Future Female Student Moving To Austin - Advice Needed! (Jollyville: apartments, rentals)

[annaerb02]

Hello all!

I am a female in my early 20s that is currently serving overseas and moving to Austin from Michigan once I get back to the States. I've done a lot of research on Austin in general, but thought I would come to these forms for some more advice. Until I meet roommates through school or work, I will be living on my own for about the first six months or so. I have been looking at apartments like crazy and put my cap at $700. I found a room at Mackenzie Point Apartments on 1044 Camino La Costa, Austin, TX 78752. Any advice on if this is a decent area to live? I understand that I won't be getting an awesome place for the amount of money I want to spend a month, but as long as I'm at a place that is relatively safe and affordable then I'm okay.

Any advice or help is greatly appreciated!

[355spider]

I think its either zillow or trulia that has a crime overlay feature to see exact crimes committed in each area. Austin had a fairly low violent crime rate I think.

[steve78757]

I'd keep looking. Try to find something between I-35 and Mopac, and south of 183. The area you found isn't awful but it's a bit cut off from everything by highways.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by annaerb02

I have been looking at apartments like crazy and put my cap at $700. I found a room at Mackenzie Point Apartments on 1044 Camino La Costa, Austin, TX 78752. Any advice on if this is a decent area to live? I understand that I won't be getting an awesome place for the amount of money I want to spend a month, but as long as I'm at a place that is relatively safe and affordable then I'm okay.

Yes, the complex is relatively safe, but it's immediate surroundings in certain directions might have more crime than you would like. It looks like they are trying to build up that complex to be a good place for students and by the recent reviews, they seem to be succeeding.

If you are going to have a car here then I would consider living further out in one of the complexes on Jollyville Rd. just North of the Arboretum. There is an express bus that runs directly to UT from that area as well. It looks like while they aren't really highly reviewed by tenants for the mangement, you would be in a very safe area where you could safely walk to some restaurants at night if needed. The place below currently has available units that start at $710 (I assume for longer lease terms).

Canyon Creek Apartment Homes Apartment Rentals

[CptnRn]

Crime is pretty high in that immediate area 78752 for a relatively small zip code. Crime Map Beta - Trulia

Detailed demographics of that zip code //www.city-data.com/zips/78752.html

Number of registered sex offenders for that small zip code is 34, double what many much larger zip codes have.

East St. Johns Ave. has long been a very poor area. Average adjusted gross income for the year reported was very low, $26,749, state average was $47,881. Poverty level is 34.7%, Average for the state is 17%. If you look just a few miles West in zip code 78757 the poverty level drops to 16.6%.

The Social Security office is across the street. When my wife and I visited there last year to get her signed up there were large numbers of people just hanging out on the street and in the parking lots. We did not get a good feeling from the area and would not consider moving there.

Assuming you plan to attend UT. As mark311 recommended, UT has several express shuttle bus routes, one that runs to Far West Avenue, which has fairly large married student population. i.e, it is not a student party town like East Riverside Drive, and it is a pretty walkable area in a nice neighborhood. Check out the various routes here Shuttles | Parking & Transportation Services (PTS) | The University of Texas at Austin

[CptnRn]

https://www.padmapper.com/ identified several apartments in your price range on the Far West Blvd area that I mentioned above, as well as South Central Austin, which would be a great place to live.