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Old 09-17-2011, 04:20 PM
CCO CCO started this thread
 
Location: Columbus
14 posts, read 31,554 times
Reputation: 10

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I swear I read (and bookmarked) this awesome post someone did on this site about the areas in and around downtown Austin. But, I can't find it anywhere. So, at the risk of being repetitive - here we go again. Looking for thoughts/advise/general ideas:

We live on a ranch in Columbus, TX, and love it here. But, we both miss the vibe/energy of a city. We LOVE Austin. We visit downtown 3 or 4 times a year and stay downtown (usually at the Omni) for long weekends. We will spend an entire day walking around the city (8 - 9 miles), hiking on a greenbelt - and then we love to grab dinner and hit some live music venues (non-6th street). We live both the SoCo area as well as downtown (both upper 6th/Warehouse). This last trip we walked all around East Austin - and found it to be very cool for the most part. Although we did end up in a couple of sections that were a bit dicey and even in broad daylight I felt a little uncomfortable. (we had a woman follow us for a while and scream profanity at us - she was harmless and obviously not quite right in the head, but it still was a bit unnerving) Below are some thoughts about us and our preferences:
*looking to purchase in Austin for a 2nd home. Condo/Townhouse/House - open to all options.
*$ is huge consideration - would like to keep in under $225K.
*We aren't really into the big "highrise" condo's. Some exceptions would be loft type
*We are not extravagant people. We love good food - but don't enjoy paying a lot more for ambiance. We like "hole in the wall" type places. This is one of the reasons I'm thinking we need to look outside of downtown proper.
*LOVE live music! Want to be near music bars - or even at the University.
*We would LOVE to be near the hike/bike trail of LadyBird Lake - or near hike/bike trails somewhere.
*Schools are NOT important as this will only be weekend. Re-sale is important....just because you always want a good investment and as this is a 2nd home if our life ever changed dramatically, it would be the first to go.
*Would love a place we could rent out for ACL, UT Football, etc. thru HomeAway or similar program.
*Walkability - Very important, We may come up on our motorcycles some and want to be able to walk to restaurants, bars, etc.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON AREAS TO CONCENTRATE - PRO's /CON's of each area?

Thoughts ???- East Austin, Mueller, Deep Eddy, Clarksville, Hancock, West Campus. What's the story on the new "Riverside development"???I don't think SoCo is in our budget. There seems to be some possibilities in DT proper - but does it offer enough options for low-end dining like we enjoy? Any areas outside of DT area that would offer the walkability, dining and music scene we are looking for?

And, how about this thought? New Braunfels?? Am I nuts to consider it? You have the live music in Gruene - plus the ability to rent out your home easily for "vacationers". Some decent restaurants on the square area - and the price is so much less than Austin. Anyone have ideas or thoughts on that?

Love feedback from those in the know. It's hard to really get a feel visiting only a few times a year.
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Old 09-17-2011, 05:16 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
399 posts, read 1,797,837 times
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East Austin hits a lot of your marks: good, cheap hole-in-the wall bars and food, walkability, crappy schools, can be near the lake (Holly neighborhood) and still affordable (under $225K). The only major mark it misses would be live music, as most of that is downtown, but from East Austin you're just a stumble or two away.
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Old 09-17-2011, 06:29 PM
 
7,742 posts, read 15,044,929 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
East Austin hits a lot of your marks: good, cheap hole-in-the wall bars and food, walkability, crappy schools, can be near the lake (Holly neighborhood) and still affordable (under $225K). The only major mark it misses would be live music, as most of that is downtown, but from East Austin you're just a stumble or two away.
I would say east austin there would be a lot of selection. rail yard condos are often very affordable. I also wouldnt rule out soco. If you get a smaller house it will end up in your price range. I see a couple of places including a condo for 144K. As you get into bouldin and zilker there are plenty of condos in your price range. Since it isnt your primary residence, a condo may actually be nice because you dont have to worry about external maintenance.
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