Austin's best Suburb (Round Rock, Pflugerville, Center: for sale, apartment, crime rates)

[mark311]

Originally Posted by artfuldetails04

Hello, we love Austin and are thinking of moving there in the next few years. We love downtown and all the action but it is not affordable for us. Looking to find a home with 3 bedrooms for under $240,000. What suburbs are for an older couple, empty nesters that want to be around shops, galleries, parks and things to do. My husband is a runner and I am artsy. We are done with our boring suburb here in Michigan and are looking for some fun. Any ideas from anyone? We do need 3 bedrooms for visitors.

I wouldn't state that you're looking for a "suburb" in Austin because that will be interpreted that you want to live outside the city of Austin. It sounds like your wants are more for a neighborhood outside of downtown, but still fairly close to the central core. Since you don't need good schools and it sounds like you don't have any size requirements beyond a 3 bedroom, it would be best if you could find a place in or fairly close to a central neighborhood in Austin, and not what Austinites would consider a suburb.

This is especially true since it sounds like you plan on having a lot of guests. We love our "suburb" for the great schools and an ultra safe neighborhood, but it isn't ideal for guests as we end up driving 30 minutes to get into central Austin for the Austin touristy/artsy things that you're describing. Doing that drive back and forth three or four times on a weekend with visitors can get a bit old. If I had all of your stated wants, I would try to be as close to central Austin as possible even if I had to sacrifice some size on the house.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Gee, rats running amock? I guess the city has now unleashed a rat problem in those neighborhoods that don't contain "the elite".

If you have a rat problem get a cat and then the problem is solved.

[ScoPro]

To the OP:

You might want to consider the area discussed in this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/austi...lane-area.html

It's practically right on top of downtown.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

To the OP:

You might want to consider the area discussed in this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/austi...lane-area.html

It's practically right on top of downtown.

That zip code is a little rough aroud the edges, but it's been getting some pricier developments as of late:

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by jobert

That zip code is a little rough aroud the edges, but it's been getting some pricier developments as of late:

It's undoubtedly rough in the areas surrounding it.

Where's that APD map that shows reported crime incidents around the city?

[jobert]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

It's undoubtedly rough in the areas surrounding it.

Where's that APD map that shows reported crime incidents around the city?

See below for a recent article in the Statesman about this area:

New-home projects get going, as builders see a recovering market

[Austinitegirl]

Originally Posted by jobert

Eepstein is speaking in hyperbole, but she is touching on a little truth here. Suburbs tend to be the same everywhere, and it's the central core and Hill country that truly defines Austin. I would explore other alternatives before trading the "boring" Michigan suburbs for a potentially boring Austin suburb. Is there anything else you are looking for specifically? old/new? small/large? urban/suburban? house/condo? bohemian/country?

Oh jobert... you and your 'burb haterade... C'mon now - play nice. I'm in the 'burbs and I'm hilarious.

Seriously though, it truly depends on your priorities. My personal priorities are to live in a very quiet (somewhat secluded) neighborhood - away from congested traffic, but close to all my fave chain stores/restaurants, close to parks (but not crowded parks), in mostly family neighborhoods. I don't have kids, but I find that living close to lots of families with small children tends to = quiet weekend nights.

You can (of course) get many of those things inside of Austin city limits, but my other personal priorities (to live in a new construction home that no one else has ever lived in that is of fairly large square footage within a modest, working-class budget and in a somewhat rural area) combined with everything else I listed above are fairly challenging to find within Austin's city limits.

Not everyone has all of those exact same personal priorities, so it just all depends on what's important to you.

BUT - whenever I want to get stupid silly.... I go into Austin for the fun. Austin is most definitely "where it's at." But then I get to go home to my super-quiet, super-safe, super-clean, uncrowded, slightly rural homestead where we can hear cows mooing on a Saturday night instead of thumpa-thumpa music from someone's pimped out Honda.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by Austinitegirl

Oh jobert... you and your 'burb haterade... C'mon now - play nice. I'm in the 'burbs and I'm hilarious.

Seriously though, it truly depends on your priorities. My personal priorities are to live in a very quiet (somewhat secluded) neighborhood - away from congested traffic, but close to all my fave chain stores/restaurants, close to parks (but not crowded parks), in mostly family neighborhoods. I don't have kids, but I find that living close to lots of families with small children tends to = quiet weekend nights.

You can (of course) get many of those things inside of Austin city limits, but my other personal priorities (to live in a new construction home that no one else has ever lived in that is of fairly large square footage within a modest, working-class budget and in a somewhat rural area) combined with everything else I listed above are fairly challenging to find within Austin's city limits.

Not everyone has all of those exact same personal priorities, so it just all depends on what's important to you.

BUT - whenever I want to get stupid silly.... I go into Austin for the fun. Austin is most definitely "where it's at." But then I get to go home to my super-quiet, super-safe, super-clean, uncrowded, slightly rural homestead where we can hear cows mooing on a Saturday night instead of thumpa-thumpa music from someone's pimped out Honda.

No hatred [sic] here. Suburbs tend to be the same regardless of what city you live in with little variation - let's be honest with ourselves here. There are areas of Austin within the city limits that are indeed low-density with acre lots, creeks nearby, backing up to greenbelts, with deer running wild (and no thumping from Hondas, either). See below for a comparison of how Austin stacks up against other metro areas:

http://www.austintowers.net/Austin_D...n_density.html

[jobert]

Originally Posted by Austinitegirl

I get to go home to my super-quiet, super-safe, super-clean, uncrowded, slightly rural homestead where we can hear cows mooing on a Saturday night instead of thumpa-thumpa music from someone's pimped out Honda.

There are areas south of the river that you have described above that are within Austin city limits. I would check out Circle C, Shady Hollow, Onion Creek, or Oak Hill. I don't think you will hear cows per se, maybe horses..

[Austinitegirl]

Originally Posted by jobert

There are areas of Austin within the city limits that are indeed low-density with acre lots, creeks nearby, backing up to greenbelts, with deer running wild.

Very, very true. But can you get them ~2,000 sq. ft., brand new, for under $150K, within 5 min. drive of: HEB, SuperTarget, WalMart, Petco, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, Home Depot, Lowes, 3 large parks with over 10+ (combined) miles of hike/bike trails, and at least a dozen restaurants?

Because those are my personal priorities (as I pointed out), and might be appealing to someone with similar personal priorities.

But, as I also pointed out, Austin is definitely where all the fun stuff happens (because 'burbs have traditionally been where people live/sleep/eat, not so much for partying), so again - it totally depends on personal priorities.

I have lots of friends would would rather be closer to a museum than to a WalMart, so city living is more their style - fair 'nough.

I was just also pointing out that bashing suburban communities doesn't take away their appeal for the hundreds of thousands of people who live there. In fact, I believe it was the suburban communities that won out in greatest population growth in the 2010 Census... probably because of continued crowding in urban areas (even Austin) that tend to drive real estate prices out of the range of many bluecollar working class folk (especially those who have kids/need lots of space/etc.).

In the end - to each his/her own - just chill on "boring" label - boring to you is heaven to someone else G.