More questions about relocating: Where to live? (San Antonio, Austin: for sale, apartments)

[ashbeeigh]

So follow-up to Considering a move to Austin in the near(ish) future. ... I am honestly considering relocating to Austin with my boyfriend who has accepted a position in the Wells Branch area. He is at a bit of a loss as to where to relocate. I do not have a job offer yet (but have had several phone interviews set up since the last time i posted). Based on a lot of the jobs i have applied for I would need to be a bit closer to downtown than the Wells Branch area to make the commute bareable for any non-profit or social work(ish) position I do accept (of course this would be a good opportunity, not just the first opportunity because I have a good job at the moment in San Antonio). North of downtown is preferred as he has two daughters that live in Round Rock and we will have on the weekends.

We are in our early 30s and relatively active (I am a triathlete and half marathon runner and he plays disc golf and loves to mountain bike). He has a black lab that will be relocating as well. Budget is around 1200-1400 a month once we both get up there together, but we'd love to keep it lower. Proximitiy to kid friendly activities would be a plus; however schools are not a worry as they live with mom. We'd love a 2/1 at least but would settle for something big that is a 1/1. He would love a townhome or duplex just for the storage and that would be nice but is not a must.

What areas should we look? Would there be a happy medium for the both of us since we'd most likely be commuting in opposite directions? Any help would be appreciated!

[jwynne2000]

At that price range, and given all the other criteria you listed. I think you're just going to need to consider Wells Branch, Milwood (78727) or Rattan Creek (78729) and deal with the commute somehow. If you have extra space in your budget, the mopac express lanes will be open soon. Unless you find a dumpy one bedroom apartment, you're not living central for 1200/mo

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by jwynne2000

At that price range, and given all the other criteria you listed. I think you're just going to need to consider Wells Branch, Milwood (78727) or Rattan Creek (78729) and deal with the commute somehow. If you have extra space in your budget, the mopac express lanes will be open soon. Unless you find a dumpy one bedroom apartment, you're not living central for 1200/mo

When I put everything in google maps for several different places they say the drive would be about 25 minutes. HOw bad can that 25 minute trip to downtown get from those areas? Am I look at an hour/hour and a half or more of thirty/forty minutes? I could handle the thirty/forty minute drive but hour and a half may be pushing it (even if I am a very patient person).

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

When I put everything in google maps for several different places they say the drive would be about 25 minutes. HOw bad can that 25 minute trip to downtown get from those areas? Am I look at an hour/hour and a half or more of thirty/forty minutes? I could handle the thirty/forty minute drive but hour and a half may be pushing it (even if I am a very patient person).

Depends a WHOLE bunch on the hours you are commuting. Really early and you are OK, later than 9-930 and you are still OK...between those hours, not so OK. MoPac can be at a standstill as far out as Parmer Lane some mornings(DW has been going from Avery Ranch to Barton Creek Square for the last three weeks)...never a horrible drive; but school is out and things will get more hectic in a few weeks. I think the most consistent bad traffic will be in the afternoons, anything between 4:30 and near 7pm.

[eileenkeeney]

As long as one of you is working in the Wells Branch area, it makes sense to live there.
If it didn't get so much more expensive, as one gets closer to town, then living half way in between Downtown and Well Branch would make sense. But it gets really expensive.

If you get something close to Howard Station, you can easily take the train downtown.
This takes about 30 minutes, and is not slowed down by traffic.

If you are athletic, you can probably easily use a combination of bicycle and train.
Bicycle to the train station, take your bike on the train, and then bicycle from the downtown stop to your job.

There are plenty of houses that are a very easy bike ride to the train station, in the Wells Branch area.
There are also plenty of apartments, and houses for rent.
There are houses for sale for under $200.

Traffic in Austin is awful and just seems to be getting worse.
Faster than they are building new roads, they are offering companies tax breaks to move employees and jobs here.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by eileenkeeney

As long as one of you is working in the Wells Branch area, it makes sense to live there.
If it didn't get so much more expensive, as one gets closer to town, then living half way in between Downtown and Well Branch would make sense. But it gets really expensive.

If you get something close to Howard Station, you can easily take the train downtown.
This takes about 30 minutes, and is not slowed down by traffic.

If you are athletic, you can probably easily use a combination of bicycle and train.
Bicycle to the train station, take your bike on the train, and then bicycle from the downtown stop to your job.

There are plenty of houses that are a very easy bike ride to the train station, in the Wells Branch area.
There are also plenty of apartments, and houses for rent.
There are houses for sale for under $200.

Traffic in Austin is awful and just seems to be getting worse.
Faster than they are building new roads, they are offering companies tax breaks to move employees and jobs here.

That sounds faulous...if I had an office job. A lot of the things I am looking at are out with the community; at homes, schools, hospitals, etc. The train just wouldn't make any sense.

Thank you all for the input. It sounds like we may just be in the right area. He'll be up there some time this week to look at apartments.