Pflugerville Vs Roundrock Vs Leander Vs Liberty Hill (homes, taxi)

[Antny12]

Most of the round rock/Pflugerville/Leander and cedar park are generally fairly flat however as mentioned above The western parts of Leander/cedar park have some incredible views and topography.. hilly/vistas. There are also exceptions to it being limited to just this area such as in Leander down Ronald regan from about 2243 to 29.

[Antny12]

Hilliest to non hilliest order

Leander
Cedar park
Round rock
Pflugerville

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by mjfadaway

So Leander would be the “hilliest” and Pflugerville would be the flattest? But the poster “centralaustinite” likes Pflugerville better? I’m curious as to what he likes better about Pflugerville being that it seems to be mostly on the flat side of things.

Because not everybody likes hills or thinks they are the sole determining factor in whether an area is appealing or not?

And, actually, from the comment in which centralaustinite says he likes Pflugerville better, he explains it right there:

"I like Pflugerville, I like wide open spaces and there is something in the sky and land there that is reminiscent of West Texas, feels very "real" to me."

[mjfadaway]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Because not everybody likes hills or thinks they are the sole determining factor in whether an area is appealing or not?

And, actually, from the comment in which centralaustinite says he likes Pflugerville better, he explains it right there:

"I like Pflugerville, I like wide open spaces and there is something in the sky and land there that is reminiscent of West Texas, feels very "real" to me."

No need to be condescending. I’m not trying to take shots at anyone here. I respect everyone for their opinion and for the fact that we are all different. I’m here trying to figure things out for myself and narrow down which areas I may like the best as I don’t have too much experience with all of the suburbs outside of Austin. This is all research for me. I was really hoping he could elaborate a little more about things. No question is a bad question right?

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by mjfadaway

No need to be condescending. I’m not trying to take shots at anyone here. I respect everyone for their opinion and for the fact that we are all different. I’m here trying to figure things out for myself and narrow down which areas I may like the best as I don’t have too much experience with all of the suburbs outside of Austin. This is all research for me. I was really hoping he could elaborate a little more about things. No question is a bad question right?

Didn't intend to be condescending (though your question did sound a bit so itself, by the way) - was just speculating on why someone might not prefer hilly country over flat country, as your question seemed to think anyone would, and then discovered that the comment you were responding to with your question answered your question and let you know.

To help a little bit with the general geology/topography of the area, when I have clients looking for a little bit (or a lot) of acreage in this area, I always ask what they are wanting to do with that land. Our hilly areas (west of I35) don't tend to be the kind of soil that makes it easy to have a fabulous vegetable garden, for example, though there are pockets of such soil west if you can find them and they are for sale, or for raising horses due to the rocky soil due to holes in the rock that a horse can get its leg caught in, as examples (Houston Black has its own problems are far as horses are concerned, but not so likely to break a leg). If, however, you're into lakes and views and don't care about those activitiess, west is where you want to be.

The reason for this is the Balcones Fault which runs more or less down I35 (well, actually, I35, which was originally an animal trail turned Indian trail turned settlers trail turned road turned interstate, runs more or less along the Balcones Fault. Very roughly, to the west is Whiteright Foundation (some call it Austin Chalk), or limestone soil. To the east is either Houston Black (black gumbo clay) or sandy loam/sand. Our particular ranch (about 50 acres) is a smidgen east of I35 and to the north and is about half and half. The Houston Black is about 4 feet deep. The Whiteright is anything from four feet in a few places to half an inch or less of soil in others on our place.

Pflugerville is more "in town" than Leander, while still remaining moderately affordable. Not that long ago it was out in the boonies and Leander was REALLY out in the boonies, but that has changed - the actual distance in miles to drive from each has not, however. That can make Pflugerville more attractive to someone who works downtown, for example, though Leander has the train that goes right downtown if you don't need to have your car available and don't need to make stops along the way between work and home.

Hope that helps give you a better picture.

[JH6]

Yes Leander has access to the Cap Metro train, but its an odd arrangement.

Late return service stops at Lakeline and does not continue to Leander.

On several occasions I have found myself stranded at Lakeline, with my car parked at Leander cursing as I had to take an uber to Leander to get my car.

Cedar Park and Round Rock did not buy into train service, so there is no stop in those cities.

If I were working downtown, I would LOVE to be able to get down to a one car household, and take the train to work every day.

[Antny12]

As the area continues to grow and there’s more of a commitment to the train you’ll see it start functioning more efficiently. Leander’s TRIZ district which is around the train is really taking off as of late with the addition of ACC, ST David’s and a bunch of residential/retail development. The functionality of the schedule clearly needs improvements and more stops like the downtown one planned will also help encourage more people to use the train instead of taking it and then having to walk far/take a taxi or Uber.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by mjfadaway

No need to be condescending. I’m not trying to take shots at anyone here. I respect everyone for their opinion and for the fact that we are all different. I’m here trying to figure things out for myself and narrow down which areas I may like the best as I don’t have too much experience with all of the suburbs outside of Austin. This is all research for me. I was really hoping he could elaborate a little more about things. No question is a bad question right?

Sorry! i didn't realize my comment was under discussion. TexasHorseLady already laid it out quite well when it comes to the geology/geography of Central Texas. In addition to the soil differences, east of I35 the Austin area is flatter (but not exclusively so) and as a result has a more "open sky" look which I prefer. Strictly a personal aesthetic thing. The hills and views to the west of Austin are nice enough but to me, they aren't compensation enough for the higher prices and congested roads (many people clearly disagree).

Pflugerville is probably one of the the most underrated areas of Austin. It is close in, has great shopping, easy access to downtown, solid schools, and the big sky gives it a nice "Texas" feel. The old football stadium even stood in for the Dillion Panthers in Friday Night Lights. Can't beat that.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by mjfadaway

So Leander would be the “hilliest” and Pflugerville would be the flattest? But the poster “centralaustinite” likes Pflugerville better? I’m curious as to what he likes better about Pflugerville being that it seems to be mostly on the flat side of things.

Flat topography may not be a big issue with others. I can tell you that hills weren't on our top five list when it came to places to live. Not at all. No way would I want a lot that isn't flat. I love our larger level flat lot, perfect when it came to pool construction and anything else. I like that my kids can play on flat land. What we did want was TREES. Mature trees and more than just one, or two. We don't have any vistas but my backyard is still purty to look at, courtesy of the landscaping work we've done and the majestic oaks in the back. Because the flora is so valuable to me, you'd best believe we spend the money to maintain it.

We live in Round Rock, but there are some streets in my area that are hilly, with higher elevation than others. Not sure if I'd want to deal with that, for aforementioned reasons.

I liked Pflugerville because it offered a lot for the money - low crime, amenities (more now than ever), all at a great price. Though even the prices now are changing too.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Anywhere but here

Yes, pretty much everything is trending towards big box and cookie cutter developments. Easy to setup and make the most money.

I think that's the reason why my current neighborhood still sells homes - it's not cookie cutter. It's over 30 years old as is its housing stock. Nearly all lots are over .4 acres with some acreage homesites. The trees weren't cleared away en masse to built the homes, the homes were built around the trees. We have a huge red oak in our back yard that could easily take out our house. It's probably at least 80 years old.

But many people prefer newer developments with lots of updates even if the lots are smaller and the homes similar. It is the nature of the beast. I do like big box though. Don't want to go back to the days of driving distances to get retail options.