Crestview is a quiet, established neighborhood with a relaxed, low-key atmosphere and a welcoming feel. The area harkens back to its 1950s roots in the appearance of many of the homes and businesses. It's a classic Austin neighborhood: quiet and residential, with older, modest homes and local businesses, and a close-knit community.

Developed in the 1950s and 60s on the location of an old dairy farm, Crestview is a vintage Austin residential neighborhood. It is filled with one or one-and-a-half story bungalow and ranch-style homes on mature tree-lined streets. Many of the houses retain their original exteriors, although the insides have been remodeled and modernized. Many have beautiful gardens.

Crestview feels like a small town, although it's just a few miles north of downtown Austin. Residents frequently walk, jog, push strollers, and lead dogs through the neighborhood. About half of the residents are couples or families, and the other half are single young professionals, University of Texas students, or seniors.

Residents maintain a strong community spirit and stay close to the area's farming roots. The Urban Patchwork relies on volunteers to plant crops in local gardens and share them with homeowners. Residents also support school plays, fundraisers, and clean-up and community events.

Although there are no city parks in the neighborhood, Crestview residents have access to major parks, as well as top-rated public and private schools, in neighboring Brentwood just to the south. Also, the North Austin Optimist Club holds a lease on a baseball and softball field for local youth teams.

Austin's commuter rail train, which opened in 2010, has a station in Crestview on its way between downtown Austin and Leander, far to the northwest. Next to the station a business/residential center called Midtown Commons has been built. The neighborhood also has several Austin public bus lines leading to downtown or the university campus.