Best Apartment Building

House on Castle Hill and 12th Street

Gawking at the enormous dusty-red brick front of the Victorian-style building on 12th and Castle Hill, with its wide expanse of lawn and gingerbread trim, a passersby might not realize that it is actually home to about 15 or so people at a time, inhabiting one- and two-bedroom apartments within. Some apartments are as spacious as a small house; others are so tiny that only a small girl and her cat can squeeze into the narrow spaces. Everything inside is painted in colors to the liking of the last owner: Pastel blues, greens, and yellows might all inhabit the same room – soft colors only so as to not offend the eyes of the ghost that lives on the secret third floor. This house serves not only as an anomaly in its surroundings (lots of trendy condos) but also as a testament to Austin’s history and growth: When it was built in 1888, it was considered out-of-town!