Possibly Moving to Austin from LA (San Diego, West: apartment, rentals, crime)

[aedelste]

We are thinking about moving to Austin - what are some good / fun areas to rent?

On a somewhat related note, I've been researching online and a lot of people say the rent is too high, too much traffic, not enough culture, etc.

We currently live in LA, so I can only laugh when other cities mention ridiculous traffic, a-hole people, lack of culture, insanely high rent... No big city can be as horrific as LA right??

[drshdw]

Where do you work? Kids? Max rent, bedroom/bathes, etc. Age...

[aedelste]

My fiance works remotely, so he can live anywhere. I recently lost my job in LA and that's what initiated our discussion about moving, so I'd have to find something when we get there.

No kids, I'm 25 and he's 35. We've been paying ridiculous rent in LA, so it'd be great to find a 2 bedroom under $1,000. Please tell me that's possible! We'd rather live in a nice, relatively cheap place than an expensive place near all the action.

[atxcio]

You probably want to decide which side of the river you want to be on (most people would choose based on job, but you could consider other reasons). You could live pretty close to downtown/central for <$1000 for a 2BR, so you might consider areas like SoCo (south) or Allandale and NW Hills (north). Coming from LA, the "action" you would be living close it is obviously much smaller, so it can feel like you are anywhere,USA pretty darn quick as you get farther from downtown.

Optionally you could go for something west of Austin... more suburban in character, but more scenic and close to lake recreation. Maybe look into some complexes off 360, 2222, or 2244.

Yes, rents here will not seem expensive by comparison. And traffic isn't comparable to LA, not even close. But for a city its size (and a city in Texas), Austin is congested and expensive. However crime and unemployment are low, even among comparable size cities.

[jazznblues]

I'll just add that congestion varies widely. Some roads, like IH-35 are horrific and to be avoided pretty much all day. Some roads are terrible rush hour +/- 1 hour, then otherwise pretty OK.

Compared to LA, we probably have much less traditional "culture" but ours is different. Some of it is as simple as Texas vs. California.

[rickc007]

I5 and I35 have similar congestion

I35 congestion may be 5 to 10 miles

I5 congestion extends from L.A. to San Diego

Austin is no where near as crowded feeling as L.A.
And no where near expensive

[aedelste]

Thanks for the great advice! I suppose I don't mind being slightly far away from downtown if it means cheap rent.

Although I've been hearing that Austin is congested and expensive, the low unemployment rate was too appealing to pass up. I just couldn't bear to go through another layoff and if you're in Advertising in LA, it's going to happen eventually.

Also, regarding culture - LA is way too spread out and since it's so hard to get anywhere, you end up not really wanting to go. So even though there are some great areas, like Echo Park, unless you live nearby, it's not worth it. We're just looking for a place that has enough fun stuff to do - whether its bars, museums, etc.

[aedelste]

Sorry for posting twice, I just remembered I forgot to ask if there are any good apartment resources besides Craigslist? We have this thing in CA called Westside Rentals - you pay $60 for a 60 day membership and get access to nicer, exclusive listings. Landlords have to pay a fee to list as well, so you don't end up with as many scummy people.

[eichlerfan]

I would highly suggest you find a job before you move here unless you can live on one income for awhile. Have you been to Austin before? If not come for a visit and see if it fits you both.

[BevoLJ]

I went to UCLA and lived in Santa Monica and then moved to Austin for my MBA @ UT 5 years ago. It is different. What you are likely thinking of as "Far from DT" in Austin is a short hop in LA. And for rent you can likely find places within bike range of Downtown for that pretty easy.

I would ask what it is you like to do? There is a lot that you have there in LA that you are just not going to find in Austin. Both good and bad. People here in Austin ***** and moan about I-35 like it is hell on earth but to me I-35 is a walk in the park compared to the 405 or 101. I can remember one night getting on the 405 and it took me an hour and a half to get to the next exit so I could get off. On the flip side you are also not going to find the same class of museums, plays, or anything like that. Great lakes and the hill country is very nice, but there is no Santa Monica Pier or beaches or mountains and snow boarding. That isn't to say there isn't stuff to do, because there is always lots of GREAT things to do, but it just isn't the same as LA. Austin is a great small city, LA is a great monster city. So a big difference.