Another question regarding areas to live in (Dallas, Austin: amusement park, homeowners association)

[YvZ]

We are looking at relocating from Colorado to Austin as soon as we sell our house here. My husband works from home but travels to clients a lot so the only requirement we have is that we need to be relatively close to the Airport. Like any parent we would like the best schools for our kids, so if it means that my husband would need to travel further to the airport to have our kids in better schools then we would rather do that. We like newer homes but yet in a well established neighborhood. We would like to pay no more than $320K for a house. A few questions:
* Which neighborhoods are an easy commute to the Airport? From our research it seems like Circle C is a good choice. Any other areas?
* Cedar Park seems to be a new developing community where we could get a lot more house for our money vs Steiner Ranch or Circle C - are the schools good in Cedar Park?
* How long would the commute be to the Airport early on a Monday morning from Cedar Park, Steiner Ranch and Circle C?
* If we would like to love close to water, what areas should we look at and how far are those areas from the Airport?
* When do the new school year start in Austin?

Thanks!

[Raskolnikov]

Cedar Park has a lot going for it in terms of a nice suburban place to raise a family, but a commute to the airport would, in my opinion, be pretty bad. You would have to basically go through the worst traffic that Austin has to offer in every geographic area. First you would have to get on 183, then take that to either Mopac to 71/Ben White or you could also go 183 to I-35 then south, then east on Ben White. Doing that could take more than an hour, easily. If you did it while it was still dark and no traffic on the road it could be a little under an hour.

From southwest Austin (Western Oaks, Circle C, etc.) it would only take about 20-25 minutes. I live in Villages of Western Oaks and the other day it took me 23 minutes to get from my house to the parking lot of the airport.

The schools are good in Cedar Park but they are also good in southwest Austin.

Since you have to be at the airport a lot, I would go with southwest Austin. Circle C is great but I'd also look into Villages of Western Oaks/ Western Oaks (it has a lot of different sections and it's a vast area, containing houses build from the early 1980s with a lot of trees and nice big yards; to houses built in 2000-2005 also with big trees and nice yards.. there is a lot of variety in here). Western Oaks, south of William Cannon and north of Slaughter, is a faster commute to the airport than Circle C and also is less expensive, and the homeowners association is cheaper.

I don't want to knock any of these areas, they are all great. I would just look at Western Oaks because of your situation.

Also- Southwest Austin is about 10 minutes from the Colorado River/ Town Lake and about 20-30 minutes from Lake Travis. I wasn't sure exactly what you meant by 'close to the water' though.

Steiner Ranch is also nice but the commute to the airport would make me scratch it off the list. Schools and neighborhood are nice, though and it is closer to Lake Travis.

[llkltk]

You might want to take a look at Meridian as well, it is just a few minutes south of Circle C and less congested.

[Exiled Texan]

I thought flying in and out of Austin was one its major negatives? Hardly no direct flights anywhere. Just an honest question. It is something we have in the negative column with respect to Austin.

What part of Colorado? Honestly, I'd move to Colorado but for the fact all my family lives in Austin.

[YvZ]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer my questions, we appreciate it.

We live in Colorado Springs. My husband never flies direct, he almost always connect in Dallas but we definitely do not want to live in Dallas.

The reason we are looking at moving is purely the weather. We have two boys and it is killing us to raise them indoors for 8 months of the year.

[Exiled Texan]

Colorado Springs. Sounds lovely. I guess you are used to never flying direct.

You do realize it is often too hot for kids to play outside during the summer in Texas? Heat stroke hot. Kind of sucks that it is when the kids are off school.

I'm just saying I'm a born and raised Texan moving back to Texas. The weather is a reason I pause. The heat is incredible. I recall when I moved to the east coast being shocked that I could walk outside during the summer without feeling like you'd pass out.

[TexasHorseLady]

Well, my kids never had any problem playing outside during the summer, but maybe they're of older, tougher stock than today's kids.

Cedar Park is a bit of a drive for the airport, though I would maybe go 183 45 to SH 130 to 71 to the airport, myself, if I were living there. Haven't timed it, but it would likely be a lot less of a hassle traffic-wise than any of the other alternatives.

You could live south, perhaps in Lake Travis ISD or even Dripping Springs. There's housing available in your price range in those areas.

[Exiled Texan]

HorseLady- Good point. I don't recall the heat bothering me as a kid. Teenage years and in my 20s it was unbearable. Maybe it wasn't as hot back then.....or maybe kids don't care so much. I did get heat stroke once when I was a kid in TX at n amusement park. Pretty serious at the time.

[gigi927]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Well, my kids never had any problem playing outside during the summer, but maybe they're of older, tougher stock than today's kids.

My kids are young and didn't have any major problems last summer. My 4 year old son was in a day camp for a couple of weeks from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a good part of each day was outside - and he survived just fine. I'd say it's wise to keep kids either in the pool or inside for the really, really hot part of the really, really hot days, but otherwise it was quite tolerable overall. The major caveat is that I moved here from Phoenix, where you truly ARE housebound the entire summer, lest your skin fries and melts away.

[atxcio]

I agree Cedar Park is a looong way from the airport, but y'all do know that you can take 183 all the way to 71 right by the airport, right? No need to get on I35, 290, or 130... Yes, 183 can get some bad traffic but not as bad as I35. And taking 183-45-130 adds lots of miles, and $$$ in tolls.. not going to get you there faster unless there is an accident on 183.

Still, SW is the better commute to the airport. And Austin's airport would be a check in the positive column for me... it's so easy to park and get to your gate. Security lines are ridiculously short. Parking is cheap and close. The extra 30 minute hop to DFW or IAH is about equal to the extra time you'd need at those airports to get from your car to gate. Plus, we're getting new non-stops pretty much ever month.

And coming home... nothing beats ABIA for me. Off the plane and an easy walk to my car, then a 15 minute drive home (W/SW Austin). Very relaxing.