Arboretum Commute (Austin, Trinity, West: fit in, apartments, condo)

[mrblueskies]

My wife and I are moving to Austin soon - I will be a UT grad student and she will be working (TBD). A lot of people have recommended the Arboretum area to us, but we have gotten a lot of mixed reviews on the traffic from there to UT and downtown. Any estimates? We've heard that during off-peak times it can take about 20-25 minutes.

Thanks!

[Moonlady]

You really might want to wait until she finds a job before making that decision. If she lands a job south, it will be an unneccessary commute for both of you. If she works north, the Arboretum area would be a good compromise.

20-25 minutes off peak is about right. Peak is 7:30-9:00 and 4:30-6:00. If you can avoid those times, it's a pretty easy drive.

If you locate just a tad south of the Arboretum, in what's known at the Far West area, there are UT shuttles that hit that area and can take you to campus.

[mark311]

The Arboretum area is definitely a safe area to tell someone to move to as the apartments are generally newer and there are several large complexes. That's the area that I moved to temporarily when I first moved to Austin. However, if I was a grad student, I would definitely want to be on the UT shuttle route. Parking is not good on campus. You will probably have to park on the East side of I35 and jump on a shuttle bus to campus anyway. Or you could spend ~$45 per month to get into Trinity or Manor garage, and still have to walk a long way to get to your classes.

Without knowing what your budget is, I would seriously take a look at the Hyde Park area in addition to the Arboretum. I second Moonlady's comment about Far West being a great place for a grad student as well. I would be less worried about the traffic from the Arboretum as it's not bad at all during off peak times and more worried about where you'll have to park once you get to UT. That will probably add 20 minutes to your commute, but it will be walking on campus or on a shuttle bus from the UT parking lots East of I35.

[atxcio]

Mark311 has some great points. Parking and walking to class will probably be longer or as long as your off-peak commute from the Arboretum.

Far West area might be a good alternative, as you could take advantage of the UT shuttle. That would be a significant benefit in my book, not only because of parking but because of the high gas prices. The UT shuttle from Far West area (in NW Hills) is free for students. The housing is older, but the neighborhood has more character IMO... not as much character as Hyde Park, but a little more than the Arboretum.

[MJinAustin]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Mark311 has some great points. Parking and walking to class will probably be longer or as long as your off-peak commute from the Arboretum.

Far West area might be a good alternative, as you could take advantage of the UT shuttle. That would be a significant benefit in my book, not only because of parking but because of the high gas prices. The UT shuttle from Far West area (in NW Hills) is free for students. The housing is older, but the neighborhood has more character IMO... not as much character as Hyde Park, but a little more than the Arboretum.

Excellent advice. Far West is a good location with some fairly nice apartment and condo complexes and on the UT shuttle.