Lamplight Village - Austin, TX

Incorporated in the early 1980s, back when Parmer Lane was only a narrow, two-lane country road, Lamplight Village sat amidst fields and livestock. The Lamplight Village Area Neighborhood Association (LVANA) formed in 1983 to fight the building of a Michelin Tire manufacturing plant across Parmer Lane with the slogan “Cook Your Tires Elsewhere.” After a visit to Michelin’s impressive campus in South Carolina, LVANA representatives decided having Michelin as a neighbor wouldn't be so bad. However, Michelin only intended to use a portion of the available land, leaving the door open for other industries to move in without LVANA’s approval, and the bid was denied. The city of Austin annexed the neighborhood in 1996, and since then Parmer Lane has grown to a busy multi-lane road connecting two of Austin’s main corridors, Loop 1 and IH-35, with apartment communities, shopping centers and fast-food restaurants replacing the once-empty pastures.

A drive down Parmer Lane presents a variety of eating options from familiar fast food stops to unique ethnic flavors. Residents drive from one shopping center to another for various nightlife spots, but local patrons love the late-night spots in Lamplight Village.

Head down the road to Opal Divine’s Marina for a more pub-like atmosphere with dozens of craft-brewed and imported draught beers, an impressive tequila selection and the best whiskey bar in town. The ample outdoor seating area provides a relaxed, dog-friendly space to enjoy the weekly drink specials. The kitchen stays open late to serve up gourmet char-grilled burgers alongside pints, and opens early on the weekends for brunch and a Sun-Dried Divine Mary, made with sun-dried tomato, poblano peppers and garlic-infused vodka.

Located in a strip mall, Parmer Lane Tavern may not look like much on the outside, but it attracts many eclectic regulars. Go on a Wednesday night, and order a $2 you-call-it while the local blues guy croons in the background. If the pool tables, shuffleboard, darts, jukebox or arcades aren’t enough, you can sit in on a poker hand most weekdays. The bar doesn’t serve food, but the pizza place next door delivers.

With busy Parmer Lane as your main way of navigating the area, and nearby access to both Loop 1 and IH-35, traveling by car remains the preferred mode of transportation. Although traffic around Austin can be unpredictable, you can get to downtown from Lamplight Village in about 20 minutes. A few city Metro bus stops sit along Parmer Lane and on some of the busier streets just south of Lamplight Village. If you want to hail a cab, you need to call the cab company to request a ride, or use Uber as an alternative. As with many neighborhoods in Austin, Lamplight Village remains bike-friendly with designated biker lanes and flat terrain.

Scofield Farms Park supplies a few covered picnic tables and a sand volleyball court for some free nearby leisurely fun. However, just south of Lamplight Village, you find more popular places to spend some time in the sun. For wide, easy hike-and-bike trails, multiple playscapes, a public pool and dog-friendly areas, visit Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. It can get crowded on some of the perfect-weather days, but you don’t get run over by the hipster bikers or camera-ready tourists that frequent the parks downtown.

The cost of living in Austin rises just higher than the national average, but Lamplight Village remains not quite as expensive as some of the more popular neighborhoods in Austin. The cost of living in Lamplight Village hovers about 14 percent lower than Austin overall. Most residents find themselves commuting to work and driving to other parts of Austin for a wider range of entertainment, shopping or dining. The neighborhood consists of homes mostly built in the 1990s as well as a few apartment communities. Median rent for a one-bedroom apartment comes in around $919 per month. Luckily, with all the driving that you might be doing, average gas prices run about 14 percent less than the national average. However, if you choose to stay close to home to enjoy a beer, it costs you much less than a drink downtown at about $3 per beer.

The trendy boutiques and shops await residents closer to downtown Austin, but Lamplight Village contains several larger chain stores, such as Fry’s Electronics and HobbyTown USA, as well as discount shopping at Half-Price Books, Tuesday Morning and Dollar Tree. Walgreen’s also has a shop nearby for any pharmacy needs.

A short drive south on Loop 1 takes you to The Domain, Austin’s premier outdoor shopping destination. The Domain houses Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and Dillard’s, as well many upscale boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, and Tory Burch. Stop in for a fresh-made pizza or signature sandwich at Whole Foods Market, or sip on a cold beer while perusing the organic produce and aisles of carefully-stocked good-for-you grocery staples.

One of the conveniences of Lamplight Village’s proximity to Parmer Lane remains its easy navigation to a wide variety of shopping, satisfying needs from home improvement to baby toys. Take Parmer Lane to IH-35 and you find a collection of familiar big-box stores, such as Target, Lowe’s, Hobby Lobby and Toys R Us.