What is Central/Tarrytown like???? (Houston, Austin: real estate, rentals, condos)

[jjatexanmom]

Me and my husband are currently in the process of moving to Austin. We live in spring Houston Tx, and have been wanting to move to Austin for sometime. So far from a few Austin real estate website, the lakeway area and practically everywere far west catches my eye. But the thing is we would like to live close to the city, and have practically decided on somewere very close to down town, not farther than 6 smiles tops. and a lot of homes in the downtown/tarrytown area have caught my eye and a few in a area called balcones?. The styling of the homes, is different than that of lakeway it appears, but its very unique and it seems most of the homes are older. We are just wondering what the area is like? Are the schools good? What are the private schools like in the area? We have 2 daughters who are both under 5 and would like to start them off at private school from kindergarten or if not deffinatley for middle- high school.
Also what are the people generally like? Is it a good area for kids? Is their much crime? Is it easy to meet other families who may have interest in tennis/golf as me and my husband do?

Our biggest interest is the schools, and if the area is good for our children to grow up. As far as price goes, we are looking for 700k to 1.5 million tops.


i meant to put central austin/tarrytown

[blackandyellowYeah]

its pretty hood in tarrytown. HAHAH

all the kids party and get drunk, they throw like. them austin high kids aint got nothing on Garza, though ill tell you that. or akins

its far from ghetto, but the kids will talk sh#t and brag about their area, plus be stuck up, but its watev, we all do stuff like that i guess. and everyone always gonna wrep their hood so yeah

[WalkTall]

You will love Tarrytown, if I could live there I would. No problem with safety in the area and the people are friendly. I don't know about the schools personally but hear the elementary school is top notch. You're rigth about the character of the neighborhood, very charming older homes with old growth trees that money can't buy plus the location puts you right in the middle of everything without feeling like you're caged in due to the beautiful scenery and sloping streets (but really almost all of Austin is pretty that way, some parts more than others).

[GreenPlastic]

I live in the area...schools are solid, especially Casis elementary. My kids go private at St Andrews, which starts in first grade. Great neighborhood feel and convenient to just about everything. Let me know if you have specific questions.

[curious1111]

We are moving to Austin also and are choosing the westlalke hills area instead. Not a post against tarrytown, we absolutely love it...more just giving you a different perspective to think about.

While there are great Austin ISD tracks like Casis, etc., most agree that the Eanes ISD is the "best" (all in the eye of the beholder of course) school district. That is the district that feeds westlake hills area. it also happens that if you live in westlake hills area, you are about 15 minutes from most of the major private schools -- St. Andrews, Trinity, St. Gabriels, Regents, St. Stephens, etc. Its also about 15 minutes to downtown. We found this area to be the nirvana (for us) location wise. Your money for a house would go a bit further in Tarrytown (still expensive, but not quite as much from our shopping), but we think that the sacrifice is worth it. There is a lot of traffic along the main road there (Bee Caves Road), but from real life scenario testing, we have found it not to be nearly as bad as all the hype. Its very congested, but it also is less than a 2 mile stretch of road, so while you crawl at times, you do so for a very short distance.

So, I would say based on our objective research about this, if you wanted to create the best public school and private school options with the least amount of driving (i.e. hedge all your bets a bit), I would consider the westlake hills area...

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by curious1111

We are moving to Austin also and are choosing the westlalke hills area instead. Not a post against tarrytown, we absolutely love it...more just giving you a different perspective to think about.

While there are great Austin ISD tracks like Casis, etc., most agree that the Eanes ISD is the "best" (all in the eye of the beholder of course) school district. That is the district that feeds westlake hills area. it also happens that if you live in westlake hills area, you are about 15 minutes from most of the major private schools -- St. Andrews, Trinity, St. Gabriels, Regents, St. Stephens, etc. Its also about 15 minutes to downtown. We found this area to be the nirvana (for us) location wise. Your money for a house would go a bit further in Tarrytown (still expensive, but not quite as much from our shopping), but we think that the sacrifice is worth it. There is a lot of traffic along the main road there (Bee Caves Road), but from real life scenario testing, we have found it not to be nearly as bad as all the hype. Its very congested, but it also is less than a 2 mile stretch of road, so while you crawl at times, you do so for a very short distance.

So, I would say based on our objective research about this, if you wanted to create the best public school and private school options with the least amount of driving (i.e. hedge all your bets a bit), I would consider the westlake hills area...

I agree with this. I live in Westlake and we chose it primarily for Westlake High but also because of the location and good proximity to everything we enjoy and do in Austin.

Tarrytown is very nice though. As with any older established neighborhood where lot values now exceed $300K in most sections, there is a vast mix of older junk properties, college rentals, condos (concentrated along Enfield where the UT Shuttle runs) and newer estates and $1M+ homes.

Lots of tear-down activity the past decade as it goes through turnover of the more decrepit housing stock being replaced by new construction and rehabs. For me, I like this mix and think it makes for a nice blend of cottages and castles. The location is outstanding. The schools are considered very good. It is an aesthetically pleasing area.

Steve

[ChazDMac]

Just want to add that Westlake and Tarrytown are probably the least 'Austin weird' so if you like funkier I would go closer in town. Check out Pemberton Heights, Clarksville and Travis Heights before you commit...

[TexasHorseLady]

As a long-time Austinite, when I think Tarrytown versus Westlake, I tend to think, generally, "old money" versus "new money". That may not be the case any longer, but that's the way it used to be - Tarrytown and environs (plus another area east of Mopac back when Mopac was a railroad and not a highway) were where the old money generally lived.

[Biscuits]

Originally Posted by ChazDMac

Just want to add that Westlake and Tarrytown are probably the least 'Austin weird' so if you like funkier I would go closer in town. Check out Pemberton Heights, Clarksville and Travis Heights before you commit...

I'm confused. Are you saying Pemberton Heights is more "weird" than Tarrrytown (not only is it not but it is probably the least weird neighborhood in town) or are you simply suggesting it be looked at as a high-quality alternative to "Westlake" (which it very much is)?

Also, getting closer into town than Tarryrtown (~ 2 miles west of the Capitol) is difficult without living in downtown. Furthermore, someone living in Tarrytown can be in the epicenter of "Austin Weird" (78704) in a matter of a few minutes if they ever feel the need to connect with with their inner-Leslie.

"Westlake" - as the term is apparently now used to describe all of the neighborhoods that feed into Westlake High School - definitely has some funky charm remaining in parts of West Lake Hills as well as some older places around Curnavaca Drive.

I submit that we should begin to call all of 78703 (Pemberton Heights, Brykerwoods, Old Enfield, Tarrytown, Deep Eddy, Clarksville, & Old West Austin) simply "Tarrytown." It all feeds into Austin High and encompasses a much more compact and cohesive area than the region we know as "Westlake."

Example of a "weird" house in West Lake Hills:

[Exiled Texan]

Tarrytown is like West University in Houston. Pemberton is like RiverOaks....but not as rich. Hyde Park is like the Heights. Allendale is like Timbergrove or North Spring Branch. West Lake Hills is kinds of like the Memorial area with hills.