casita querida dans ma maison chouette

After studying at U.T. to start my life-long love affair with 'soft-rock' geology, followed by stints in Houston and Midland, Austin lured me back for keeps. I lucked into this jewel of a neighborhood north of the original Kerbey Lane restaurant by happenstance. Turned out--much to my father's delight--to be a mere two neighborhoods north of the house in Clarksville where my grandfather was born after the Civil War. This Eichler-style house is on a small hill overlooking the creek, and we've found remnants of Indian cooking utensils when planting trees. The abode hardly spoke to me until I went inside and got hooked by the light, in general, and the tree-house view of the creek, in specific. Perfect spot for two sons, with an ephemeral creek full of exogyra fossils and evocatively vocal amphibians, depending on the season. Whipporwills (pre-development of the Grove) and owls and blue herons also frequent the area on occasion.

Among the cognescenti, this happy 'hood is known for neat walks and pleasant bike routes. The Ridgelea cul-de-sac is conveniently located just east of MoPac (Loop 1), just south of the new Grove development and now connected to it with the Shoal Creek extension trail, including a pedestrian bridge connecting the Ridgelea, Rosedale, and Grove neighborhoods. Not only is the location ideal on several counts, but this house is the cat's meow. The house, built in 1952, has a large back bedroom, with W/D and new bathroom, and two bedrooms and a bathroom in the front of the house off the kitchen hallway. There's deck overlooking Shoal Creek in the front and a screened-in porch with hammock chairs in the backyard. You're close to all the city has to offer--restaurants, shops, and bars in walking distance--yet adjacent to a (not completely messed with by humans) riparian zone offering a bit of sweet respite from the hub-bub.

Natural light galore! Baby grand piano. Infrastructure highlights: a 1500-gallon tank collects rainwater for the front yard; roof-top solar panels collect 1500+ KW/month for our favorite 20th century invention--electricity; batteries connected to the panels insure electricity to the house during area blackouts; and a tankless water heater keeps you in the perfect amount of hot water. Inside amenities: mini-split AC/heaters, Nespresso and Keurig coffee-makers, fully equipped kitchen, W/D; fast internet, Eeros, and Smart TV with several streaming services.