Mueller or Allendale? (Austin, Highland Park, Anderson: new house, transfer to, established neighborhood)

[Redbellied]

My family is moving to Austin this summer, and trying to decide between a house in the Mueller new urbanism development or in the Allendale area. Our criteria:

- decent public elementary school (we like what we're reading on line about Gullett and Highland Park)
- safe
- great community (you know your neighbors)
- some diversity (we are a transracial family)

Thoughts on schools zoned for Mueller? Thoughts on living as a family on the East side?

I would appreciate all advice.

Thanks!

[centralaustinite]

Gullett is a better elementary than Maplewood -- although Maplewood is not terrible.

Given your criteria, Allandale is a better fit.

I've "lived as a family on the East side" and sometimes kinda wish I still did. No problems.

[steve78757]

Highland Park Elementary is excellent. Allandale has lots of mature trees, big lots, and cool mid-century modern homes. Northwest Park is in the neighborhood.

Mueller is still an experiment of sorts. Insta-neighborhood, no trees, some big box stores and I don't think many locally owned small businesses nearby.

[centralaustinite]

Just FYI: most if not all of Allandale is zoned to Gullett ES, Highland Park Elementary picks up west of Mopac. Both are exemplary elementary schools.

[clarksvillemom]

I know some families in Mueller and they love it. But, it's not an established neighborhood and the other person is right about big box stores, not a lot of charm (yet)

[CptnRn]

Allandale with an "a".

If you want a new house in a gentrifying area and a little closer in, Mueller. If you are comfortable with an old house in an established old neighborhood, and possibly remodeling it to meet your needs, Allandale. The last I heard, housing prices in Mueller were making Allandale look attractive.

[cwl1994]

Highland Park is nearly all west of Mopac and the part of Allendale that is zoned to Highland Park is the far south and I don't think of it as much Allendale or as much of a community as allendale presents.

Maplewood goes to Kealing which is not as nice as Lamar, but honestly Lamar is not that great to begin with. Kealing Middle School is shown to be a good school in ratings but it is a Magnet school, and the Magnet school kids and the zoned kids don't have classes together (I would know, I almost attended Kealing as a Magnet kid) so if you're kids would go to Kealing as a zoned it would be all hispanic of nearly all below poverty level. Both still attend the same High School which is McCallum which though many would complain about McCallum, I have none. And I'm an Anderson High School kid and we are rivals with them. Anderson is ranked better in every way over McCallum (which is why many Highland Park kids will transfer to Anderson, plus they live closer to Anderson) but I would not doubt sending my kids to McCallum.

Now I want to give a warning about Muheller. It is in the AISD plan to build an elementary school in the neighborhood. Will that elementary school stay zoned to McCallum? I have my doubts... AISD tends to try to spread 'wealth' throughout schools despite if one high school is closer or not. Reagan High School, the worst high school in Austin, is half the distance of McCallum so there is a chance that they would zone the development to Reagan eventually. That is just a warning and it may still stay zoned to McCallum, I can't accurently predict the future just examing what MAY happen.

[jco]

Allendale - hands down. The neighborhood has an Austin vibe, but is a great family neighborhood. The families are close and I've attended several neighborhood functions at my friend's house there where people come from streets all around for a BBQ. And you're not going to have issues with the racial concerns... in my experience. The family that lived there had adopted children of another race, and never once did they complain about being treated poorly.

[capcat]

I can't compare the two, because I have no experience with Mueller, but I lived in Allandale for about 25 years and can say that it is a great neighborhood. Neighbors are close and long-time, but it's a live and let live place.