Where to live in Austin? (apartment complex, rentals, crime rate)

[ams423]

My boyfriend and I are moving to Austin this summer (time for a change) and are looking for a place that is fairly inexpensive as well as in a safe area. I know that Austin's crime rate is pretty low, but I still want to make sure we're in a good area. I keep reading answers online to this same question and people keep offering up certain neighborhoods I guess, and not actually being from Texas I don't know where any of those are (it would be like me telling you not to live in Whitegate if you move to Columbia, MO). Could someone either provide a map or give apartments that are good?

We're just looking for a 1 bedroom to start. Preferably under $550. And they must allow pets. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is it best to move before looking for work? I plan to transfer with Applebee's to start so I should have work but of course I don't want to be a waitress forever.

[feconi]

Here is a map of 2010 homicides in Austin (we had a bad year--over the last decade we have recently been hovering around in the 20s).

The areas with concentrated numbers of homicides are obviously not the best areas. Pretty much all of the areas people would label "bad" here are represented on this map. You can correlate it with Google maps or something to get a more detailed idea of the areas you should try to avoid.

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/03/95/32...1009732953.jpg

[h886]

Under $550 and allowing pets may be tricky to do if you are looking for a nice area. It also depends on how many pets you have. Some complexes will allow one pet under certain breed and weight restrictions, but the answer may be different if you're trying to find a place with a 100 lb rottweiler versus a 10 pound cat. If you have multiple pets, it can get trickier. Again $550 may make that harder too. It's not that you can't find anything, just that a lot of complexes have restrictions.

Plan on staying at Applebees for awhile. The job market is not super in Austin and we have a lot of people who have been out of work and looking for some time. You'll read stories on here of people who have submitted hundreds of resumes and can't even get an interview because employers are flooded with applicants for jobs that used to be undesirable. What is your field other than waitressing?

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by ams423

My boyfriend and I are moving to Austin this summer (time for a change) and are looking for a place that is fairly inexpensive as well as in a safe area. I know that Austin's crime rate is pretty low, but I still want to make sure we're in a good area. I keep reading answers online to this same question and people keep offering up certain neighborhoods I guess, and not actually being from Texas I don't know where any of those are (it would be like me telling you not to live in Whitegate if you move to Columbia, MO). Could someone either provide a map or give apartments that are good?

We're just looking for a 1 bedroom to start. Preferably under $550. And they must allow pets. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is it best to move before looking for work? I plan to transfer with Applebee's to start so I should have work but of course I don't want to be a waitress forever.

You can find almost any neighborhood or apartment complex anyone mentions here on google maps. Just type in for example "whitegate near columbia, mo." and Google maps will find it for you.

Having more then one small pet will considerably restrict your options.

It is best to have a job lined up before you get here. Then it is highly desirable to find an apartment near where you work, or at least on the same side of town so you don't have to fight the rush hour traffic on IH-35 or MoPac/Loop 1. Most of Austin is safe, the worst areas are in the areas feconi indicated above where numerous homicides occured in the same area. Homicides are up, but as the newspaper article pointed out, most of them were domestic disturbances or between people that knew each other.

[averageperson]

Supposedly east of big highway "35" is a bad section of town.
South of town more hippies and way north of Austin about 15 miles
takes you into nicer rentals but longer commutes

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

You can find almost any neighborhood or apartment complex anyone mentions here on google maps. Just type in for example "whitegate near columbia, mo." and Google maps will find it for you.

Having more then one small pet will considerably restrict your options.

It is best to have a job lined up before you get here. Then it is highly desirable to find an apartment near where you work, or at least on the same side of town so you don't have to fight the rush hour traffic on IH-35 or MoPac/Loop 1. Most of Austin is safe, the worst areas are in the areas feconi indicated above where numerous homicides occured in the same area. Homicides are up, but as the newspaper article pointed out, most of them were domestic disturbances or between people that knew each other.

I agree with the Captain in finding a job first and then a place near it. If you don't have kids then you don't have the which school district syndrome to narrow down your choices. And if you strike the traffic problem off your list of negatives the worst part about living here will be the allergies.

[averageperson]

If you fly down with pets. Best to travel in cool months to avoid danger to the animals

[eepstein]

Stay in central Austin and you'll be fine. Avoid the suburbs like the PLAGUE!!!!

Originally Posted by ams423

My boyfriend and I are moving to Austin this summer (time for a change) and are looking for a place that is fairly inexpensive as well as in a safe area. I know that Austin's crime rate is pretty low, but I still want to make sure we're in a good area. I keep reading answers online to this same question and people keep offering up certain neighborhoods I guess, and not actually being from Texas I don't know where any of those are (it would be like me telling you not to live in Whitegate if you move to Columbia, MO). Could someone either provide a map or give apartments that are good?

We're just looking for a 1 bedroom to start. Preferably under $550. And they must allow pets. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is it best to move before looking for work? I plan to transfer with Applebee's to start so I should have work but of course I don't want to be a waitress forever.

[mystic97z]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Stay in central Austin and you'll be fine. Avoid the suburbs like the PLAGUE!!!!

why avoid suburbs?

[jobert]

Originally Posted by mystic97z

why avoid suburbs?

Because "He-who-must-not-be-named" is a self hating suburbanite and a glutton for punishment.