Considering a move to Austin-some help please? (Round Rock, Georgetown: real estate, low crime)
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I continue to be confused why the political leaning of a neighborhood matters so much.
I lean conservative. I have no idea what my neighbors truly believe - politics wise. One of my neighbors is a lesbian couple. They are nice people and I am happy to have them as neighbors. I might guess what their politics are - but I don't know for sure. I don't care.
Unless YOU are intolerant of other's views, why is this a big issue?
Austin doesn't have a little Italy or a chinatown, or a gayborhood. So local family-run ethnic restaurants are not common.
Those who miss a local Italian restaurant might be like those of us who can't stand the Mexican food we find in California or the east cost. Oh well.
I continue to be confused why the political leaning of a neighborhood matters so much.
I lean conservative. I have no idea what my neighbors truly believe - politics wise. One of my neighbors is a lesbian couple. They are nice people and I am happy to have them as neighbors. I might guess what their politics are - but I don't know for sure. I don't care.
Unless YOU are intolerant of other's views, why is this a big issue?
This is so true. I didn't know about C-D when we moved here four years ago; the political leaning of my neighborhood means nothing to me. We picked a neighborhood that we liked and hoped that everything would fall into place. And it did. I think this may only be an issue to the left it seems, I've never heard anyone ask where the "conservative" areas of Austin are (though I could be wrong).
I'm deeply offended! Just kidding. We live in Circle C, I've seen more Obama stickers on cars here than I have seen for McCain. Of course, it could be that after the election, McCain supporters peeled their stickers off and the obama supporters didn't have the same sense of urgency. We moved here after the election so it could have been a sea of McCain supporters and I would have no idea.
In all honesty, I really don't care how my neighbors vote as long as they are considerate and friendly.
Not to get off topic but when I was in Plano(Dallas suburb) last year, I saw a lot of Obama stickers in driveways of my friend's wife's neighborhood. These are $500K homes in that neighborhood and Plano is known for being very conservative, I was shocked.
You should at least take a look at Rosedale, in the area between 45th and 35th to the north and south, Lamar Blvd to the east. It doesn't fit in your square footage specs for the price range, but it's worth a look to see what's available. Older homes, within walking distance (through the heavily-treed neighborhood) to doctors, dentists, optometrists, vets, People's pharmacy, a neighborhood tavern, hair salons, Central Market, restaurants, clothes shopping, a pool, park (neighborhood baseball is played there on Sundays...anyone can join in after hearing the "ballplayers!" call), a couple of bakeries where you will quickly be known - one offers a supper club. The businesses are scattered about, not in a shopping center except for Central Market and some of the clothing stores. Rosedale is a few blocks away from Seton Hospital and a heart hospital. A few blocks will also take you to fitness classes and a couple of neighborhood gyms/trainers. Access to Loop 1 from 35th or 45th, which will take you to a big box store fairly quickly.
Sorry the thread took a turn towards politics. When I mentioned that we were liberal I didn’t mean to imply that we would only consider liberals as our new neighbors. Some of my best friends are right wing conservatives. We spend many evenings having a few beers and engaging in some very robust discussions on political issues. As other posters have said, we believe that having neighbors who are friendly and considerate of others is far more important than whether or not they are liberal or conservative. After all, being a liberal means that we appreciate other points of view.
I really appreciate the suggestions that have been made so far. We’ve got several places to check out during our trip. Please keep them coming.
My wife and I will be retiring within the next couple of years. We both work for the postal service. I am 54 and she is 53. We currently reside in a close in suburb of Chicago (Forest Park, IL). We like our current home and its location, which is only 10 miles from downtown Chicago. Our current home is brand new and on a small city lot, 25’ wide by 125’ deep. We do not like the Chicago winters, so we are considering a move to a warmer climate. We have done numerous on line searches and based upon things our likes and dislikes, four cities keep popping up as possible place for us to move to: Austin TX; Louisville KY; Lexington KY and Chattanooga TN.
ABOUT US: We’re both liberal Democrats. Neither of us is religious. We like outdoor activities like hiking and biking. We also enjoy riding our HD motorcycle. Since we both workout almost every day, having a good quality health club (with a variety of classes) nearby is a must. We enjoy authentic ethnic food. Need a Mexican, Thai, and Italian restaurant nearby. Also enjoy great seafood. Love to eat at neighborhood “joints’ with good quality food. We would also like to be able to go to an upscale place to eat on special occasions. We like to travel, so being near a major airport is also important. Having a good quality medical facility within easy reach is also important.
We are planning a trip to Austin in September to explore our options and to see if we “like” the city. We would really appreciate any feedback regarding neighborhoods/suburbs that we should explore. We will probably stay in a condo so that we can get more of a feel for the area. Any suggestions and/or comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Tom
I would say that of the cities you mentioned Austin is probably the nicest. However you simply can't compare to chicago. It might be better if you lived closer to a dallas or maybe an atlanta if you want to be in the sun belt. Galveston might be ok too as it has really good access to houston.
Austin actually has good seafood, but lousy italian. I like the thai food, but lots of people claim it isn't up to par. Thai food is one of those that is more like peasant food. It isnt like french food where the sauces are all delicate.
Austin's airport mostly has to transfer through dallas or houston so you have to add about 100-150 to each ticket and you have a lot less choices because of lack of connections. Dallas has UT southwestern and houston has a huge medical complex.
I would say that of the cities you mentioned Austin is probably the nicest. However you simply can't compare to chicago. It might be better if you lived closer to a dallas or maybe an atlanta if you want to be in the sun belt. Galveston might be ok too as it has really good access to houston.
Austin actually has good seafood, but lousy italian. I like the thai food, but lots of people claim it isn't up to par. Thai food is one of those that is more like peasant food. It isnt like french food where the sauces are all delicate.
Austin's airport mostly has to transfer through dallas or houston so you have to add about 100-150 to each ticket and you have a lot less choices because of lack of connections. Dallas has UT southwestern and houston has a huge medical complex.
All those cities have their strong points....every mover has a different need....and one size certainly doesn't fit all....what one loves about Austin, for ex, another could hate..that's why its hard to get advice like this from others...I would suggest just taking a trip to all four of those places....with such a major/last move, you should really give all four a shot, and see what you come up with..
This has been one of the busiest markets in the country for some time (slowing a bit now of course) but Texas has generally faired better then most places in the country. If your interested in new homes in Austin there are many communities available throughout the area. Locate builder rebates and incentive offers Austin home incentives.
Last edited by gpeatme; 08-11-2009 at 10:13 AM..
Reason: correction
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