Getty Images We’ve closed up shop for the time being Dear readers, We’re writing with some news: We’ve closed up shop at Curbed Austin for the time being, and we’re leaving our homepage curated with our some of our best and most resourceful stories. Meanwhile, our national site will continue to report on how changes in the housing market could affect you, feature striking homes from around the country, and distill the latest design trends. You can also follow Curbed on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook—where we also host groups for fans of midcentury modern houses and interiors and campers, van ..read more

Shutterstock From Mueller to Montopolis Most Austin residents know that the city was originally called Waterloo, but not everyone knows why or how various Austin neighborhoods got their names. Some of them are straightforward, while the stories behind others remain obscure. But even if we can’t always trace their specific origins, the names of some of Austin’s most well known neighborhoods allow us to trace their layered histories—stories often embedded in slavery, racism, segregation and displacement—and invite further investigation of Austin’s past. Bouldin Creek This neighborhood, spanning ..read more

1105 Azie Morton Road | Courtesy of the Marye Company Built in 1956 by A.D. Stenger Of all the Stengers left in Austin—homes by midcentury-modern architect and builder A.D. Stenger, that is—this one-story wonder in Zilker is undoubtedly one of the best and most well kept. Yes, you can quibble about whether the ceilings should be white or bathrooms contemporized; you will be pointed to the original stonework, the amazing front facade and chimney, the carport, the cork floors, and the clerestory windows, for starters. Built in 1956, the original home has an addition and a recent kitchen and dini ..read more

Home work space of Michael Hsu | Chase Daniel He has tips for yours, too It’s hard to overstate Michael Hsu Office of Architecture’s impact on Austin. Since 2005—and before that, if you count the designer’s tenure at Dick Clark and Associates—Hsu and company have been defining and redefining how the city functions and how it looks with a staggeringly large number and variety of significant building and interior projects, most of them small-scale, neighborhood-focused, and stylistically distinctive. Whether game-changing developments (Lamar Union, Fareground, Saltillo), innovative spaces for bu ..read more

Edgeland House in Austin | Courtesy of Apple TV+ Edgeland House speaks to ecologies past and present Whether it’s ironic or appropriate or both to be sequestered in our homes on this year’s Earth Day (say it with me now, “due to the novel coronavirus pandemic”), there’s nothing like a quarantine to lend some perspective to the whole affair. While there has been no small amount of focus on contemporary human dwelling places—recast as refuge, panic rooms, and work space, among other things—the pandemic has also caused us to view our natural environment in a new way. With only a tiny fraction of ..read more

Katie Haugland Bowen/Creative Commons The new decree lasts through May 8 Update: Travis County’s stay-at-home order has been extended until 11:59 p.m. May 8. The order also requires face coverings. Residents over the age of 10 must now wear a face covering over their nose and mouth when when conducting essential work or activities in public. That includes when they are in public building, using public transportation or ride shares, pumping gas, and while outside when six feet of physical distancing cannot be consistently maintained. A face covering is not required when eating, riding in a pers ..read more

1413 Berkshire Drive | Via Mungia Real Estate An updated Windsor Park home with flair Parts of Windsor Park specialize in those long, wide streets, lined with trees and small homes, that evoke the kind of pastoral suburbia it was probably meant to be and never quite was. This one-story, brick home is located on one of those streets and, while certainly completely remodeled since its 1955 build date, retains qualities that evoke its origins—with updates that speak to the era’s beloved forms of flair. The 1,416-square-foot home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It features built-in bookcases ..read more

8506 Ruddington Drive | Via ListingSpark The also-alluring asking price is $275K At 892 square feet, this spiffy one-story home isn’t really even small enough to qualify as a tiny house or even a small apartment. But, being as it’s freestanding, has a lawn, and is located in the Far South Austin suburb of Buckingham Estates, it’s understandable that it might be seen that way—especially when compared to your average single-family home on the local market. Built in 1982, the brick-and-frame home was renovated in 2017. It now has a vaulted ceiling with a custom cedar beam in the living area, shak ..read more

The bungalow at 5406 Avenue H. | SEED Property Group A move-in ready property twice over It’s been a good week for North Loop listings. First, there was the petite but lovely Avenue G house that proved good things can come in small packages. Next up, this nearly twice-as-large (and twice as costly) Avenue H bungalow with an added bonus in the backyard. The house has loads of curb appeal, with two large and lush trees and a delightful teal front door. Inside the home, the palette takes a turn to decidedly more neutral hues. The kitchen is done up with white cabinetry, stainless steel applian ..read more

Which home would you choose? Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent or buy for a set dollar amount in various Austin neighborhoods. Today’s price: $450,000 (or thereabouts). Vote for your favorite below. Zilker 2525 South Lamar Boulevard #214 via Coldwell Banker A two-bedroom, two-bathroom corner condo with 11-foot ceilings and concrete floors is on the market for $450,000. The 1,277-square-foot digs features granite countertops, Bosch stainless steel appliances, and a master bedroom with a walk-in closet. The Zilker condo also features a d ..read more