Moving to Georgetown, need advice (Austin, Round Rock: how much, university, living)

[love roses]

I hate to tell you this, but Austin is in the middle of a drought right now, so you aren't going to find much green anywhere anyway, even around downtown austin. Plus, much of it is dormant. Both parties the OP mentions have opposite commutes. If they choose to live in Pflugerville, the one commuting to Temple is going to have a worse commute overall. I'm 15 minutes from Georgetown and it takes about an hour to get to temple. Go closer in to Austin, that'll make his commute closer to 2 hours everyday. I'm very familiar with that commute, since my husband goes to Temple as well.

[zolidze]

Thanks all.
I am getting more convinced that maybe we should move to Round Rock instead of Gtown. I found some luxury apartments which look like a resort style living for about 1000 for a 2bdr ( Las Brisas and Melograno at Teravista). A few houses that I looked at online which were renting for about 900-1000 looked real plane and I google mapped the neihborhoods, they weren't imprassive either. On the other hand when I look at those apartments, boy they do remind me of a vacation. Are they really as good as the pictures? OR is it all just the pictures? Has anyone seen them or heard of them?


My only fear is the commute. It will be about 47 miles to Temple, which sounds real scary to me. It's 42 miles from Gtown (not much better but still less then Round Rock) For about 6months I traveled 40 miles to work each way and it was no fun...Our commutes now are about 2-5 miles, so we are in for a big change...Any long commuters out there commuting from Round Rock to Temple and/or Austin downtown? How is it?

I also talked to the local realtor and she says Round Rock is much nicer and has a lot more to offer than Gtown.
I guess I am swaying more towards Round Rock, we only have to do it for 1 year.

In regards to brown, I LOVE green, but I also HATE cleveland 6 month winters and hibernation so I don't know what's worse yet, but I guess I'll be able to tell in a year... Last time I checked the weather in Austin it was 85 degrees and sunny and when I look outside in Cleveland it is 18, windy, freezing cold and grey, grey and more grey.... :O Can't wait for spring.

Thanks for the apartment locator advice, I did find them online and got a call immediately.

[zolidze]

Originally Posted by love roses

I hate to tell you this, but Austin is in the middle of a drought right now, so you aren't going to find much green anywhere anyway, even around downtown austin. Plus, much of it is dormant. Both parties the OP mentions have opposite commutes. If they choose to live in Pflugerville, the one commuting to Temple is going to have a worse commute overall. I'm 15 minutes from Georgetown and it takes about an hour to get to temple. Go closer in to Austin, that'll make his commute closer to 2 hours everyday. I'm very familiar with that commute, since my husband goes to Temple as well.

When you say you are 15 minutes from Georgetown, where are you at, Round Rock?

[mark311]

Originally Posted by zolidze

I also talked to the local realtor and she says Round Rock is much nicer and has a lot more to offer than Gtown.

Well, I think any realtor that is able to make that general of a statement between those two places is not a realtor that I would want to use as it's just not accurate (and I live in Round Rock).

While the apartments that you are considering in Round Rock are new and nice, you are on the Northern most part of Round Rock and almost in Georgetown anyway. At that location, you are going to find yourself driving to HEB (grocery store) and Wolf Ranch in Georgetown for a lot of your shopping. You'll be right next to the Outlet mall and Ikea in Round Rock with lots of shopping as well, but a couple of things that are missing from that area are a grocery store as well as a Target or Walmart.

Both places would really be fine though. I would just check them all out when you come out to visit.

[zolidze]

Originally Posted by mark311

Both places would really be fine though. I would just check them all out when you come out to visit.

We are considering avoiding the trip to visit the places and thinking about just picking the place online...It's tax season for me now and will not end untill end of May and in June we have to move, my husband's schedule is packed too. So... we might just have to rely on the feedback of all the people that I am talking to as well as this forum... So I would appreciate any more feedback/advice on which place to pick. Thanks!

[mark311]

Originally Posted by zolidze

We are considering avoiding the trip to visit the places and thinking about just picking the place online...

I think that most other people here would agree that a visit is a must. Even if you can just fly out for a weekend, it would be worth it in my opinion. Getting into an apartment lease sight unseen is not something that I would recommend.

[TexasHorseLady]

I likewise have to disagree with the agent who says that Round Rock is "much nicer" than Georgetown. What that tells me is that she specializes in Round Rock and/or doesn't get to Georgetown much. (For that matter, at the northern end, it's about five minutes from north Round Rock to south Georgetown - I know, I drive it regularly.)

Round Rock will be (most days) a slightly shorter commute to downtown, but a more equal commute between the two.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by zolidze

When you say you are 15 minutes from Georgetown, where are you at, Round Rock?

I live in Hutto, between Round Rock and Georgetown. I also agree about that realtor. She must just be trying to sell Round Rock. I think Georgetown has more character than Round Rock in a way, but you can't go wrong with either one. The apartments you are talking about are brand spanking new and they do look nice and are located very near hospitals, shopping and the freeways...both 35 and I30 toll road.

I don't know what route you have mapped out to Temple for your commute, but you will probably take 35 considering your 2 chosen locations. Where we are, my husband goes towards Taylor and takes 95 (a back road route) straight in. I've driven there a few times and we can often make it in just under an hour, but like any back road route, you do hit some small towns and stop lights so that adds just a tad to the commute but it's quicker for my husband to go that way than way down to 35.

I drive past those apartments quite a bit so maybe I'll drive through them tomorrow and see how it looks inside the community. Don't know how far I'll get though because I think it may be gated. I forgot to add, if you choose RR (Round Rock) it'll make your commute a bit easier. Lots of people out this way drive into Austin to work and it's not really that bad. But of course, it's longer than 2-5 miles

[spanko75]

Its all in what you want, I live in Temple and wish I had moved to Round Rock. If youre looking for closeness to the city feel, go with RR. Georgetown is a little deserted imo and all it really has to offer is the river. I know several people that live there that wish they had moved to RR. Regarless of where you move to I-35 is a nightmare, 24/7. From Temple, I can be in downtown Austin in 45 min, but at any rush hour that time almost doubles.

[zolidze]

Originally Posted by love roses

I drive past those apartments quite a bit so maybe I'll drive through them tomorrow and see how it looks inside the community. Don't know how far I'll get though because I think it may be gated.

Thank you, that would be great if you could do that. I am starting to see already that people in Texas are friendlier indeed