How to tell which Austin Area Neighborhood is right for you! (West: fit in, how much)

[verybadgnome]

Simply go into the closest HEB* to the area you are considering. Do your shopping and take everything in.

Is it mostly families or singles? Do they have a kosher section, store-made crepes, or pig's feet? What are the supporting businesses inside the store: rent-a-centers, a bank, or a place for inexpensive jewelry. What is the alcohol selection like? Is it skewed towards the basics or do they offer La Fin du Monde and imported UK ciders? How neat is the store and more importantly do the patrons mess up displays and leave frozen items in the canned soup section? Is there much recycling going on or does everyone expect to be provided with one (or possibly two) use plastic bags? How much organic food is offered? Does the produce look fresh or more like someone else's rejects? Do people seem to be in a hurry or do they laze about? Eye contact is important so do your fellow patrons avoid it or not? Intolerant of hipsters? Then you should count the skinny jeans. The parking lot is a key too. Is it a madhouse of dangerous drivers or are things on the calm side?

The list can go on forever but one thing is for sure and that is HEB tailors their stores to their customers and they do a good job of it. This works great if you fit into that local community, but if you don't you'll hate shopping there and probably hate your new neighborhood.


*Whole Foods/Central Market can be substituted for regular old HEBs.

[supernaut112]

Hey, we have Randall's in my neck of the woods, too!

J/K. I live within walking distance of Whole Foods flagship. When I heard it was going up, I was sort of wary about staying around the 'hood. There's nice/safe, and there's gentrified beyond one's wildest imagination.

But I sort of agree. One of my exes lived in South Austin, pretty close to the HEB on Oltorf. I will say no more about that ...

P.S. I would extend this to all of the neighborhood businesses. Are there a lot of mom n' pop cafes? Local places that reflect Austin's color? Or are there a lot of strip malls with Chili's and Dress Barns?

[TexasHorseLady]

That's pretty brilliant, verybadgnome!

[Moonlady]

LOL, I have actually done this before when we were contemplating moving out of the immediate Austin area. First thing I did was scope out the HEB. Sometimes I would just meander the store and people watch. You do indeed learn a lot about an area or neighborhood by its local HEB!

[AMJ27]

This exactly what I did two years ago when we were considering moving to Austin! I'm not exactly sure how I came up with the idea, but I thought it was a great way to see if this was a city I could live in.

[lemonlime22]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

Simply go into the closest HEB* to the area you are considering. Do your shopping and take everything in.

Is it mostly families or singles? Do they have a kosher section, store-made crepes, or pig's feet? What are the supporting businesses inside the store: rent-a-centers, a bank, or a place for inexpensive jewelry. What is the alcohol selection like? Is it skewed towards the basics or do they offer La Fin du Monde and imported UK ciders? How neat is the store and more importantly do the patrons mess up displays and leave frozen items in the canned soup section? Is there much recycling going on or does everyone expect to be provided with one (or possibly two) use plastic bags? How much organic food is offered? Does the produce look fresh or more like someone else's rejects? Do people seem to be in a hurry or do they laze about? Eye contact is important so do your fellow patrons avoid it or not? Intolerant of hipsters? Then you should count the skinny jeans. The parking lot is a key too. Is it a madhouse of dangerous drivers or are things on the calm side?

The list can go on forever but one thing is for sure and that is HEB tailors their stores to their customers and they do a good job of it. This works great if you fit into that local community, but if you don't you'll hate shopping there and probably hate your new neighborhood.


*Whole Foods/Central Market can be substituted for regular old HEBs.

Right you are. Now if I could just afford to live near the HEB of my dreams...

[supernaut112]

Originally Posted by lemonlime22

Right you are. Now if I could just afford to live near the HEB of my dreams...

I wish we had a plain ol' HEB around my neighborhood!

Seriously, I save about 25 percent compared to what I spend at Randall's whenever I shop at HEB. I typically buy the exact same things in the exact amounts. Comparing receipts was an eye-opener.

HEB truly is the best market to frequent if you're cost-conscious.

[MtnLion512]

Originally Posted by supernaut112

Hey, we have Randall's in my neck of the woods, too!

J/K. I live within walking distance of Whole Foods flagship. When I heard it was going up, I was sort of wary about staying around the 'hood. There's nice/safe, and there's gentrified beyond one's wildest imagination.

But I sort of agree. One of my exes lived in South Austin, pretty close to the HEB on Oltorf. I will say no more about that ...

P.S. I would extend this to all of the neighborhood businesses. Are there a lot of mom n' pop cafes? Local places that reflect Austin's color? Or are there a lot of strip malls with Chili's and Dress Barns?

That HEB is an amalgamation of all of the above demographic/cultural indicators....which is probably why it's constantly the hottest mess in Austin

[Trainwreck20]

Hey, we have Randall's in my neck of the woods, too!

Yeah, but the point is, Randalls probably has about two or maybe three store models, and then tries to find a place where they will work. HEB finds a place that needs a grocery store, then tailors it to work. From a management/logistics/purchasing perspective, it has to be a nightmare, but from a customers angle, it works great.

There is Randalls pretty near us, too, but we only go there when we are really intent on avoiding a crowd - you can park by the front door and easily dodge the 5 or 6 other customers in there.

[centralaustinite]

Hey, I LOVE my HEB on Congress and Oltorf! And no inexpensive jewelry is sold there! It is neat and friendly with great produce and rapid turnover of items! Nothing lingers on the shelves.

20 plus years of shopping at that HEB! I used to shop at Riverside HEB too!

But much depends too on what time of day you shop! S. Congress HEB after 8 pm at night is an entirely different experience than daytime.

I feel very comfortable in places that feel designed for more than just one type of person. I am much more anxious in the Far West HEB than I am at S. Congress!

In our family a "move" is only considered a "big move" if it means changing HEBs. If you still shop at the same HEB, then it is not much of a move at all! But if you have to get used to a whole new store . . . well, that's an adjustment!