The Waylon Apartments, Austin

North Central Austin is comparable to an iceberg in the sense that, while it may look like one thing on the surface, it contains so much more underneath. In the case of this neighborhood, the urban exterior appears to consist of a series of strip malls, but a multitude of eating, drinking, and shopping gems found nowhere else in the city lay hidden throughout. That being said, this might not serve as the go-to spot for anyone looking for green space.

However, individuals who want to reap the benefits of all the world-class dining and entertainment Austin has to offer, without shelling out major bucks to live Downtown, could find North Central Austin a desirable place to call home.

Boasting everything from ramen to arthouse movie theaters to a bar that doubles as a dog park (yes, you read that correctly), the energy here is electric — with the population growing as quickly as the new apartment buildings that seem to pop up in the neighborhood overnight.