Advice needed on areas to search for an apartment in Austin. (West: apartments, rentals)

[Browncoat]

Looking for advice on areas to focus on for an apartment search. Will be moving to Austin in less than two months. Ideally I would like to be downtown, but am finding the rent rates higher then I had anticipated. My goal is to keep it under or close to $1K/m and I don’t believe it’s a realistic anymore after doing some research.

I have an old friend who lives downtown and he recommended I try South Congress too. My impression/concern is this area has a demographic highly focused on younger college kids, but he believes it also has a fair amount of young professionals too.

So far these have been the two areas I am focusing on for my search. Any advice relating to them, one way or the other? Other options that I should consider?

Quick about me: Male in his early 30’s. Will be doing remote work & freelance for the foreseeable future and don’t have a formal office in the city. Want to find a location that will allow me to walk to some stores, restaurants and bars. I.E., the typical “city living” lifestyle even if I don’t end up in downtown proper.

Thanks in advance.

[OpenD]

Hi,

As the TOS here suggests, using the Search feature will access a ton of previous material on general questions like yours. Doing some homework there will give you a much better feel for the different areas, and allow you to ask more focused questions. Giving more details about what you are looking for is also helpful... under $1K/mo for what? How big? How many BR? What kind of apartment? Old, new? High rise, or complex with pool and amenities, or small place with none? Security or not? Covered parking or not? All of these factors will affect the kinds of recommendations people make.

Good luck!

[Browncoat]

I'll admit I didn't do a formal search, but I did look over the last 4 to 5 pages and didn't see anything relevant. A sticky thread on this topic would be helpful. Having said that, you are right.

Would want a 1bd, but am willing to consider a large studio/loft if it's big enough to allow for separation of the areas. A high rise would be nice, but I am not too concerned with the amenities. I'm open to new or old, as long as the kitchen isn't extremely dated and in need of remodeling. Still, this wouldn't be a deal breaker if the price was right. I would like covered parking, but don't see it as a sticking point either.

EDIT: My first post give you a good idea on the areas I have been focusing on, yet again I am open to suggestions.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Browncoat

I'll admit I didn't do a formal search, but I did look over the last 4 to 5 pages and didn't see anything relevant.

No, I meant using the Search function... either the Search This Forum in the right corner, or the Search function at the top, which allows more defined searching.

A sticky thread on this topic would be helpful.

Actually there is one... at the top of each forum page... called Terms of Service.

Here's the relevant section:

Please use the Search this Forum tool to find info you need, as much has already been written about schools, jobs, weather, crime, prices, rentals, walkability and other aspects of a location. If you don't find it, please sign in and ask your questions. New users should use the Search this Forum tool before posting a question that may have already been answered. Let us know that you have searched the forums, so we don't assume otherwise.

When asking questions about a location, give as much detail as you can, so we can zero in on the info you need. If house hunting, what is your price level or rental amount. How many BR's, Baths, square feet, lot size, etc, do you need? Pets? SFH, TH, Condo, mobile home? In-town, rural, college town, military town, mountains? Schools for children? Gated community, golf course community, active senior community? Do you need to stable a horse? Is there an RV or boat trailer to consider? The more you tell us, the sooner our regular posters can reply with specificity. Same for any other criteria you have. Please avoid open-ended requests like "I'm moving to your city, tell me EVERYTHING I need to know."

There's also an FAQ section about various features of the forum in the About the Forum section.

Happy hunting!

[OpenD]

To give you a jump start... stay away from UT campus area, including West Campus and Hyde Park.

Take a look at South Congress, Far West, Arboretum areas.

[TexasHorseLady]

You might also check the South Lamar/Barton Skyway/Ben White area. Just minutes from downtown, there are apartments in that area in your price range, and there's some nice amenities in the area and more going in all the time, it seems.

[Browncoat]

Originally Posted by OpenD

To give you a jump start... stay away from UT campus area, including West Campus and Hyde Park.

Take a look at South Congress, Far West, Arboretum areas.

I take it then that my friend is correct and South Congress is not a largely college student demographic? This is good information to know and why I came here. Thank you.

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

You might also check the South Lamar/Barton Skyway/Ben White area. Just minutes from downtown, there are apartments in that area in your price range, and there's some nice amenities in the area and more going in all the time, it seems.

I'll look into these areas too.

[mesmer]

You might want to try the domain - it's more of an upscale development with lots of walkability and covered parking. Not as hip as south congress, but according to some quick googling, rent starts around or just under $1000 for a 1 bedroom. You definitely won't need to worry about anything being dated.