Austin Real Estate

Cat Mountain

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While every neighborhood offers a variety of amenities and attractions, some just have one particular facet that stands out. In the case of Cat Mountain, that facet can not only dominate conversations, but bring them to a halt: more than one newcomer to the area has been struck speechless by the views from the decks, patios, porches, and terraces of this small but very special community.

Sitting next to Mt. Bonnell (at 785 feet, one of Austin’s highest points), Cat Mountain can show off two of Austin’s favorite sights to their very best: Lake Austin, with the dramatic Pennybacker (also known as “360”) Bridge in one direction, and the Downtown skyline in the other. It is hard to find another neighborhood anywhere in the Austin area with better views, and you certainly wouldn’t expect to find it less than 10 minutes from Downtown.

But that’s not too surprising—you probably wouldn’t expect to find a 216-acre natural area inside the city limits, either. But that’s exactly what Cat Mountain has for a neighbor—Bright Leaf Park is almost-completely untouched nature preserve, smack in the nation’s fastest-growing city.

Between bright Leaf and the nearby North Cat Mountain greenbelt, residents have ample opportunity to go mountain biking, hiking, and bird watching. Of course, there’s also boating on Lake Austin, with a public boat ramp just five minutes away. Further, the Cat Mountain Villas subdivision maintains a clubhouse that features tennis, swimming, basketball, and more.

On their own lots, residents enjoy wooded areas, dramatic rocky cliffs, and a free-ranging herd of deer that call the area home. There are very few empty lots left, but the area doesn’t have an overdeveloped feel due to the wide range of lot sizes—while some are tiny, many are quite large, and multiple-acre lots are not at all uncommon. Home sizes similarly range from about 1,500 square feet to 5,000 and above, with a median price hovering just under half a million. Most of the homes date from the 1970s and 80s, with styles range from French chateaus to soft contemporaries. A few newer homes built in recent decades tend to be toward the higher end, with luxury amenities and custom touches.

The Cat Mountain neighborhood is bordered by Cat Mountain Dr., RM 2222, Mesa Drive, and the cliffs to the west. That puts it relatively close not only to Downtown, but also the University and the Arboretum. The neighborhood blends in seamlessly with the popular Northwest Hills area along its northern border, with its neighborly mix of shops and restaurants.

It’s hard to think of many other neighborhoods that offer this much, this close to everything that makes Austin great. It’s simply impossible to find one that offers all that with the types of sunsets that residents of Cat Mountain enjoy at the end of every single day.