TRIBEZA’s Neighborhood Guide to the Greater Austin Area

No one knows Austin like its real estate professionals. Austin’s top agents, brokers, and advisors share their intimate insight into their favorite hot spots in the Greater Austin Area in this year’s TRIBEZA Neighborhood Guide.

Explore top agents’ personal favorites in these Greater Austin Area neighborhoods:

Lago Vista | Horseshoe Bay/Lake LBJ | Lakeway/Lake Travis | Madrone Canyon

Lago Vista: Jéan Bruns

Realtor | @Properties Christie’s International Real Estate
jean@atpropertiestx.com | lakesandrivers.net | 512.649.6511 

Growing up in Austin, Jéan has seen Austin’s market growth first hand and gained many valuable ties to the community. After graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in finance and marketing, he held several leadership roles in the hospitality industry across the country. It is through these years of experience he mastered the art of serving the individual needs of all types of clients. He truly loves to serve others, particularly in the neighborhood of Lake Travis and Lago Vista. 

Bordered by Lake Travis and the National Balcones Canyonland (a Federal wildlife preserve spanning over 27,000 acres with miles of public hiking trails and wildlife land), Lago Vista is a place to make some of the most treasured memories. 

From Friday Night Lights at the high school to peaceful morning wakesurfing and dinners overlooking the lake, there truly is something for everyone here. Jéan notes that the area is very pro-business, and highlights some of his favorite local spots from restaurants and food trucks to breweries and wineries. Lago Vista even has its own private airport, welcoming famous weekend locals like Mattress Mack, who puts on an incredible fireworks show every year at the Fourth of July. 

Jéan’s Lago Vista Favorites

Captain Pete’s/The Wheelhouse 
Point Venture Golf Club 
The Burger Bar
Lago Vista Brewing Co.
Flat Creek Estate Winery & Vineyard
Pick Thai
The Wild Navy Boutique
Northshore Marina 

Horseshoe Bay/Lake LBJ: Tammie Bennett

Realtor | Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty
tammie.bennett@sothebysrealty.com | tammiebennett.kuperrealty.com | 830.265.0550 

As a lakeside living real estate expert, Tammie Bennett lives and breathes her job, and she absolutely loves it. Over the years, she has represented some of the most amazing properties on Lake LBJ, Inks Lake and Lake Marble Falls, specializing in luxury, resort and waterfront properties in the Highland Lakes areas of the Texas Hill Country. She is consistently a top producer by providing extraordinary marketing, exceptional knowledge and top-notch service to her clientele. Her true knowledge and love of the job comes from living on Lake LBJ, knowing the lake from a sales standpoint while also appreciating the everyday luxury of lake life. Her favorite time of year is just after Labor Day, when the weather is most beautiful, the lake is peaceful and the locals have the whole lake to themselves after a summer of fun. It’s a time for some quiet reflection and appreciation of a wonderful life. 

Tammie highlights the tremendous growth of the Highland Lakes, yet the tight-knit community endures. Her favorite event every year is called Designer Purse Bingo, where 850 women converge at Horseshoe Bay Resort to play bingo for purses! The event benefits the amazing work of The Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center and is truly a blast. 

Tammie’s Lakeside Picks

Boat Town Burger Bar
Bay View Restaurant
Inks Lake State Park
Longhorn Caverns
Bluebonnet Café 

Lakeway/Lake Travis: Shannon Ayres

Real Estate Advisor | The Agency Austin
shannon.ayres@theagencyre.com | shannonayres.theagencyatx.com | 415.819.8529 

As a San Francisco Bay transplant, Shannon Ayres immediately fell in love with the Lakeway area for the incredible vibe she calls “lake-life balance.” She lives just minutes away from Rough Hollow Marina, where after working hard all day and afternoon activities with her kids, she and her family often hop in their boat for a sunset cocktail cruise around the lake. Specializing in luxury properties and relocation services, Shannon prides herself in her problem-solving and negotiation skills, ensuring smooth transactions and exceptional customer service for her clients. She is actively engaged in networking opportunities and relationship building to foster positive connections within her community. This “lake-life balance” is truly rewarding all around. 

Among the many incredible restaurants, bars and community spaces Lakeway has to offer, Shannon’s favorite hidden gems are 5 Soul Winery & Frontyard Brewery, just minutes away from home. These two hot spots share a courtyard that includes six pickleball courts, live music, events, food trucks, a monthly women’s social collective and more. Growth in the area is moving out HWY 71 into Spicewood. Travis Club and Thomas Ranch are the newest communities in development, adding golf courses, new commercial, and a spa in the near future! 

Shannon’s Favorites

Mornin Glory 
Canyon Grille
Sunlife Organics 
Winston’s Pizza 
Jule’s Design Bar
Runaway Luna 

Madrone Canyon: Dara Allen and Rebecca Ames

Dara Allen & Rebecca Ames | Broker Associates | EVP @Properties Christie’s International Real Estate Sports & Entertainment Division
dara@daraallen.com | daraallen.com | 512.296.7090 | 407.430.8930

The personalized touch Dara puts into every home delights and nourishes the senses, from luxuriously staged furnishings to fresh cut flowers in the entryway. Its no surprise that this level of detail, combined with exemplary service over two decades in real estate has earned her membership in the Elite 25 and the Christies International Master’s Circle. Partnered with Rebecca Ames, Dara has represented Ames Design Build in nearly thirty transactions in Spanish Oaks, Signal Hill and now, Madrone Canyon. The team is excited to represent West Austin’s newest neighborhood, which features all new construction and custom homesites that give homebuyers the freedom and power to build a home that is truly designed for their lives. 

The team describes the area as “Southern California in Austin,” as it is full of wellness-friendly businesses from smoothie bars and organic pet stores to boutique yoga studios and wellness establishments. The team’s favorite is Alive and Well, which includes a luxury spa, holistic therapies, a wellness compounding pharmacy and functional medicine program. The area is also home to exemplary schools, with a variety of choices and sports-focused programs that produce some of the best athletes coming out of Texas. 

Dara and Rebecca’s Picks

Mirisol Springs 
Alive and Well
Healthy Pet
Hill Country Indoor 
Runaway Luna 
Meridian 98 Rooftop Bar