Probable move from St. Pete (Houston, Austin: apartment complexes, rent, homes)

[OSUbrew]

Hey everyone! So I've recently received a job offer that is hard to pass up in Austin. I had just moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in October from Ohio where I had lived all of my life (33 years). I love it here in St. Pete, but if I pass up this great job opportunity, I know i'll always be wondering "what if". I'm sure it's still worlds better than Ohio.

I'm a very fit and active person and I love outdoor activities. I also really love heat and humidity and can't stand cold weather. I'll be living and working in the Bee Cave/Lakeway area outside of Austin.

Any words of advice or suggestions on apartment complexes in that area? I looked at Paseo when I was there for a weekend and it was "ok", very convenient location though. Also, are all of the bars downtown super overcrowded "college" type bars or do people tend to spread out a bit? Are there any classier dance club type bars in the area? I know it's a big city so there's probably a variety. I just prefer an area I can park at and walk around to different places like in downtown St. Pete.

Thanks,
-Jay

[texantodd]

There are alot of great downtown places for Austin. Sixth street tends to be very "college party" in many of the spots, but there are plenty of other downtown areas that are outstanding. Some great places off of Rainey street, and other spots downtown. Lots of live music. Dance clubs aren't really my scene I am more into a cool bar, pub or live music spot personally so I can't direct you much to the dance spots.

For your outdoors loving, there are plenty of great bike trails, hiking spots, parks, the Greenbelt is a favorite place for a hike (for me - many also mountain bike there). Dining is great. It is hot in Austin, but as for humidity it will be more humid than Ohio for sure, but far LESS humid than Florida or Houston/gulf coast areas here in Texas. Basically, having lived 30 years in Houston I find Austin to have a very dry heat but I have heard people from the midwest classify us as hummid.

I'm not real familiar with Bee Cave/Lakeway area though as far as giving any recomendations. If you want the Austin Experience I think you couuld live (depending on budget) in West Lake Hills/Barton Creek area and commute and you would be going the opposite way of most traffic so probably wouldn't have as bad of problem with traffic and all.

[YooCanFly]

Hey ya,

i'm also moving to Austin in a few weeks, and I was going crazy looking through tons of craigslist ads to find a place...
Then I came across an "apartment locating agent". Basically, I told him what my price range was, and what my requirements were in terms of size, amenities, proximity to work, etc.

Then he did all the searches and came to me with 10 suggestions. I suggest that you talk to an apartment locating agent, its free of service (they get paid by the apartment)

good luck with your move!

[twange]

Gotta weigh in here.

I was born and raised in suburban Cleveland so I know what you're coming from in Ohio (even though I don't know where in Ohio you're from ). On top of that, my family owned a property near St. Pete's for almost 20 years that I just sold this past June - so I'm very familiar with the area.

Anyway, as for apartments I can't really make a specific recommendation especially without knowing all of the details about your new job. But there are a lot of options ranging from drab 80s apartment complexes to new, luxury high rises. You'll definitely want to spend as much time as possible looking with an apartment locator. Try to be as close to your place of work as you can without being far away from the things that make Austin interesting. Though to be fair, this is subjective. Some like to live near the city, others want to be near the Hill Country. From what you've said in your post, you'll want to be near the city. Traffic here can really suck for a city of its size so beware!

As for nightlife, it's hard to compare the two since Austin is so much bigger. I will say that I have always enjoyed my time in St. Petersburg. It's an adorable, walkable downtown with some great pubs and clubs and has a lot of activity all the time. While St. Pete's does have some variety, most of the destinations are more or less all within a few blocks of each other. In Austin, you will find an emerging variety of districts: 6th St (between Congress and I35) is touristy, gritty and college-y, W6th (between Congress and Lamar) is a bit older and more subdued, E 6th past I35 is funky and hipster-ish. Red River is grungy and full of rock clubs. 2nd St is a bit more upscale as is some of 4th st. Rainy St - as mentioned above - is a great area, with older homes refurbished into bars and restaurants. South Congress is touristy but has some great places, S 1st is funky and local…You get the idea. There are places popping up literally every month - I'm sure you will find something you like. And there is simply no comparison when it comes to the music scenes - Austin's scene is obviously notorious.

The outdoors stuff is great - kayaking, hiking, running, biking - but it sure isn't the Florida Gulf! That's some purdy waterfront there. But I love the landscape and flora here: a mix of desert, prairie and coastal all rolled into one.

Good luck on your decision and don't hesitate to ask more questions! I will always have a special place in my heart for St. Pete's

[OSUbrew]

Thanks for the informative posts! Here's some more info:

I'm a software developer so i'd prefer a rent of around $1,200-$1,400 tops. I'm actually from the Canton/Akron area so not too far from Cleveland. I'd prefer to not have to deal with TOO much traffic all of the time.

I'm 33, single, fit and active, obsessed with the gym and eating healthy. I'm not big on the "hipster" scene really, but I'm a very laid back and friendly person so I get along with pretty much everyone.

I did get to visit for a couple of days, and it was ok but I didn't get to see a whole lot. I did like the Gold's Gym I went to in Bee Cave a lot, it's much nicer than the one here in St. Pete. As for the environment, it was nice and all with the hills, trees, and lakes, but I prefer palm trees personally.

My favorite places downtown St. Pete if you're familiar twange are the classier ones on Beach Drive closest to the bay like the Canopy (rooftop bar) and just that whole street of restaurants and bars. I also like VUE19 and SIP. I went to Shephard's in Clearwater for New Years Eve and it was amazing.

My main gripe is leaving St. Pete, because I love it, but it's a really hard offer to pass up so i'm having a hard time making a decision. I'm just hoping I'll be happy over in Austin and not regret moving for more income possibility.

[ImOnFiya]

I don't think you will, but Texas is not Florida and it's definitely not Ohio! There will be a cultural adjustment, but I think you'll like Texas friendliness!

[10scoachrick]

Local palm trees might take a hit tonight...much like a few years ago with temps around 20.

[OSUbrew]

Yea the people there that I've met seemed pretty friendly. It's like 35 here right now, chilly but i'll take it over the rest of the country's temps.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by OSUbrew

I'll be living and working in the Bee Cave/Lakeway area outside of Austin.

Any words of advice or suggestions on apartment complexes in that area? I looked at Paseo when I was there for a weekend and it was "ok", very convenient location though.

One thing you should hear over and over here, is live near your work. That trumps everything else. Since you will work in the Lakeway area, you should live there. One place to look is the apts at a Hill Country Galleria. Right in your price range, new, and walking distance to the stores, restaurants and bars of the HCG lifestyle center. Might like it - might not, but you should check it out. There is even a Whole Foods in there.

[OSUbrew]

Originally Posted by scm53

One thing you should hear over and over here, is live near your work. That trumps everything else. Since you will work in the Lakeway area, you should live there. One place to look is the apts at a Hill Country Galleria. Right in your price range, new, and walking distance to the stores, restaurants and bars of the HCG lifestyle center. Might like it - might not, but you should check it out. There is even a Whole Foods in there.

Yea I saw those, super convenient location, looked pretty nice. I could walk to the gym and most everything I need if I wanted to. Seems to be a somewhat lively area. The Paseo apartments that I actually got to look at are very close to there also, across the street.

You're definitely right, i'd rather live by my work since that's where i'll be commuting to the most. I can make a short drive downtown when I want to play.