Recommend a specific neighborhood in Central or South Austin (Commerce: low crime, new home)

[centralaustinite]

Oh please! People go live somewhere where there is real crime for a while, try southside of Chicago (I have) or south city St. Louis (yup, I lived there too). We should all be grateful for the overall low crime rate in Austin and not try to create "bad areas" where they don't exist.

I have lived nearly twenty years in Austin all of either central southeast (Riverside and Wickersham which apparently scares some people silly) but where I found great friends, tons of students (I was a grad then myself), and felt very safe and never experienced any crime. Then I lived in south central Austin near S. 1st (on "the bad side of Lamar" which is about the kookiest thing I have ever heard), now I live even closer to I-35.

Yes, cars get broken into from time to time, empty houses have been broken into, but plu-leeze! This is no 'hood.

Do poor people live in 04 and 45? Yes, this was always the "working class area" of Austin historically, the doctors and lawyers and professors tended to live north. 30 years ago Travis Heights was a somewhat dicey neighborhood known for the quality of pot for sale there! But the reality was mainly a working class neighborhood full of ordinary people.

I drive all over southeast Austin into huge apartment complexes and down tiny street full of falling down duplexes, and do you know what I find? 95% percent hard-working people and even the folks hanging on the corner in the middle of day are always polite and helpful if I ask them a question.

Get a grip, y'all!

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by jobert

this is the only data I found for sales in SW:
Austin Real Estate & Austin Homes For Sale — Trulia.com

If you are working with a realtor, you can get get access to MLS records. I am not sure if you can get them anywhere else.

[CptnRn]

That is all true. I have said over and over again that the crime rates in Austin are relatively low compared to other cities. I have also provided the references so people can see for them selves what the numbers are.

Nevertheless you can still choose to live in an area that had 0 rapes rather then 37, or 1 theft versus 3,175. There are differences.

[llkltk]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

That is all true. I have said over and over again that the crime rates in Austin are relatively low compared to other cities. I have also provided the references so people can see for them selves what the numbers are.

Nevertheless you can still choose to live in an area that had 0 rapes rather then 37, or 1 theft versus 3,175. There are differences.

I totally agree. Also, there are many people who live in the "revitalized" areas of East Austin that are having to chase away the prostitutes and drug dealers at night. I much prefer to avoid those kinds of areas.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

That is all true. I have said over and over again that the crime rates in Austin are relatively low compared to other cities. I have also provided the references so people can see for them selves what the numbers are.

Nevertheless you can still choose to live in an area that had 0 rapes rather then 37, or 1 theft versus 3,175. There are differences.

True enough, and I do appreciate your consistent efforts to point out that overall Austin has a low crime rate.

Statistically, you are most likely to be the victim at the hands of a friend or family member! So pick them carefully and remember, suicide is much more likely than murder, so be kind to yourself. Drowning is much more likely than abduction as a danger to a child. And please, buckle your seat belts when you drive!

[TexasHorseLady]

Oh, Sam's! I've not been there often enough, but I've been loving it for decades! Since long before it burned down and rock musicians and legislators and ordinary folk were there the next morning mourning and helping clean up and planning on how it could be rebuilt.

I lived half a block from Hoover's when it was a grocery store. And I've eaten there more than a few times since it became the restaurant.

[mimimomx3]

Yeah, when you've lived in DC, you KNOW scary neighborhoods! Nothing in Austin compares.

[Trainwreck20]

Okay, people, keep on topic and off personal comments on each other. I know I deleted some posts that were probably fine or at least partially, but were tied up in this silly bickering.

By the way, if someone breaks the Terms of Service, that does NOT give you the right to respond in kind in the forum.

[lass70]

So....nothing specifically in Central or South Austin?? I mean like "turn on this Street off of S. Lamar and there's a cute little neighborhood back there"...nothing like that?
I appreciate the comments about the crime. But really, I'm moving from New Orleans. If we had the crime that Austin has, we wouldn't be moving.
Anyway, still no final word on the hubby's job, but I'm still reading your comments, in hopes that we can come. Thanks again everybody!!

[TexasHorseLady]

There's quite a few cute little neighborhoods in Central and South Austin. The trick is to combine the price point and the schools. In that price point, you may need to go south of Ben White (a quick search of the MLS turns up 1 on the market that is south of the river and north of Ben White, though it's on Rabb Road, which is, indeed, a cute little neighborhood and walking distance from Barton Hills Elementary and an easy bike ride - or walk for some - to Zilker Park).

There's some cute neighborhoods off of Brodie Lane that might suit, and they're close to Evangeline's so you'd be able to have a taste of home!

As some have said, Southwest (SWW in the MLS) has some nice neighborhoods that might fit the bill. Oak Hill is another possibility, though it's gotten a bit pricey in recent times.

I'd say look at 78704, 78749,78735, and see what pops up. There's interesting and not-so-interesting neighborhoods in all those zip codes south.

Then, as I said earlier, check out Brentwood Elementary and the surrounding area. North, but sounds like what you're looking for.