the specific Capital Metro service, with day and week passes running more expensive but with greater value for commuters.

The median rent for a one-bedroom residence comes in at $999, capitalizing on campus proximity, but entertainment in the neighborhood runs at a high cost as well. Many bars and night spots host cheap happy hours and specials, but with a focus on craft beers, you might not satiate your thirst easily for under $3 to $6. Gas prices fall at about 5.5 percent less than the national average, encouraging those who plan to drive in or through the neighborhood.

Though no large shopping centers or malls reside in the area, many small boutiques and interesting shops line the edges of the Upper Boggy Creek.

Zebra Smoke Shop chills out visitors with its wide selection of novelty pipes, E-Cigarettes and smoking accessories, and sits right off Interstate 35. Windmill Bicycles keeps the neighborhood's riders on the go with repairs, friendly service, rentals and occasional movie nights.

When they aren't eating out, residents can head to Latin superstores like Fiesta, but make quick trips to local shops like in.gredients, where they can acquire bulk grocery items that are locally sourced. Other more traditional local stores include the nearby Lone Star Family Market and Main Stop on Airport Boulevard. Just across Airport as well, the Mueller neighborhood hosts a farmers' market that presents the best of the area's greens and veggies.