Trees are the real secret in land of Whispering Oaks 5

Trees are the real secret in land of Whispering Oaks

_{By Clayton Stromberger}

^{SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN Sunday, September 30, 2007}

Naming a brand-new subdivision is a condensed form of haiku, sometimes practiced by folks who might be better off hiring a poet for the task. Otherwise, we end up with clunkers like this gem from the Denver area – SkyRidge at RidgeGate – which have inspired at least one annoyed wag to create an online random subdivision name generator, a tool that mixes bucolic words in absurd combinations such as “Cedar Bridge Estates” or “Walnut Circle Acres.”

With this in mind, one might assume that Whispering Oaks, the moniker of a 1970s-era subdivision in far South Austin, is another example of over-reaching. But here’s the shocker: There are actually plenty of oaks lining the streets in this area, located just southwest of William Cannon Drive and Manchaca Road. And not only do these oaks whisper, or – let’s not go overboard here – rustle in the breeze on occasion, but they also provide deep shade for residents and a wonderful habitat for all sorts of wild critters, including great horned and screech owls.

“Somebody had an idea back then, like I wish they would today, to work around the trees and incorporate them into the neighborhood,” says resident Matt Comer. “There’s so much shade, you can do things outside even when it’s hot.”

Comer is about as good an advertisement for Whispering Oaks as a neighborhood could ask for. He grew up there on Redleaf Lane from the age of 3 on, then as an adult bought the family home in 1998 when his parents were ready to move to the Hill Country.

His grandmother, Freda Comer, has lived down the street since the 1970s, and still enjoys walking over to Westgate Lanes for her Thursday bowling league and cooking the okra she grows in her backyard garden.

The whispering oaks can be a challenge, with ball moss removal, the danger of oak wilt and the challenge of all those leaves to rake – “but everyone agrees it’s worth it”, Matt Comer says.

About Whispering Oaks

Location: Bordered by West Gate Boulevard, William Cannon Drive, Manassas Drive and Manchaca Road in South Austin.

Schools: Cunningham Elementary, Covington Middle School, Crockett High School.

Amenities: Besides the trees, there is plenty of shopping. Sunset Valley is just northwest of the neighborhood. Stephenson Nature Preserve and Garrison District Park are also nearby.

The market: In July, sales of single-family homes in the real estate zone that includes Whispering Oaks were down about 2 percent from a year ago. The median price was $165,000, up about 25 percent from a year ago. On average, it took 18 days to sell a home there.

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