Originally published September 2017, updated December 2024.

Formerly the home to Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, the Mueller neighborhood is a master-planned development that prides itself on sustainability. The community is home to many residential houses and apartments as well as places to shop, dine, exercise, and play.

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Where is Mueller?

Located east of I-35, south of 51st Street and north of Airport Boulevard, Mueller is close to the University of Texas campus and just a couple of miles from downtown.

What is the history of the Mueller area?

The Mueller development used to be the old airport. When that closed down in the late 90s, it was turned into a master-planned community. There are a ton of residential houses with multifamily and single-family and there are a lot of young adults and young families in the area.

 

What are the best restaurants in Mueller?

Mueller is also home to some of Austin’s greatest restaurants – especially in the Aldrich Street District. 

There’s a popular Italian restaurant called L’oca D’oro, known for its freshly made in-house pasta, housemade cheeses, and a great wine list. It’s the perfect place to go with friends or on a date night.  

If you’re craving comfort or homestyle cooking, you can’t beat Colleen’s Kitchen. Looking for take-out or something casual? Bao’d Up is a great choice. And for dessert, you have to go to either Lick Ice Cream or Lady Quackenbush Cakery. 

 

 

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What are things to do in Mueller?

There are all kinds of things to do in the Mueller area. There are a lot of things to do outside: they have a farmer’s market every Sunday, where many local farms and vendors come together. You can get fresh veggies, coffee, and local fare.

Mueller also has bike trails and running paths throughout the whole development. There are also more structured fitness options like OrangeTheory Fitness and a barre studio.

Mueller is also home to a couple of great parks including Mueller Lake Park and Branch Park, which both regularly host events.

Mueller Lake Park.

One of the district’s most loved amenities is the Austin-founded,  Alamo Drafthouse on Aldrich Street. It’s something you can do any day of the week. The actual movie theater is upstairs and downstairs they have the Barrel O’ Fun, which functions as a bar at night and an event space with activities during the day.

Aldrich Street is also home to B.D. Riley’s, an Irish pub with craft beer and an upscale pub menu. 

 

Why is Mueller considered one of the most sustainable areas in Austin?

One of the things that Mueller prides itself on is being a sustainable neighborhood. They dedicated 20% of the development area to parks and open spaces. They also made sure that the whole area is walkable; they put walking paths and bike trails throughout – if there’s a street, there’s a walking path and a bike path that goes with it! By prioritizing walkability, the neighborhood doesn’t need to rely as heavily on vehicles.

 

What major stores are in Mueller?

In the Mueller area, there’s major big-box retail including Best Buy, Home Depot, and Old Navy. There’s also one of the coolest H-E-Bs in Austin. It is large and there is a cafe attached to it, as well as a big selection of wines and fresh foods.

The area is really growing and it seems that every day something new is opening. There are new things under construction on every corner.

 

Who are the largest tenants in Mueller?

Office

Tenant SF Occupied Building
Teacher Retirement Systems of Texas
393,163 Mueller Business District
Austin Energy 274,998 4815 Mueller Blvd
Texas Mutual Insurance 257,364 2200 Aldrich
Dell Pediatric Research Institute 150,000 1400 Barbara Jordan
Ascension Seton 52,024 1345 Philomena St
Dell Children’s Medical Group 31,834 1301 Barbara Jordan

Retail

Tenant SF Occupied Address
Home Depot
113,341 1200 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
HEB 83,000 1801 E 51st St
Thinkery 37,904 1830 Simond Ave.
Best Buy 29,404 1201 Barbara Jordan
Marshalls 28,970 1201 Barbara Jordan
Total Wine & More 26,034 1201 Barbara Jordan

 

What are the largest properties in Mueller?

Mueller’s commercial office development is anchored by several major properties. The Diamond Building, a three-story mixed-use structure in the Aldrich Street District, combines retail and office space. The area features over 150,000 square feet of medical office space and houses the University of Texas’ Dell Pediatric Research Institute. Major corporate presence includes Austin Energy’s 280,000-square-foot facility and Texas Mutual Insurance’s 275,000-square-foot building.

The Mueller Business District, developed by Shorenstein Properties, anchors the Mueller neighborhood with four office buildings. The completed Alpha and Bravo buildings provide 265,000 and 245,000 square feet respectively, both owned by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas which will occupy most of the space. Two additional buildings, Charlie and Delta, are planned and will contribute another 329,000 square feet to the district.

 

Conclusion

From its past as Austin’s former airport to today a bustling, family-friendly, walkable neighborhood, Mueller has transformed and developed into a neighborhood that has it all.

 

 

Download This Mueller Austin Infographic



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