The Village at Western Oaks is a large, expansive neighborhood surrounded by great amenities that are perfect for families and singles alike.

Outdoor Activities:
This is a great place to live if you are a nature enthusiast, because there are trees and parks all over the place. The biggest park in the neighborhood is the Dick Nichols Park, located on Beckett Road, right across the street from Village at Western Oaks. The park is open to the public and features a swimming pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball nets, a large playground, a pavilion with picnic tables, and a walking trail. There are also playgrounds inside the neighborhood itself for residents to use, along with picnic tables and sidewalks throughout the area, which the residents utilize often for jogging and walking their dogs. The neighborhood has its own hiking and biking trail, as well, for those who don’t want to go too far from home to get a great outdoor experience.

Another interesting outdoor area nearby is the Karst preserve, which encompasses approximately nine acres in the recharge zone of the Barton Springs aquifer. Despite its small size, the preserve contains six karst features including one that is habitat for cave-dwelling species of concern and one that recharges, or contributes water, to the Aquifer. The preserve is open year round and is handicap accessible. Each year, the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and the Texas Cave Management Association hold the Austin Cave Festival at the Village of Western Oaks Karst Preserve to educate local residents about the importance and sensitivity of the aquifer and its recharge features. For more information, visit http://www.bseacd.org/events/austin_cave_festival.

Gyms
In addition to the great places to get in shape outdoors, there are plenty of gyms in and around the neighborhood too. Gold’s Gym is located a few bocks away on William Cannon, and their services include group fitness classes, personal training, and even childcare. (www.goldsgym.com)

Lifetime Fitness is another gym on South MoPac with great amenities such as exercise facilities, aquatic facilities, indoor climbing wall, squash and racquetball courts, a kids fitness area and computer room, yoga and much more. (www.clubs.lifetimefitness.com/page/Austin-South/11270)

There are also two gyms near Village at Western Oaks for ladies only. Curves and Premiere Lady Fitness offer workouts specifically geared towards women’s fitness and health. Premiere Lady Fitness also provides childcare. (www.curves.com and www.premiereladyfitness.com)

Childcare
The Village at Western Oaks is an extremely family-friendly neighborhood, with many places to take children. If you need a daycare, Bright Horizons is about a block away at the corner of Escarpment and Davis Lane. This “family solutions” center has been named one of Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best” for 11 times in a row. They have programs for babies up to school-age children. (www.brighthorizons.com)

Another childcare center nearby is the Country Home Learning Center, located at the corner of Escarpment and William Cannon. Since 1982, Country Home Learning Center has earned a reputation in Austin for providing the very best in quality childcare and education. Their classes are age-divided, with exceptionally small group sizes. (www.countryhomelearningcenter.com)

Shopping and Food
Just down the street from Village at Western Oaks is the new Escarpment Village, a shopping center that is sure to meet all of your needs. It features favorites such as Starbucks and Waterloo Ice House Restaurant, as well as Message Envy, Austin Scoops Ice Cream, Great Clips Hair Salon, Circle C Animal Hospital, Postmark’d Postal Store, and even a playground in the back for the kids to enjoy. Across the street you’ll find an HEB grocery store and several drive-through banks like Chase and Bank of America. Other restaurants in the area include Blue Bamboo (Thai/Vietnamese) and Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cafe.

Transportation
For transportation needs, the Capital Metro bus has several stops in the Village at Western Oaks area on the William Cannon route. For more information, visit www.capmetro.org