Hip neighborhood ideas - less expensive (Austin, Allen: real estate market, house, neighborhoods)

[jcwfjw]

Hi - We are a family of 4 moving to Austin. We have a 2 & 4 year old so we are looking for good schools, family friendly neighborhood and we were hoping for a cool hip neighborhood where we would find other families to hang out with, walk to parks, coffee shops, etc. We love older homes and big trees. However, our budget is only about $350k and we are finding that we are just missing the mark of being able to afford most of the areas that we like (Rosedale, Hyde Park, Zilker, Travis Heights, etc) Are there any other area that anyone knows of that maybe we haven't heard of that would kind of have the feeling we are going for but are a little less expensive than these other areas? Thanks so much!

[centralaustinite]

French Place, Wilshire Woods, Cherrywood.

[OpenD]

I just love the "French Place" and "Cherrywood" labels the real estate market puts on the neighborhood the City still calls "Upper Boggy Creek."

In any case, I think parts of Allendale might suit.

[TexasHorseLady]

French Place and Cherrywood have been called that since I lived near both of them over in Delwood in 1974. (That was what they were called long before we moved there, as well.) These are not recent "real estate labels" but the actual names of the neighborhoods and have been forever.

OP, more details about the kind/size of house you're looking for would be helpful in figuring out where to direct you.

Who at "the City" calls it Upper Boggy Creek? I've never heard that one.

[TexasHorseLady]

I went to Mr. Google, and apparently that IS what the area is being called now. As I said, in all my 40+ years here, this is the first time I've heard them referred to as anything but French Place and Cherrywood.

Further research turned up this, from 2006. So it was 1997 or later that it got that designation and it was for planning purposes.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Who at "the City" calls it Upper Boggy Creek? I've never heard that one.

Actually, if you zoom in on a Google Map of the area, you can see that name at certain resolutions. And when I lived there it was the name of the area as listed on the City Building Permit issued for an addition to my house. Then I noticed it on other permits around the neighborhood, even the ones posted on Cherrywood Street and on French Place.

Oh, and here's the info sheet for Upper Boggy Creek neighborhood as listed on City-Data:

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...Austin-TX.html

[Eastcoasting]

Lately I have really been grooving on the area (sorry don't know the name of the hood) that feeds in to Joslin Elementary. 1950s-70s funky housing stock that needs a facelift. Your budget will go far but you might need to roll up your sleeves.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by jcwfjw

Hi - We are a family of 4 moving to Austin. We have a 2 & 4 year old so we are looking for good schools, family friendly neighborhood and we were hoping for a cool hip neighborhood where we would find other families to hang out with, walk to parks, coffee shops, etc. We love older homes and big trees. However, our budget is only about $350k and we are finding that we are just missing the mark of being able to afford most of the areas that we like (Rosedale, Hyde Park, Zilker, Travis Heights, etc) Are there any other area that anyone knows of that maybe we haven't heard of that would kind of have the feeling we are going for but are a little less expensive than these other areas? Thanks so much!

Maybe Im a school snob, but I dont think that any hip neighborhoods feed into good schools. There may be pockets in zilker that might be ok. However there are lots of private schools that could be good which opens up many more cool neighborhoods.

[OpenD]

And here's the C-D info sheet for Allendale:

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhoo...Austin-TX.html

[riaelise]

You can live in Hyde Park at 350K, but you will be in a very small home on a very small lot.