When Backyards Were Backyards In Georgetown

 

It used to be that developers would create lots that had decent back yards.   I’m talking about the kind of yards where there was enough room to be able to practice pitching a baseball to your dad, and even to have room left to run bases around the yard.  There was also plenty of room for your swing set, your fort, a tree house, or other structures equally important in childhood.

Nowadays, the story has changed.  Developers squeeze every possible nickel out of a piece of land.  Back yards have become tiny, with neighbors’ windows peering down into them.  Master-planned communities may be manicured, but they make some folks feel like they have all the elbow-room of a postage stamp.

If you treasure the way things used to be, then you should know about Reata Trails and Emerald Springs in Georgetown.   Located close to Georgetown’s favorite amenities, this neighborhood offers land the way it used to be:  spacious and shady.

Pools, Ice Cream and Schools--Right in the Neighborhood

When you’re headed out Williams Drive, it only takes about a mile or so before you get to the Williams Drive Pool.  Currently getting a major overhaul from the City of Georgetown, this city park and pool combination is a popular gathering spot for folks of all ages.   It marks the SW boundary of the Reata Trails community.

Development of Reata Trails began in the 1980’s, before anyone ever used the phrase “cookie cutter” for homes.  It was before homebuilders were publicly owned companies, concerned with pleasing stockholders.  It was a time when each home had it’s own unique plans, and was placed on a lot to accommodate the existing trees – a far cry from today’s clear-cut method of lot prep.

Initial development covered the blocks of Broken Spoke Trail and Rocky Hollow Trail, and still today you’ll see the architectural styles on the exteriors.  The hot market has made this area very popular.  In a time when inventory is in very short supply under $200,000; these homes fit a need, offering a good sized yard, in combination with affordable square footage.



As you move down northeast along Lakeway Drive, Western Trail, or Wagon Wheel Trail and get deeper into the neighborhood, you’ll see the sizes of the homes get a bit larger.  The last 2 blocks of Wagon Wheel Trail comprise a section of Reata Trails that was originally known as “Emerald Springs” when first developed.  Homes along the north side of Wagon Wheel back up to Emerald Springs Park.   Built in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, the homes in this section are noteworthy for having an abundant use of stone on the exteriors, and more modern, open floor plans.  Along these last few blocks of Wagon Wheel Trail, Stagecoach Drive, Arrowhead Lane, Creek Trail, and Hedgewood Drive, you’ll also notice that the utilities are underground, offering a clean appeal that’s complemented by mature shade trees.

Northwest Blvd forms the eastern boundary for Reata Trails, and from anywhere in the neighborhood, kids can walk or bike to Benold Middle School and Jack Frost Elementary.  This convenient location enables residents to stay IN the neighborhood for schooling from pre-Kindergarten all the way to 8^th grade.   Rounding out the community, on the far east side,  is Canyon Road and Windmill Cove, both quiet streets with towering hardwood trees to shade the homes built under them in the early to mid-1990’s.

Due to the unique combination of affordability, easy access, and proximity to schools, shopping, and major highways, not to mention the Williams Drive Park and Emerald Springs complexes, Reata Trails continues to be a hit with buyers when something becomes available.  109 Arrowhead will soon hit the market at $285,000 with a super functional design, and a large private backyard.  Just blocks from Benold Middle School and Jack Frost Elementary, it’s also an easy bike ride to the Williams Drive Pool, or even a summer ice cream scoop at the nearby Baskin Robbins.

I Love Our Memories from Living in Reata Trails

I lived in Reata Trails with my family for 8 years, and quite honestly…I wish I still owned that house.   It has appreciated by about 25% since I sold it.  But more importantly, it’s become nearly impossible to replace.  When you look for property in the $250-300k price range now, you’re often limited to production built homes, stamped out on little tiny lots.  My home in Reata offered a great combination of modern interiors with an old-school sized yard.  I was proud to live there, and I’d still be there if I hadn’t caught the fever for horse property.   Still, I get nostalgic when I think about jogging through my old neighborhood.  I remember the breezes that swayed the tree limbs as I jogged around the area.  I also remember how short my commute home was.

There’s other pockets around Georgetown like Reata Trails, but none with the unique features of two schools, and two city parks within its boundaries.   At the Russ Phillips Team, we know where Georgetown’s hidden gem communities are, and Reata Trails counts among those that only the locals know.