East Austin — specifically the area east of I-35 between the river and 12th Street — has undergone the most dramatic transformation of any Austin neighborhood in the last 15 years.
What it was: Historically Black and Latino. Blue-collar. Affordable. The kind of neighborhood where everyone knew each other, kids played in the street, and the corner store had been there for 40 years. East Austin's culture — the food, the music, the community — was a core part of what made Austin, Austin.
What it is now:
- Craft cocktail bars next to auto shops
- $800K townhomes on streets where houses were $150K in 2010
- The best restaurant scene in Austin (Suerte, Nixta Taqueria, Launderette) is almost entirely on the East Side
- New apartment complexes everywhere, most marketed as "luxury"
The displacement:
- Property taxes pushed longtime homeowners out. When your home value goes from $150K to $600K, your tax bill triples even if you don't sell.
- The businesses changed. The tire shops and taquerias became breweries and co-working spaces.
- The culture that attracted people to East Austin in the first place is being erased by the people who moved there because of it.
What's being done:
- The Community Development Commission has programs for homestead tax freezes for seniors
- Community land trusts on the East Side are acquiring property to keep it affordable
- Some new developments include affordable units (usually 10-15% of the building)
Source: Austin American-Statesman gentrification series, Travis County Appraisal District data, community organization statements
The restaurants on the East Side are incredible. Suerte, Nixta, Launderette, Kemuri Tatsu-ya. But every time I eat at one I think about what used to be in that building.