Lakeway • Bee Cave • Dripping Springs • Spicewood
Austinites with a love for hills and water seem to gravitate toward the western reaches of the Austin market. Lakeway is probably the dominant municipality with unbelievable 360-degree views. Bee Cave is smaller but it’s home to Hill Country Galleria, a regional outdoor shopping center with major department stores, Whole Foods and other top name retailers nearby.
Many of the homes across the western fringes sit on larger lots and are either custom or semi-custom homes. Noted communities include Rob Roy, Spanish Oaks, The Hills, Rough Hollow and Serene Springs. Currently Sweetwater is a popular new community, 22 miles from downtown Austin along Highway 71. It offers a wide variety of housing and price points.
Closer to Dripping Springs several other new communities have debuted in the past few years, including Caliterra, Headwaters, Arrowhead Ranch, Bunker Ranch Estates, Founder’s Ridge and Legacy Trails,
Belterra is another master-planned community off U.S. 290 and a bit closer to Austin. Residents there are rejoicing in the development of a new shopping center, Belterra Village, which is just beginning to deliver new and much needed retailers to the area.
Dripping Springs, meanwhile, delivers a cachet all its own. It is well known nationally for it’s Napa Valley-style vibe with several upscale wedding venues, vineyards, wine bars, breweries and distilleries. Hamilton Pool Preserve close by is one of the most scenic and popular water destinations in the country — so much so that reservations are required.
