What are Austin's best zip codes and neighborhoods? (Graham, West: new home, buying)

[A-Tex]

Originally Posted by runninjt

ahhh, no love for 78753

"welcome to windsor hills, i think the gunshots have stopped."

Now that's a tag line if ever I saw one.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by RunninJT

Ahhh, no love for 78753

"Welcome to Windsor Hills, I think the gunshots have stopped."

lol - We bought our first home in Windsor Hills in 1971 - ours was the 5th NPC house to be built in that new neighborhood. It was pretty far out northeast in the sticks then, as Rundberg Lane had just recently been paved. It was a nice place to live until we escaped the exploding growth & moved WAAAYYY north to the Four Seasons neighborhood on East Braker in '76. Raised our 3 boys there until we got out of Austin & built a house in Brushy Creek in 1995, where we have retired. Love it up here.
Guess Windsor Hills went downhill sometime in there.

[ice10]

Originally Posted by A-Tex

There is no "best" neighborhood and those articles miss the mark on many Austin neighborhoods that can not only stack up to their income and education stats but are also much closer to desirable amenities, boast high walkability scores and are located near major employers. Many of those areas mentioned are very remote and full of bloated cookie cutter McMansions in master planned communities -- and the reason many people live there is they couldn't afford a similar home in the desirable interior areas of Austin.

I highly doubt affordability is the issue given the median income. Those zip codes do represent the highest median income incomes in Austin and the well to do areas.

[RunninJT]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

lol - We bought our first home in Windsor Hills in 1971 - ours was the 5th NPC house to be built in that new neighborhood. It was pretty far out northeast in the sticks then, as Rundberg Lane had just recently been paved. It was a nice place to live until we escaped the exploding growth & moved WAAAYYY north to the Four Seasons neighborhood on East Braker in '76. Raised our 3 boys there until we got out of Austin & built a house in Brushy Creek in 1995, where we have retired. Love it up here.
Guess Windsor Hills went downhill sometime in there.

A lot of Windsor hills is just fine, say from Braker to Floradale. Other than the proximity to the increadibly busy highway its a fairly peaceful place to live. As you get closer and closer to Rundberg however things start to go down hill and it gets "bad, for Austin". I wouldnt even compare it to bad neighborhoods in places like Chicago or Baltimore, but compared to the rest of Austin, yea its pretty run down. East 7th-11th used to take that honor for Austin as the "bad neighborhood", but the Magic of Gentrification has fixed that area so now its Rundberg in the spotlight. The pond is still here and people still fish out of it, although the city keeps threatening to get rid of it just about every other neighborhood meeting, annexation has not been pretty to put it mildly.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by Austin97

best depends on what you are looking for.

If you want walkability then it is the central core (01-04)
If you want mostly rich white people and great schools, then 78746. If you cant afford 78746, then 78732 (steiner).
If you want the best schools without all the rich people (substitute asians) then parts of 78759 and parts of 78750
If you want to be near lake travis for a lake lifestyle then 78734
If you want to be on lake austin, then 78731
etc

& for those who are more visual.......



I know, I know....the map's not 100% accurate, but it's wonderfully politically incorrect and cracks me up.

[AMJ27]

Originally Posted by ice10

I highly doubt affordability is the issue given the median income. Those zip codes do represent the highest median income incomes in Austin and the well to do areas.

I was thinking the same thing. Some people actually want to live in a house that is more than 1500 square feet and like the amenities of a master planned community. It's a conscious choice, not a concession.

[A-Tex]

Originally Posted by ice10

I highly doubt affordability is the issue given the median income. Those zip codes do represent the highest median income incomes in Austin and the well to do areas.

Homes of that size would cost two to three times that amount in central neighborhoods such as Old West Austin and Tarrytown. People who make that mean salary aren't going to be able to afford that. Much of the salary data in central areas is skewed because of the number of students living in those zips and more apartments which tend to house lower earners. If one were to make an apples to apples comparison -- homeowners to homeowners -- the income comparisons would be quite different. Income is not net worth. A lot of people make the mistake of confusing the two.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by A-Tex

Old West Austin and Tarrytown.

Right, that's where the old money lives.

[RunninJT]

Originally Posted by hound 109

& for those who are more visual.......



I know, I know....the map's not 100% accurate, but it's wonderfully politically incorrect and cracks me up.

They left out the Jewish HEB on Far West, quite important.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by RunninJT

A lot of Windsor hills is just fine, say from Braker to Floradale. Other than the proximity to the increadibly busy highway its a fairly peaceful place to live. As you get closer and closer to Rundberg however things start to go down hill and it gets "bad, for Austin". I wouldnt even compare it to bad neighborhoods in places like Chicago or Baltimore, but compared to the rest of Austin, yea its pretty run down. East 7th-11th used to take that honor for Austin as the "bad neighborhood", but the Magic of Gentrification has fixed that area so now its Rundberg in the spotlight. The pond is still here and people still fish out of it, although the city keeps threatening to get rid of it just about every other neighborhood meeting, annexation has not been pretty to put it mildly.

Our house was on Kendal and backed up to the little two lane Dessau Road. The kids who lived across Dessau used to shoot dove from their porch, and the shotgun pellets sometimes rained down on my patio cover.
This was before Dobie Jr. High & the fire station were built. Not to mention all those apartments on the south side of Rundberg closer to I-35.
Haven't driven down that way in 20 years, so it must've changed a bit. Hope Ken's Tacos is still open, they were pretty awesome.