New Braunfels

The City of New Braunfels is cut in half by Interstate 35, revealing the touristy downtown area’s more suburban counterpart: South New Braunfels. This Hill Country city has recently experienced exponential growth for several reasons. It’s located near the expansive Comal and Guadalupe Rivers, Lake Dunlap in the southern region; as well as several well-regarded schools, spacious swaths of green spaces and family-friendly attractions. The area’s booming economy is another huge draw for homebuyers. “There are over 52 corporations coming to Austin and San Antonio,” says Donna Cowey, a long-time resident of New Braunfels and Realtor at Keller Williams Heritage. “They’re all looking for a good halfway point between the two – which is us – so I don’t see our growth slowing down anytime soon.” As a result, newly constructed subdivisions continue to pop up around some of the area’s larger shopping centers situated along I-35. Homes are often clustered around cul-de-sacs and grouped by similar architectural styles. The price range for a New Traditional home around Fischer Park is between $400,000 and $500,000. Prices between $300,000 and $360,000 are often associated with new builds around Lake Dunlap and brick or stone ranch homes sprinkled throughout the southern half of the neighborhood. Along I-35 and near two shopping centers are groups of double-wides offering carports, often in the $180,000 and $220,000 price range. Students can attend County Line Elementary School, which shares a B-plus Niche score with New Braunfels Middle School. Middle school students can enjoy creative outlets like band, choir and theater or take foreign language classes in French, German and ASL. New Braunfels High School is graded B on Niche. Its Marine Corps JROTC program is a repeat recipient of the Naval Honor Unit Award. South New Braunfels' location on Interstate 35 makes it easy to get to nearby cities like San Antonio or Austin, which are approximately 33 miles and 48 miles away, respectively. According to Cowey, the infrastructure is way ahead of the city’s exponential growth. She admits it only takes about 15 minutes to get around the city. “They’re constantly working to expand the roads here,” Cowey adds. Currently, developments are underway to improve the intersection of I-35 and FM 725 with additional turning lanes. San Antonio International Airport is about 27 miles south of New Braunfels. For immediate healthcare needs, Riverside ER and New Braunfels ER & Hospital serve residents on the south side of I-35, and Resolute Baptist Hospital serves northeast next to New Braunfels National Airport. Fischer Park offers a little bit of everything: splash pads and playgrounds for kids, several miles of walking trails and two fishing ponds. “The park is huge, and it really is a great spot to enjoy some sunshine,” Cowey says. There’s a little auditorium that hosts a bunch of classes on nature and, I think, a summer camp.” Camp Comal Park sits along Lake Dunlap and has both softball and baseball fields open to the public. Downtown is surrounded by Hinman Island Park and Landa Park, which is home to Comal Springs, the largest natural freshwater springs in Texas. “I like to joke with friends that New Braunfels is the closest place to find clean water between all of our big cities,” Cowey says. Landa Park also features an 18-hole golf course, a miniature train and a tube chute into the Comal River. In the summer of 2023, New Braunfels experienced heat waves that brought a heat index in the 110-degree range. An H-E-B is across I-35 from Walmart in Walnut Square. The shopping center is also where The Redbird Listening Room – a lively music venue – is located. Less than a mile away is Granzin’s Meat Market, a family-owned market on McQueeney Road selling fresh meats, produce and deli meats. The Creekside shopping mall is home to chain shops and restaurants, which are concentrated in the northeastern part of town. Here, residents can find popular stores like Buc-ee's, Target and Dick's Sporting Goods. Chain restaurants in the area include LongHorn Steakhouse, Sea Island Shrimp House and DoubleDave's Pizzaworks. According to Cowey, Creekside is where all the locals prefer to shop and dine to avoid the crowds of tourists on the weekend. South New Braunfels gems include restaurants like Freiheit Country Store and Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre. New Braunfels is chock-full of local events. Every fall, Wurstfest—a festival dedicated to German sausage—takes place over 10 days at the Wursthalle near Landa Park. On opening day, crowds cheer for the Keg Tapping Ceremony, followed by the time-old tradition of crowds eating sausage while shouting “Bite that Sausage!” in unison. However, Wassailfest is Cowey’s favorite. “You get to walk in and out of the stores downtown with a cup of hot apple cider; you’re running into your friends here and there,” Cowey says. “A few years ago, it snowed, and there were these big snowflakes falling, and kids were singing in the plaza. It was magical – like a Hallmark movie.” Summer brings Texas' largest county fair and weekend concerts at Landa Park, including a large Fourth of July celebration. Other annual events include Troutfest in the winter, Folkfest in the spring and Saengerfest in May, which fills downtown with local music, family games and food vendors. Schlitterbahn Waterpark, McKenna Children’s Museum and Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo are a few of the family-friendly attractions around South New Braunfels.

To its residents, preserving the history of Gruene brings their community together. Many buildings in the center of town were set to be demolished to make way for real estate developments. However, Gruene was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and its original green spaces and oldest buildings, such as Gruene Hall – Texas' oldest operating dance venue – remain well preserved. "Living in Gruene feels like stepping back in time," says Jake Molak, a long-time resident and employee of Gruene Hall. "You can stroll along our cobblestone sidewalks and see that the only thing that's truly shifted in the last 150 years is the operations inside the buildings themselves." Besides its historic appeal and proximity to New Braunfels, Gruene offers highly rated schools and a scenic location next to the Guadalupe River, a popular spot for inner tubing with a cold one in hand. The Gruene General Store is one of several businesses in Gruene's Historic District. In addition to selling various merchandise, from jarred preserves to vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia, the store has an old-fashioned soda fountain. Across Gruene Road, locals enjoy dinner and views of the Guadalupe River at Gruene River Grill or Gristmill River Restaurant & Bar, which operates out of the restored boiler room of the Gruene cotton gin. A farmers market is held every weekend in the historic district; however, residents also have an H-E-B near Interstate 35. New Braunfels Town Center at Creekside Shopping Mall is on the other side of the interstate, home to stores like Belk, Target and Best Buy. According to Molak, there's something to look forward to throughout the year. In the springtime, flower petals cover the ground all around town. "It's the perfect time to enjoy a drink at the Grapevine," Molak says. "Summertime means floats down the river followed by a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream from the Gruene General Store." The Gruene Music and Wine Fest arrives each fall, followed by a visit from Cowboy Kringle at Christmas. And to warm up in the cold, locals choose to dine next to a potbelly stove or a roaring fire at the Gristmill. No matter the season, a visit to Gruene Hall is a must. "It's a museum you can party in any day of the week," Molak says. The original structure, built in 1878, has been preserved as much as possible and regularly hosts live music events. Weekends with the family can be spent at McKenna Children's Museum in New Braunfels, Hinman Island's Animal World and Snake Farm Zoo or the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, 17 miles away. Estates perched along the Guadalupe River are accompanied by a price tag well over $1 million, while new construction builds hugging the historic district are priced between $400,000 to $700,000. "The houses around Gruene are pricier because the land itself is more costly," says Joe Corwin, broker/owner of Weichert Realtors, Corwin & Associates. "There's not a lot of land there, so the demand is high." Subdivisions farther out offer larger, New Traditional Craftsman homes and custom builds priced between $300,000 and $400,000. New Braunfels Independent School District students can attend Freiheit Elementary School, graded A-minus by Niche, before transitioning to Canyon Middle School and Canyon High School, which share an A Niche score. They can also apply to the Memorial Early College High School, graded A on Niche. Memorial Early College High partners with St. Philip's College to allow eligible students to earn college credit at the same time as their high school diploma. There are a few local parks and community swimming pools tucked away in subdivisions on the outskirts of Gruene, but for outdoor fun, residents head to Landa Park on Hinman Island, 3 miles away in New Braunfels. The park features the 1.7-mile-long Panther Canyon Nature Trail, an 18-hole golf course and the Landa Park Aquatic Complex, a popular spot for its rope swing, swimming pools, treehouse and 10-foot water slide. Also on Hinman Island is Prince Solms Park, home to a "tube chute" used for sunny river floats down the Comal River. A day trip into the city is always an option. Gruene is halfway between San Antonio and Austin along Interstate 35, with San Antonio International Airport roughly 30 miles away. Public transportation is provided by Alamo Regional Transit; however, most travel by car. Residents can also traverse their neighborhood by golf cart. For immediate healthcare, PAM Health Specialty and Rehabilitation Hospital of New Braunfels and CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital are within 1 to 2 miles away. Gruene has a CAP Index Crime Score of 3 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4, which can be attributed to the New Braunfels Police Department's crime prevention programs that involve the community, such as the NBPD Citizens Police Academy.