3.4 out of 10

Franklin Park

Ranked 51st best neighborhood in Austin
30.1958325797289 -97.7490082762142
Great for
  • Cost of Living
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Resale or Rental Value
  • Internet Access
  • Safe & Sound
Not great for
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Medical Facilities
  • Shopping Options
  • Nightlife
  • Eating Out
Who lives here?
  • Families with kids
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • Professionals
  • Students

Reviews

2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Paved-over suburban feel is dominant, Luckily a few ways to escape"

Franklin Park s a low-income neighborhood located in South East Austin, right along I-35 and fairly close to the airport. The neighborhood has an isolated suburban feel, but it’s not terribly scenic. Parking lots, shopping centers, low-income apartment complexes. Luckily, there are ways to counteract the dominant feel of this fairly drab neighborhood.

Quite close by Franklin Park—just to the east, is McKinney Falls State Park—a gorgeous 700 acres of preserved land and wildlife. There are waterfalls, gigantic rock formations, and striking views. Not to mention hiking and biking trails, camp sites, picnic areas, spots to fish, and swimming in Onion Creek.

Franklin Park also has its own little namesake park, too. At Franklin Neighborhood Park, residents have access to a basketball court, softball field, volleyball court, a playground, BBQ pits, and picnicking areas.
Pros
  • Close to McKinney Falls State Park
  • Cheap real estate
  • Close to major highways
Cons
  • Far from downtown
  • Boring
  • Desolate warehouse landscape
  • No nightlife
  • Not much personality
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"An Affordable Neighborhood in Southeastern Austin"

Located in the southeastern part of Austin, the Franklin Park neighborhood is a low-income area with affordable housing. Some of the single family homes here can sell for as little as $60,000 while most are priced in the $100,000 plus range. It is a reasonably quiet and safe area while offering little of the frills, nightlife, and quirkiness of other low-income areas of Austin. It's bordered to the west by Interstate 35 and East Stassney Lane to the south and this area can experience the blunt of traffic from other areas coming into the city during rush hour.

There are a number of low-rent apartment complexes in the area that undermine the overall safety of the neighborhood, but the further east you go from Interstate 35 you'll find ranch style homes that are in general well maintained. This is an ethically diverse area with a majority of Hispanics and some whites, African-Americans, and Asians. The neighborhood is served by the Austin Independent School District and public transportation is available through Capitol Metro. It's also close to the downtown area and the University of Texas at Austin.
Pros
  • Cheap real estate
  • Close to major highways
  • Close to McKinney Falley State Park
  • Really... not that bad!
Cons
  • Boring
  • Desolate warehouse landscape
  • No nightlife
  • Not much personality
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Students
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 1/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"You could do worse... but you could do better"

Franklin Park is affordable and largely inoffensive. In being largely inoffensive, however, it lacks any kind of charm or personality, instead presenting as little more than an industrially-driven suburb.

For the value-conscious, any of the elements that add up to make Franklin Park a less than wonderful place to live might be irrelevant. This is one of the few parts of town where affordable housing is plentiful and the neighborhood is not actively in a state of chaotic disrepair. It’s reasonably safe, and reasonably quiet. The scenery leaves a lot to be desired, comprised mostly of flat land and desolate parking lots. Shopping and nightlife will require trips to other parts of the city, which you will need to do by car. Public transit is lacking, and the proximity to major highways makes getting around by bike a pretty unsafe option.

Personally, if I can’t think of a reason to visit someplace, I can’t find good reasons to live there, either. The price may be right for many people, but the inconvenience and lack of character combine to make it a bad fit for me. Anyone who really wants to absorb and enjoy Austin culture and charm would be well served to give Franklin Park a pass, no matter how attractive the real estate prices are.
Pros
  • Cheap real estate
  • Close to major highways
Cons
  • Boring
  • Desolate warehouse landscape
  • Not much personality
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Schools 2/5
2yrs+

"Suburban eastside neighborhood but close to a natural area"

Although it is becoming increasingly difficult to find, there are still neighborhoods in Austin with affordable housing prices. Franklin Park in the far southeast side of Austin is one such neighborhood. Bordered by East St. Elmo Road on the north, between E. Stassney Lane and E. William Cannon Drive on the south, Interstate Highway 35 on the west and Nuckols Crossing Road on the east, this area is somewhat removed from the heart of Austin’s core, but has other advantages to offer.
The biggest attraction of the Franklin Park neighborhood is its proximity to McKinney Falls State Park, a lovely wilderness and oasis just a few miles outside the city center. For those who love being able to get away and relax amidst the woods and wilderness, Franklin Park would be ideal. There are hike and bike trails, two sets of falls, and camping and fishing all available at McKinney Falls, and it is just down the street from Franklin Park.

The western part of the neighborhood that sits along I-35 has a higher concentration of apartment complexes, and is less attractive for families due to its unsafe reputation. But farther east from the highway there are more single-family ranch-style homes, all moderately priced. This is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, many of them families, who have formed a tight-knit community. Housing prices average in the low $100s, making it very affordable. The area schools include Houston and Rodriguez Elementary schools, Mendez Middle School and Travis High School.
Pros
  • Close to McKinney Falley State Park
  • Cheap real estate
  • Close to major highways
Cons
  • Not much personality
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • LGBT+
  • Students
  • Country Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Not that bad. Maybe like within my top thirty places to live within Austin."

This area really isn’t all that bad. It’s actually one of the first residential places I visited before I actually moved to Austin. I was there looking for a place to live (renting an apartment as a UT student, so no interest in houses or a mortgage), and I got invited to a new friend’s pool party. It was a cute little bungalow with big cactuses out front and a kidney shaped pool in the back. I can’t for the life of me remember exactly where it was here, but if I did, I’d want to move there because it’s my first impression of living in Austin and one I hoped to achieve one day. I of course wasn’t yet familiar with some of the quirkier neighborhoods that are closer to my favorite hangouts, but I think I could be happy here as long as I had that awesome pool. I could even stand the drive past the Sam’s Club and the Super Target. Sure, it’s a little suburban for my tastes, but there’s something about it that just screams THE SOUTH to me. Probably the cactuses. It actually reminds me more of Arizona than Austin, but then again, I’m originally from the Midwest, so everything below Missouri seems like an old timey-John Wayne film to me.
Pros
  • Really... not that bad!
  • Cheap real estate
Cons
  • Boring
  • No nightlife
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Students
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 2/5
2yrs+

"Just Another Industrial Suburban Neighborhood"

If a cheap mortgage was the main determinant in choosing a neighborhood, then Franklin Park would be one of the top prizes. If factors such as culture, nightlife, food and shopping are added to the pool, then this southeast Austin community just does not measure up. Over half the area is filled with steel and concrete warehouse spaces that make the scenery less than visually pleasing and even the residential areas have few options for grocery shopping and the like if they want to stray away from I-35. What seems to be the only benefit of this neighborhood is the cheap real estate, with housing prices as low a $100,000, but many who relocate to Austin are willing to invest a few more bucks for the sake of being close to lively culture.

There is one public school and public park and those who need medical care have to travel to either I-35 or Hwy 71. All in all this community comes across as desolate and boring, not accurately representing the lifestyles that Austin has to offer. A fair description would be naming Franklin Park a lower scale version of the South Austin neighborhoods on the other side of the interstate. The public transportation in this neighborhood is somewhat pitiful, hence residents most often need a vehicle to travel outside these streets since it would be less than advisable for anyone to cross these sections of Hwy 71 and I-35 on bike. If you are moving to Austin and want to truly experience Austin, then avoid this neighborhood as there are plenty of other spots where you can get more bang for your buck.
Pros
  • Cheap real estate
  • Close to major highways
Cons
  • No nightlife
  • Desolate warehouse landscape
  • Boring
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees

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