Moving in from out-of-town: WHERE TO START LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT? (Austin: neighborhoods, bus)

[NextstopAustin]

Originally Posted by tongpa-nyi

Hope you find a great place here, and I encourage you to use a locator as others have suggested. They seem like a cheesy way to go, and they are, but they're effective. The only problem with them is that you'll miss out on rentals that don't pay commissions to the locators. Meh. You'll be alright. I went through 6 years of a UT PhD program; it keeps you busy and the priimary concerns are safety, quiet, access to campus (UT Shuttle is great) and price.

That's great advice, thanks. Are there any you'd recommend in particular (locators or services, I mean) or should I just go for the best park bench smile on craigslist?

I was thinking of contacting Urban Square Realty but they seem more downtown focused.

Absolute non-sequitur: Is downtown a good choice? More and more I think i'll take the plunge and get myself a cheap car to get around.

If downtown is affordable (with high rises, a cool social scene that's not too insane) could I just commute to UT from there every day? How far is it by car? (I'm guessing the UT shuttle doesnt go all the way there).

[centralaustinite]

If you live downtown, just walk or a take a quick bus to UT. UT is essentially adjacent to the Capitol and there's very little parking on campus anyway.

20 years ago when I was a brand new grad student at UT needing housing I used Habitat Hunters to locate an apartment, they are still around which should tell you something!

good luck

[tongpa-nyi]

If you're willing to live with another grad student then there are some wonderful little old houses on wooded streets just east of campus in a neighborhood called French Place/Cherrywood. Most of the east side of I-35 near campus is very bohemian with a great mix of cultures. I used to own a house over there and regret selling it; I'd love to be able to live there still instead of being in a sterile apartment in NW Austin.

Downtown is very expensive by Austin standards; almost as expensive as a parking space in Manhattan .

Someone else recommended north campus - Hyde Park. I think that's a good suggestion because there's a high density of grad students, easy access to campus, and it's surprisingly affordable.

So you have a lot of options and they're all quite different from each other. Austin's public transit sucks, so if you're going to rely on it then you need to be near a UT shuttle line or a direct city bus line, if such a thing exists. Instead of a car, perhaps you should get a helicopter or a jet pack. This is the anti-Manhattan. The sunbelt sprawl of this city is among the worst in the nation. It just goes on and on in spite of all the talk about making the city more dense. The only thing that's dense is the traffic.

I have no suggestions re: locators. I don't think you should rely on Craigslist for choosing one; instead, do a web search for locators in Austin and let you gut guide you to the one that seems best to you. They're mostly all the same, but the ones who spam CL don't deserve your business. A person who violates CL policy like that might not be someone you want to spend time with anyway. That's just my useless opinion, take it with an ocean of salt.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Yeah, but Dobie is a private dorm... not apartments. 27 stories of partying undergrads. Castillian is similar.

Now there is the 21 Rio apartment building in West Campus -- 21 Rio Apartments West Campus Austin | Apartments in Austin, TX -- that's 21 stories, brand new (maybe 1 year old) and technically a real apartment building. However, I'd stay away from anything in West Campus as a grad student... too much noise and craziness.

North campus and Hyde park are the right places to be looking, but there is nothing over 4-6 stories there. It's pretty dense still, but just more of a neighborhood character.

atxcio is correct on all counts. I mentioned the Dobie because its the only high rise near campus. They do rent private rooms but the cost is prohibitive for most.

This may be helpful. UT Shuttle Bus maps and schedules UT Shuttle Routes - Riding Capital Metro - Capital Metro Transit - Austin, TexasCapital Metro Transit - Austin, Texas (http://www.capmetro.org/riding/schedules_ut.asp - broken link)

The French Place/Cherrywood area is definitely worth considering. Apartment locators will have a lot of listings in the Riverside Drive area, which you should AVOID. The area North of Campus around 38th Street/Guadalupe/Lamar is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Austin, with numerous older less expensive apartments.

[NextstopAustin]

Thanks to the both of you! And everyone else, really (The printed Austin map on my desk is slowly winding down to a few key highlit areas).

I'm having a little bit of a dilemma at this point:

Given that I won't be on campus every day (2-3 days a week, from what I gather) I've been considering the possibility of living away from campus and braving the commute (ideally by UT shuttle) when I have to.

Right now I'm thinking central Austin? (Whichever area qualifies as downtown)....I think that would mean Congress?

PERCEIVED BENEFITS AT THIS POINT:

- Physically being close to everything, including groceries. (Again, I don't know Austin at all but I would assume that everything is close in the ubiquitous 'downtown' areas) and thus not needing a car. At most a bike.

- More high-rise buildings with the amenities I crave (fitness center, A/C, washer/dryer)

- More diverse, younger crowd (?)

- Socially more lively....?
(I'm not an overgrown frat guy- in fact awkward and weird is far more descriptive- but seeing as I don't know a single person in the entire state of Texas, maybe living close to downtown would make for easier socialization?)

PERCEIVED CONS:

- More expensive I assume, but hopefully I would save money on a car.
- Risk of it being loud 24/7?
- Dangerous? After NY I'm not to worried (but a stab wound is the same everywhere)
- UT Shuttle actually doesn't get there.


Is there a logic to my madness here, or am I just WAAAY off base?

[ScoPro]

If you want a really nice downtown highrise apartment, try the Ashton.

One bedrooom units start at $2,000/month - but they are 900-1000 sq ft.

Apartments for Rent Austin | Ashton Luxury Apartments Austin TX

[NextstopAustin]

Ouf! One day I'll live in a building like that sure.

But for now...let's cut that estimate in half. I have this pesky food thing to worry about. It's kind of a recurring problem, truth be told.

I was more thinking of looking at places like these maybe? Thoughts?

austin properties for rent (http://www.austindowntownliving.com/Properties.html - broken link)

[centralaustinite]

Yes, to Barton Hills, 78704 near Stacy Park, yes to Eastside and Manor Road, yes to south lamar and south congress, yes to Blunn Creek Preserve, yes to Clarkville and near Zilker park but stay away from "SE Austin Riverside" also avoid "Red River District"

Near Central Market south is too far south for you.

hope this helps

[NextstopAustin]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Yes, to Barton Hills, 78704 near Stacy Park, yes to Eastside and Manor Road, yes to south lamar and south congress, yes to Blunn Creek Preserve, yes to Clarkville and near Zilker park but stay away from "SE Austin Riverside" also avoid "Red River District"

Near Central Market south is too far south for you.

hope this helps

Thanks!

(Are these recommendations based on the neighborhood themselves, housing options there, or UT shuttle availability, btw?)

[carolinajack]

how about families with dogs, where are the central areas best for a family, walkable, and yet affordable? is hyde park?