Rundberg/ Rutland/ I-35 crime? (Austin, Leander: apartments, crime rates, house)

[Floridamom1970]

As some of you all might remember from my previous posts my family lived in Austin Texas from 98-2001. We lived in Runnymede apartments on Rutland. At the time we absalutley loved it.I walked everywhere-to get groceries, kids school, church ect. We could walk to the park and even to the doctors.The only time I did not like walking was after dark. We have always been a one car family so it was a godsend for me to be able to have so much within safe walking distance.

We are seriously considering returning to Austin if my husband gets approved for his disability income (we want to make certain that we will have at least a regular monthly income since I will have to look for work after we get there).

However I have read on this board that that particular area has really gone down hill with the crime like prostitution and drugs. My friend who used to live in the apartment above us has told me that Lanier High School has really gotten bad and she is building a house in Leander so that her daughter will not have to go there.

If it does work out for us to return to the Austin area we will most likely end up in one of the suburbs either north or south of the city as we know already that we cannot afford the kind of four bedroom home that we want. The north end of town is what we would be most familiar with so i know we will probably want to visit the old neighborhood for old times sake just not live there.

I guess my question is: Has that area really gotten that bad in the last five or six years or was it always that way and we just never noticed during our time there?

[Trainwreck20]

I do not live in that area anymore, but used to have an apartment near Lamar and Rundberg in the early 90s. I always considered that area fairly rough, even then, so I suspect it is similar to what it was in the late 90s. There are some fairly nice areas (relatively speaking) and then there are the much worse areas, and they are in somewhat close proximity.

I suppose someone living in the area may have more specific advice for you, but in the early 90s, I would happily walk anywhere in the daytime and would be somewhat cautious at night, which sounds exactly like what you remember. Also, 'bad' areas in Austin are really nothing like 'bad' areas in many major cities.

[Floridamom1970]

I know! Here where we are in central Florida the county seat is about 30 miles away with a population of about 40,000 or so and it actually has a much higher crime index than Austin does even today. Most cities of a comparable size seem to have much higher crime rates.

[mrsengle]

I don't know how it was before, but I don't like going to the east side of 35 on Rutland. My husband used to work in a building just down the road from Cameron/Rundberg, and about once a month (average) someone would have their car broken into. Mind you, this is during the day, with a security guard present. He was there for 6 years and beat the odds on that one - but there were several other employees there that dealt with it more than once.

[jread]

You couldn't tie me up and throw me anywhere on Rundberg.

I don't think it's really a place where you're going to get shot, but your car will definitely get broken into.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by Floridamom1970

As some of you all might remember from my previous posts my family lived in Austin Texas from 98-2001. We lived in Runnymede apartments on Rutland. At the time we absalutley loved it.I walked everywhere-to get groceries, kids school, church ect. We could walk to the park and even to the doctors.The only time I did not like walking was after dark. We have always been a one car family so it was a godsend for me to be able to have so much within safe walking distance.

We are seriously considering returning to Austin if my husband gets approved for his disability income (we want to make certain that we will have at least a regular monthly income since I will have to look for work after we get there).

However I have read on this board that that particular area has really gone down hill with the crime like prostitution and drugs. My friend who used to live in the apartment above us has told me that Lanier High School has really gotten bad and she is building a house in Leander so that her daughter will not have to go there.

If it does work out for us to return to the Austin area we will most likely end up in one of the suburbs either north or south of the city as we know already that we cannot afford the kind of four bedroom home that we want. The north end of town is what we would be most familiar with so i know we will probably want to visit the old neighborhood for old times sake just not live there.

I guess my question is: Has that area really gotten that bad in the last five or six years or was it always that way and we just never noticed during our time there?

When I first moved to austin (97) I lived in that area. My bike was stolen off my second floor balcony and my car was vandalized. It was really cheap though

[Floridamom1970]

We would have had problems with our kids bikes being stolen too if I had not kept them indoors. Our vehicle was never broken into although my friends was vandalized (we thought it was the teenage kids of one of our neighbors who she had a beef with).

And now that I think about it I do recall one time when I was waiting for the city bus on Rundberg there was a teenage girl there talking to a man in a car. When he drove away she mentioned something to me about him offering her $50 to get in his car and show him where Ohlen Road was.

[Marat]

I lived there for several years. Yes, it is not the best place in town to live. Not bad during the daytime, but night is a different matter. I am a big strong looking guy and even I got pursued once there wanting money. I had no cash on me but I had had enough of him pestering me so I threw down what I was holding and told him to bring it. It was stupid way to get rid of him but it worked that night.

For single women, do go out alone. Always in pairs and peferable with a man with you.