Be honest - if you live outside of Central Austin, how often do you go there?

[love roses]

I work 5 blocks from my house here in the burbs and my husbands office is off Braker. I can walk to different restaurants and a library and many other services. The only reason we go downtown is to go to some festivals or the museums. We don't need to go there for very many things. The thing about Austin is that not EVERYTHING to do is located downtown. The more popular bbq places are everywhere around Austin, in surrounding towns. Dell Diamond and the F1 track aren't downtown. Lake Travis isn't downtown either.

[mackenziep]

My morning commute is about 20-30 minutes, door to desk. I'm also a city person at heart, and there's really nowhere in Austin that is going to completely fit the bill. Downtown SEEMS like a liveable city, but it's still lacking important amenities such as pharmacies, supermarkets (other than Whole Foods), drycleaners, etc.

I live in Hyde Park, and it's city-like, but not particularly walkable. If I could afford Northwest Hills, I'd probably live there. Walking in Austin is a bit overrated, btw. Once summer hits, you don't really want to be running errands on foot. Even at night. It doesn't cool off at all. Other, but expensive, close-in options are Pemberton Heights and Tarrytown. Easy access to Loop 1 (MoPac), reverse commute to Cedar Park.

Re: Parking and traffic nightmares in downtown Austin - keep in mind that paying for parking is a bit of a foreign concept here. Traffic is typical - not particularly nightmarish compared to DC.

Finally, most of my co-workers are from Cedar Park and Round Rock - they consider central Austin to be "way down south", and South Austin might as well be a foreign country. That should give you some idea of how often suburbanites go downtown.

[CptnRn]

For most of my 30 year professional career, in Austin. I worked downtown and drove from Oak Hill (SW Austin) to downtown Austin 5 days per week to my work place. Commute times 30-45 minutes during rush hour, 12-15 minutes off peak. I could reduce that peak commute time to 20-30 minutes if I left 30 minutes earlier or later then the peak.

Retired now, here in Legend Oaks (SW Austin). I can walk or bicycle to grocery stores, restaurants, parks, hike and bike trails, good grocery store and most essential shopping, medical needs and even my dentist. My Dr. is a 5 minute drive away. Emergency room/hospital 10 minutes away. I drive to N. Austin every two weeks to my allergy Dr. because I have been slow to find a new one out here, but there are several closer to my home now. We avoid downtown Austin during any major events, hate standing in lines and walking long distances. But we do enjoy taking out of town visitors downtown for dinner and Ester's Follies often several times a year, and occasionally for special celebrations with friends 3-4 times per year. Visiting downtown is rarely a problem if it is not during rush hour peaks or major festival events.

Crime downtown has never been a problem for us, even as older adults, because we rarely interact with the types of people who are usually involved in those crimes. Crime has a lot to do with who you associate with.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by campbetc

My kids are 4 and 6.

Northwest Hills is the area I've sort of zeroed in on in all my research - I just was thrown for a loop today when my cousins started trying to talk me out of it because of the schools. Doss/Murchison/Anderson looked just fine to me.

Anyway, we're going out there for a scouting trip two weeks from today, so all I need to do is not let my anxiety get the best of me until then.

counter traffic isnt bad until about 45th street. I think you would do ok to live east of mopac around 45th or in the areas around 2222 and mopac. Northwest hills is about 10 minutes to downtown door to door (non rush hour). We live in great hills and routinely make it in 15 minutes.

i

[tekka-maki]

one of the few mid sized U.S. cities that has a vibrant downtown, imo. When I lived off 52nd, I went DT all the time. When I move back (whether Mopac corridor, L. Travis, Round Rock, or S. Austin) will do the same; so many recurring fun activities and events.