Can I get the "cliff notes" on Austin, TX please? (West: apartment, to rent)

[UbbyJuice]

Currently living in Littleton, CO but thinking of moving down to Austin, TX this summer.
Colorado is just so super expensive now with all the legal weed stuff, I think it's time to run.
My rent has gone up, year after year, and it shows no signs of stopping. I'm just tired of it

Can someone give me the "cliff notes" of Austin TX?

What I'm mainly interested in knowing:

1. What "sides" of town are the "good" sides? What are the crime/"bad" sides? (North, South, West, east, etc)
2. What "sides" are cheaper and vice versa?
3. How's the local economy there? Is there generally plenty of work?
4. How is traffic generally?
5. 0% Texas income tax sounds SWEET, but are there any "catches"?

Many thanks Austin-ians, I have been pondering this idea for some time but I think soon it will be time to pull the trigger

I will take any advice or warnings into consideration.

[centralaustinite]

Rents go up every year here too! And Austin is the most expensive city in Austin to rent or buy.
What sort of rent are you looking for?
What kind of employment? The Austin economy is strong but can be competitive.

Traffic sucks, public transport isn't great.

[cBach]

5. 0% Texas income tax sounds SWEET, but are there any "catches"?

Yes, the property taxes more than make up for it.

[UbbyJuice]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Rents go up every year here too! And Austin is the most expensive city in Austin to rent or buy.
What sort of rent are you looking for?
What kind of employment? The Austin economy is strong but can be competitive.

Traffic sucks, public transport isn't great.

Anything $900/month or under might work, I'm a single guy no kids.
Employment would be IT type stuff.

How about that ALex Jones fellow? Is it true he lives in Austin?
Hehehe

[TXEX06]

Originally Posted by UbbyJuice

Anything $900/month or under might work, I'm a single guy no kids.
Employment would be IT type stuff.

How about that ALex Jones fellow? Is it true he lives in Austin?
Hehehe

$900 a month will get you Anytown USA out in the burbs.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by UbbyJuice

Currently living in Littleton, CO but thinking of moving down to Austin, TX this summer.
Colorado is just so super expensive now with all the legal weed stuff, I think it's time to run.
My rent has gone up, year after year, and it shows no signs of stopping. I'm just tired of it

Can someone give me the "cliff notes" of Austin TX?

What I'm mainly interested in knowing:

1. What "sides" of town are the "good" sides? What are the crime/"bad" sides? (North, South, West, east, etc)

Northeast, east and southeast are considered the "bad" sides of town, but bad is relative.

2. What "sides" are cheaper and vice versa?

The bad sides of town. And the far north and far south parts. I am in central east and am paying a bit over $800. However, my area is transitioning and is in the news occasionally for the wrong reasons.

3. How's the local economy there? Is there generally plenty of work?

Find a job before you get here.

4. How is traffic generally?

Live close to where you work. It's bad. This goes with having a job before moving here.

5. 0% Texas income tax sounds SWEET, but are there any "catches"?

Already answered.

Many thanks Austin-ians, I have been pondering this idea for some time but I think soon it will be time to pull the trigger

I will take any advice or warnings into consideration.

Have you been to Austin before? Why Austin?

Originally Posted by TXEX06

$900 a month will get you Anytown USA out in the burbs.

Or a shoe box, crap or borderline remodeled crap close to town (I'm in the borderline crap category) in town. I am ten minutes from downtown.

[RunninJT]

You could rent an apartment off of Rundberg for $900, that puts you <10 minutes from downtown traffic willing. The "bad for Austin" part of town.

Come visit Austin in late july or anytime in August, then see if you want to really move to Austin.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

$900 a month will get you Anytown USA out in the burbs.

Oh the wise words of the urbanist...

Good luck finding something that isn't ridiculously small for $900 or isn't in a sketchy neighborhood. The internet doesn't paint an accurate picture.

[Austin97]

900 a month will allow you to get an awesome place anywhere except maybe right downtown, if you share a 2-3 bedroom with roommates.

[luksky]

Living standards are always subjective no matter where you live. Some people have higher (and lower) standards than others as far as living conditions. Personally, I would rather live in a "sketchy" (again subjective) neighborhood than in the burbs with a bunch of soccer mom types with annoying curtain climbers running around.