Information needed on areas to live in Austin (Round Rock, Barton Creek: apartment complexes, renters)

[alan777]

I am kicking my search for an apartment into high gear as I am moving to Austin in July. I need information on the different areas of Austin to live in.

I have read a lot of the threads here and my general impressions are that N/NW Austin is slightly higher class and more affluent. It has lots of great schools but not many apartments to rent from. Those that are there tend to be a little more expensive.

I have the impression that the S Austin area has a slightly higher crime rate but nothing like that of larger cities like LA or Oakland, CA. I don't know what the schools are like there but apartments certainly are cheaper.

What is E Austin like? W Austin? I need to make a decision very soon and cannot visit as I don't have the cash to do so.

I have a nine year old daughter so good parks in the area I move to are a must. Good schools are also a must. I rent so I don't have to worry about the price of buying a house.

Any help is much appreciated.

[mm57553]

How much are you looking to spend? Will you need to commute somewhere for work?

[alan777]

Originally Posted by mm57553

How much are you looking to spend? Will you need to commute somewhere for work?

I am looking for an apartment around $600 - $700/month. I don't have a job lined up yet, but I am going to apply to some before I move so I have no idea of a commute. A long commute is not really an issue as I used to live in N Cali. I used to commute on Hwy. 101 in the Bay Area. If you have any idea what that is like then you know that even a 45 minute commute does not worry me that much.

I have looked on Craig's List some and found that apartments in N Austin range from about $650 and up to around $900. In S-SW Austin they range from around $550 up to around $700. Both of those are workable.

I am just trying to gather as much information as possible before I commit to a lease or rental agreement.

[TexasHorseLady]

Price range? Size of apartment?

[alan777]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Price range? Size of apartment?

I want to pay $600 - $700 for a 2 bedroom 1 - 2 bathroom apartment. I would like the apartment to be 850 - 1000+ square feet in size. From what I have seen that is very feasible in Austin. A good to great school relatively near by is a must.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by alan777

I want to pay $600 - $700 for a 2 bedroom 1 - 2 bathroom apartment. I would like the apartment to be 850 - 1000+ square feet in size. From what I have seen that is very feasible in Austin. A good to great school relatively near by is a must.

Wow. I don't know that you are going to fine an apartment that size in a good school area for $700 but I could be wrong.

[calel]

What sort of job are you looking for? If it's office-y and you plan to be commuting to downtown, you might consider renting South or Southeast.

If you're trying to get into a technical job, most of the larger companies (Dell, Sun, Apple, IBM, 3M, Samsung, National Instruments) are N/NW around 183. There are plenty of apartment complexes running the length of 183 in a wide range of prices. If you settle for a complex between Oak Knoll and Lakeline, you'll be in the Round Rock school district, which has a number of good schools.

[centralaustinite]

Look off Spyglass for apartments in the Eanes district. Barton Creek Landing would be in your price range but a bit smaller than you would like but great schools.

[CptnRn]

According to this website Austin apartments pricing and Austin TX apartment reviews 2 bedroom apartments in Austin range average around $963. You can look here Austin Apartments for Rent - Austin Apartments Reviews and Ratings to see the many complexes listed, prices, and how renters have rated the various apartments around town and see what their reviews were.

[CptnRn]

These are older but in your price range, have really high ratings and in a great location, within walking distance of SoCo and the CBD. You could walk, bicycle or bus almost everywhere you might need to go. It is not the most beautiful complex around, but 19 reviews with 94% positive rating, 4.5 out of 5 points, that is pretty exceptional.

Congress Square Apartments

I worked next door to there for years and always felt it was a safe area. I don't know what schools are like but its within walking distance of major parks. A co-worker lives around 10 blocks from there and has raised two children in the neighborhood.

There are other more attractive looking but more expensive apartments in the area which you might want to consider, given that if you could walk or take the bus to work downtown you would save a lot on commuting costs. There are a huge number of jobs available within walking distance of this area. The City of Austin's largest office building is right next door. The State of Texas also has offices within a few blocks. For more options go to http://www.apartmenthomeliving.com/a...rch_id=2698043 and search zip code 78704.

If I were single I would try to live near downtown in an area like this, but my wife would never go for it.