Considering moving from Orange County, Ca to NW Austin (Round Rock: fit in, houses)

[deerbrook]

We are considering moving from south Orange County to NW Austin sometime in the next year and I'd love to get some opinions from the Austin locals! We'd like to move for a better quality of life overall, particularly for our children (a preschooler and an infant) - less materialistic, less crowded, better schools, lower cost of living, etc. We want to live somewhere with great public schools where our kids can go to school and socialize with kids they also go to church with and where the neighbors all look out for one another. We'd like new or fairly new housing, although not necessarily a master planned development (though the two probably go hand in hand??). We'd also like lake access, golf and tennis easily accessible. Quick, easy access to downtown Austin is not a priority. So far we keep coming back to Westlake, River Place or Steiner Ranch, but my big concern with Steiner Ranch is it seems an awful lot like Ladera Ranch in Orange County, where we have lived before and hated because we found many people were snotty and it was very much about keeping up with the Joneses. I found the moms group was much more into planning their own coffee dates and moms nights out than about planning play dates for their kids. We just want a laid back community where the priority is the family. Based on what we're looking for, does it sound like NW Austin is the place for us? Thank you for your thoughts!!

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by deerbrook

We are considering moving from south Orange County to NW Austin sometime in the next year and I'd love to get some opinions from the Austin locals! We'd like to move for a better quality of life overall, particularly for our children (a preschooler and an infant) - less materialistic, less crowded, better schools, lower cost of living, etc. We want to live somewhere with great public schools where our kids can go to school and socialize with kids they also go to church with and where the neighbors all look out for one another. We'd like new or fairly new housing, although not necessarily a master planned development (though the two probably go hand in hand??). We'd also like lake access, golf and tennis easily accessible. Quick, easy access to downtown Austin is not a priority. So far we keep coming back to Westlake, River Place or Steiner Ranch, but my big concern with Steiner Ranch is it seems an awful lot like Ladera Ranch in Orange County, where we have lived before and hated because we found many people were snotty and it was very much about keeping up with the Joneses. I found the moms group was much more into planning their own coffee dates and moms nights out than about planning play dates for their kids. We just want a laid back community where the priority is the family. Based on what we're looking for, does it sound like NW Austin is the place for us? Thank you for your thoughts!!

It is in the sense that many many people from Orange Co have moved to Austin in the last 7-10 years....just from that sheer fact, something must be right in NW Austin....Per keeping up, thats been a part of suburban americana for decades...very hard to find a place devoid of those values, especially upscale trending environments....I would have to say that if that is extremely important, try the close in parts of the city, that trend a little more bohemian and real.....I can vouchsafe that all the places you mention are "keeping up" places too.....and thats not an evil, btw...any prosperous community will be competitive and vigorous..keeping up is just a part of it.....ghettos don't "keep up with joneses", and you can see what you get devoid of it......The best colleges, schools, etc. will always be a keeping up issue in good areas, among other striving items..

[love roses]

Lake access will be a problem currently as all boat ramps at Travis are closed from low lake levels, although in another year that could change. Austin isn't too "keeping up with the Jones's" but Steiner and some of those neighborhoods do have that feel from what I hear.

[hoffdano]

All PUBLIC boat ramps are closed right now because Lake Travis is at 25 year lows. We are in a prolonged drought, hopefully ending this fall with a change to the El Nino weather pattern.

I think most areas of Westlake are in the keeping up with the Joneses mindset. I do not think of Westlake as laid back. Just look at the cars parked at Randalls (grocery store) at Walsh Tarlton road.

But there are many areas that might work well for the OP. I wonder though if he is picking River Place and Steiner based on internet searching. Those are upscale or "moving up" areas with strong marketing. Nice places for sure. But I think both areas do not fit into the "less materialistic" description the OP is looking for.

I suggest the OP look for neighborhoods in the Round Rock, Leander, Eanes, and Lake Travis school districts.

[deerbrook]

To answer the last person's questions, we spent a brief amount of time in Austin and saw some of the areas we are interested in and we're also currently working with a realtor. We knew we were interested in Steiner based on what we saw on our trip and the realtor suggested the other areas I mentioned. We have also considered Round Rock as well as the other school districts the last person mentioned. Exemplary rated schools are one of our top priorities. From what I have read online, Round Rock seems nice but we think we want to live somewhere with more hills and views. Not certain about that, though. We have another trip to the area planned later this month and will be touring areas with our realtor.

[austinaggie]

I lived in Southern California for over 17 years and now Austin for over 3 years and I can assure you that Westlake is NOTHING compared to South Orange County when it comes to "keeping up with the Jonses" I live in the Westbank and shop at the Westlake Randall's and HEB and I don't think that the cars in that parking lot are any better ot worse than any other others parked in lots in any other upper middle class parts of Austin. I drive a 2006 Ford Explorer so if you saw my car in the Randall's parking lot I doubt you would think I was trying to keep up with anyone much less the Jonses. However, if you have ever shopped at a grocery store in Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel or Aliso Viejo you will really know what keeping up with the Jonses look like.

If you want an accurate comparison of Orange County and the Westbank please PM as I have lived in both places and can give you a realistic picture of both.

[hound 109]

Originally Posted by deerbrook

To answer the last person's questions, we spent a brief amount of time in Austin and saw some of the areas we are interested in and we're also currently working with a realtor. We knew we were interested in Steiner based on what we saw on our trip and the realtor suggested the other areas I mentioned. We have also considered Round Rock as well as the other school districts the last person mentioned. Exemplary rated schools are one of our top priorities. From what I have read online, Round Rock seems nice but we think we want to live somewhere with more hills and views. Not certain about that, though. We have another trip to the area planned later this month and will be touring areas with our realtor.

Round Rock the school district goes 20+ miles west of Round Rock the town. There are hills & views within RRISD.

Also.....focusing on DISTRICTS can be confusing. There are good to great schools found in LISD, RRISD & even AISD (& also some not so great). My kid doesn't attend a district....he attends a school.

One can find hills & trees & views (& beautiful neighborhoods & exemplary schools) in RRISD, LISD & AISD (& probably others)....as well as EISD & LTISD.


Deerbrook....what is your price range?.....it will help in giving accurate advice.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by deerbrook

To answer the last person's questions, we spent a brief amount of time in Austin and saw some of the areas we are interested in and we're also currently working with a realtor. We knew we were interested in Steiner based on what we saw on our trip and the realtor suggested the other areas I mentioned. We have also considered Round Rock as well as the other school districts the last person mentioned. Exemplary rated schools are one of our top priorities. From what I have read online, Round Rock seems nice but we think we want to live somewhere with more hills and views. Not certain about that, though. We have another trip to the area planned later this month and will be touring areas with our realtor.

Take a look at great hills, a small piece of it feeds into the best round rock schools and is very hilly. There are some amazing deals around ellaview, 430K for 3300 sq ft, backing up to the green belt with hill country views - feeds into laurel mountain, canyon vista and westwood.

One of the houses just lowered by 40K.

[FromCalitoSteinerRanch]

Originally Posted by love roses

Lake access will be a problem currently as all boat ramps at Travis are closed from low lake levels, although in another year that could change. Austin isn't too "keeping up with the Jones's" but Steiner and some of those neighborhoods do have that feel from what I hear.

I guess "keeping up with the Jones's" takes two, like two to tango. I have a 14 year old car, which I had in South Orange County, and have not felt I need to replace it until the wheels fall off. I think it is all in the attitude. It doesn't take a Steiner Ranch, or a Circle C, or a River Place for someone to feel that way.

[TexasHorseLady]

You're absolutely right, it doesn't. However, people with that attitude do tend to end up in the same neighborhoods for some reason best known only to the psychologists and other students of human nature. Perhaps because, as you say, it takes two to tango, and so they go looking for dance partners. Doesn't mean that everyone in a given neighborhood is that way, just that some neighborhoods are more prone to it than others.