Moving to Austin - Tips and Advices (Burnet, West: apartments, rentals)

[allan_hkrs]

Guys,
First of all, thank you for spending your time reading this.
I'm moving to Austin in next October and I am very excited about that. Austin seems to be an excellent city to live in.
As an employed alien, I will make around 90k US Dollars a year and I am looking for the best place in Austin to settle down a couple. Furthermore, at the first beginning my wife is not going to have a job (she's going to study full time for her doctor's degree). I've already traveled to the US before and I am that kind of guy who likes not so quiet places, near downtown with good supermarkets (as wholefoods, Costco), fairs, venues and those kinds of stuff. In other words, I am more urban than rural.
Indeed, living in downtown isn't cheap even in countryside cities, so I would like to know what neighborhood do you guys recommend me? I'm looking for a 2-bed apartment/house for rent and I've already taken a look at craigslist and padmapper; however, it would be nice if I could have an opinion from a native perspective. Allandale, rollingwood or north shoal creek seem to be in the best places considering cost-benefit, am I right?

Thanks in Advance,
Allan

[Austin97]

austin uses apartment locators. They are free to you and can take your requirements and show you a variety of apartments.

Sites like rentrebate.net can help you with your search in advance.

[hound 109]

Where's the job (use cross streets)? What's the rental budget?

"Allandale, rollingwood or north shoal creek seem to be in the best places considering cost-benefit, am I right?"

For renting?

[CptnRn]

Will your wife be going to UT? If so there is a shuttle bus system, just for students, that runs an express route from the Far West Blvd. area to UT. There are lots of apartments in that Far West Blvd area, its a little NW of Alandale on the West side of MoPac. There are quite a few older married students who live in that area.

[allan_hkrs]

Austin97: Thank you for the hint! I am taking a look at the link you've sent me, right now!

hound 109:

The office is located on the border of the north burnet and north shoal creek
For renting? Yes, these places have a good cost-benefit proportion?
My rental budget is 1000 to 1600 USD (tops)

CptnRn
Yeah, she will be studying at UT. Thank you for the tip, I'm gonna take a look at the neighborhoods you've mentioned. Anyways, if it is located in Allandale it is already good!

Guys, sorry if I've made any awful English mistake and thank you again for being so nice! This is why America is the best country to live in the globe!

[df175]

Whatever you do, don't buy anything. Rent somewhere that's close to your work and then figure out over a year what you want to do after you've extensively checked the city out. There are way too many subjective factors to recommend "the" place without first hand experience.

[JT-3]

I agree about renting first. Glad I did that.

Personally, I'd look at other places like on Burnet and Riverside before Rollingwood or Allandale. (almost unattainable?)

[JH6]

Make an appointment with two different apartment locators. Their service is free.

Get a good apartment and rent for a year.

Within that year explore Austin, check out where you want to be and where you do not.

At that time buy a house.

[FalconheadWest]

Originally Posted by allan_hkrs

My rental budget is 1000 to 1600 USD (tops)

You will need to readdress this budget if you really want to live close in and have something nicer. The neighborhoods you've mentioned will not have rentals in this price point.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by allan_hkrs

hound 109: The office is located on the border of the north burnet and north shoal creek

For renting? Yes, these places have a good cost-benefit proportion?
My rental budget is 1000 to 1600 USD (tops)

CptnRn
Yeah, she will be studying at UT. Thank you for the tip, I'm gonna take a look at the neighborhoods you've mentioned. Anyways, if it is located in Allandale it is already good!

Guys, sorry if I've made any awful English mistake and thank you again for being so nice! This is why America is the best country to live in the globe!

You're English is great. (better than most of us natives )

Your office being located near Allandale/Burnet means you should look north of the river. CptnRn's advice was spot on. The Far West Area would be on the short list of places to look. (for the reasons he mentioned) It's not IN Allandale btw...just near it.

If your wife will be going to UT, getting bus service to UT will be an imperative. Far West will deliver that (& also be a short commute for you). Very good area that hit most of your data points.

And to All..... What about the areas around the UT Intramural Fields (Triangle)? Or even ON Burnet (near Allandale or Anderson). Could a 2/2 apartment be found in the $1600 range in that area? (I'm guessing UT/Metro buses run from these areas as well.)
.