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Austin neighborhood field guide

Zilker

Get to know the local places, then explore what the public record says: construction, restaurant inspection scores and beverage receipts, with dates and sources beside the data.

About this mapped area City boundary · September 22, 2021

Zilker is one of 65 named areas in the City of Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas boundary dataset. The saved source records its planning status as suspended. These mapped categories differ from colloquial neighborhood names. Districts people name in conversation, like South Congress, Rainey Street or the Sixth Street entertainment district, are not separate areas in this dataset; they sit inside a planning area or straddle two. This boundary is a single polygon in the city's file, and the city last modified it on . The dataset stores the name as ZILKER.

The local field guide

Zilker: gardens, springs and a park with history

Zilker’s name connects a neighborhood and one of Austin’s major public parks. The city’s park and garden pages offer several distinct destinations, from themed gardens to Barton Springs, with a history shaped by land donations and New Deal-era work.

4 linked sources · Checked

A park built over generations

The city records Andrew Jackson Zilker’s land donations beginning in 1917 and major park development during the 1930s. Its history page describes the park’s later National Register recognition.[4]

Choose a garden landscape

Zilker Botanical Garden includes the Taniguchi Japanese Garden, a rose garden and the Hartman Prehistoric Garden, which interprets a Cretaceous-era plant habitat. Each offers a different focus for a visit.[3]

More than one destination

The city’s Zilker guide links Barton Springs Pool, the botanical garden, the nature center and trails. Decide which facility you want rather than treating the whole park as one activity.[2]

Plan a little better

Before you go

Check transport for the actual visit date
The park page publishes parking and transport information, including seasonal services and event-related arrangements. Confirm the current details before relying on a particular lot or shuttle.[2]
Use separate admission information
The botanical garden and pool have their own visitor arrangements. General park access does not establish admission, hours or parking rules for every facility.[2][3]

A few things to know

Is Zilker Botanical Garden just one undifferentiated garden?

No. The city describes distinct themed areas, including the Japanese, rose and prehistoric gardens, linked by a larger garden landscape.[3]

Are Zilker Park and the Zilker planning area the same boundary?

No. The park is a particular public destination, while this page’s civic data uses the saved city polygon named Zilker. Check the respective maps for each purpose.[2][1]

Sources & research notes

Local context is based on the sources below. Confirm current access, schedules, and reservations with the operator. Civic figures elsewhere on this page retain their own reporting periods.

  1. City of Austin Neighborhood Planning Area StatusCity of Austin · Checked 2026-09-05
  2. Zilker Metropolitan Park | Austin Parks and Recreation | AustinTexas.govCity of Austin · Checked 2026-09-05
  3. Zilker Botanical Garden | Austin Parks and Recreation | AustinTexas.govCity of Austin · Checked 2026-09-05
  4. Zilker Park Improvements | Austin Parks and Recreation | AustinTexas.govCity of Austin · Checked 2026-09-05

What the public record says about Zilker

  • City of Austin Development Services has issued 6,330 building permits that it has geocoded inside the Zilker planning-area boundary, the earliest dated February 3, 1978 and the most recent September 28, 2026, for a combined declared construction value of $1,793,628,519. Declared value is the figure an applicant puts on the permit application — not market value and not finished cost. Counted over every issue date in the city’s Issued Construction Permits dataset (3syk-w9eu), building permits only. Placing a permit inside a boundary needs a mapped coordinate, and about one building permit in seven (13.8% of them, as published on 2026-07-26) carries no location at all — those rows cannot be placed in any neighbourhood, here or anywhere else, so this is a count of geocoded permits rather than of every permit issued. How busy it is now is a different question, and the list below is the honest answer to it: the 25 most recently issued permits here were all issued since July 27, 2026.
  • The 3 most recent restaurant inspections we could place inside this boundary run from August 19, 2026 to September 8, 2026, averaging 86 out of 100. Austin Public Health publishes these in irregular batches, historically weeks after the visit, and this page lists at most 15 — so that count is the size of our list, not the number of restaurants in Zilker. A score is a single-visit snapshot.
  • Of the 100 highest-grossing mixed-beverage filers the Texas Comptroller lists for ZIP 78704, 78701, 78703, 78705, 78702, 6 sit inside this boundary. The newest filing in that set is August 2026. Per-venue figures are gross receipts reported to the Comptroller, summed over each venue’s own filing months — never a total for Zilker. Filings are monthly and land three to four weeks late.
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These controls filter the records already on this page. They do not re-query the agencies.

Map of the Zilker boundary

Loading the boundary map…

Boundary drawn from City of Austin Neighborhood Planning Areas, as last modified September 22, 2021. Markers are placed from geocoded street addresses, so a record whose address we cannot geocode is listed below but not pinned. The panels under the map are the full text equivalent.

Building permits

The 25 most recently issued inside this boundary (page limit 25)

2026-124306 BPActive
1712 VALERIA ST
Total demo of sfr 1000 sqft circa 1952
Sep 28Demolition$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-124306 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-124307 BPActive
1712 VALERIA ST
Total demo of sfr 600 sqft
Sep 28Demolition$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-124307 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-124553 BPActive
1707 BARTON SPRINGS RD
2026/10/02 - 2026/10/11 | Jumex is building a 20x20 temporary activation at Barton Springs Bike Rental 1707 Barton Springs Rd Austin TX 78704 on the following dates: Activation Dates: 24 Oct & 911 Oct Operating Hours: 11:00 AM 11:00 PM Load-in / Load-out: 28 Sep 1 Oct | 10:00 AM 7:00 PM There will be sampling of cocktails along with mocktail versions using Jumex Sparkling and the chamoy and Tajn garnishes. There will be a mixologist to create the drinks onsite using rum vodka and tequila as well as the mocktail version with Jumex Sparkling and sample distribution. All drinks will be free with no tip exchange involved. All staff will be TABC certified bartenders and . There will not be a DJ stage or amplified sound. We anticipate 35000 45000 people per day with 80 peak occupancy within the fixture.
Sep 22New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-124553 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-119798 BPActive
2019 FORD ST
ePlan: Residential Expedited Review - New construction of a 2-Story Single Family Res. [5bed 3.5bath] with habitable attic and Attached Garages
Sep 21New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-119798 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-118114 BPActive
1600 KERR ST
*Addressing active code violation* Addition to existing 1-story single family residential to include: new ADA compliant ramp (uncovered); replacing covered wood porch and uncovered steps. Install new approach in ROW.
Sep 16Addition and Remodel$1 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-118114 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-118374 BPActive
2001 S LAMAR BLVD
SMART HOUSING - new construction of an in-ground swimming pool at approved site.
Sep 11New$50K declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-118374 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-115422 BPActive
2424 S LAMAR BLVD
Roof overlay with mechanically fastened TPO. Existing retail.
Sep 3Remodel
City of Austin record for permit 2026-115422 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-114882 BPActive
2201 MONTCLAIRE ST
New In ground Pool and concrete decking
Sep 2New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-114882 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-112984 BPActive
2019 FORD ST
Total demo of 1071sqft SFR and 342 Accessory Structure built in 1950. ***The building shall not be demolished until after the contractor has fulfilled the neighbor notification requirements outlined in Steps 5 & 6 of the Demolition webpage. ***
Sep 2Demolition$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-112984 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-101382 BPActive
2022 FORD ST
EXPRESS: Replacing 1 window like for like
Aug 28Repair$1 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-101382 BP (opens in a new tab)
2025-048651 BPActive
1301 S LAMAR BLVD UNIT 100
Finish Out for Lifetime Fitness for Suite 100 Floor 1
Aug 27Remodel
City of Austin record for permit 2025-048651 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-109500 BPActive
1604 DYWER AVE
New pool and spa
Aug 27New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-109500 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-110293 BPActive
1702 DYWER AVE
New pool and spa
Aug 24New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-110293 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-110292 BPOn Hold
1702 DYWER AVE
ePlan: Residential Expedited Review - New Construction of 2-Story Single Family Res. [4bed 4bath] with attached garage
Aug 24New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-110292 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-106921 BPActive
1814 MARGARET ST
Remodel/reconstruct a pool and spa permitted in 2020 in same location. The pool is failing due to Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR). The only proposed change from the original construction is the removal of the floating steps located between the tanning lounge/spa area and the pool area.
Aug 21New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-106921 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-108440 BPActive
1903 COLLIER ST
Rebuilding demolished pool that was failing due to ARS [Demolition permit #2025-144801].
Aug 19New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-108440 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-106593 BPActive
1900 FRAZIER AVE
Express- remove and replace 1 fiberglass door and 2 fiberglass windows. no structural changes.
Aug 18Repair$1 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-106593 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-090456 BPActive
1811 ANITA DR
Addition and remodel for existing 1-story residence: Remodel of the existing 3 bedrooms and existing 2 bathrooms. Demolition of attached uncovered wood deck. Addition of a larger kitchen/dining/living room entry covered porch 0.5 bathroom and office. Finished house will have 3 bedroom and 2.5 bathrooms.
Aug 12Addition and Remodel$1 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-090456 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-103720 BPFinal
1814 MARGARET ST
Total demo of 443 SqFt pool circa 2016
Aug 12Demolition$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-103720 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-084274 BPActive
1708 NORRIS DR
Addition/ remodel of existing 1-story single-family residential to include: enclose existing screened porch to create family room; convert existing attached storage to 1 bedroom 1 bath and office space.
Aug 4Addition and Remodel$1 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-084274 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-097892 BPActive
1341 W MARY ST BLDG 1
Installing 130.35 kW Solar System with 237ALEX-550-W panels and 2 CPS SCA60KTL-DO/US-480.
Aug 3Remodel
City of Austin record for permit 2026-097892 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-088786 BPActive
2000 PARAMOUNT AVE
ePlan: Residential Expedited Review - New Autofill/Heated pool.
Aug 3New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-088786 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-088784 BPActive
2000 PARAMOUNT AVE
ePlan: Residential Expedited Review - New construction of a 2-Story Single Family Res. [4bed 4bath] with Office Covered Porch Covered Patio Wood deck and Attached Garage.
Aug 3New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-088784 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-088785 BPActive
2000 PARAMOUNT AVE
ePlan: Residential Expedited Review - New Accessory to Primary [1bed 1bath]
Aug 3New$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-088785 BP (opens in a new tab)
2026-029424 BPActive
800 KINNEY AVE
Total demo of detached structure and carport 816 sqft
Jul 27Demolition$0 declared
City of Austin record for permit 2026-029424 BP (opens in a new tab)

Restaurant inspections

Austin Public Health · up to 15 most recent inside this boundary

Registered projects

Texas Dept. of Licensing & Regulation filings · up to 15 inside this boundary

Bars & restaurants filing receipts

Texas Comptroller mixed-beverage filers we placed inside this boundary

6 of 100 filers in ZIP 78704, 78701, 78703, 78705, 78702 placed inside this boundary. Each venue’s figure is its own gross receipts over its own filing months — there is deliberately no area total, because this is a sample, not a census.

Zilker: questions people actually ask

Is Zilker an official Austin neighborhood?

Zilker is one of 65 named areas in the City of Austin neighborhood-planning boundary dataset. Its status in the saved source is suspended. Inclusion in this file does not by itself mean a neighborhood plan was adopted. Well-known districts such as South Congress, Rainey Street and the Sixth Street entertainment district are not separate areas in this dataset; they sit inside a planning area, or straddle two. The Zilker boundary is a single polygon in the source file. The city last modified it on September 22, 2021.

How much construction is happening in Zilker?

City of Austin Development Services has issued 6,330 building permits that it has geocoded inside the Zilker planning-area boundary, the earliest dated February 3, 1978 and the most recent September 28, 2026, for a combined declared construction value of $1,793,628,519. Declared value is the figure the applicant put on the permit application, not market value or finished cost. Counted from the city's Issued Construction Permits dataset (3syk-w9eu), building permits only, over every issue date in that dataset. The boundary test needs a mapped coordinate, and about one building permit in seven (13.8% as published on 2026-07-26) carries no location, so those rows cannot be placed in any neighbourhood and are not in this figure.

What ZIP codes cover Zilker?

No ZIP code centroid falls inside the Zilker boundary, so we search the 5 nearest instead: 78704, 78701, 78703, 78705, 78702. We match ZIP codes to planning areas by testing each ZIP's centroid against the boundary polygon, so a large ZIP can overlap an area without its centre landing inside it. Use the boundary, not the ZIP, as the authority.