Central East Austin is a neighborhood in
Austin, Texas,
United States. The neighborhood is bounded to the south by East 7th Street, to the west by
Interstate 35, to the north by East Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and to the east by Chicon Street, Rosewood Avenue and Northwestern Avenue.
History
The
1928 Austin city plan
The 1928 Austin city plan (also known as the 1928 Austin master plan) was commissioned in 1927 by the City Council of Austin, Texas. It was developed by consulting firm Koch & Fowler, which presented the final proposal early the next year. The maj ...
set East Avenue, the site of present day Interstate 35, as the dividing line between "white Austin" and "
Black Austin".
African-American Austinites living west of East Avenue were denied access to public services and utilities in hopes they would be influenced to move to the city's east side. As a result of this segregation, Central East Austin is one of the city's historically Black neighborhoods and is home to many of Austin's Black institutions.
Education
Public primary and secondary education
Central East Austin is part of the
Austin Independent School District. Blackshear Elementary School,
Kealing Middle School
Austin Independent School District (AISD) is a school district based in the city of Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 1881, the district serves most of the City of Austin and surrounding towns, the City of Sunset Valley, the Village ...
, and Garza Independence High School are located in the neighborhood.
Higher education
The
Huston–Tillotson University campus is located in Central East Austin.
Recreation
Central East Austin is home to two small "pocket" parks: Lott Pocket Park and Swede Hill Pocket Park.
Culture
Notable areas of the neighborhood include the
Texas State Cemetery, the
Oakwood Cemetery, and the
Swedish Hill Historic District.
Historic buildings in the area include the
Victory Grill
Victory Grill is a historic music venue located at 1104 E. 11th St, Austin, Texas. The nightclub was on the Chitlin' Circuit and hosted famous African American acts such as Bobby Bland, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, W. C. Clark and B. B. King when A ...
, the
Genaro P. and Carolina Briones House
The Genaro P. and Carolina Briones House is a historic home in downtown Austin, Texas, United States. Built by Genaro Briones over a period of 14 years, the home features unusual molded concrete construction and a dramatic two-story porch. It is ...
, the
Southgate-Lewis House, the
Connelly-Yerwood House,
Arnold Bakery
The Arnold Bakery Building is a historic commerce building in east-central Austin, Texas constructed around 1890.
In addition to being a bakery, the building served many other purposes throughout the 20th century for the African-American commu ...
, the
Haehnel Building, and the
Wesley United Methodist Church. The
French Legation Museum, the Texas Music Museum, and the
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center are among the neighborhood's cultural amenities.
The nonprofit organization Six Square was founded in 2013 to preserve the Black cultural heritage of Central East Austin, including many of the neighborhood's historical buildings.
References
Neighborhoods in Austin, Texas
African-American history of Texas
{{Austin