Can someone recommend particular Austin neighborhoods to me?? (Dallas, Spring: apartments, rentals)

[NickL28]

I am planning on moving to Austin in January and looking for a good place to live. I am single / 29 and work in accounting / finance.

I can afford about $1,000 a month for rent but ideally would like to live in the Downtown part. I have seen loft condos for around $1,500 a month listed on Craigslist.

I may not have a job when I move in January but can pay 3-5 months rent in advance.

BTW, I check posts on the 'Rant & Rave' board on Austin Craigslist and everyone is so negative about people from NY & CA moving to Austin..

[AustinTraveler]

Not sure what the problem is over on Craigslist with rantings over who is moving to Austin. Personally, I never see or hear anything like that. I think once you move here you'll realize that nobody cares where you're from or what you do for a living, etc. Austin is laid back and tolerant so I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Just go with the flow.

I'm not very familiar with rentals but I do know that $1,000 a month is pretty low for a downtown loft. But, you can probably find something close to downtown. Check the SoCo area, Barton Springs, Clarksville, and just north of downtown near Lamar.

If you haven't done so already, do a Google search for Downtown Austin Apartments and you'll get a bunch of good hits. There are companies out there ready to help you find the perfect place. I wouldn't be relying just on Craigslist or the classifieds. Of course, if you aren't checking the classifieds, do so at Statesman.com.

Good luck!!!

[jwynne2000]

You shouldn't have a problem getting accounting work here in the Austin area.

As for everyone being negative about people moving from NY and CA, that's just ridiculous. We love you guys! If we're negative about anybody, it's people moving here from Dallas

And 1000/month for rent should get you someplace pretty nice at least close to downtown.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by NYC96

I can afford about $1,000 a month for rent but ideally would like to live in the Downtown part. I have seen loft condos for around $1,500 a month listed on Craigslist.

My take on downtown living in Austin: life doesn't get any better than that. Just last night I met up with a friend at the central Whole Foods (AKA Six Flags Over Tofu) He moved here recently after looking not just all around the USA but also at other countries (he owns 2 large houses in New Zealand, for example) to find the perfect place, and he chose Austin. We spent about an hour on a walking tour of that section of downtown, between Congress Avenue and Lamar on 4th, 5th and 6th streets. I was experiencing my usual Austin Bliss and he kept saying things like "George, I've been all over the world and seen a lot of amazing places, and I can honestly say that to live right in this area is probably the most vibrant, laid back, hip, accessible, desireable lifestyle I can imagine."

Unfortunately this made him regret buying a mansion in the hills 25 minutes west of downtown.

All rents for newer condos in central Austin are over $1,000, but if you use one of our MANY rental agencies and are willing to put up with some funk and out-of-date decor, you can easily find something for a grand within walking distance of all the major amenities of the center of the city. And if you do find a place like that, TAKE IT and SIGN A LONG LEASE because these places are going up faster than a turkey running through a hole in the fence a week before Thanksgiving.

Originally Posted by jwynne2000

As for everyone being negative about people moving from NY and CA, that's just ridiculous. We love you guys! If we're negative about anybody, it's people moving here from Dallas

Ya know something? There's a lot of truth to your humorous quip. I've told a gazillion people here that I'm from California and the most common response I get is "so am I" or "oh, wow, what part?" As for people from Dallas, they're usually here as refugees from the place so we show compassion for their plight.

Any forum that features rants will focus on inaccurate negative representations. This includes chat forums that talk about prescription drugs --- check out a few of them and you'll think that we're all going to die if we swallow whatever pill they happen to be talking about. Meanwhile, the "silent majority" are doing just fine and don't bother to post on such a forum.