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Another common misconception again about Manor, The City of Manor is actually very small compared to its ETJ. FM 973 and Blake Manor Rd south of downtown Manor is actually City of Austin ETJ not Manor and the roads in question are maintained by TX DOT and Travis County respectfully. I know it sounds and look weird, I felt the same way, most of Manor ETJ is North of 290.
Let not get carried away, Manor is a very small city, it operates on a Budget of less than 7 million a year, some of the bigger master plan subdivisions within Manor ETJ are not within city limits because they have their own MUDs (Shadowglen and Presidential Meadows). So when someone say the city is not progressive I find is comical. I am in commercial real estate and 5 years ago there was no activity in Manor, now all the National chains are enquiring about Manor. Commercial activity follows rooftops and the Manor area is getting plenty of rooftops.
Some persons on this site answer every and any questions whether they have a clue or not. They go to wikipedia and look up an City or town and give their pseudo factual opinion base on a visit 5/10 year ago.
Walmart would not build in Manor for the 5000 residence that Wikipedia show as the population of the city of Manor. Most of the population of Manor ETJ is not within the city limits, thus not reported in the city figures.
Back to the comment about distance, I looked at 5 master plan community when I was deciding to buy a house. Crystal Falls Leander, Black Hack Pflugerville, Terra Vista Round Rock, Avery Ranch Cedar Park and Shadowglen Manor. Shadowglen, Manor has the shortest commute of all the above subdivision to downtown Austin. If you are looking convenience to retail and eateries now, Manor is not for you but if you want value and watch as city explodes Manor it is.
I do agree that retail will pick up in Manor but it takes more than that.
The big thing you failed to mention when comparing these neighborhoods is schools. Shadowglen schools are the bottom in comparison to all of the locations you listed. Many parents are willing to give up a closer commute in exchange for top rated education for their children. Manor schools have a long way to go. Yes, Manor is affordable and on paper closer to downtown but families who can afford to spend 250-500k on a house aren't going to live in Manor no matter how many WalMarts or chain restaurants are buil
I have lived in Manor now for 1 year....I live in Briarcreek sub off of Blake Manor rd. I moved here optimistically thinking that it was a good change for us. Affordable housing etc. . Unfortunately the high school leaves MUCH to be desired ! The streets( Blake Manor) are in deplorable condition.There is no downtown, not a normal small Texas town. More like a dust bowl town. Very ghetto, leaving much to be desired. You can be rest assured that we are moving as soon as possible. Very sorry for the choice we made. Live and learn.
Sorry to be the one to inform you that Briarcreek is not in the City of Manor, nor is it in the Manor's ETJ. It is actually in the City of Austin ETJ and was developed as a low income housing project between the City of Austin, Travis county and a private developer. Your address may say Manor, only because of the proximity to the Manor Post Office. Braircreek accounts for 65% of all the crimes in the Manor area, it has a large amount of section 8 homes, so you will get some of the characteristic that follows this type of development.
Interesting trulo911. I live in Briarcreek and although I knew it was not in the city of "Manor", Briarcreek residents have to drive through the city of Manor to access most of Austin (aside from South).
I also didn't know that Briarcreek was developed to be a low income housing project...even though after living in Briarcreek for the past 6 years I have no earthly idea why they would build a "low income housing project" in an area with very little to no access to conveniences or public transportation.
Most of my family's income goes to gas for the trek to Austin every day and the outrageous water bill we pay to Aqua Water in Briarcreek. When we first moved to the Austin area we were advised to move to the Manor area because we could get "more house for our money".
Granted, we got a little more house than what we could have gotten in Austin city limits but by the time we calculated in the gas we pay to drive back and forth to Austin conveniences on a daily basis, wear and tear on our car from driving the delapidated Blake Manor Road, and the outrageous water bill to the tune of $130 per month or more we probably could have netted out buying a home in "Austin"
All that said, I take a morning jog every day without feeling paranoid and have made many neighborly friendships while I'm out. I also forget to lock my car and house doors more times than I can count, and have never had any incidences because of my negligence. Depending on where you live in Briarcreek you have an awesome view of the skyline. I also have wonderful neighbors who have lived here as long as I have. We take care of each other's animals and homes while we are out of town and also hang out chatting it up on the front porch on pleasant evenings.
There is also a nice county park (East Metro Park) a mile or so from Briarcreek that has a couple of nice catch and release fishing ponds and a super nice shaded disc golf course that I personally use to hike in, a pool and many other amenities and it's never over crowded there either.
There is also J. Lorraine's Ghost Town. My daughter loves that place. They have events every so often (Halloween events are the the most fun) and food on the weekends...oh, and this really cool maze the kids love to run through.
There are also a couple of "out of the norm" of Austin kind of places to dine like Good Luck Grill , Cafe 290, and my latest favorite Big Country Grill.
Oh, and also if you are into tattoos there is a new tattoo shop called Gridlock Tattoo right on HWY 290 across from Riata Ford. I went in there the other day and it was really clean and neat and super professional looking and the guy that runs it is clean cut and friendly with an awesome looking portfolio.
I'm not trying to advertise for Manor I'm just saying that if you look you can find cool things in any area you live.
I think it all boils down to what you want to see. If you look for the ugly you will find it. If you look for the beautiful you will find it also.
After buying a house in Stonewater 2 years ago, here are my thoughts about living in Manor:
Location:
-290, 130, and Palmer lane provide easy access to anywhere in the Austin metro area typically in 15-45 minutes
-A few small back-roads provide good mobility as well
-Traffic is manageable with predictable slow morning periods
Shopping:
-Very little options in town
-East Austin provides a few options but safety is questionable at times
-East Pflugerville offers much better options, especially Stone Hill Shopping center by access of 130 or small back-roads
-Walmart is in the process of being built in town with several other big name stores coming
Crime:
-No known issues with violence/safety
-Younger population along with some lower income families do result in petty crimes
Development:
-Lots of developmental plans are in the works or have been proposed
Pests:
-Snakes are a concern but fears may be overblown
-Scorpions tend to find their way indoors during certain periods of the year
-Lots of ant mounds and spiders but they seem to stay outside
Clay soil:
-The ground shrinks and contracts a large amount but I believe all the builders use post-tension slabs here
-Unwatered lawns will show earth cracks during dry spells
Demographics:
-Good mix of several demographics
-Many houses are being rented out which affects the stability of certain neighborhoods
Old Manor/Downtown:
-Definitely old in every sense of the world, kind of an eyesore in my opinion
-A few historical sites but in need of a restoration/beautification project
-A few locally owned businesses worth checking out
Shadowglen:
-Great subdivision with nice scenery when the golf course is well maintained
-Has a nice waterpark
-Streets are very wide and clean
-Has a small shopping strip at its entrance
-Still actively building
-Nice curb appeal
Stonewater:
-Roads leading to the subdivision are poor
-Back half is basic starter homes
-Sub-par curb appeal from unkept lawns in the back half
-Narrow streets and overcrowded with parked cars
-Front half is being built with nicer houses
-Lots are smaller and spaced closed together
-Mostly working class families mixed with a few questionable groups
-Isolated community surrounded by farm land
-Several lots left to build on
Presidential Glen:
-Early stages of being built with only a handful of houses older than 2yrs
-Isolated community surrounded by farm land
-Only 1 entrance/exit
-Cookie-cutter type neighborhood with small number of similar home layouts
-Clean and quiet feel
Presidential Meadows and Greenbury:
-Both subdivisions are next to each other but are isolated with their own entrance/exit
-Presidential Meadows as an elementary school
-Mix of small lots and big lots in Presidential Meadows
-Small lots in Greenbury
-Nicer type of starter homes
-No activity of new lots to be built
-Hit and miss curb appeal
Hamilton Point:
-Small subdivision
-Attached to "old" Manor
-Small lots
-Has a slight California neighborhood feel due to the trees/plants/houses
-No lots left to build
-Hit and miss curb appeal
Bell Farms and Carriage hills:
-Both subdivisions are side by side and connected but also have their own entrance/exit
-Nicer type of existing starter homes
-New lots being built on with nice looking homes
-Poor roads leading to community with awkward intersection at 973/old US 20
-Generally nice curb appeal
Wildhorse Creek:
-Basic starter homes for the majority of the community
-Small section of nicer, newer homes
-Attached to "old" Manor
-Somewhat gloomy feel from the color choices on the houses with hardyplank siding
Briarcreek:
-Poor roads leading the subdivision
-Strictly starter homes
-Sub-par curb appeal from neglected paint and lawns
-Rollings hills are nice
-Isolated community surrounded by farm land
-Close to East Metropolitan park which is very nice
I can tell you this much, the town of Manor, is pronounced "Mainer", not "Manner".
Elgin, is pronounced like the "G" sound in the word "again" only instead of starting with an "A", it starts with the letter "L"
A Lot of people mispronounce it EL - GIN, like a bottle of "GiN".
The other thing I know about Elgin, they have a great bbq place out there, Southside Market,on the south side of Highway 290. One of the best in Central Texas. It's out there far enough that I don't get tired of it, so when I do get out Elgin way, it's really more like an event, rather than just going to grab some lunch.
After buying a house in Stonewater 2 years ago, here are my thoughts about living in Manor:
Location:
-290, 130, and Palmer lane provide easy access to anywhere in the Austin metro area typically in 15-45 minutes
-A few small back-roads provide good mobility as well
-Traffic is manageable with predictable slow morning periods
Shopping:
-Very little options in town
-East Austin provides a few options but safety is questionable at times
-East Pflugerville offers much better options, especially Stone Hill Shopping center by access of 130 or small back-roads
-Walmart is in the process of being built in town with several other big name stores coming
Crime:
-No known issues with violence/safety
-Younger population along with some lower income families do result in petty crimes
Development:
-Lots of developmental plans are in the works or have been proposed
Pests:
-Snakes are a concern but fears may be overblown
-Scorpions tend to find their way indoors during certain periods of the year
-Lots of ant mounds and spiders but they seem to stay outside
Clay soil:
-The ground shrinks and contracts a large amount but I believe all the builders use post-tension slabs here
-Unwatered lawns will show earth cracks during dry spells
Demographics:
-Good mix of several demographics
-Many houses are being rented out which affects the stability of certain neighborhoods
Old Manor/Downtown:
-Definitely old in every sense of the world, kind of an eyesore in my opinion
-A few historical sites but in need of a restoration/beautification project
-A few locally owned businesses worth checking out
Shadowglen:
-Great subdivision with nice scenery when the golf course is well maintained
-Has a nice waterpark
-Streets are very wide and clean
-Has a small shopping strip at its entrance
-Still actively building
-Nice curb appeal
Stonewater:
-Roads leading to the subdivision are poor
-Back half is basic starter homes
-Sub-par curb appeal from unkept lawns in the back half
-Narrow streets and overcrowded with parked cars
-Front half is being built with nicer houses
-Lots are smaller and spaced closed together
-Mostly working class families mixed with a few questionable groups
-Isolated community surrounded by farm land
-Several lots left to build on
Presidential Glen:
-Early stages of being built with only a handful of houses older than 2yrs
-Isolated community surrounded by farm land
-Only 1 entrance/exit
-Cookie-cutter type neighborhood with small number of similar home layouts
-Clean and quiet feel
Presidential Meadows and Greenbury:
-Both subdivisions are next to each other but are isolated with their own entrance/exit
-Presidential Meadows as an elementary school
-Mix of small lots and big lots in Presidential Meadows
-Small lots in Greenbury
-Nicer type of starter homes
-No activity of new lots to be built
-Hit and miss curb appeal
Hamilton Point:
-Small subdivision
-Attached to "old" Manor
-Small lots
-Has a slight California neighborhood feel due to the trees/plants/houses
-No lots left to build
-Hit and miss curb appeal
Bell Farms and Carriage hills:
-Both subdivisions are side by side and connected but also have their own entrance/exit
-Nicer type of existing starter homes
-New lots being built on with nice looking homes
-Poor roads leading to community with awkward intersection at 973/old US 20
-Generally nice curb appeal
Wildhorse Creek:
-Basic starter homes for the majority of the community
-Small section of nicer, newer homes
-Attached to "old" Manor
-Somewhat gloomy feel from the color choices on the houses with hardyplank siding
Briarcreek:
-Poor roads leading the subdivision
-Strictly starter homes
-Sub-par curb appeal from neglected paint and lawns
-Rollings hills are nice
-Isolated community surrounded by farm land
-Close to East Metropolitan park which is very nice
Thanks for sharing these opinions & info. (rep'ed you)
Any comments on schools or (or home values) since you've lived there two years?
I notice that answers to questions about Manor, TX. are pretty old. I would like more current information (2013). ...
What is the crime like now? I looked it up on line and it was terrible on paper. What is it like actually living there? Are there a lot of burglaries there (especially home burglaries?) We are also considering Elgin, TX. What is it like? Any answers would be greatly appreciated.
I have wondered about the "high" crime rates in Manor also. Looking into it they appear to be purely a result of there being a low population there. "Crime rate" statistics based on incidents per 100,000 people are not very relevant for a community that has a population of only 5,869. It really skews the "rate" numbers.
In the last year reported, 2005, Manor, population 5,869, had:
Murder 0, rate 0
Rape 1, rate 84.5
Robbery 1, rate 84.5
Assaults 15, rate 1266.9
Burglaries 17, rate 1435.8
Thefts 80, rate 6756.8 <---- shockingly high rate, I suggest this is invalid, it exceeds the population.
Auto Thefts 8, rate 675.7
Arson 0 rate 0
Total crime rate 802.6/100,000 national average = 319.1
When dealing with low population numbers I think "rates" are irrelevant, look at actual numbers of crimes committed. Very low.
Lets look at, 2011, Elgin, population 8,232 : <---30% higher population
Murder 0, rate 0
Rape 3, rate 36.1 <--- 3X the number or rapes but a "rate" 43% lower
Robbery 6, rate 72.2 <--- 3X the number or rapes but a "rate" 43% lower
Assaults 3, rate 36.1 <--- actual number and rate far lower
Burglaries 68, rate 818.7
Thefts 172 rate 2070.8 <--- 2X the number of crimes but a "rate" 60% lower
Auto Thefts 9, rate 108.4 <--- only 1 more but the number but a "rate" over 6 times lower.
Arson 0 rate 0
Total crime rate 216.3/100,000 national average = 319.1
I don't know about you but we can easily see there is lots more crime in Elgin with only a 30% larger population yet the "crime rate" is almost 4X lower per 100,000 people.
I conclude that the "crime rate" numbers are not valid when dealing with small communities, you really have to compare total numbers of crimes.
Thanks for sharing these opinions & info. (rep'ed you)
Any comments on schools or (or home values) since you've lived there two years?
I don't have much input on the schools since I don't have children. From what I recall, Manor ranks poor on a few metrics but I do recall reading a few positives here and there. The system can only do so much if the students don't apply themselves.
A student's attitude, upbringing, determination, etc. is far more important than a school's reputation. I am a product of a public school that was not regarded as distinguished and went on to graduate with honors, earned national recognition for test scores, earned a bachelor's degree, yada, yada, yada.
As for home values, they are trending upwards for existing "cheap" homes while "nicer" homes are holding steady. Manor is in an active building mode so home values will largely be dictated by the builders.
New base model homes are being listed at $120,000+ and upscale models for $160,000+.
The best investment strategy in this area is to look at foreclosures that are priced well below the corresponding pricing of a new home.
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