Living in Onion Creek, Austin: A Family-Friendly Neighborhood With Plenty of Space

Named for the small waterway that winds its way through the neighborhood, Onion Creek, Austin, is a peaceful residential community in the south of the city. Full of oaks, pecans and cypress trees, and oriented around a golf course, this area provides a green respite from the bustling city just a few miles north. 

Where is Onion Creek, Austin?

Onion Creek lies 10 miles south of downtown Austin, south of Slaughter Lane and east of I-35. The creek itself is a tributary of the Colorado River, which cuts the state of Texas in half before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. 

Built around Onion Creek Country Club, the neighborhood is a short drive to the trails of the Onion Creek Greenbelt and McKinney Falls State Park.

History

Through much of the 1800s, Onion Creek, Austin, was the site of isolated, independent farmsteads. As the south Austin area grew in the later part of the century, residents established a few small communities with general stores and farming suppliers acting as mini “Main Streets.” 

 

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A post shared by Onion Creek Club (@onioncreekclub) on May 27, 2016 at 5:54pm PDT

The area remained mostly agrarian until local Austin golfer Jimmy Demaret and developer Jimmie Connolly purchased 750 acres of land in 1969. They envisioned a golf club and residential community on the site, taking advantage of the land’s natural contours to lay out the course. 

Today, the neighborhood is home to mid-sized single-family homes and apartment complexes. With space to spread out, apartments in Onion Creek have plenty of room for amenities like swimming pools, gyms and dog parks. 

Living in Onion Creek, Austin

Family-friendly and welcoming, Onion Creek is a pleasant community with plenty of activities in store.

What to do

Originally designed around the golf course, country club living can be part of the appeal to living in Onion Creek. The club offers golf memberships, tennis memberships, and “social” memberships that all include pool and dining facilities. 

If you love to golf but don’t think the club is right for you, the Roy Kizer Golf Course is a public option just 10 minutes away. It’s adjacent to McKinney Falls State Park, with hiking trails, biking, camping and fishing access. 

 

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Outdoorsy types can also hit the trails on horseback. Texas Trail Rides at Lone Star Ranch leads riding tours through the shady trails of Onion Creek. They also host summer camps for kids, getting them outside and into nature. 

A few minutes north, The Range at Austin provides a state-of-the-art gun range experience for beginners and experts alike. One-on-one classes, date nights and family nights with pizza dinner provide a one-of-a-kind way to spend an evening.

 

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And just across the highway, the Southpark Meadows retail complex provides access to a movie theater, shopping, spa services, fitness and more. On summer evenings, they play live music on a small stage called The Grove, surrounded by a grassy knoll perfect for picnics.

Where to eat and drink

There’s no shortage of dining options in Onion Creek, Austin. 

 

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A post shared by Opera Cafe & Coffeehouse (@operacafeaustin) on Jan 15, 2019 at 7:26am PST

Opera Cafe & Coffee House provides a neighborhood coffee experience, serving breakfast, salads and sandwiches. 

 

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A post shared by Prime Taco Grille (@primetacogrille) on Feb 8, 2020 at 6:05am PST

CraigO’s Pizza & Pastaria is a great local pizzeria serving brick-oven, East Coast style pizza. And Prime Taco Grille makes tasty Tex-Mex like tortilla soup, burritos, huevos rancheros and of course, tacos!

 

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Across I-35 in Southpark Meadows, there are even more options. Excellent Vietnamese noodles from Pho With Us, Indian cuisine from Jaipur Palace, BBQ from the Green Mesquite and plenty  more mean you can satisfy any craving. 

Moving to Onion Creek, Austin

Real estate snapshot

This quiet, well-managed neighborhood comes with plenty of space and larger than average apartments, so it’s the perfect home for young families looking for an airy community.

While the majority of its residents are homeowners, apartments in Onion Creek are cheaper than in many of Austin’s popular neighborhoods, with rents circling around $1,221. 

Transportation

Although Onion Creek, Austin is several miles south from the downtown area, close proximity to the highway makes it easy to travel north into the city, or south to Buda, Kyle, and eventually, San Antonio. And the short distance means residents don’t face the same traffic congestion as those who live in downtown neighborhoods.

Although most residents of Onion Creek have cars, there is a MetroBus bus line that reaches the area. By making a few connections, you can take the bus from Onion Creek to nearly anywhere in Austin.

Schools & employment

Schools are within easy distance of the Onion Creek community. Blazier Elementary is a high performing elementary school that includes dual-language programming in Spanish and English. 

Paredes Middle School also offers continuing classes for dual-language students. The school was named for 20th century Mexican-American scholar and folklorist, Américo Paredes. 

 

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High school students in Onion Creek will attend Akins High, one of the nation’s best high schools according to U.S. News and World Report. Akins has a robust STEM curriculum, as well as an Arts & Humanities Academy and an Academy of Business, Leadership & Legal Enterprises. 

For higher education, Onion Creek residents are 12 miles from the University of Texas, and 20 miles from Texas State University in San Marcos. Although Texas State is further, you don’t have to drive through downtown traffic to reach it.

Onion Creek is primarily residential. But easy access to I-35 and Hwy 290 makes it within a short driving distance of major Austin employers like the City of Austin, the IRS in southeast Austin, and the new Zoho HQ and Tesla plants coming soon.

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