Gateway to Texas Hill Country is a growing suburban town center
Although it's only about 20 miles west of downtown Austin, the independent city of Bee Cave is a world apart from its metropolitan neighbor. As the gateway to Texas Hill Country for South Austin, the city of 8,600 pairs the natural splendor of a remote, recreational community with the economic buzz of a suburban town center. Bee Cave attracts swarms of buyers seeking luxurious subdivisions in master-planned communities, paired with ample entertainment and mixed-use developments. "There's lots of beautiful grown trees and natural shade, always birds chirping, and even though you're only 30 minutes from downtown, you feel like you're somewhere hundreds of miles away," says Realtor Desiree Rogacki of Coldwell Banker. "We call it 'the bubble.' You don't want to leave the bubble once you're here."
Luxury meets nature in Bee Cave residences.
Peaceful living epitomizes Bee Cave homes.
Bee Cave is nestled in beautiful Hill Country.
Lake Travis offers stunning views near Bee Cave.
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The Backyard will bring more music and shopping to the Hill Country Galleria
The Hill Country Galleria, Bee Cave's de facto downtown, is the city's primary commercial hub. It's also where locals go for city council meetings and library visits. In 2017, the Galleria underwent a multimillion-dollar facelift, which transformed a sleepy rural shopping center into an expansive lifestyle destination with retailers, green space, offices and residences. National apparel brands and restaurant chains occupy most storefronts, but local businesses find a home there, too, including art galleries, clothing boutiques and restaurants. For errands, locals hop across Texas State Highway 71 to the Shops at the Galleria, a smaller shopping center with supermarkets and big-box retailers. Surrounding the Galleria, smaller strip malls house national retail brands and chain restaurants. Until recently, land immediately west of the Galleria was fairly undeveloped, but that is changing with the Backyard, a planned entertainment complex named after a music venue in Bee Cave that closed long ago, but once hosted big names like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. The 35-acre complex will add restaurants, shops, green spaces and a 3,700-seat amphitheater, outsizing the famed Moody Amphitheater in Downtown Austin.
Whole Foods Market in Bee Cave offers local products.
Bee Cave residents savor Argentine flavors at Buenos Aires Cafe Galleria.
The League provides a cozy, upscale dining experience for Bee Cave residents.
Barnes & Noble in Bee Cave is a haven for book lovers.
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Prestigious private schools and Austin region's third-best school district
Bee Cave has some of the best school options in the Austin region. "You get folks that move here strictly because they want to go to that specific district," says Jeffrey Hendricks, a Realtor for Team Price Real Estate and publisher of Wimberley Living Magazine. Rated A-minus by Niche, Lake Travis Independent School District is ranked the third-best district in the Austin region behind Leander ISD and Eanes ISD. The Lake Travis district oversees 11,400 students across 11 schools, four within Bee Cave city limits. The city and its surrounding areas also boast numerous highly regarded private schools, including the International School of Texas and St. Stephen's Episcopal School, both of which are rated A-plus.
Lake Travis High School serves students from 9th grade through 12th in Bee Cave, TX.
Bee Cave Middle School can be found in the Falcon Head West neighborhood of Bee Cave, Texas.
International School of Texas offers global education.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Westlake is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.
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Downtown sculpture park and hiking trails in Barton Creek Habitat Preserve
Bee Cave serves as South Austin's gateway to Hill Country, a region of Texas known for its scenic environs and plentiful outdoor recreation. Within city limits, three major parks surround the Galleria on several acres of space for recreation and gatherings. Bee Cave Central Park is the premier recreational spot, offering playscapes, sports courts, walking paths and a dog park. Across 71, Bee Cave Sculpture Park's walking trail passes by dozens of public art installations made by volunteers and Bee Cave Arts Foundation members, with the mosaic 'Flying Frog' among the most popular. Several private and public golf courses sit less than a mile from the Galleria, while indoor activities, such as gyms and trampoline parks, are concentrated around the shopping center. And with Bee Cave essentially being the gateway to Hill Country, residents are never too far from numerous hiking trails, like those in the Baron Creek Habitat Preserve, and swimming holes like Hamilton Pool .
Sculpture Park in Bee Cave displays stunning art.
Enjoy family picnics at Bee Cave Central Park.
Bee Cave Central Park features walking trails.
Bee Cave offers excellent bird watching spots.
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Luxury Mediterranean-style estates and condos on the Galleria
Master-planned subdivisions jutting off of 71 include Spanish Oaks and the Homestead, known for spacious Mediterranean-style estates on manicured lots, many with hilltop views of green fairways and woodland creeks. Smaller dwellings and ranch-style homes are found in areas like Hamilton Pool that spread out from the city center across Bee Cave's arid, rolling hills. Attached townhouses and multiplex condos are most common around the Galleria. Designs vary, with some communities featuring Spanish ranch-style houses and others offering midcentury modern designs. Overall, Bee Cave is one of the most expensive corners of Travis County. The median price for a single-family home is around $850,000, and plenty end up selling for over $1 million.
Large single-family homes are located in Bee Cave, TX.
Bee Cave boasts spacious single-family homes.
Large backyards feature in Bee Cave properties.
Newly developed homes found in Hamilton Pool.
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World-class immersive light installations at Buzz Fest
The Galleria hosts more than 150 community events each year. Buzzfest, the city's big-ticket event, is an acclaimed tech-art festival known for electronic music performances and immersive art installations. Now in its fourth year, the festival's dazzling light shows and projections benefit from Bee Cave's status as a certified International Dark-Sky Community. The Bee Cave Arts Foundation and other galleries host annual holiday markets, while a Christmas tree lighting ceremony marks the opening of an ice rink. Pop-up events, such as craft markets and beer tastings, are common on the central green throughout the year. The Bee Cave Public Library hosts numerous weekly programs, including story time for kids and book clubs for adults.
Heavy traffic due to limited roads
Bee Cave has few major roads. Only TX-71 and Ranch Road 620 connect to surrounding areas, and there are no other major east-west roads between TX-71 and U.S. Highway 183, almost 20 miles away. The city does not have public transportation, forcing commuters onto the limited number of roads. Heavy traffic jams are common, especially during rush hour — which can start as early as 2 p.m. in Bee Cave — and when stores in the Galleria close for the night. "A lot of people work out there at the Galleria but can't afford to live there, so they're driving back and forth a lot," says Realtor Adam Zell of the Zell Team for Compass RE Texas. For Bee Cave's numerous tech commuters, that can also mean long drives to places like the Tesla Gigafactory. "I was out there recently, and to get home to the west side of Austin, it took me an hour and six minutes," Zell says. Healthcare, construction and public education are also large economic sectors for Bee Cave, although not as big as the retail sector.
Low crime, high water in Hill Country
Bee Cave is in the upper watershed of Barton Creek, a 40-mile-long tributary of the Colorado River. Seasonal heavy rain can mean better conditions for kayakers and swimmers. However, it also increases the risk of flash floods within the city's numerous flood zones, particularly around the Galleria. There is also a risk of wildfires in Hill Country. Bee Cave is especially vulnerable; the entire city is within an ember zone, and areas with high vulnerability sit just over a mile south of the city. Bee Cave shares an emergency-management coordinator with two other cities.
According to the FBI, Bee Cave has marginally lower crime rates than the rest of the Austin region. Violent crime in Bee Cave has declined since late 2021, continuing to fall below state and national figures. Property crime rates, on the other hand, have been climbing since early 2022. The rate in Bee Cave is almost twice the state and national rate, mainly due to more motor vehicle theft and break-ins.
Amani Wang, Top 10 Individual Award Winner with Most Listings yearly since 2007, is a residential real estate agent with eXp Realty, who loves not only helping people sell their homes quickly and for top dollar, but also loves to help people locating into Austin find their dream home, while introducing them to our beautiful city and making their move a smooth one. Having lived in 8 countries, speaks four languages, and been relocated herself several times, Amani can serve those clients best!
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
