moving to Austin in 4 weeks-lots of questions (Houston, Dallas: relocating, houses)

[ly3000]

My family is relocating to Austin from Dallas in 4 weeks.
One parent is working near Loop 1 and Barton Creek, one is woking north around 183.

We are looking for a house around 300K. We have two choices,one is to find a place in the middle point which turns out to be too expensive (west lake are).The other choice is to find a house near just one work place.Either north or south.

My questions are
1. What are the pros and cons for living in the north or south?

2.During rush hour, is there more traffic from north to south, or more trafic from south to north. When is the peak hour? How eary or how late can I avoid the traffic?

3.If we deicded to go with Southwest area,can anyone recommend a good day care/school for my two children (2.5 yr)?

4.If we have to rent an aparment first in Southwest, any recommendation for a 3br/2 bath?

I would really appreciate any feedback!!!

[TexasHorseLady]

Where around 183? Depending on where, there are some back ways (that I'm not going to share on here because then they'd be swamped!) that would make traveling in either direction doable. Both directions are going to be crowded, though, at certain points.

[Trainwreck20]

1. What are the pros and cons for living in the north or south?

From a living standpoint, not a whole lot...depends on what you personally like and exatcly where you are. NW will have a few more hills, SW will have a little more green space. Most of the major stores have locations north and south. From a commuting standpoint, traveling south to north is probably a little less of a hassle (assuming you are traveling 360 or MoPac (aka 'Loop' 1))

2.During rush hour, is there more traffic from north to south, or more trafic from south to north. When is the peak hour? How eary or how late can I avoid the traffic?

Rush hour (in my neck of the woods) peaks around 8 or 8:15. I can almost totally avoid it leaving at 7:00 am and returning home ~4:00 pm (this is heading from the S. to the N.).

3.If we deicded to go with Southwest area,can anyone recommend a good day care/school for my two children (2.5 yr)?

The typical high-quality places are Children's Courtyard, Bright Horizons, Primrose, Country Home, and possibly Stepping Stone. There are other options, but those are the fairly well managed chains. You will hear good and bad about all of them, so you will have to visit yourself to decide. Also, search on the existing threads, there are several on this subject. They all around $900, I think, for kids that age and full time. Primrose a little more, maybe, and Stepping Stone a little less? You would have to check.

4.If we have to rent an aparment first in Southwest, any recommendation for a 3br/2 bath?

There are quite a few nice ones, but I am not personally familiar with any of them .

[MJinAustin]

Originally Posted by ly3000

My family is relocating to Austin from Dallas in 4 weeks.
One parent is working near Loop 1 and Barton Creek, one is woking north around 183.

We are looking for a house around 300K. We have two choices,one is to find a place in the middle point which turns out to be too expensive (west lake are).The other choice is to find a house near just one work place.Either north or south.

My questions are
1. What are the pros and cons for living in the north or south?

2.During rush hour, is there more traffic from north to south, or more trafic from south to north. When is the peak hour? How eary or how late can I avoid the traffic?

3.If we deicded to go with Southwest area,can anyone recommend a good day care/school for my two children (2.5 yr)?

4.If we have to rent an aparment first in Southwest, any recommendation for a 3br/2 bath?

I would really appreciate any feedback!!!

Most suburban families live north or south, so the traffic is equally bad/good in both ways as you're driving through downtown and Central Austin. In your case, one person is going to have an icky commute. You MIGHT be able to find a smaller house in Central Austin in the Allandale or Crestview communities (78757). For a little less money and a little more house, you might try Oak Forest, Barrington Oaks and surrounding neighborhoods (78759) - that's North Austin but in the Round Rock ISD. In the Southwest, you might try Travis Country or similar neighborhoods (don't know the zip). For a newer home, you're going to have to go really North (like Forest Oaks or Lakeline area) or really South (not as familiar with South - but a Circle C type neighborhood) or really West (in your price range, can get some of the smaller - say 2000+ s.f. - houses in Steiner Ranch).

Both South and North have great shopping and restaurants. I wouldn't say one is better than the other. There is a different feel to North and South which is hard to put a finger on really. Most people here fit more into one area than the other and then stay in that area. South can be a little more ecclectic - a little more "Austin". North is a little more homogenized maybe? I don't know.

I live North and like it. I work South - though I work at 5p so I have to drive through evening rush hour traffic. Generally 3:30, traffic starts ramping up though it's not bad until 445ish. Stop-and-go probably starts at 5p and wanes at about 6/6:30p. Rain complicates things.

People here think traffic is horrible, but if you live in LA or Atlanta or Houston or Dallas....it's not that horrible. It takes me 45 minutes in the heaviest part of the 5 o'clock hour to go about 14 miles from North Austin to South Austin.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Depending on where, there are some back ways (that I'm not going to share on here because then they'd be swamped!)

Thank you....!!!

[ly3000]

Thank you all for the great information.
I know Austin has only two really good high school WestLake and Westwood,but none of them seems to be feasible.
I also found out the elementary in Southwest is pretty good.Is it true? What about middle school? Any good elementary,middle school in Central Austin?

Is it true that communities east of Mopac is not as good as those of the west?

[Trainwreck20]

I know Austin has only two really good high school WestLake and Westwood,but none of them seems to be feasible.

Not sure that this is a completely true statement...those are (arguably) the best two (Eanes is almost always mentioned), but there are several excellent HSs in the area - Dripping Springs, Lake Travis, and in AISD itself, Bowie and Austin usually get good ratings, as well as Anderson.

Mills Elementary is excellent, or so all my neighbors with kids there tell me. We won't know for a few more years . Clint Small is the middle school that most of Mills feeds into, and it is probably one of the best in the area (again, by reputation, we don't have kids there). There is a new one opening off of Slaughter/1826 in the beginning of the 2009 school year (probably, maybe a year later).

Is it true that communities east of Mopac is not as good as those of the west?

If you are talking about south of 290 (aka Ben White) that is a generally true statement, depending on your definition of community.

[TexasHorseLady]

And depending on your definition of "good", as well!

[MJinAustin]

Originally Posted by ly3000

I know Austin has only two really good high school WestLake and Westwood,but none of them seems to be feasible.

Don't see why not feasible...I mean based on your requirements of 300K house. You can find some houses in that price range in the 78759 zip that are serviced by Caraway Elementary (excellent school) AND Westwood HS. You'd still be in the city of Austin. Check austinhomesearch.com or realtor.com and pull up 78759 and see what you find. There's a great house in my neighborhood...very nice 4 bedroom, 2200 s.f., asking $315K and it is serviced by both schools I mentioned.

[ly3000]

Again.Thanks for your great feedback.
I'm the one who'll work in the south,so I'm kind of leaning towards living in the south.I'll definately check 78759 area.

How do I find out more about the possible new middle school at slaughter and 1826