Central/North Central Neighborhood advice (Burnet, Cesar Chavez: apartment, rent, condo)

[Lindus]

Hi,

I'm a 23 year old single male looking to purchase my first property. I currently rent an apartment around South Congress/290; I enjoy the convenience it gives, but I find myself going north to the 183 more often than I do south. So I'm been looking for a property in the Burnet/Anderson Ln. area. I work downtown on Cesar Chavez so I don't want to go too much farther north than 183.

What I'm looking for is a condo/townhouse under 140k. I'd like a relatively urban feel without being suffocated by college kids (I had enough of that off riverside while I was at UT). 2 bedroom, 1+ bath. Commute to work under or around 20 mins. Garage/Carport would be nice. Relatively low crime.

My questions are:
Am I looking in the correct area?
Are there any other areas I should look at?
I've made many trips from Cesar Chavez to 183/Burnet after work (6-7p) which is ~20 mins but how is it going south in the morning?
What are the differences between the neighborhoods in that area (Allandale/North Shoal Creek/Crestview/etc)?
How are the neighborhoods north of 183 in the Rundberg area?

Thanks for the help!

[1mintjulep]

We have a condo in that area. We purchased about 2 years ago, and prices have gone down since then, so yes, you can definitely find one in this area in your price range.

I don't think there's much of a difference in the Allandale, Crestview, and North Shoal Creek neighborhoods. It's pretty quiet; not much crime or drama that we've observed. There seem to be a few people with kids in our complex, but it's mostly older people and middle-aged singles & gay couples. It's definitely not a college crowd area.

What time are you leaving in the mornings and what roads are you taking? Mopac?

Oh...the neighborhoods north of 183, around Rundberg, tend to be pretty sketchy. Personally, I'd stay south of 183. Any of those 3 neighborhoods are fine.